Governor‘s Comments...

Annual Visitations are off and running.  I am impressed with the depth of devotion I have experienced from each of the clubs I have visited.  I can report to you that this District has a heart as big as Georgia, and it shows in all that you do for your community and for Lionism.  I want to thank all of the clubs that I have visited so far.  You have treated my wife and I with such kindness.  I have enjoyed each visit and look forward to the remainder of the year. 

For those of you that did not attend the last Cabinet meeting, we missed you.  We had a good turnout but we can always use more.  Please make note on your calendar for our Rally which will be October 8^th.  I Don’t have all of the details yet but you should be hearing from us soon.  Mark your calendar and plan on being with us on this very important day.

The District is on the brink of something very new.  We are about to charter a new Campus Club on Georgia Southern University.  This will be the “FIRST” Campus Club in the State of Georgia.  Make sure you make plans to attend this very important occasion on Saturday, August 27, 2005.  At 3:00 PM you can tour the campus and the Banquet starts at 6:00 PM at the Hampton Inn.  The guest speaker will be PIP Jim Ervin. 

By the time you finish reading this page, one child somewhere in the world will have gone blind. One child goes blind every minute. Half-a-million will have lost their sight by the end of the year. Childhood blindness is only one part of the global vision crisis. If nothing is done, experts say that the world’s blind population could double from 37 million to 74 million by 2020.  But Lions will not allow “nothing to be done.” True to our commitment to be “knights of the blind,” Lions have launched “Campaign Sight First II” to prevent this tragedy. CSFII has set out to raise at least US$150 million to continue and expand the extraordinary work of Sight First, Lions worldwide program to combat preventable blindness.  You will be hearing more about this in the coming months.  Start planning now to do your part in this most worthwhile undertaking.

Lew Waldrop

DG Lew’s Schedule

Alma– MMR filed with LCI, no activities.

Baxley– Reports received by mail. Club worked 24 hours on club administration and 95 hours on community projects. Displayed Flags for July 4^th Holiday.  Average attendance is 13.

Bellville– Reports received by mail. Sent DG Newsletter announcing Charter Night for Campus Club in Statesboro and plans for Chicken BBQ in September.

Bloomingdale– Reports received by mail Club worked 126 hours on club administration and 28 hours on community projects.

Brantley County– MMR received by mail. No activity reported.

Claxton– Reports submitted timely by email. Club worked 10 hours on club administration and 7 hours on Community Projects. Average attendance is 9. Club spent $75 on local eyeglasses and collected used eyeglasses and hearing aids for the Lighthouse

Clinch County– Received MMR by mail, no activities reported.

Cobbtown– MMR received by mail. No activities reported.

Collins– Reports received by mail.  Club worked 6 hours on club administration and 200 hours on community service.

Douglas– Reports filed timely on-line. Club worked 46 hours on club administration and 436 hours on community projects. Club spent $2,992 on local eye services.

Folkston– Reports filed online. Club worked 10 hours on club administration and 400 hours on community betterment. Club gave the lighthouse 5 cell phones and 60 shafts for glasses. They had 4 articles published in the local paper.  Club started the Folkston Lions Club news which will be published once a month.  Club bought items for a family that was burned out.

Garden City– MMR received by mail. No activities reported.

Golden Isles– Reports received timely on-line. Club worked 36 hours on community projects.

Hazlehurst– Filed MMR report online. No activities reported.

Hinesville -  Reports filed online. Average attendance is 31. Club worked 185 hours on community betterment.   9 members attended Lions day at the Camp.

Jacksonville– Reports filed online. Average attendance is 15. Club worked 5 hours on club administration.  New Officers took office, Paid Dues to Lions International, Sent donations to RFB & D, Ga. Lions Lighthouse Foundation Inc., L.C.I.F., and Leader Dog for the Blind

Jekyll Island– MMR filed with LCI, no activities.

Jesup– Reports filed online. Club worked 10 hours on club administration and spent $140 on local sight services. Average attendance is 14.

Lyons– Reports received by mail. Club worked 42 hours on club administration and 32 hours on community projects . Club spent $80 for local eyeglasses and $100 on community projects. Club displayed flags on Flag Day. Dropped 2 members.

McRae– MMR filed with LCI, no activities.

Metter– Reports received by mail. Club worked 5 hours on club administration and 8 hours on community projects. Average attendance is 6.

Milan– Reports received by mail.

Odum–  Reports received by mail. Club worked 170 hours on community projects.

Port Wentworth– MMR received by mail.

Reidsville– MMR filed with LCI, no activities.

Rincon– MMR filed with LCI .  Club worked 25 hours on club administration.  Average attendance is 12.

