Governor‘s Comments...

Region 1, Zone 2 will have its third meeting of the Lions year on Monday, March 24, 2003. The meeting will start promptly at 7 pm. The location is the Rebel Room at Johnnie Ganem's, 501 Habersham Street, Savannah. Savannah Chatham South will host the meeting. For directions and to RSVP, please contact Steve Belmoff, President, Savannah Chatham South at [email protected] .

Reservations must be in by March 19. The meal will cost $14.00.

Our Annual District Convention was held on February 22nd in Claxton. Convention Chairman PCC Stan Bazemore did a fantastic job in the planning a well attended convention. The convention concluded with the Banquet at the Veterans Center. The feature speaker was International Director Ross Thorfinnson of Minnesota. ID Thorfinnson spoke from the heart about how he became a Lion and the reasons he had for joining and the realization later that he joined for the wrong reasons. That realization which lead to a dedication to the real purpose that Lions around the world work together to achieve. That purpose is to SERVE.

As Lions we have a wonderful opportunity to recommend someone from our own community to be acknowledged for the good work they do in working with handicapped children. This award is an easy way for us to serve by giving to someone who routinely gives to others. The shame is that in recent history there have been few if any nominations for this honor so often it is given as a default award or it is not given at all. As we all know, the people who work to help children are usually those who seek no praise nor are they very often overpaid in their endeavors, so an honor of this kind should never be a back burner item. I am asking all Lions in District 18B to take a moment and look around your community to find a person who would qualify and then send the nomination to me. The criteria are in the Multiple District Directory. Should you have any questions you may contact me at [email protected] or (912) 764-5529. The original of the nomination must be sent to Jack “BJ” Beall, State Chair of the Anne Sullivan Award Committee, and a copy to District Governor Kaiser, one copy to the State Lions Office & one copy to me. They MUST be received before April 18, 2003 to be considered for this year’s award. Time is running short. Please help me as your District Chair for the Anne Sullivan Award to have this honor given to a worthwhile person in our District

Lion Jack Beall                                                            Lions of Georgia State Office
211 Cameron Point                                                      977A Madison Road
Cleveland, Georgia 30528                                          Eatonton, Ga. 31024

District Governor Jerry Kaiser                                    Lion Evelyn Kennedy, 18B Chair
110 Rommel Avenue                                                   215 Allenwood Drive
Garden City, Ga. 31408                                              Statesboro, Ga. 30458

Make your plans now to join us for your Lions State Convention in May 2003 at the North West Georgia Trade & Convention Center in Dalton. Activities begin on Friday with our Lions Golf Tournament. As delegates arrive in Dalton, you will begin to relax in the beauty of the North Georgia Mountain scenery. We have many diversions to keep you occupied. From historic downtown Dalton, to the Crown Garden and Archives, there is much to explore. History surrounds us ranging from early Indian settlements to Civil War battle sites.

Carpet is what Dalton is famous for, and not only can you get a great deal on carpet; you can tour a local mill to see the entire manufacturing process. The roots of the carpet industry came from a simple cabin craft of hand-tufted bedspreads. (Hence, “Peacock Alley” from bedspreads hanging to sell.) Opportunities are available to learn the history of how this handcraft has grown into the world’s carpet capital. Over 80% of the world’s carpet is produced in the area.

All Hotels are located within 1/2 mile of the convention center which is located on I-75 at exit 333. District 18-B Hotel is the Country Inn and Suites. Rooms are $75.00 per night plus tax. The Hotel has 40 rooms reserved for us. They may be contacted at (706) 278-9700. Hospitality books are $65.00 each, and will include one district lunch, one district brunch, the District Governor’s Banquet, and our special Friday night entertainment, an outstanding comedian, Bill Oberst, who will present his One Man Show, “An Evening with Lewis Grizzard.” Mr. Oberst is an outstanding entertainer who will make us relive all of the wonderful memories that each of us has of Lewis Grizzard. has And no, you didn’t read the previous sentence incorrectly; there are NO District Breakfasts that start at 7:00 am!!!!

Information packets have been mailed to all clubs. Convention information and order forms are available on the web at http://galions.org/convention Please come to Dalton and enjoy the hospitality, great food, beautiful scenery, and all that Dalton and the surrounding area has to offer.

At the first Council Meeting of the year, the Council of Governors authorized the creation of The Georgia Lions Band and Youth Foundation, as a way to provide for tax-deductible funding for our Georgia Lions All State Band and other youth programs. Lion Mark Miller kindly donated his time and talent and the 501©(3) non-profit and tax-deductible gift foundation is a done deal! The Council also approved the fund raising plan of creating and selling Band Sponsor pins to fund the Band and other youth programs. Clubs and individual Lions will be able to purchase the pins to show their support for youth programs. The pins are priced at $100.00 for gold pins, $50.00 for silver pins and $25.00 for bronze pins. Each year there will be a different instrument to denote the year of participation. They are available from all District Governors as of October 19, 2002. The Council anticipates that the sale of these pins will prevent past problems caused by several different requests for band contributions made at different times by different people. To show their support of the Band and other Youth programs, , ID Buddy Ouzts purchased the first set of pins, followed by Council Advisor Richard Brown and Council Chair Jack Kennedy who all believe that the All State Band is one of the best youth programs and publicity programs the Lions of Georgia sponsor.

