Next Meeting, Tuesday, July 21 at the Coliseum Restaurant & Bar, at noon. Immediate Past President JACK HEIM, having read what Lions International is saying about climate change threatening our service programs, has recruited a scientist who will be able to explain what the scientific community has concluded about climate change and why. The speaker will be Prof. Jonathan E. Martin of the University of Wisconsin, and he should be well worth hearing. Many of us are aware of the sound and fury of discussions about this subject, but if ever there was an issue on which there is “more heat than light”, this is it. Solid, researched facts are always helpful in reaching opinions. Prof. Martin is an award-winning teacher, researcher and author. He is head of the atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UW, and his specialties are storms, climate change and global warming. If anybody knows what is really going on, he does! Don't miss this one!

This would be a really good opportunity to bring a guest. If you're going to do that, you might let SCOTT GROVER know. He's always there early setting up the house, and if we have the good luck to have a few more people at the meeting he can alert the waitstaff.

At our last meeting, newly elected Pres. MIKE KNOWLTON opened the meeting with a gentle tap on the bell that nonetheless got the attention of all present, partly because we were all at one big table. A couple of us ate while perched at corners, and the distribution of silverware was uncertain to say the least, but nobody went hungry and most everybody took their shot at the various discussions. Pres. MIKE asked if anyone had some inspiring words, and SCOTT GROVER promptly quoted at length from the Preamble to the US Constitution. Certainly qualifies as inspirational.

IPP JACK HEIM, having done a great job leading Madison Central Lions for the past year, easily slipped back into his old habits as Tail Twister, greeting everyone with a cryptic message which apparently only he could read. The Editor tried to slip past unnoticed, but JACK must have eyes in the back of his head (or a shadowy network of informants) because he got caught anyway and didn't know the answer either. Saying “Braille writers all make pointed comments” didn't suffice.

We had one guest, Adam Grassnickle, introduced by JODI BURMESTER. Adam is completing his application for membership, and is a former Lions camper.

JODI reminded us that the Stuff The Bus collection date is Aug. 8, at the HyVee stores in Madison and Fitchburg. A week later, Aug. 15, we will assemble somewhere to sort the in-kind donations for distribution. Volunteers are still needed. HyVee has gone “all in” on this effort and are excited to help out, so we are hoping for a lot of participation. In the Madison area, there are about 7000 kids on the ”lunch list” for those in need of assistance, so there is a lot to do here.

SCOTT GROVER said there are still a few spots available for Farm Tech Days in late August. A chance to put in a few hours and generate some money for our Service Funds.

Pres. MIKE, having concluded that there was no more coherent conversation on Lion business to be had, brought the meeting to an end with another tap on the bell.