What a month! Lion Evelyn and I started the month in deep South Georgia by attending the Steak Diners hosted by Golden Isles and Woodbine. Remember the two things I’d like to improve in district 18B? Having FUN and COMMUNICATING! Well Golden Isles and Woodbine know how to do both. Keep up the great work! When you have fun and communicate, you have interested Lions who help those in need and who do not become dropped statistics. From there it was to Rincon and Wilmington Island. Both Clubs work hard and help those in need. “Thank you” for those you help. They are seldom able to say it in person, but would if they could.

Then it was off to Gainesville for the District D Rally. District Governor Ronald Epperson was a great host and had a great Rally. For some reason. District D has a Rally while the rest of us have Conventions. It’s really the same event, except they have more Lions in attendance. ‘Lots more! First Year International Director Scott Storms was there and was very interesting and plain spoken. A real Lion!

November 12^th was a red-letter day for us. Austin Jack Redman, our 7^th Grandson and 10^th Grandchild was born, Reidsville hosted a pancake supper, and VDG Jerry and I went almost to Florida that evening. The Folkston Club was very cordial hosts and we enjoyed a good meeting and fellowship. Folkston also knows how to provide service! Keep up the good work! Savannah Port City was the next night and again, all was well in the Lions world of 18B. Lion Jennifer Eisenhart received a District Governor’s medal of Appreciation for her outstanding work at the District Rally.

On November 15^th it was back to South Georgia and the Brunswick Golden Isles club. We had an interesting and informative discussion and learned what terrific work that Club does in Brunswick.

On November 17^th Lion Evelyn and I had the privilege of riding in the Rincon Lions Parade. The entire community turns out for the annual parade and all three Rincon Clubs made the District Governor proud. They put on a great show and gave their community a look at who the Lions are and how Lions really help! The happiest participants were four of our grandkids in the back of the truck throwing candy to kids watching the parade. They’ve already made plans to return next year!

November 19^th found us in Milan all the way on the west side of the District. You may think Milan is a small town, but they have a giant sized Lions Club when the Cancer Walk-a-thon comes around. How about $5200+ worth of GIANT! Try matching that with the same area and number of people!

On the 19^th it was Pembroke and PDG Billy Marshall and his Club. We had a chance to see Lion Audrey very briefly. She’s doing much, much better. Thank God! Hopefully she will be up and back with us soon. Pembroke just keeps on giving and giving and giving.

After a short Thanksgiving Holiday, VDG Jerry and I visited Hazelhurst and toured the OUTBACK RANGE AND RECREATIONAL FACILITY, the site of our DISTRICT CONVENTION, Feb. 22-24^th. What a great place for a Convention. Thanks to PCC Lonnie Roberts for finding this place. It has many recreational choices and a banquet hall that will seat 450 diners! You will soon receive information, including pictures, and particulars. With this facility and the Hazelhurst Club as Hosts, shame on us if we don’t fill it up in February!

Well, those are the highlights of November, but not all the trips or all the events. I continue to be amazed and gratified at the number of ways the Lions in District 18B help others. You truly MAKE ME PROUD TO BE A LION!

Evelyn and I wish for you and yours, family, friends, laughter and the Peace of God during this Holiday Season.

DG Jack

ALAMO: Reports received timely. Conducted regular meetings. Purchased one pair of glasses at cost of $72.00.

The Disaster Relief Fund of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) has raised nearly $2 million in contributions and pledges for the September 11th tragedy. Donations to LCIF total $981,115 as of October 31. Additionally, LCIF contributed a $100,000 disaster grant and the Lions in Japan plan on raising $1 million. Multiple District 20 is working with local authorities and charitable organizations to decide how best to apply funds donated by Lions.

As the Lions year approaches being one-half completed, it’s time to review the progress of your Club. Have you hosted a program on all six District supported Georgia Lions Projects? What are the six Georgia Lions Projects? The Georgia Lions Lighthouse, The Georgia Lions Camp for the Blind, The Georgia Lions Children’s Eye Care Center at Emory, The Lions Clubs International Foundation, The Leader Dog School, Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic. Has your Club made contributions in the amount of $3.00 per member, or more, to each of these worthy programs? Has your Club taken advantage of the services they might provide for your area citizens? Have your officers and members attended Zone, Region and District Meetings? Have your Associate Directors and members attended Lighthouse or Camp meetings? Do you know how to enroll a student or a school in the Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic program? How many L C I F contributing members does your Club have? How many projects have been successfully completed at the almost halfway- point of the year? How many are in the planning stage? Has your Club been an ACTIVE LIONS CLUB? If it has, CONGRATULATIONS! You have an outstanding Club! If you have completed one-half of the goals, congratulations! You’re on the way to being a successful Club AND living up to the Lions Motto. If your Club has not accomplished these goals, or is not one-half way, it is NOT TOO LATE! You still have time to become a successful Club! All it takes is the Vision, the Plan, and the Execution! Then you have a SUCCESS and you are truly SERVING!

You are doing what Melvin Jones envisioned in 1917 when he challenged his fellow businessmen to help others. You are doing what Jim Ervin envisioned in 1999/2000 when he launched his four ships, and what Frank Moore envisions when he asks us to Light the Path to Service. District 18B has the talent, the determination and the ability to reach the goals. Let’s ride the ships and light the path and SERVE all who are in need of our help.