If each club in MD 18 purchases a $100.00 pin, there will be enough funds to operate the band, help with funding the Leo Clubs program, the Young Leaders in Service programs and the Young Ambassadors of the Twenty-First Century program. Any amount will be appreciated and used for youth programs. Contact State Band Chair, Lion Leslie Miller or your District Governor for additional information or to make a contribution.

Lions of District 18B have had a fabulous Lions year. From July 2002 to January 2003, our District gained 90 members. This included 82 new Lions, 3 reinstated Lions, and 5 transferred Lions.

Now for the rest of the story—the bad news. Even though 18B gained 90 Lions, we dropped 90 Lions. The question that must be asked is WHY?

We have a leak in the membership dam and we must plug that leak or the entire dam will give way.

Our DG Jerry has received a letter from IP Kay Fukishima asking for “no drops” for the rest of the year. PID Sid Scruggs, SE Region IMPACT Chairman, has asked that zone chairman contact each club secretary and “tell them not to drop anyone unless of death.” PID Sid suggests the following: Remember that all members are already paid until the end of the year. If a Lion moves, make them a member at large until they can be directed to a new Lions Club. If a Lion has not been attending, make them a member at large and assign someone to visit with them and get them back into the club. If a Lion wants to quit, make them a member at large until someone can talk with them on why they want to quit.

Club secretaries who have dropped a Lion just because they moved or they have not been attending can send in an amended “M” report until the above suggestions are implemented.

Let’s stop that leak in our membership dam—not only must we invite people to be Lions, but we must stop Lions from leaving.

Dear Governor Kaiser and Lions of District 18-B:

I am sure you are proud to be a Lion and proud of the service you provide to your community. Let me briefly tell you about what's new with LCIF. Because of LCIF, you have that much more reason to take pride in being a Lion. Seventeen grants totaling $1.4 million were approved in January. The grants will restore vision or prevent blindness for tens of thousands in 11 nations.

LCIF helps Lions all over the world serve others. In Albania, LCIF made possible the renovation of a school building so dilapidated that many villagers opted not to send their children to school at all. LCIF supports multitudes of vision programs. In Illinois, LCIF has supported a center that helps those with low vision to continue to work, drive, read and live independently. LCIF has teamed with the Lions of Canada to aid the blind by purchasing digital machines that play CD books.

LCIF's 2001-2002 Annual Report contains a with the largest percentage increases in donations from 2001 to 2002.

LCIF has a new resource to further understanding of and support for the foundation:. The CD-ROM is available for US$1 plus $2 postage.

Though it may cold and wintry where you live, think sunshine, sandy beaches and mingling with fellow Lions in the Caribbean. Consider sailing next November and have a great time while helping LCIF.

Lions are great at planning ahead, so I want to ask clubs to consider planning on presenting a Melvin Jones Fellow at the end-of-the-year or officer installation banquet. The Melvin Jones Fellowship is an outstanding expression of recognition for devoted service to community and club.

Yours in Service,

J. Frank Moore III, LCIF Chairman

Great partnerships last a lifetime. The relationship between a guide dog and his partner is one that allows the team to accomplish great things. However, the training and experiences that lead up to the formation of this team are rarely chronicled.

Ms. Pamela Bauer Mueller describes the first fifteen months in the formative steps of a guide dog and her raiser in her new book, Hello, Goodbye, I Love You. This Golden Isles Lions Club member and author lovingly depicts the special bond between Aloha, a guide puppy in training, and Diego, her twelve-year-old raiser. The experiences and emotions of a guide dog raiser are captured along with the hopes and expectations of the sight-impaired partner who trains for and receives a guide dog.

Pamela became interested in the aspects of guide dog partnership when her daughter and son-in-law, Ticiana and Ted Gordillo, raised the real Aloha for Guide Dogs for the Blind. When Ticiana and Ted introduced Aloha and related the background details to her, Pamela quickly became interested in the particulars of guide dog raising.

Pamela was already familiar with the formal training service dogs receive. She had attended the U.S. Customs Canine Academy in Front Royal, VA as part of a Customs management familiarization program for narcotic detector dogs. This gave her the ability to compare and contrast training styles for different types of service dogs.

As Ticiana and Ted related interesting anecdotes to her during Aloha’s raising period, Pamela developed her other book characters from her vast and varied background. She had lived in Mexico City for seventeen years, and wanted to bring her love of that culture into the book. Twelve-year-old Diego Escobár evolved as Aloha’s puppy raiser. For the setting of her sight-impaired protagonist, Pamela used her own experiences and love for beautiful St. Simons Island, GA. She combined the personalities of her two dearest friends on St. Simons Island, and invented the character of Kimberly Louise.

