Governor‘s Comments...

ONE!!! Be a committee of ONE. Be the ONE person who asks someone to be a Lion. Let me tell you a true story.

A person who was a Lion since 1983 never asked his wife to be a Lion. Someone else in the club did. The couple never asked their own children to be Lions. Finally, one did ask a son to be a member. What was his reply? “I’ve been waiting for the invitation.”

Ten years from now, will anyone remember the kind of car you drive or will someone remember that you asked him or her to be a Lion. Will someone remember that you—a Lion—was the ONE person who helped make a difference. Will someone remember that you were the ONE who built a playground, make a ramp for a disabled person, helped a child read better with an eye exam and glasses, built a Habitat House, spent a weekend at the Camp for the Blind getting it ready for the summer crowd, cleaned eyeglasses for the Lighthouse, had a fund raiser for Leader Dog or Southeast Guide Dogs. What will people remember about the ONE Lion who made a difference.

When a Lion is absent from your meeting, are you the ONE who phones and says he or she was missed. That might be the action that Lion needs to attend. That might be the action that keeps the Lion in the club—because someone cared.

Take an active role in your club and Lionism. Be the ONE. Don’t only be a card carrier but the Lion who made the difference.

March 20           18 A District Convention

April 3              White Cane Day

April 19-21       International President Dr. Tae Sup Lee’s visit to Georgia

April 25            Cabinet Meeting, Baxley 1^st Baptist Church

May 14-15        Council of Governors, Savannah

Alamo Lions Club:

Alma Lions Club:

Baxley Lions Club: Five members attended cabinet meeting. Held pancake breakfast to raise funds for Appling County Veterans Memorial.

Bellville Lions Club: Had sausage, eggs and grits supper. Elected 2004-05 officers. Planning breakfast for Cancer Relay for Life for 200 people.

Blackshear Lions Club: Hosted hospitality room for District Convention. Attended zone meeting and cabinet meeting.

Bloomingdale Lions Club: Collected eyeglasses. Made donations to state projects

Brantley County Lions Club: MMR and DG Activities report on time. Had requests for eyeglasses

Brunswick-Gateway Lions Club: Purchased eyeglasses. Have plans for fund raiser

Bulloch Lions Club: MMR received on time. No activities reported.

Claxton Lions Club: .Received MMR & DG Activities report on time.

Clinch County: MMR on time. Purchased 2 pairs eyeglasses

Cobbtown Lions Club: 4 attended cabinet meeting. Planning pancake supper

Collins Lions Club:

Darien Lions Club: MMR and DG Activities report on time. Purchased eyeglasses

Douglas Lions Club: 1 New Member! 4 Lions attended District Convention. Recognized 2 Star Students and 3 Star Teachers. Approved 39 eyeglass applications to include 6 children.

Folkston Lions Club. Attended zone meeting in Woodbine. Honored Star Student and Star Teacher with banquet on Feb. 23. Presented Star Student a check. Hosted hospitality room at District Convention. 11 members attended convention.

Garden City Lions Club: MMR and DG Activities report eceived on time.

Golden Isles Lions Club:

Glennville Lions Club: .

Hazlehurst Lions Club:

Hinesville Lions Club: . Members had 255 hours of community service. Had program on Lions Youth Exchange program

Jacksonville Lions Club: .3 Lions attended zone meeting in Hazlehurst. Sold 1000 dogwood trees..

Jekyll Island Lions Club: MMR received on time. No activities reported.

Jesup Lions Club New transfer member Purchased eyeglasses. Made contributions to state projects.

Kingsland Lions Club: Held oyster roast serving over 2300 lbs. of oysters. Completed improvements to clubhouse.

Liberty Coastal Lions Club:

Lyons Lions Club: Member attended cabinet meeting. Purchased eyeglasses.

McRae Lions Club: MMR and DG Activities report on time. 1 new member!

Metter Lions Club. MMR and DG Activities report received on time. Purchased eyeglasses.

Milan Lions Club: Received Bronze Award for 2004 American Cancer Relay for Life.

Odum Lions Club: Had 234 hours of community service. Sent 47 pairs of eyeglasses to Lighthouse.

