Next Meeting - Tuesday, Nov. 19 - At the Sheraton. Look for the foldable Lions display banner in the hallway. We think we have SCOTT GROVER to thank for that. We have GAIL STIRR to thank for the program, though. The speaker will be Professor Arnold Ruoho, Department of Neuroscience; member of the McPherson Eye Research Institute at UW Madison. He will talk about “Preventing Neurodegeneration”. How one area of basic science research is playing an important role in protecting the retina. The eye is an unbelievably complex mechanism, but researchers working on the minute components are finding ways to preserve sight that until recently was considered irretrievably going or gone. For some, it borders on the miraculous!

At our last meeting, the badge box was back but the attendance cards were gone. Resourceful Sec. JOHN JENSON solved part of that by simply scanning the room and taking names. LINDA's version of a Pledge this week was to “pledge to serve, have fun, and camaraderie.” PHIL INGWELL 'reflected” on a long list of our Club's service projects since our founding in 1922, starting with Neighborhood House in the Greenbush area and the YMCA Camp Wakanda, our Constitution Day, which used to be celebrated, not fought over, our Gum Ball fundraiser, Soil Conservation Day, 4th of July Fireworks, helping found the Wisconsin Lions Foundation, for which our own PP LES HUSEBOE was Treasurer for many years, and helping originate the Eye Donor program, which led to the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin. He ended with a salute to veterans and a poem honoring the Flag. Pres. LINDA said she was looking for “reflections” from each of us, and we should expect a call to take our turn. Best start thinking.

We finished up the Lion Birthday celebration from the previous meeting by celebrating the 3 years of service of JEFF SCHNEIDER. No attendance cards to draw, so Pres. LINDA, no doubt drawing on her teaching experience, improvised a guessing game, through which DALE MULLER was declared the winner of JEFF's gift. We also noted the presence of Lion CHARLIE LIBERTY for the second meeting in a row! Hope he keeps coming - we're going for the record!

JIM SCHUTZ said there is a Vision Screening, using some new equipment, scheduled at Frank Allis School around 5 PM on Nov. 19, the day of our next meeting. You don't have to be trained and certified to help out - just talk to JIM. At a recent screening we found about 6 kids that needed referral to an eye specialist, and if even one of them had a problem that needed attention, we did our job. The coming screening is part of a Health Fair put on by the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

We had a report on the successful Highway Cleanup project. The crew was done in 2 hours, the usual assorted junk was collected, and the weather cooperated. Lions in action were SCOTT GROVER, LINDA BERGREN, CRAIG BUTLER, JOHN JENSON (no truth to the rumor he was just looking for golf balls), DEBBIE MAHAFFEY, and from the East Branch Club, JOYCE FOX and MIKE and JOYCE KNOWLTON.

We will ring bells for the Salvation Army kettle at JC Penney West Towne on Nov. 25. This is our project for November, and Pres. LINDA has the sign-up sheet. She also has the candy and nuts for our Holiday Treat fundraiser - pick up your order if you haven't already, and help sell the stock we have left. (Fruit cakes make great survival food for the emergency kit in your car.) Our meeting on Dec. 3 will be a Report meeting, on how our various activities have gone and are going, and on Dec. 17 we will have our usual Christmas Party. No details on that one yet, but save the date.

JOHN JENSON made a couple of presentations - one to Pres. LINDA for our Club's contributions to WLF last year, and the plaque, pin and presentation letter for the Burch-Sturm Fellowship recently given to the Editor, which is greatly appreciated. I am particularly happy that the Club's financial gift to WLF added my name to a long list of Lions who have actively supported WLF projects like Lions Camp and eyeglass collection, both projects I believe in.

JOHN also mentioned that we are winding up our Eyeglass Sorting project, but looking for ways to ramp up our Eyeglass Collection project. Downtown Rotary put out collection boxes for us again this year. We are contemplating a Raffle as a fundraiser. If you have opinions, or better yet, prizes to donate, talk to one of the officers about it.