Next Meeting - Tuesday, Sept. 2, noon at the Sheraton. A business meeting, and there will be business to talk about and maybe even to act on. We will get the usual reports on recent projects, undoubtedly there will be a reminder that September is our month for eye tissue transport, information on how to take part in that project in particular and perhaps others, and reminders of how many things we do have going on. Opportunities for service in the near future include, in addition to Eye Transport, our Highway Cleanup (SCOTT GROVER) on October 18, and helping out NESCO (North Eastside Senior Coalition Organization) with its AppleFest Fundraiser on Oct. 4 (LINDA BERGREN).

One item of business at the next meeting involves an announcement of candidacy for District Governor by Past President JODI BURMESTER. The job requires a lot of time and effort, and knowledge of Lionism, and our Club has the honor of having supplied about half a dozen DGs over the years. A run for the job requires the formal endorsement of the candidate's Club to start with, and we will get a chance to do that again. We are the world's largest service club, and it takes a lot of people at various levels to make that organization function. The District Governor is the most visible Lion in that infrastructure, and a key link between the Clubs and Lions Clubs International.

At our last meeting, Pres. JACK rang the bell, ROSS ROYSTER gave the invocation, and TT JEFF SCHNEIDER led a race to the bottom on jokes, in a contest of sorts. Speaking of the TT, you should have received both the (International) Lion Magazine and the Wisconsin Lion (Editor JODI) this week. This is the only notice you will receive.

PADDHE HEINEN donated a “surprise gift” for the TT to auction off. MIKE KNOWLTON came up with the winning bid, and the surprise turned out to be a bunch of decorated lion cookies from Scott's Pastry. TT JEFF showed a new skill set as auctioneer. The docs won't let MIKE eat them, so he passed them around, and they were very good. Thanks to both PADDHE and MIKE for their generosity.

We're still hearing echoes of “Stuff The Bus.” Seems like everybody's jumping on some version of that bandwagon, but we were one of the first, and we got some nice publicity from Channel 15 that will help us in lots of things. Apparently we even drew some comment at the International Convention. In addition to the donated school supplies, the project raised about $15,000 in cash donations which will provide the most-needed supplies. Our Lions who worked on the actual stuffing and sorting were JODI BURMESTER, SCOTT GROVER, PHIL INGWELL JOHN JENSON, MELISSA NOVINSKI, CHARLIE LIBERTY and TRISH LIBERTY.

PHIL INGWELL reported to us verbally about the Convention, and JOHN JENSON had a written report in this month's WISCONSIN LION newspaper. Three members of our club cast formal ballots during the Convention voting. Seems like the TT might like to know who they were. Extra credit, maybe, if you know who a fourth voter who is connected with, but not a member of, our Club, is.

Our speaker was newly-elected District Governor RANDY HARRISON, who started out by awarding Monarch Certificates for years of service to DAN STOUDT, 50 years; DALE ST. JOHN, 45; SPARKY WATTS, 20; and SCOTT GROVER, 15. He also had a couple of special pins for Pres. JACK, and candy for PP LINDA and the Editor. Not sure what I did to deserve that, but Thank You. He noted that Lions JODI and SCOTT will serve in his Cabinet this year, and went on to describe elements of the “STRENGTHEN THE PRIDE” emphasis for this Lion year, and ways of growth for Clubs. There will be two new District awards, “Lion of the Year” and “Club of the Year.”

As the DG observed, any Lion who has not attended an International Convention has missed something good. Observing ten to twenty thousand people, who have come anywhere from a few miles to halfway around the world, getting together to hear about and celebrate many ways to be of service to others will make an impression on you not easily forgotten. The one next year will be in Hawai'i - be there, Aloha! (If you're too young to know where that ending came from, ask some old guy.)