Patterson Lions Club: .Had speakers on fire safety and student speaker on her trip to Albany with Pierce County VOCA. Student received 1^st place in region and has advanced to state competition

Pembroke Lions Club: Member attended cabinet meeting.

Port Wentworth Lions Club:

Reidsville Lions Club: MMR received on time. No activities reported.

Richmond Hill: MMR and DG Activities report received on time

Rincon Lions Club: MMR received on time. No activities reported.

Rincon Noon Lions Club:

Savannah Lions Club: Collected 1100 pairs of eyeglasses. Purchased 14 pairs of eyeglasses with exams.

Savannah-Chatham South Lions Club Donated to Inter City Night Shelter and American Red Cross 10 members attended zone meeting.

Savannah-Hostess City Lions Club: . Attended zone meeting. Had program on Project Dawn.

Savannah-Port City Lions Club: MMR received on time. No activities reported.

Springfield Lions Club: MMR on time.

Statesboro Noon Lions Club: 6 members attended District Convention. 2 attended zone meeting. Associate Directors attended GLCB and Lighthouse meetings.

Vidalia Lions Club: Purchased eyeglasses this month.

Waycross Lions Club: .Hosted Sweetheart Banquet.

Waycross-Okefenokee Lions Club Lion Thoris Youmans presented Melvin Jones Fellow. Hosted District Convention with 34 in attendance. Donations to youth sports activities.

Wilmington Island Lions Club: Hosted zone meeting with 16 from club in attendance and 2 attended cabinet meeting

Woodbine Lions Held oyster roast. Hosted zone meeting with 15 members present

LCI just released the recap of the A-1 Report for 2002-03! Congratulations 18B for a job well done!

Total Donations $659,461 for an average of $14,654

Total hours 40,709

Total eyeglasses collected 15,957

Total hearing aids collected 24

Now, that is for only 45 clubs. I can’t wait to see the report next year for ALL 50 CLUBS!

Don’t forget—your report is due by June 1. You can file it on line or use the paper copy on your secretary’s kit. Send a copy to the DG and to LCI.

Points will count on next year’s District Contest so be sure to file your reports.

April - LCIF Jerry Kaiser
            State Awards Welby Stayton

May - Send a Kid to Camp Day Thoris Youmans
           Leader Dogs Evelyn Kennedy

Lions participating in the Give the Gift of Sight Special Price program can request a book of 10 vouchers from

Gift of Sight Department

Special Price Vouchers

Luxottica Retail

4000 Luxottica Place

Mason, OH 45040

Email: [email protected]

Through the Special Purchase program, Lions Clubs are able to purchase an unlimited number of pairs of glasses for needy individuals at a special price of $50 per pair. Prepaid Lions Special Price vouchers are available in books of ten. For more information, download “Lions Special Price” from www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/ or contact your local LensCrafters store.

Club secretaries, it is time to familiarize yourself with the Annual Lions Club Activities Report (Form A-1). You are required to complete the summary of your club’s activities and mail the report to LCI and the DG by the deadline.

The form may be downloaded or filed electronically through www.lionsclubs.org. Each club should provide a copy of the report to the DG and retain a copy for their club files.

All clubs should have an elections committee in place with a slate of officers to vote upon not later than the end of March. The officers for the 2004-2005 Lions year must be reported on the PU 101 form to the District Governor not later than APRIL 15.

Clubs should remember that this is not the date on the PU 101 form. The date on the form is the deadline for mailing the form to Lions Clubs International. April 15 is the District Deadline! As DG, I must record the information and then forward the forms to DGE Rick Mizell as he has another deadline for club information.

If your club does not submit a PU 101 by April 15, please understand that you will be phoned and emailed repeatedly at a time that is convenient to the DG until the information is correctly reported.

At the annual District Convention, three positions were filled by election. Elected were:

Vice President for the Georgia Lions Camp for the Blind (GLCB), PDG Jerry Kaiser
Vice District Governor Elect, Lion Lew Waldrop
District Governor Elect, Lion Rick Mizell

PDG Jerry is a member of the Bellville Lions Club. He served as District Governor in 2002-2003 and is presently serving as President of the Past District Governors Association.

