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October 2007 (Click Here for Newsletter Archives) From the Desk of District Governor Jim Merritt HELLO FELLOW LIONS. Great things are on the way for Lions in 2-X2 and the people we serve – remember that is our motto WE SERVE! Our thanks go out to the Mineola Lions Club for hosting our second Cabinet Meeting on October 13th. We had a great turnout, the weather was perfect, the food & fellowship were great, and I believe we accomplished some important goals. We heard reports from several Lions, and Marion Houser gave us some valuable information on the Ecard from the IRS that will be applicable to us. We will be getting the information out as a handout to the Clubs who were not at the meeting. Another important item that was presented was the focus of our Mid-Winter Convention.. This year, we want to showcase our Texas Lions Camp and the Camp Walk at Mid Winter. The Camp Walk has always been successful in the past, but we want to think out of the "box". We will have a panel speaking to us composed of Shawn Mabry (tentatively), Julie Parker who has been a Counselor at the camp, and also our pride and joy, Camper Kara Hale from Wake Village. These speakers will give much insight to the actual ongoings at the camp. Our Camp Walk has been held for the last few years at the District Convention in April . This year we are planning to have the camp walk at Mid Winter which is to be held in Pittsburg at Emmauel Baptist Church. We are planning on walking outside; however, if East Texas weather does not permit, we have a Plan B for indoor walking. So come wearing your Sweats and tennis shoes! No formal dress that day! Lions, this will be a great Fund Raiser for our Camp and will put District 2-X2 in the forefront of Camp in terms of leadership. There are some more exciting details regarding awards and participation that I don't have time to go over in the Newsletter, but we will be getting this information out to the Clubs. Fellow Lions, I am so excited about Mid-Winter and what we can do for TLC. Please join me and catch the excitement! Yours in Lionism Governor Jim Lions Blankets for Campers Lion Venita Morris presents check to District Governor Lion Jim Merritt to pay for two Lions blankets for handicapped children to use when they ride the bus to the Texas Lions Camp at Kerrville.  Lion Jim brought a blanket to display when he was guest speaker for the recent Lions meeting, September 17.  He gave an interesting and informative program on how Lionism is contributing to people locally, in the state and around the world.  The Detroit Lions contribute annually to the Texas Children's Camp Quips and Quotes Greeting District 2-X2 Lion Mary and I had an opportunity to attend the 31ST. USA / CANADA Forum on September 6, 7, and 8th in Grand Rapids Michigan. Weather was good, and we enjoyed the walk back and forth to the convention center. We did get a little time off to view a little of the Gerald Ford Museum. We saw a lot of history in Grand Rapids, but we did not have an opportunity to see any of Lake Michigan. The Forum was great. There were many presenters and motivational speakers. Here, we had the best of the best. If these speakers did not motivate you to do better, something was wrong with your spirit of Lionism and what it stands for. The title of the Forum was "Making a Difference Through the Challenges of Change". The magic word is change. Every presenter talked about Recruiting, Retention, and Change. If we do not take care, and pay attention to these items, we are subject to failure. We enjoyed The "Celebration on the Grand" on Friday night was a fun filled Night with fun, food, prizes and fireworks for this celebration. Even though it rained hard during the lateral part of the evening, everything went well. There were superior speakers. An expert in life leadership and communications since 1980, Lion Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE, is an award-winning author, a business consultant to national and international organizations. She was Thursday's afternoon opening speaker. Thursday night was Jeanne Robertson. She specializes in using hilarious humor based on her life experiences. (She was an excellent speaker). For the Friday luncheon, Steve Gilliland spoke. He has become one of the most sought-after speakers in America. His background includes Major League Baseball broadcasting. The Saturday night closing included Manuel Scott. He shared his story about overcoming life's obstacles, the beauty of diversity, and the power of love. International President, Mahendra Amarasuriya of Colombo spoke at the Saturday's Luncheon "Making a difference through the challenges of change." President Mahendra