Next Meeting - Tuesday, Feb. 18, on the Mezz at Festival Foods, at 11:30 AM as usual. This is our Program Meeting, and a representative from the Census Effort will talk to us about the one that is scheduled for this summer. Used to be to count heads, but now it is politicized like everything else as various interest groups try to sneak in questions to obtain data for their various causes. With the great increase in numbers, the job has become much bigger, and volunteers are needed to help with the effort. There is a stipend for doing it, too. Hopefully we will know a lot more about it by the end of the meeting.

At our last meeting, our trip to Lions Camp, by bus, was confirmed. We have room for 25 people and the cost will be $30 for each, including lunch. This is the flagship program for Wisconsin Lions, reported in the International magazine and supported by LCIF grants, and it all started when one Wisconsin overheard a child say “blind kids can't go to camps and do outdoors stuff like other kids.” Oh, YES YOU CAN! And over the years the camp has progressed from “rustic, with canoes and a totem pole” to modern facilities so campers can be comfortable in forest surroundings, with swimming area, all kinds of watercraft, overnights in the woods, a modern dining hall, and facilities to serve a variety of clientele with different limitations. You should see it!

There was discussion of our Club “Banner”, a large flag-like object which used to grace one end of the head table when we had one. In addition to our name, there were various patches attached attesting to our Club's achievements in service. Over time, it became somewhat of a patchwork, because we have so many of them, and by now there are probably a lot of loose ones lying around because it's too big for the President's wife to sew on last year's patch, and we don't have a club member who runs a store with a tailor in it, so the question is whether to repair, replace or retire. So far as the Editor can remember, we are still using the original, and it is showing its age. In these times, it is not as prominent as it once was, and we no longer have a Club Officer entitled Lion Tamer (reason unknown, and not the same as Tail Twister' mostly grunt work) who as part of his job, was responsible for it's maintenance.

We are still trying to do a Spring Raffle and/or Bags Tournament. First requirement is a site, which needs to have room to throw beanbags around along with the necessary food and drink to sustain activity. Several places have been mentioned, but no clear leader yet. Know any such place? Tell Pres. Dale.

A joint project with the Monona-Madison Lionesses is under discussion, involving providing a free Monday night meal for residents in the Triangle, an area of what used to be South Madison. It would involve providing the food, and the personpower to serve it, in partnership with the Triangle Ministry. Sounds like another opportunity for hands-on service, even for our present membership. Those present approved it in principle, and we are working on the actual performance. More info coming as it is worked on.

Calendar for February:
• February 18 - Program meeting
• March 3 - Business/Board meeting
• March 8 - Daylight Savings Time starts
• March 8 - West African Cuisine Meal - Cross Plains
• March 17 - Program Meeting
• April 20 - Flower Delivery Day