Next Meeting — June 6, 2017 , Tuesday noon, at the Coliseum Bar & Restaurant, as usual. This will be our first business meeting of summer, which showed up without preparation a few days ago and apparently has decided to stay. Presumably the Coliseum Bar has switched from heat to AC, so we can discuss whatever business there is (there always is) in comfort.

Our slate of Officers for the next Lion year has been announced: President KEVIN OLSEN, Vice President DALE BURMESTER, Secretary and LCIF Director JOHN JENSON, Treasurer SCOTT GROVER, TailTwister ADAM GROSSNICKLE, Membership Director/Chairman CRAIG BUTLER, Directors (2 Year) LINDA BERGREN and ROSS ROYSTER, Director (Continuing, 1 Year) GAIL STIRR, Past President MIKE KNOWLTON.

At our last meeting, Pres. MIKE rang the bell, and called on PID PHIL INGWELL, who presented a medallion and copy of the District Convention Program to Editor TERRY SCHAR, who was listed in that program as the longest-serving Lion in Madison Central Lions Club. TERRY is 5th in the District in years of service, and it is notable that one of the four ahead of him is his sponsor, DALE BRUHN, whose membership now resides in Madison West LC. (There are those who will say that Lion TERRY has achieved this distinction mostly by sheer stubbornness, and they are probably right.) At any rate, it has been an enjoyable ride, one of the most satisfying things in my life.

We don't have a final-final report on Rose Day sales from MELISSA NOVINSKI yet, but it is safe to say that the three top salesLions are, pretty much as usual, CRAIG BUTLER, ROSS ROYSTER, and MELISSA NOVINSKI. Others producing sales of $100 or more, JOHN JENSON, MICHELLE VETTERKIND, CHARLIE and TRISH LIBERTY, STEVE BRIGGS, LINDA BERGREN, JIM SCHUTZ and SCOTT GROVER. Others who sold or made donations, DALE MUELLER, PHIL INGWELL, MIKE KNOWLTON, GAIL STIRR and TERRY SCHAR.

DALE BERMESTER reminded us of the upcoming Bags Tournament on July 15, for which he still needs more volunteer workers. [Note: registration for the tournament can be found here. Tell your friends.]

Our speaker was Cindy Herbst, Executive Director of the Restoring Hope Transplant House, for which Lions Clubs have been continuing sponsors since its inception. Located in Middleton, the House serves transplant recipients from UW Hospital, and their families. These patients are facing a “last hope” situation, and when it is realized, and they have received a transplant, weeks and months of treatment and therapy are usually needed during which they are hospital outpatients who need a place to stay, together with family members. The RHTH provides such a place in an environment of support for the unique demands of the situation, so that is it not just a place to lay their head but a place full of people who understand, some of whom are in similar situations, and helps mightily to ease the feelings of apprehension and “aloneness” that often appear. The RHTH needs more capacity, and is conducting a fund drive for remodeling and expansion. Our Club has donated USD $1,000 towards their capital improvements.