VDGE Lew Waldrop is a member of the Hinesville Lions Club. He has served two terms as club president and has served as zone chair.

DGE Rick Mizell is a member of the Savannah Port City Lions Club. He is the current vice district governor.

All our newly elected officers will take office this July. DGE Rick becomes an International Officer on July 9 at the International Convention in Detroit/Windsor.

Do you want to know more about being a Lion? Are you interested in a leadership position in your club or district? If so, then the Southeast Lions Leadership Institute in just for you!

The Southeast Lions Leadership Institute will be held at Camp Dogwood, NC, on April 22-25. The cost is only $110, and it covers your lodging, meals, and all materials. This is a great place to learn more about Lionism and sharpen your leadership skills. The institute is open to all Lions who are not yet vice district governors—that leave out DGE Rick and the PDGs—but all other Lions in our district qualify. Opening is set for after lunch on Thursday, April 22 and ends after lunch on Sunday, April 25. If you are interested, contact DG Lil or DGE Rick for an application form. BUT—Hurry as the spaces are filling fast!

DG Lil needs to hear from each club as to the names of any Melvin Jones Fellows they have presented this year or plan to present by June 1. These names are needed for the MD 18 Convention program.

If your club has presented a MJF or plans to present one, please send the name of the Lion to DG Lil. She promises to keep future presentations a secret until the convention.

Don’t forget that there will be a Melvin Jones Fellow luncheon at the convention on Saturday, June 19!

`So far, only 1 person has reported receiving a Melvin Jones.

Lea Davis                    Douglas Lions Club

Hilton Allen                McRae Lions Club

Fred Stokes                Vidalia Lions Club

We have had several reports of ill or recovering Lions throughout our district and state. Let us remember in our thoughts and prayers

Lion Carolyn Craig, wife of Council Chair Bill. Lion Carolyn had major surgery on March 4.

PDG Larry Winters of the Savannah Port City Lions Club. PDG Larry is recovering at the Savannah Specialty Care Center.

PDG Joe Molony, editor of our state newspaper. PDG Joe is receiving treatment for cancer.

PDG William “Curley” Bross, our State Lion Tamer. PDG Curley is recovering at home at this time.

Celebrate Leo Club Awareness Month in April by learning more about becoming a Leo club sponsor. There are more than 5,400 Leo clubs in 137 countries. Sponsorship of a Leo club helps to foster the "We Serve" legacy.

Making new friends and viewing the world through another's perspective are two of the benefits of Leo service. Another benefit of Leo club membership is experiencing teamwork. Membership in a Leo club also develops fellowship and camaraderie.

As members of a worldwide organization, Leos have international benefits as well. Leos often participate in the Lions international youth camp and youth exchange programs. Leo clubs also participate in the Leo club twinning program. Recently, the Coronel Bogado "SUCA" Leos, Paraguay, twinned with the Porto Xavier Leos in neighboring Brazil.

There has been a steady decline in Lions membership in North America. In our own district, we had 104 new members between July 1 and January 31, but we had 84 dropped members during that same time.

Why were these Lions dropped? How many were dropped even though they paid their dues but they just did not come to meetings?

Every club should have a membership chair who should contact non-attending members to find out why. No Lion should be dropped for non-attendance if they are in good standing. No Lion should be dropped for non-attendance if they have not paid their dues unless they have been contacted and asked WHY. In today’s fast-paced society, Lions are pulled in several directions with family, children playing sports, career, and other activities. These should be accepted as normal by clubs and not as reasons to drop a member. Offer that member an affiliate membership if they cannot attend meetings. Offer that member who may temporarily miss meetings a membership at large for a month at a time.

Because of the decrease in Lions in North America, International President Dr. Lee called a special meeting of all International Directors in North America. A new program, The Healthy Club Initiative, has been put together and given to every District Governor to implement in his/her district. Included in the Club Retention section are focus programs on Working Together (Club Cooperation), Meetings (For Keeping Your Meeting on Track), Club Dynamics (For Handling Cliques and Politics), Involvement (For Keeping Members Involved in Your Club), and the President’s Retention Campaign. More in future articles.

