Congressman speaks up for Lions

Last Night

The Anderson Lions Club accepted a transfer member into the club.

Welcome, 

Charlie Osuna

Hunting

_

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Every year

The Shasta Lake Lions Club sponsors a Veterans Day Parade in downtown Shasta Lake. This year there were 90 entries.

Lions from across District 4-C1 gathered to carry the 30 x 50 foot flag at the start of the parade.

It's a long way from one corner of the flag to the other

The Council meeting ended

 The hotel made everyone feel welcome (and did a brilliant job accommodating all of the visitors)

Before it was over there were plenty of meetings and activities...

including catered meals...

formal meetings...

meals with table decorations...

and a Hallowe'en costume party...

with mystery prizes for costumes

There wasn't a discouraging word to be heard at the end of the weekend... from anyone.

More Council Meeting (cont'd)

There are more formal meetings, but there's a lot accomplished...

...before

...between

...and after

Council Meeting (cont'd)

The camera was put to work before very many checked in. Later there was more action.

There was a really nice sign depicting a local scene...

there was plenty of space...

and lots of goodie bags (55) with items contributed by many of the clubs in District 4-C1

This week in our neighborhood

There is a Council of Governors Meeting just up the road in Redding. Lions from all over California have arrived or are are arriving for training, committee meetings and to conduct the business of Lions Multiple District Four.
Several members of the Anderson Lions Club are assisting, along with members from other clubs, with registration and other activities at this meeting. We'll attempt to post some pictures soon.

Lions - The world's biggest unknown organisation

I'm here to inform you about an organisation called Lions Clubs International. There are actually quite a few Lions in this room right now, and they know all of the things that I'm going to tell you, but I'll remind them anyway because they have every right to feel proud.

Lions Clubs International was formed in 1917 at the inspiration of Melvin Jones. He could see half of the young men in Europe, but also in the USA and Canada, being carted of to the battle fields of France and Belgium and a vast number would never return. He considered that half of the conflicts in the world are fought in the name of politics and the other half in the name of religion, so he proposed the formation of an organisation where partisan politics and sectarian religionwould be banned.

He was looking for people with courage, loyalty and fidelity. He called meetings of many organisations based in Chicago and one called Lions Clubs International offered their name, The movement began and is now 43,000 clubs strong in 200 countries and geographical areas and totalling 1.3 million people.

Our motto is We Serve

In 1925 Helen Keller arrived at the Lions Convention and threw down the gauntlet. Her closing words were “Will you not help me hasten the day when there shall be no preventable blindness; no little deaf, blind child untaught; no blind man or woman unaided? I appeal to you Lions, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are strong and brave and kind. Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness?”

So what have we done?

In 1921 James Biggs of Bristol painted his stick white, so he was first but he only did it for himself. In 1930, George Bonham watched a blind man struggle to cross the road in Detroit and came up with the same answer. But this time it was rolled out by Lions Clubs all across America and the white cane became a major prop for the blind.

In 1930 Muriel Crooke & Rosamind Bond, two English nurses working in Switzerland met an American dog handler and asked him if a dog could be trained to assist the blind. He showed them how to do it and on their return they moved into a garage in Wallasey and trained four dogs. The American returned home, told the Lions about the project and the first training schools for Leader Dogs for the Blind were set up and the movement moved like a prairie fire.

We began to move on. The United Nations approached LCI in the late 1980s. They said there were 40 million people in the world who were blind, 32 million of them unnecessarily. If unchecked, that would be 80 million by 2010, at the current rate of population increase.

Most of the blindness inflicted on many parts of the world was either preventable or curable.

We started Campaign Sight First.

It began in 1990 and ran for three years. The target was $120 million.

We raised $180 million

The population grew faster than had been predicted.

We reduced the number of blind worldwide to 37 million. On paper just 3 million but against forecast it was 43 million.

However

There was still one child going blind every minute.

The new prediction was that blindness could affect 74 million people, so we had to act again

Campaign Sight First II

This time the target was $180 million

We raised $220 million.

What have we done with the money?

We have built 315 eye hospitals

Vaccinated 41 million children

Trained 650,000 eye care specialists

Returned sight or prevented immediate sight loss for 14 million children

Carried out 8 million cataract surgeries

Treated 148 million sufferers of river blindness

We do what it says on the tin. We fight blindness wherever it exists. The cost of saving eyesight in our eye camps is £3 per person. The cost of restoring eye sight is around £30.