put emphasis on the Mission Statement for USA/Canada forum. To develop leaders, motivate and educate attendees, provide an open exchange of ideas, and support programs and goals of Lions Clubs International. First-timers were the majority of attendees. Next year the USA/CANADA Forum will be in Saskatoon, Canada. VDG John Samples 2-X2 Yuki Minato makes a stop in Pittsburg By Richard McCarty of the Pittsburg Gazette Yuki Minato arrived in Longview Aug. 1 and was met by Wanda Mitchell, local resident and a member of the Pittsburg Lions Club. Ms. Minato is a cultural exchange student from Nagoya, Japan, in the Prefecture of Aichi. Ms. Minato was in the Pittsburg area until Aug. 15, when she flew to El Paso for a two-week visit there. The Lions Club cultural exchange program usually hosts students for four to six weeks. In Texas, the visit lasts for four weeks and is usually split between two hosts. The program is part of the Lions Club's international youth exchange program. Ms. Minato, 21 attends Nanzan University in Nagoya where she is majoring in Spanish. She will be going to work for Hitachi when she graduates. She lives at home with her mother and brother. Local food is a subject exchange students always talk about. "TexMex is rather spicy," said Ms. Minato. Ms. Minato speaks very good English, although "Texican" posed a few problems. Other than having a couple of misunderstandings, she manages quite well. Mrs. Mitchell said she and Ms. Minato sometimes switch to Spanish to better understand something. "Yuki did some research about Pittsburg before leaving home," said Mrs. Mitchell. "Trouble was she looked at the other one in Pennsalvania. Mrs. Mitchell took Ms. Minato to Camp Mitre Peaks, near Alpine and Fort Davis, for the 55th anniversary of the Girl Scout Camp. Mrs. Mitchell was the camp nurse for 10 years. Mrs. Mitchell too Ms. Minato on a shopping trip. "We had to go shopping," she said. "Before we got to Camp Mitre Peak, we had to shop for some sneakers for Yuki. None of her shoes were suitable for camp life." This suited Ms. Minato just fine. "I want to go shopping," she said. "Everything is cheaper here than at home. And I want to take lots of pictures." Mrs. Mitchell takes most of the exchange students she hosts on what she calls the four-state tour. "I leave here and go to Shreveport and then up to Texarkana," said Mrs. Mitchell. "All the students get a big kick out of standing with one foot in Texas and one in Arkansas. From there we go over to southeastern Oklahoma and then back to Texas." Mrs. Mitchell has been hosting students for many years. She has served as host for young people from Belgium, Denmark, Australia, Japan, Norway, two from Italy and six from Peru. "The youth exchange program is a lot of fun," she said. "I am the district director for the program, and I really enjoy doing this. I get a lot out of it. Sometimes, I think I get more out of it than the students do." Wake Village teenagers hails benefits of Texas Lions Camp By Tabitha Houchens of Bowie County Life New Boston Evening Lions Club Members recently attended the Northeast Texas of District 2-X2 of Texas Lions Clubs in Nash to hear Texas Lions Camp participant Kara Hale speak about her recent experiences at the Kerrville Camp. New Boston's president Alonzo Ellis attended the meeting as the regional chairman of District 2-X2. Hale, a 13 year old junior high school student from Wake Village, has attended three Texas Lions Camps in the past three years. She spoke of the benefits she gained through camp participation Of greatest significance to her was the enhanced confidence and encouragement she acquired. Because of her disability, Hale had not enjoyed and outdoor camping experience before attending Texas Lions Camp. She praised the kindness and consideration of camp counselors who encouraged and assisted campers to experience all activities while allowing each camper to enter the activities when they were ready. Kara's talk was well received. Members say they admire her for her eloquence and poise, as well as for the strength and depth of her message. After her presentation, director of Texas Lions Camp Lion Nancy VanAlstine presented an overview of the camp through a PowerPoint program. She provided views of the facilities and talked about workshops and programs. She also included many pictures of the children attending the camp and told some of their stories. "The important message of the camp is the positive support and encouragement of each camper to accept the challenges they face in their lives," said VanAlstine of Marshall. "Their camping experience instills a confidence, a winning attitude and a can do spirit." Some of the most important elements of the camp are