Each year the Lions of Georgia select one recipient for the Outstanding Deaf Award. Nominations for this award must originate from a Lions Club and are sent to a State committee composed of Lions from each of the six districts. The committee makes the selection from the applications submitted and the recipient is identified at the State Lions Convention. Identification of the recipient is usually announced as part of the Friday night ceremonies.

This award is presented to a hearing impaired person (not necessarily a Lion), residing in the State of Georgia, whose outstanding achievements and contributions are an inspiration to others. Each recommendation submitted must set out plainly the depth and scope of the accomplishments or services and the period of the services rendered as well as the general effect of the accomplishments on the community.

The deadline for nominations is April 10, 2004 and all nominations must be sent to the Chairperson of the State Committee not later than that date (April 10). Copies of the nomination package are also to be sent to the District Governor, the District’s representative on the State Outstanding Deaf Award Committee and the State Office. From all nominations submitted the State Committee will select one recipient and the decision of the State Committee is final.

The Chairperson for the State Outstanding Deaf Award Committee is Lion Shirley Cash, 23- Portsmouth Ct., Roswell. GA 30076. The District 18-B Committee Member is Lion M. P. Jones, 2301 Loraine Dr, Savannah, GA 31404, Telephone (912) 352-4942, E-mail is [email protected].

The recipient of this award will receive an award plaque and will also receive a man and lady’s hospitality book from the Council of Governors. All other expenses involved with his or her attendance at the State Convention must be absorbed by the Club making the nomination or by the recipient. The State Office will secure the award plaque and have it available for presentation at the State Lions Convention in Savannah.

All clubs in District 18-B are encouraged to seek out possible recipients for this award. There are individuals in each of our communities that are hearing impaired who have made significant contributions to our communities. If you have such a person in your various areas, please take the time to prepare a nomination for those individuals and send in the nomination. But remember, the nomination MUST be in the hands of the state chairperson, Lions Shirley Cash and DG Lil Shurtleff on or before April 10, 2004. Don’t wait until later in the year, start looking NOW!

Each year the Lions of Georgia select one individual to receive the Anne Sullivan Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual for outstanding achievement in working with handicapped children. The award is sponsored by the Macon Cherry Blossom Lions Club. Each Lions Club is allowed to submit a nomination for this award.

Nominations for this award originate with a Lions Club, must include complete biographical data on the nominee and must clearly state the basis on which the Club is making the nomination. All informational material must set out plainly the depth and scope of the accomplishments or services which have been rendered or the general effect of the accomplishments on the community.

The original of the recommendation must be sent to the Chairperson of the Multiple District 18 Anne Sullivan Award Committee. The Chairperson this year is Lion Jack Claxton, Box 1000, RWSIR 361, Warm Springs, GA 31830-9361.

Copies of the recommendation are to be sent to the District Governor and to the district 18-B member of the state Anne Sullivan Committee. District 18-B’s representative to this committee is Lion Frank Jones, 412 Pear Orchard Drive, Hinesville, GA 31313.

The deadline for nominations is April 23, 2004 and all nominations must be sent to the Chairperson of the State Committee not later than that date (April 23). From all nominations submitted the State Committee will select one recipient and the decision of the State Committee is final.

The recipient of this award will receive an award plaque and will also receive a man and lady’s hospitality book from Macon Cherry Blossom Lions Club. All other expenses involved with his or her attendance at the Georgia Lions State Convention must be borne by the Club making the nomination or by the award recipient. The State Office will secure the award plaque and have it available for presentation at the State Lions Convention in Savannah.

All clubs in District 18-B are encouraged to seek out possible recipients for this award. There are individuals in each of our communities who work with or are actively involved with disabled children and who have made significant contributions to our communities. If you know if such a person, please take the time to prepare and send in a nomination. But remember, the nomination MUST be in the hands of the state chairperson, Lions Jack Claxton and Frank Jones on or before April 23, 2004. Don’t wait until later in the year, start looking NOW!

