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January 2007
(Click Here for Newsletter Archives)
Becky's Bits
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Dear Fellow Lions:
I hope that this newsletter finds everyone well and recovered from all the holiday hustle and bustle. My wish for you in 2007 is a life full of peace, love, happiness and good health to you and your family. The start of a new year is also a time to reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the coming year. I hope as you reflect on 2006, that each of you realizes the impact you have made in the lives of so many in your community. Everyday you are leaving a legacy behind for others to match and follow. I want to thank each of you for all that you do for Lionism in your club and in your community. YOU, do make a difference, and for that I thank you!
Mid-Winter will be coming up on Saturday, January 20th in Tyler. You will find an agenda elsewhere in this newsletter. If you and your club members have not made reservations for lunch, you will need to do so immediately. Cut-off is the 6th of January. There are several workshops for different levels of Lionism that we have worked hard trying to put together for you. I hope that you will find one or two of interest and make plans to attend. We have a special guest speaker for our luncheon, Warren Bradley. He has been on several radio stations here in East Texas and has performed in Branson, MO. He is sure to keep us entertained and laughing. You won’t want to miss him. We will have door prizes and a silent auction, along with judging for our District Hall of Fame Medal. We hope to see each of you there.
On January 9, 10, and 11 a group of us will be meeting in Tyler to help form one or more new Lions clubs in the south Smith County area (Flint, Troup, Whitehouse, and Bullard). We will need several Lions to help us hit these communities. If you are able to spend a half day or all day with us, please call me as soon as possible, so that we can get a list together of whom all can help. We have a representative coming in who will help us group together and show us how to approach businesses and schools to get them to form a new club. For this to be a success we need you and your clubs help. Please invite others from your club to come and join us as we help build up our district in 2007. Special note of interest: During IPDG Leon Van Alstine’s year as Governor, 2005-2006, we chartered one new club, the Ore City Lions Club. That was the first club this District has put together since 1993, when the Lindale Lions Club was formed. We must join together to form new clubs in our District for us to continue as District 2-X2. We must increase our over all District membership totals and now is the time to help us do just that. Come, spend a day with us and help us continue to build the legacy of District 2-X2 as we share with others what it means to be Knights of the Blind, for all the World to see.
Many Blessings to each of you.
DG Becky
From The Desk Of Vdg Jim Merritt
Isn’t it great to be a LION and SERVING our communities? This time of the year really brings home to us the fact there are so many who need our services!! We have heard good reports from the various clubs in our District 2X2 who are working unselfishly to help others. Our recent Zone meeting here in Nash provided some good information on fund raisers in our various communities. Thank you to Lion Governor Becky, Lion Brian and Little Lion Kasey for attending our Zone meeting. We are proud to report the active participation of Lions in our District, and let us continue to actively search out ways to help others who otherwise can’t help themselves. It is in Serving Others that we truly receive.
Another one of the new ideas that are being offered by Lions International is the Family Membership plan and it is being implemented at this time. This plan allows families a discount at the International level. The plan is a good way for us to increase the membership in our clubs and accelerate growth by reaching out to families.
This plan opens the door for husband and wife to join your club at the same time and allows more participation in family oriented projects. We urge you to go to the International website: www.lionsclubs.org and check out the Family Plan and see how it can benefit your club. There is also an article in the monthly LIONS magazine if you prefer a paper copy to review. Our clubs will benefit by reviewing all the new suggestions that have been put out there for us and we begin to put them into service.
We must continue to find innovative ways to grow our clubs and this is a good step.
As this year draws to a close, I would like to personally thank everyone for supporting me in the Vice District Governor position these past months, and I look forward to seeing each of you and working/serving with each of you in the coming months. I have learned it is not a one person job. It takes all Lions in District 2X2 working together to be successful in all areas of Lionism. Another big thank you to Lion Governor Becky and her cabinet who are doing a great job!
Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year in Lionism.
90th Anniversary Calls Us Both To Cherish What Works And Change What Doesn’t
By Jimmy M. Ross
President
The International Association of Lions Clubs
When a loved one reaches their 90th birthday, we usually can proudly say he or she has lived a rich, full life. This year we celebrate the 90th anniversary of something near and dear to all of us - Lions Clubs International, founded in 1917 in Chicago by businessman Melvin Jones. Yes, we’ve had a rich, full history, marked by service unmatched by any other service club. But the best is yet to come.
I witness firsthand in my travels around the world the stunning energy and vitality of Lions. In small towns and big cities, we are out in the community aiding youths and the elderly, providing vision and hearing screenings, collecting and distributing eyeglasses, offering food, water and blankets after floods and tornadoes, and teaching job skills to those with disabilities. We do serve. And we will serve for generations to come.