We will continue to fight until we have honoured our pledge to Helen Keller

But what next?

We have now come up with a project that will affect every special needs school in the developed world.

The original concept was intended just for blind children but we quickly realised that it would affect everyone with dexterity problems.

Working with Graff we have produced the Diamond media player where all of the operating buttons are very large. The machine is very robust and can be operated by being struck with the forearm or fist. This is married to the Newsbridge recording system and a fabulous scan to voice camera and software from Ready Tech which captures a page in just one second. This will be driven by Lions, starting this week.

I also want to address some comments overheard this weekend.

If you have got a talking newspaper that is struggling for funds. Talk to me.

If your talking newspaper is struggling to change to digital, talk to me.

If you can’t find volunteers, talk to me.

If you can’t get to your listeners with the new media players, talk to me and I will talk to your Lions.

That what we Lions are here for.

Posted by John May at 18:38 UTC

Sunday, 25 September 2011

John May is a Lion in England. He tells us who the Lions are quite well and he blogs about Talking Newspapers a lot.

This is from LCI

Auspicious Occasion

On Saturday the Happy Valley Lions Club is honoring Lion Virgil White for his 50 years of service as a Lions Club member. The festivities start at 5:00pm. Below is an image of the flier.

(click to enlarge)

Hurry!

...or leave a comment and we'll reply

Last Night

The special occasion was the annual District Governor's Official Visit. In addition to DG Lee Hollowell, there Lions from three other clubs and the room was decorated in red, white and blue. The National Anthem was sung to open the meeting.

First Vice District Governor Coy Moody and Cabinet Secretary Marilyn Moody accompanied the Governor.

After giving his talk, DG Lee presented Anderson Lions member Beverly Fickes with a Melvin Jones Fellowship awarded by the club

In this photo Lion Beverly's proud husband looks on.

Busy weekend

Some of us were at Shasta Lake (the city) for the District Meetings. Friday night was purely social. Saturday was a full day with committees meeting, Cabinet Officer Training, a membership brainstorming session, Cabinet Installation and club officer training. Then on Sunday morning we attended the Cabinet Meeting, which was done before 11:00am.

Tuesday (tomorrow) is District Governor Lee's official visit to the Anderson Lions. It appears we'll have a full house, with visitations from a couple of other clubs.

Some of us went to the International Convention

_

This video shows only a small sample of the fun to be had at a Lions Clubs International Convention.
The bonus was Seattle had really fantastic weather while we were there.

IT'S WHAT YOU SCATTER

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes... I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.'

'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'

'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'

'Good. Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'

'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.

'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'

'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'

'All I got's my prize marble here.'

'Is that right? Let me see it', said Miller.

'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'

'I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'Not zackley but almost.'

'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy.

'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.

With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.

When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket.

Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one; each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.

They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ..'

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral:
We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself...

An unexpected phone call from an old friend.... Green stoplights on your way to work....

The fastest line at the grocery store....

A good sing-along song on the radio...

Your keys found right where you left them.

Send this to the people you'll never forget. I just did...

If you don't send it to anyone, it means you are in way too much of a hurry to even notice the ordinary miracles when they occur.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED!

It was a twofer

Today was the last day for the Diabetes Camp at Camp McCumber. This is the third year that Anderson Lions have gone to help clean up at the end of camp.

The last task is cleaning the Staff bathrooms.
Then it time to rest for a few moments before the next event, Installation of Officers

After the Officers for 2011-2012 were installed, awards were presented. Melanie Hunter is Lion of the Year.

Sponsoring a player

Each year the Lions Clubs in the 12 counties making up District 4-C1 organize an All Star Football Game. Players are June graduates who have not yest started college. The game is on the last Saturday of July. The profits from the game are used to help fund the Diabetes Camp sponsored by the District 4-C1 Health Foundation.
This year the Anderson Lions have contributed $500 toward sponsoring the game.

Anderson Century

We have been informed that the Anderson Century bike ride will be on the third Saturday of May next year. In other words May 19, 2012.
Our efforts for this last year were well rewarded.