Each year the Lions of Georgia select one recipient for the Outstanding Blind Award. Nominations for this award must be made by a Lions Club and are sent to a State committee composed of Lions from each of the six districts. The committee makes the selection from the applications submitted and the recipient is identified at the State Lions Convention. Identification of the recipient is usually announced as part of the Friday night ceremonies.

This award is presented to a blind person (not necessarily a Lion), residing in the State of Georgia, for some outstanding achievements or unusual Services performed for his community or club. Each recommendation submitted must include full biographical data on the nominee and state clearly the basis on which the club is making the nomination. The nomination must set out plainly the depth and scope of the accomplishments or services and the period of the services rendered as well as the general effect of the accomplishments on the community.

The deadline for nominations is April 23, 2004 and all nominations must be sent to the Chairperson of the State Committee not later than that date (April 23). Copies of the nomination package are also to be sent to the District Governor, the District’s representative on the State Outstanding Blind Award Committee and the State Office. From all nominations submitted the State Committee will select one recipient and the decision of the State Committee is final.

The Chairperson for the State Outstanding Blind Award Committee is Lion Ron Horn, 156 Tim and Sally Lane, Moultrie, GA 31768. District 18-B’s representative to this committee is Lion Janet Ward, 210 Mockingbird Lane, Statesboro, GA 30461.

The recipient of this award will receive an award plaque and will also receive a man and lady’s hospitality book from the Council of Governors. All other expenses involved with his or her attendance at the State Convention must be absorbed by the Club making the nomination or by the recipient. The State Office will secure the award plaque and have it available for presentation at the State Lions Convention in Savannah.

All clubs in District 18-B are encouraged to seek out possible recipients for this award. There are individuals in each of our communities who are vision impaired and who have made significant contributions to our communities and/or our clubs. If you know if such a person, please take the time to prepare and send in a nomination. But remember, the nomination MUST be in the hands of the state chairperson, Lions Ron Horn and Janet Ward on or before April 23, 2004. Don’t wait until later in the year, start looking NOW

The seventh annual Worldwide Induction Day will be celebrated April 17, 2004. This special day has been set aside to simultaneously induct and honor our new Lion members throughout the world and to also recognize all existing club members who have continually served their communities with pride and enthusiasm.

If your club or district is participating, now is the time to order your Worldwide Induction Day certificates, bearing International President Dr. Tae-Sup Lee's signature, so that they'll be on hand for your ceremony. Just complete the form on page 13 of the Worldwide Induction Day Planning Guide and send to New Clubs and Marketing Department by mail or fax to: 630-571-1691. Or order your certificates by e-mail, indicating the number of participants and certificates needed. You can also download the planning guide for more information.

Remember to report the success of your event by May 1, 2004. Simply submit the Final Report Form found in the guide on page 14. Best wishes for a memorable Lions Worldwide Induction Day!

LCIF's section of the Web site has a new look. It has been redesigned, so it is easier to navigate and packed with useful information about the foundation.

The homepage contains links to the latest news, the LCIF Chairman's Message, recent grants, publications, partners, SightFirst and other major initiatives such as LEHP and Lions-Quest.

The About LCIF section includes news, a listing of LCIF staff and member of the executive committee, and the mission statement and history. This section is helpful in understanding what LCIF is all about.

The Donations section contains information on making donations, Melvin Jones Fellowships, Contributing Memberships and the Lions Legacy/Planned Giving program. This section is a great tool if you are interested in supporting LCIF.

The Grants and Programs section lists our various types of grants and, for each type, provides downloadable forms and brochures, a project example and a list of recent grants. This section also contains a summary of 14 of our major initiatives and is helpful if your district or club is interested in receiving a grant.

The Publications and Downloads section contains downloadable forms and brochures and information on other valuable resources, such as the LCIF CD-ROM, PowerPoints, videos, speeches and fact sheets. This section is the place to go if you need to promote support of LCIF.

The Partners section provides a concise summary of LCIF's partners, including The Carter Center, Special Olympics and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Learn how LCIF partners with other groups to extend the reach and influence of Lionism. The web site is http://lcif.org

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