the camp counselors. The counselors and teenagers and young adults who take the staff positions because they enjoy working with the children. They ae paid very little but receive scholarship assistance for college. VanAlstine said approximately 2000 children attend the Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville each year. About 250 children at a time participate in each weekly session. Camp expenses are supported by Lions Clubs throughout the state. Lions contribute approximately $1.7 million each year to host and maintain the camp. Ellis said the Evening Lions raise money for the camp through various activities, including the annual yard sale, a pecan sale, and the club's monthly bake sale at Trade Days. Other New Boston Lions at the regional meeting included Ellis' wife Sharon, Joye Kasner, Katherine Lyles, Derrick Martin, Jane Morris, and Barbara Tucker. The New Boston club welcomes new members. Dinner meetings are at 6:00 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at Catfish King in New Boston. Certificate of Appreciation Award The International President's Certificate of Appreciation is awarded to Johnny Van McCoin at the September 17 Detroit Lions meeting. it reads: In Recognition of Distinguished Achievements, In Fulfilling the Service Mission of Lions Clubs To affirm the Appreciation and Gratitude of  Lions Clubs International I have Hereunto Affixed my Signature, During this Lions Year 2006-2007 (signed) Jimmy M. Ross, Lions International President Lion Charles Norwood made the presentation because of Lion Johnny's effort in actually beginning the restoration of the Detroit Tabernacle. District Calendar Of Events October 13 - 2nd Cabinet Meeting, Mineola October 20 - Pancake Breakfast, Wake Village October 23 - Region 1, Zone 1 Meeting, Nash November 3 - Pancake Breakfast, Longview November 10 - Bucket Shake, Nash & Wake Village November 10 - Turkey Shoot, Cypress Springs 10:00-4:00 November 17 - Turkey Shoot, Cypress Springs 10:00-4:00 November 15 - Deadline to submit Peace Poster December 19 - Deadline to register for Camp Walk December 30 - Deadline for 2-X2 Hall of Fame nominations January 15 - Environmental Photo Essay deadline January 19 - Mid-Winter, Pittsburg January 19 - Camp Walk, Pittsburg Have your Club's events listed here: email Lion April McCright at aprilm128@aol.com District 2X2 Obituary Lion Neal Brooks, Charter President- Edgewood Lion Leon Slaughter- Edgewood Lion Martin Foye- Pittsburg Lion Howard Skelton- Tyler Ronald Seber- Tyler New Members The following is a list of new members for District 2X2 for the month of Setpember: Sandra Crow - Bogata Jonathon Smith - Bogata Stephen Dunklin - Chapel Hill DeBorah Bankston - Gladewater Lana Niemann - Gladewater Jerry Shive - Gladewater Michael Bell - Henderson Gerry Haverland - Henderson Brian Kasper - Judson Adrienne Myers - Judson William Castelman - Linden William Elliott - Marshall Sandra Hyde - Marshall William Power - Marshall Gordon Downie, MD - Mt. Pleasant Rosa Cuence, MD - Mt. Pleasant Scott Peebles - Ore City Jack Gunnells - Ore City Clint Hardeman - Pittsburg The following Clubs are 100% to Lions World Services for the Blind: Atlanta Bogata Canton Chapel Hill Cypress Springs Daingerfield Dodd City Edgewood Hallsville Hawkins Henderson Jefferson (200%) Judson Marshall Mar-Tex Mineola Mt. Pleasant Nash New Boston Noon New Boston Evening Ore City Paris Pittsburg Sulphur Springs Tyler Wake Village Windom Winnsboro Yantis-Lake Fork The following Clubs are 100% to Leader Dog for the Blind: Atlanta Bogata Canton Chapel Hill Cypress Springs Daingerfield Dodd City Edgewood Hallsville Hawkins Henderson Jefferson (200%) Judson Marshall Mar-Tex Mineola Mt. Pleasant Nash New Boston Noon New Boston Evening Ore City Paris Pittsburg Sulphur Springs Tyler Wake Village Windom Winnsboro Yantis-Lake Fork The following Clubs are 100% to the Texas Lions Camp: Bogata Canton Chapel Hill Cypress Springs Daingerfield Dodd City Edgewood Gladewater Hallsville Hawkins Henderson Jefferson (200%) Judson Kilgore Lindale Marshall Mineola Mt. Pleasant Nash New Boston Noon New Boston Evening Ore City Pittsburg Spring Hill Sulphur Springs Tyler Wake Village White Oak Windom Winnsboro Yantis-Lake Fork The following Clubs are 100% to Texas Lions Foundation: Bogata Canton Chapel Hill Cypress Springs Daingerfield Dodd City Edgewood Hallsville Hawkins Henderson Jefferson (200%) Judson Marshall Mar-Tex Mineola Mt. Pleasant Nash New Boston Noon New Boston Evening Ore City Paris Pittsburg Sulphur Springs Tyler Wake Village Windom Winnsboro Yantis-Lake Fork Get your Pins! District and State pins are now available. The cost is $4.00 a piece or $7.00 for the pair. See Gov. Jim to purchase them.