Helen Keller Day

In 1971, the Board of Directors of Lions Clubs International declared that henceforth June 1 would be remembered as "Helen Keller Day." Lions around the world implement sight-related service projects on Helen Keller Day.

Helen Keller

Born Helen Adams Keller on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, USA, the child developed a fever at 18 months of age. Afterwards, Keller was blind, deaf, and mute.

At age six, teacher Anne Mansfield Sullivan of the Perkins School for the Blind was hired as Keller's teacher. The 20-year-old taught Keller sign language and Braille. The story of the teacher and her pupil has been retold in William Gibson's play and film, "The Miracle Worker."

At age 10, Keller learned to speak. Sarah Fuller of the Horace Mann School was her first speech teacher.

In 1898, Helen entered the Cambridge School for Young Ladies. In the autumn of 1900, Keller entered Radcliffe College. She earned a bachelor of arts degree cum laude in 1904.

Throughout the years, Sullivan remained at her student's side. She formed letters into Keller's hand for comprehension of textbooks, college lectures, and conversation.

Keller's Personal Crusade

In 1915, Keller joined the first Board of Directors of the Permanent Blind Relief War Fund, later known as the American Braille Press.

In 1924, the young woman started the Helen Keller Endowment Fund. In the same year, Keller joined the staff of the American Foundation for the Blind as a counselor on national and international relations.

On June 30, 1925, Keller addressed the Lions Clubs International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA. She challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in this crusade against darkness." (Click here to view her entire speech.) She said, "I am your opportunity. I am knocking at your door."

In 1946, Keller became a counselor on international relations for the American Foundation for Overseas Blind (a sister organization to the American Foundation for the Blind). She traveled to 35 countries.

A movie was made of Keller's life. "Helen Keller in Her Story" received the "Oscar" award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for best feature-length documentary film in 1955.

Keller made her last major public appearance in Washington, D.C., USA, in 1961. She received the Lions Humanitarian Award for lifetime service.

Keller died on June 1, 1968 at age 87. Her request to the Lions 43 years earlier inspired Lions Clubs International to adopt the Sight Conservation and Work with the Blind Program as a major service initiative.

Helen Keller Memorial Park

In 1971, the Lions of Alabama dedicated the Helen Keller Memorial Park. It is located on the grounds of Keller's birthplace which is known as Ivy Green. The focal point of the memorial is a bust of Keller with an engraved plaque which states, "I am your opportunity."

It's fixed.

Tale of woe

The Club Secretary is a little perturbed today. He tried to log in to the Lions Clubs International Member Center so he could transmit the most recent membership and activity information. The site has been changed around a little and the login information that had be saved on the old site was no longer there so he couldn't log in. He attempted to retrieve the password using the procedure set up on the site. But when he finished providing the information asked for, he received a message that the data didn't match. He says he thinks he's not the only one who's frustrated at the moment.

The only question is why do IT folks seem to believe they have to keep fixing stuff that isn't necessarily broken?
That's a rhetorical question. It doesn't require an answer

Another successful event

Saturday dawned early for the Anderson Lions Club and the other participants at the Anderson River Park Century Bike Ride... which actually only starts and finishes at Anderson River Park. It otherwise winds its way through the foothills to the east, covering much beautiful country.

The first step in the process is to load up equipment and supplies for Rest Stop #3, also known as a lunch stop. It was one of three rest stops the Anderson Lions were manning.

It is bare ground at the corner of Ash Creek and Dersch Roads. We police the area before setting up.

It may have taken an hour from the time we loaded up until the rest stop was ready.

This is the first real view the riders on the 60 mile route have of the rest stop.

The 60-milers are making pretty good speed as they run downhill on Dersch Road.

The first riders to arrive are on the 40 mile route. They come in on Ash Creek Road.

We are in constant contact, in case of an emergency (like running low on strawberries) because of the amateur radio operators.

When the riders on both routes leave they head west on Dersch Road.

Two more 40-milers.

Many times two bicycle racks aren't enough.

The Enterprise Lions Club has done an outstanding job organizing this event. This year there were over 200 riders. The slow growth has allowed all of us to learn and still provide the best possible experience for the riders.
We are grateful for the opportunity to assist and to benefit our community from the ride. We are also grateful to have a day to rest before the start of a new week... and that it waited until today to start raining.