But we will be tested and we are facing challenges. We can’t stand pat and do what we always do because that’s how we’ve always done it. We need creativity, inspiration and ingenuity, not mere imitation or repetition. What worked decades ago or even a decade ago may not work today. Even if it works today, it may not work tomorrow. What we need is a willingness to be flexible, to embrace a paradigm shift if necessary. We have to be willing to do is nothing less than a club renewal, a reinvention of our club if that’s what’s needed.
If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it, of course. If your club is flourishing, then be satisfied and stay the course. But if you think you or your club can serve your community better, then go ahead and raise your hand at the next club meeting and get the process of change started. The great advantage Lions have always possessed is our ability to read the signs of the times and take steps in new directions. This happens on every level of the association. You may be the one who comes up with the next great idea to invigorate your club, district or even the association as a whole. Good ideas carry their own momentum. At the least be willing to engage in open and constructive discussion at your club. The only really bad idea is the notion that change is not feasible.
I’m not suggesting a radical transformation of Lionism. We will always be Knights of the Blind. But it’s the little things that count such as how clubs recruit members, hold meetings, publicize accomplishments and engage members in service. Clubs need to regularly assess their how they do business and be ready to drop less successful practices and adopt new ones after careful study and planning.
It’s important to know that you are not alone in your quest for club betterment. International Headquarters, including its Membership, Leadership and International Activities and Program Planning divisions, has an array of effective, efficient programs to jumpstart your renewal and help guide it. These divisions are in touch with the challenges and obstacles faced by clubs. Our new Baby Boomer recruitment methods and Family Lions Club program are two great examples of innovative initiatives to energize clubs and districts. We’re not standing still. We’re moving forward. That’s what it will take to keep our momentum as Lions and to ensure that we remain vital and active.
Please don’t wait for other Lions to take the initiative. The possibility of change and growth rests with individual Lions. Please read the LION and check the Web site regularly to stay on top of what’s available. Chances are quite good that your specific needs can be filled by these initiatives.
We’ve come a long way since 1917, never resting on our laurels or settling for second-best. Lions have always put service first and that’s reflected in the depth and range of our programs today. I am certain that Melvin Jones would be astounded at how Lions clubs have grown and prospered. Thanks to all the Lions who came before us, we are positioned for continued success. Let’s blow out the candles, grab the piece with the extra whipped cream and then return to our lives of service.
District 2-X2 New Members
Rosalie Catania - Canton
Kenneth Yancey - Canton
Jane Campbell - Canton
Brandie Duncan - Canton
Rona Watson - Canton
Cody Crawford - Chapel Hill
Doug Wicks - Cooper
Larry Vandiver - Cooper
Harold Watkins, Jr. - Cooper
William Ray - Cooper
James McDowell - Cooper
John Cleveland - Cooper
Shey Stegall - Cooper
Mavin Tennon - Cypress Springs
Tina Tennon - Cypress Springs
Robert Steeber - Daingerfield
Scott Pollan - Daingerfield
Morris Lyon - Detroit
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Robin Money - Dodd City
Stuart Salchow - Edgewood
Pamela Moss - Gilmer
Karin Tackett - Gilmer
Cody Bouknight - Gilmer
Trevor Rogers - Grand Saline
Paul Donaldson - Hallsville
Shelley Vaughn - Henderson
Michael Duncan - Henderson
Frank Polley - Henderson
Melanie Poland - Kilgore
Mark Rosen - Kilgore
Bobby Bustin - Kilgore
Kerry Wells - Linden
Eucline Richardson - Linden
Lisa La Caze - Linden
Calvin Love - Linden
Bryan Hodge - Marshall
Bob Cole - Marshall
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Charles Cobb - Marshall
Carey Heaster, Jr. - Marshall
Ed Perkins - Marshall
Edith Phelps - Mar-Tex
Larry Petty - Mt Pleasant
Daniel Souza - Mt. Pleasant
Mark Alexander - Mt. Pleasant
Glenn Barfield - New Boston
John Harrington - Paris
Dia Dodson - Pittsburg
Sara Totherow - Pittsburg
Russell Brown - Quitman
Lee Roy Gilbreath - Quitman
Matt Brown - Sulphur Springs
John McCullough - Sulphur Springs
Donna McDaniel - Wake Village
Jimmy Richards - Yantis Lake Fork
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District 2X2 Obituary
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Lion Weldon McCord - New Boston Noon
PDG H.L. Ashcroft - Longview
Lion Jack Pedersen - Hughes Springs
Lion Howard Gipson - Winnsboro
Lion Clyde Bowling - Mineola
Lion Earl Roundtree, IV - Linden
Lion Glenn Bevill - Yantis-Lake Fork
Lion Ed Brinson - Longview
Lion Paul Atkinson - New Boston
Sight Awareness And Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization. The Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP) is a public awareness program that empowers communities to save sight through early detection and timely treatment of eye diseases, such as glaucoma. Your club can help raise awareness of eye health through various activities. To learn how, read and download the LEHP brochure, “How You Can Help Save Sight.” The LEHP Community Education Kit is all you need to start an eye health activity in your community. Further information is available at www.lehp.org. Lions can also e-mail the Health and Children’s Services Department for the brochure, “Blindness: Are You At Risk?” (IAD 182).