The American Diabetes Association is providing a package of ten (10) books at deeply discounted prices to Lions clubs in the United States in order to provide diabetes publications to libraries throughout the nation. The books are selected to reflect the topics of greatest interest and value to people with diabetes. Upon receipt of an order from a Lions club, the ten-book set will be shipped directly to the club. Included with the set will be ten bookplates that can be used to announce the Lions club purchase and donation of the books, as well as a sample press release. For more information, please contact the Program Development Department by e-mail at [email protected]  or fax (630) 571-1692.

Several clubs have received information regarding the Liberty Day Celebration

The Lions Club of Denver discovered that ‘Civics’ had become an elective in their school system and that there were not enough textbooks available. In addition, many of the American History books did not contain The U S Constitution or The Declaration of Independence. The publishers claimed that it took up too much space! How could children be taught the basic fabric of American Freedom without a copy to read and study? The solution was to produce a small booklet, paid for with private donations, containing the Constitution and The Declaration of Independence. To avoid confusion with other celebrations and to celebrate those documents, March 16, the birthday of James Madison,’father of the constitution’ was selected.

The Council of Governors of Multiple District 18, The Lions of Georgia, have endorsed the Liberty Day Celebration by issuing a proclamation to that effect and urging all Clubs, Zones, Regions and Districts to become involved in the celebration. The Council asked, and our own PDG Chuck Shurtleff agreed to coordinate the project in Georgia.

The booklets are available for $.40 cents each as well as additional information about how to organize a Liberty Day Celebration. PDG Chuck has information and will soon have a supply of booklets. Any money spent in purchasing booklets or in supporting a Liberty Day Celebration will earn points in the 18B District Governor’s contest as a Lions Project. All money spent before January 31, 2001 will earn double points!

Please consider this worthwhile project. Please help PDG Chuck provide booklets for all children in District 18B. Mail checks directly to him, and ask for information. PDG Chuck Shurtleff, 1107 Kelly drive, Hinesville, Georgia 31313.

LIBERTY DAY BONUS POINTS!

Want to earn some Bonus Points for your club in the Points Contest?

Your club can earn the Bonus Points by participating in Liberty Day.

Order your “Liberty Day Georgia” booklets and pay for them before Jan 31. 2002 and get one point for each book purchased. Books are .40 cents each including shipping. Books ordered and paid for between Feb 1 and Feb 28 will earn one point for every two books purchased.

“Liberty Day Georgia” is a nonpartisan celebration of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. If you want more details about participating in “Liberty Day Georgia”, contact PDG Chuck Shurtleff at (912) 876-8324. Remember, Bonus Points are only available until the end of February.

The Baxley and Hinesville Clubs are to be especially commended for their efforts in the Peace Poster Contest this year. Each Club had over one hundred participants in the contest. What better way to began our school children thinking about International Cooperation and Understanding than have them to compete in the Peace Poster Contest?

The winning entry for District 18B was drawn by Jessie Floyd a seventh grade student from LEWIS Frazier Middle School in Hinesville. The Hinesville Lions Club sponsored Jessie. The second place winner was drawn by eleven-year-old Marquis Everett from the Folkston Elementary School and sponsored by The Folkston Lions Club. The third place winner was drawn by James Hunter, 12 from the seventh grade at Appling Christian Academy and sponsored by The Baxley Lions Club. The fourth place winner was drawn by twelve-year-old Callie B. Bennett from the Ware County Middle School and sponsored by The Waycross-Okefenokee Lions Club. Congratulations to all the winners and to all the participants. Thank you for caring enough to participate in the contest, and for sharing your inspiration with the Lions of District 18B. A Certificate of Appreciation will be prepared and sent for presentation to all the winners.

THE MILLENNIUM MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM

The 2000/2001 Council of Governors adopted the Millennium Membership Program designed to reward clubs who have net increases in membership during the next five years. Each club with a net increase of one in membership for the Lions year of 2000/2001 will receive a certificate. A net in crease of two will be required in Lions year 2001/2002. In Lions year 2002/2003 it will require a net increase of three. A net increase of four will be necessary in Lions year 2003/2004. The last year of the program, Lions year 2004/2005 will require a net increase of five. If a club meets those goals they will have gained fifteen new members in just five years. Successful completion of the program will result in a banner patch. If only half of our clubs in District 18-B meet the goal we will have gained three hundred–seventy-five members in just five years. Thirteen clubs met the goal last year. Was your club one of the thirteen? Will it “catch-up” this year and have a net increase of three members? Remember! In order to have a net increase we must not lose any of our present members! I am confident that District 18-B can be the State Leader in this program. The question is: DO WE WANT TO? Remember what VDG Jerry Kaiser says: “ IF IT IS TO BE, IT IS UP TO ME”.

If you will do your part, others will follow.

This plan is certainly a great opportunity to put into practice my theme for the year:

TODAY’S VISIONS, TOMORROW’S SUCCESSES. Envision, plan, execute, and succeed! We can do it if we want to do it!

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