Tomorrow is the big event

The temperature should suit the riders just fine for the ride tomorrow.
Riders can still register at the start on Saturday morning at the Gazebo in Anderson River Park.

The countdown has begun

Five Days -
One of our members has posted some photos and information about the Anderson River Park Century Bike Ride.
We'll be finalizing plans tomorrow evening.

Our other fund raising project

We have just been notified that the materials for ordering calendars for next year have been shipped. As soon as the Anderson Lions finish with the Century Bike Ride, we will be out and about soliciting advertising and selling calendars.

The Lions Clubs of California received correspondence from the Lions Clubs International Foundation acknowledging the contributions made by the clubs for the Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief. Also, the LCIF website featured a picture of some California Lions raising funds for the relief effort.
The Anderson Lions are proud to have made a contribution.

And then the Sun came out

As soon as the Anderson Lions began to put the colored eggs out for the egg hunt this morning it started to drizzle. Then within minutes it was raining steadily. It continued for about a half hour before letting up. By 15 minutes before the 9:00am start time the rain had stopped so the fun could begin.

It only takes minutes. The children make fast work of finding the eggs.

Parents are allowed to assist the Toddlers.

Some even come in costume. Is that an "Easter Bear?'

The prelude

Sunday is the annual egg hunt the Anderson Lions have been sponsoring since all the way back to 1957.

There have been a number of different ranges to boil the eggs... some bigger, and fancier pots, too.

The members have found they can stay busy...

...or rest and socialize...

...or even daydream.

Last weekend

The Anderson Lions Club arranged to honor Lion Melanie Hunter with a Melvin Jones Fellowship and to have it presented at the District Convention at Corning, California.

Club President, Sharon O'Brien, and LCIF Chair, Dave Marceau with Melvin Jones recipient, Melanie Hunter

We were ready

These two, Melanie and Sharon, weren't the only members who manned the food fair booth at the convention on Friday evening. There are more photos at the Facebook page.

Some of us came home tired. Some of us came home rested.

Hi Scott

This really nice video about a Lions project got an award

You can watch it here. Lions Clubs from all over the U.S. participate and contribute to Lions in Sight.

This week is Convention Week

The Anderson Lions are excited about attending the Lions District 4-C1 Annual Convention at Corning. We're all ready for the Food Faire on Friday evening and the Parade of Banners Saturday morning. We'll see what else develops.
Of more immediate importance is the regular meeting tonight at El Mariachi.

Preparations

Easter is almost a month away, but the Anderson Lions are already preparing for the annual hunt.
We have already received two call from interested parties so it is probably best to post some information now.

Who: Children to 9 years old (four different age groupings)
What: Anderson Lions Annual Easter Egg Hunt
When: Easter Sunday, April 24
Time: 9:00 AM - arrive early
Where: Anderson River Park - Kimberly Grove Picnic Area
Why: As a service to the children of the community

There is no charge to participate

Members will gather on Thursday, April 24 to cook and color the eggs.

We are happy to have assistance on Sunday morning "hiding" the eggs

We start at about 7:30 AM

At Tuesday night's meeting

The members unanimously voted to send $1000 (US) to the Lions Clubs International Foundation and designate it for the Japanese disaster relief.

Five members from the Enterprise Lions Club visited and provided updated information about the Anderson Century Bike Ride that we co-sponsor with them.

We conducted the election of officers for 2011-2012.

We have an unofficial project

The idea is to find enough Lions to play kazoos while marching in a parade. So far there may be two.

Seriously, the idea is to make the point that, while we are a service club and the work we do is serious, we have a good time.

No, not these lions

Anderson Lions have a continuing project whereby individual members gather certain recyclables and bring them once each month to a meeting. They are collected by one member who takes them to the recycling center. He, in turn then brings the recycling refund back to the club. Several times a year a check is issued to the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF). 
Many of the members feel that in this manner we are fulfilling the international nature of our organization without taking the funds we raise from the local community out of the town.
As an adjunct to this effort we are able to confer one of the highest awards given to a Lions member. The Melvin Jones Fellowship is named for the founder of Lions Clubs. Anderson Lions currently have five members who are
Melvin Jones Fellows.

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