Next Meeting, Tuesday, August 18, at the Coliseum Restaurant & Bar, at noon. We think the newly elected District Governor will be coming for the annual visit. We usually hear a lot about what's going on on the big Lions International stage, along with news items and annual goals for the Wisconsin and District 27D-1 Lions. The DGs spend an entire year of their lives crisscrossing the state to build Lion service.

We will also induct new member ADAM GRASSNICKLE.

Stuff The Bus sorting of donated items was a couple days ago. There was a good film clip on Channel 15, showing the activity and with a few remarks from the 2nd Vice District Governor, our own JODI BURMESTER.

It's mid-August already, and with the end of summer insight, SCOTT GROVER reminds us that September is one of our months for transporting eye tissue for the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin. If you are a transporter, stand by for a call. If you are not a transporter but would like to be one, contact SCOTT.

At the last meeting the main item for discussion was the result of our three fundraising projects. Pres. MIKE had a handout, showing that:

The Rose and Flower Sale made profits of $3,398 in 2015 after $3,696 in 2014.
The Holiday Candy made $1321 this past season and $1,042 the year before.
The Golf Outing made $3,985 this year and $3,903 last year.

Comments indicated that the Rose Sale went quickly and well, but the profits keep dropping. The Holiday Candy profits increased, most due to the enormous effort put in to it by LINDA BERGREN. The Golf Outing income is mostly from a few sponsors' donations, and we urgently need to find more golfers.

Candy Sale has a problem with the beloved fruit cakes, caused by the mfr's packaging the most popular small ones in cases of 24. The order always seems to need just a few more than 24 or 48 or 72, and if an extra case has to be ordered there are a lot of leftovers which are difficult/impossible to sell. Popular solution is to order a “limited quantity”, which creates a PR problem if some buyer or seller comes up short. At a minimum, sellers need to put in accurate orders, early.

The discussion having wound down without any real decisions being reached, Pres. MIKE rang the bell and sent us on our way.

From personal experience, the editor has a note of warning. If you are departing the Coliseum Bar driveway, intending to go east toward the Sheraton, and encounter a beer semi trying to enter the driveway, DO NOT PULL OUT INTO THE STREET TO LET THE TRUCK IN!!. Just give it up, and go right, west, towards downtown, and figure out some other way to get to where you were going. Traffic on Olin Ave. will not stop to let you out, and when the beer truck turns into the driveway, they will be coming at you like maniacs from both directions at 40 mph. or faster.