Leader Dog
Receiving a Leader Dog (Continued)
Last Months Issue: John Bruce completed the Orientation & Mobility course at Leader Dog and returned home to put this education into practice. Field Representative Carlos Gallusser evaluated John’s skills and John started his Leader Dog class October 11, 2006. He was issued his dog “Viggo” and they finished the training at our school.
CURRENTLY: I called John 3 times while he was at the school. The total class was 23 students of which about 6 students and their interpreter were from Spain. While attending the class, they wanted to speak as much English as possible and would “corral” John and other students.
During any typical day, John said they were lucky to get maybe 1 to ½ hours of free time to themselves. John stated that he had never been so tired in his life.
The Training includes: night traveling skills, escalators, malls, business entries, a tour of the entire school plus interaction constantly with the other students and their dogs.
John commented that every time he and Viggo returned to their room, Viggo would ALWAYS stop at the same door. It was the room that contained the dog food – “I’m ready Dad”.
To be Continued.
Sandy Griffin
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Texas Lions Camp
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The following clubs are 100% to Texas Lions Camp:
Bogata
Canton
Chapel Hill
Cypress Springs
Daingerfield
Detroit
Dodd City
Edgewood
Gilmer
Gladewater
Grand Saline
Hallsville
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Henderson
Jefferson (200%)
Judson
Kilgore
Liberty City
Linden
Longview
Marshall
Matrix-Evening
Mineola
Mt. Pleasant
Nash
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New Boston Noon
New Boston Evening
Ore City
New London
Pittsburg
Quitman
Spring Hill
Sulphur Springs
Tyler
Wake Village
White Oak
Windom
Yantis-Lake Fork
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Leader Dogs
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The following clubs are 100% to Leader Dogs for the Blind:
Bogota
Canton
Chapel Hill
Cypress Spring
Dangerfield
Detroit
Dodd City
Edgewood
Gilmer
Gladewater
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Hallsville
Hawkins 200%
Henderson
Jefferson 200%
Judson
Kilgore
Marshall
Mar-Tex Evening
Mineola
Mt. Pleasant
Nash
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Ore City
New Boston Evening
New Boston Noon
Pittsburg
Quitman
Spring Hill
Tyler
Wake Village
White Oak
Windom
Yantis-Lake Fork
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Texas Eyeglass Recycling Center
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The following clubs are 100% to the Texas Eyeglass Recycling Center:
Dodd City
Sulphur Springs
Cypress Springs
New Boston
Bogota
Mineola
Marshall
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Windom
Daingerfield
Mt. Pleasant
Jefferson
Pittsburg
Canton
Ore City
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Gilmer
Gladewater
Wake Village
Quitman
Nash
Detroit
Chapel Hill
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Lions World Services for the Blind
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The following clubs are 100% to the Lions World Services for the Blind:
Edgewood
Dodd City
Mineola
Cypress Springs
Mt. Pleasant
New Boston Evening
Sulphur Springs
Windom
Marshall
Daingerfield
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Bogata
Jefferson
Ore City
Pittsburg
Canton
Gladewater
Wake Village
Gilmer
Quitman
Mar-Tex Evening
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Nash
Detroit
Yantis-Lake Fork
Tyler
Chapel Hill
New Boston Noon
White Oak
Grand Saline
Judson
Kilgore
Chapel Hill
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District Calendar Of Events
January 5 - Envirnomental Photo Deadline
January 6 - Mid-winter Registration Deadline
January 19 - Kilgore Chili Supper
January 20 - Midwinter Conference in Tyler
January 27 - Judson Chili Supper
April 2 - Deadline for Queen’s Contest
April 10 - Deadline for Texas Lions Camp Applications
May 4-5 - District Convention in Longview
June 10 - Texas Lions Camp
July 22-August 3 - Diabetic Camp
Have your events listed here by emailing Lion April McCright at aprilm128@aol.com
The Governor’s Calendar
Jan 8-11 working on club extension in south Smith County
Jan 15 Daingerfield
Jan 16 Spring Hill
Jan 19 Kilgore Chili Supper
Jan 20 Mid-Winter - Tyler
Jan 23 Wake Village/Nash
Jan 25 New Boston Evening
Jan 27 Judson Chili Supper
Jan 31 Hughes Springs
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