While researching the book, Pamela found that the Golden Isles Lions Club was an invaluable resource. Sight-impaired Lion Jim Pettigrew provided background perspective, sharing with her the emotions he experienced when he lost his vision. Lion Tommy Jenkins, a past Golden Isles Lions Club President, was especially helpful in assisting Pamela in setting up interviews and directing her to the Georgia Lion’s Camp for the Blind in Waycross. He states, “Ms. Bauer Mueller has put the details of raising and training dogs for the blind into a tender story about the people touched by the dog, and, in time, by each other. It should be required reading for all Lions Club members.”

Pamela found the staff at both Guide Dogs for the Blind campuses (San Rafael, CA and Boring, OR) to be extremely helpful in ensuring the accuracy of the book. They guided her in depicting the process of raising a guide dog and preparing him/her for a relationship with a partner. As Lori Mogan of Guide Dogs for the Blind relates, “Hello, Goodbye, I Love You is a lovely and charming account of what it is like to raise a guide dog puppy and the bittersweet emotions associated with loving him and then letting go. I know your book will touch many hearts and inspire young adults to reach out in their communities.”

Guide dog raisers find that many interesting people cross their paths and become involved with the dogs and the raisers. Pamela enjoyed a similar experience while writing Hello, Goodbye, I Love You. Her journey led her to meet Michael Hingson, who is a September 11th World Trade Center survivor and the Guide Dogs for the Blind National Spokesperson. The heroic tale of how Michael and his guide dog, Roselle, escaped from the World Trade Center has taken them to numerous television and radio shows, as well as interviews in newspapers and magazines. You will not want to miss the stirring Foreword he wrote for Hello, Goodbye, I Love You.

Pamela hopes to meet others interested in helping people with disabilities as a result of this book. She has a passion for children and wants to take this book into as many schoolrooms as she can. An accomplished public speaker, Pamela also hopes to educate Lions Club members, parents, civic groups and other community associations on the importance of these lifetime partnerships. You can learn more about Pamela through www.kiskalore.com. She can be reached at (912) 638-2676 or emailed through [email protected].

The Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation continues to be busy help Georgians with no other place to turn for vision and hearing services. So far this year, the Lighthouse has served 15 persons within District 18-B spending $25,430.83 for surgery services while receiving discounts totaling $68,809.76 for these services. For each dollar the Lighthouse spends on services, we receive over $2.70 in discounts. Many thanks to Victoria Jordan at the Lighthouse who makes these discounts possible. The Lighthouse has also helped 15 persons with hearing aids at a cost of $2,781.01 since July 2002.

So far this Lions year, District 18-B has supported the Lighthouse with the following donations; $3,575.00 Regular Donations, $75.00 in Memorials, $2,650.00 for White Cane and $575.00 in Other Donations. White Cane Days are coming up. All clubs are urged to participate in White Cane Day this year with a special project. White Cane Booklets have been mailed to all clubs. They are available from the Lighthouse and the web at http://galions.org/lighthouse/ Remember “Lions Help Restore Hope.”

The next Southeastern Lions Leadership Institute is scheduled from Thursday, April 24, 2003 through Sunday, April 27, 2003. The Institute will be located in the conference facility of Lakepoint State Park and Resort, which is located seven miles north of Eufaula, Alabama, off Highway 431 on the Alabama-Georgia Line. (2 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours drive time from 18-B)

Topics include goal setting and meeting management, group dynamics and team building, personality and leadership styles, problem solving and conflict resolution, delegation and mobilization of volunteers, diversity and inter-cultural communication, protocol, Lion fundamentals, mentoring, and public speaking.

The cost of this institute is $110.00. This institute is available to any Lions who has not reached the level of Vice District Governor and is interested in developing their leadership skills with the goal of becoming a leader within the club or the district. For more information or for applications contact, DG Jerry Kaiser, DGE Lil Shurtleff, Newsletter Editor, VDGE, Rick Mizell. The information is also available on the web at http://galions.org/leadership

The Darien Lions Club hosted a zone meeting in Darien February 24. The zone meeting was conducted by Lion Sam Gore and attending the meeting were District Governor Jerry Kaiser and District Governor elect Lil Shurtleff. As part of the program that evening District Governor Jerry Kaiser inducted seven new Lions into the Darien Lions Club. Inducted that evening as new Lions were Christine Skinner, Naomi Hawthorne, Marion Hawthorne, Maryann McIntosh, D. L. McIntosh, Joe Robertson, and Sandy Robertson

They are shown in the photograph along with their sponsors. DG Jerry remarked that he would willingly travel across the entire state of Georgia if he could induct seven Lions into a club at the same time.

Congratulations to the Darien Lions Club for this fine accomplishment.

Click here to sign up for e-mail notification of new Newsletter Issues

Previous Newsletters