Rincon Noon– Reports filed online. Club worked 15 hours on club administration. Average attendance is 10.

Savannah– Reports submitted timely by mail. Club worked 250 hours on club administration. Club spent $1200 on local eye.  3 members attended cabinet meeting.  Average Attendance 30.

Savannah Chatham South– MMR filed with LCI,  Average attendance 14.

Statesboro Noon-   37 club members participated as workers in Firecracker Weekend for the 4th of July local celebration. 4 members visited the Pembroke Club.  4 members were at Statesboro Mall doing eye/vision screening for back to school event  5 members went to Lions Day at the Camp and  6 members went to the District Cabinet Meeting in Hinesville. Club had 4 articles in the newspaper  Club has 2 Public Service Announcements on two local radio stations daily. Provided 9 pair of eyeglasses to local area citizens.

Savannah Hostess City– MMR filed with LCI, club reported working 120 service hours for the community and spent $160 on the community.

Vidalia -   Report submitted by mail.  3 hours spent on club administration.  Average attendance is 11.

Waycross– Reports submitted by mail. Submitted 1 newspaper article, they produced a Patriotic Flag Display and their average attendance is 16.

Waycross Okefenokee– Reports received by mail. Club worked 475 hours on club administration had 2 articles published in local newspaper. Club sent $1,000 to LCIF for sponsoring a Melvin Jones Fellow.. Report also included copies of the club’s newsletter.

Wilmington Island– Reports filed online. Club worked 37 hours on club administration. Average attendance is 13.

Woodbine– Reports filed online. Club worked 37 hours on club administration and 86 hours on community projects. Average attendance is 23. Club spent $300 on the community.

Charter Night for Georgia Southern University Campus Club

Saturday, August 27, 2005.  At 3:00 PM you can tour the campus and the Banquet starts at 6:00 PM at the Hampton Inn.  The guest speaker will be PIP Jim Ervin.  Contact DG Lou or PCC Jack Kennedy for more information.

Working Together Effectively Questionnaire

Please help us evaluate the quality of our club by taking a few minutes to complete this

survey. Your input is important to our club. Please return it to____________________

by _____________________.

Always: 5 Often: 4 Sometimes: 3 Seldom: 2 Never: 1

Please use the lines underneath each question to add comments. Use the back of this

sheet for additional comments if necessary.

1) Our club has common goals. ________

2) Our club works together harmoniously to reach those goals. ________

3) Club leadership has effectively communicated the club’s goals to members.

_________

4) Our club warmly welcomes all members into our club. ________

5) The women and men in our club get along well. ________

6) The older members and younger members get along well. ________

7) Members of different cultures get along well. ________

8) All members in our club are treated with respect. ________

9) The input of all members is encouraged and valued. ________

10) Club officers communicate with members effectively. ________

11) New ideas are encouraged. ________

12) There is friction between club members. ________

13) Friction between club members causes our club to be unproductive. ________

14) There are people in my club that make me feel uncomfortable. ________

15) Our club has a diverse membership ________

16) A diverse membership is one of the great things about Lions. ________

I believe these are our club strengths:

These are the primary areas I think need improvement:

I would like to make the following suggestions:

Please make copies of this questionnaire and distribute to your club members. Please make use of this tool in evaluating the health of your club. This resource is available at http://lionsclubs.org.

Keep Your Club's Name in the News

Is your club hosting an interesting speaker at your next club meeting? Planning a pancake breakfast? Holding a charity run/walk? Collecting eyeglasses for Lions Recycle for Sight Month? Sponsoring a Peace Poster Contest? These are a few of many examples that are opportunities to increase awareness of your club, its activities and membership.

When preparing events, meetings and fundraisers during the year, identify your target audience (members, community, local businesses) and the best way to reach it: radio, TV, newspaper or flyer. Next, develop a plan to communicate your message.

For example, if your club is hosting a speaker at a club meeting and its open to the public consider the following:

· Prepare a calendar announcement for the community events column of the newspaper

· Distribute a PSA to your local radio station

· Distribute information to members through the club newsletter and/or club Web site

· Post event information on your community's Web site

· Prepare an 8-1/2" x 11" (21.6 cm x 28 cm) poster/flyer to place on community bulletin boards

The week following the meeting, distribute a news release to the area newspaper with a few action photographs of the presenter. Include in the release a few highlights from the presentation or "tips;" and mention the date and time of your club's next event.

For information on how to prepare a news release, PSA, promotional materials and more, download the Club Public Relations Chairman's Guide (PR-710) from the Publication/Logo Library.

Club Anniversaries for August

The following clubs have anniversaries this month according to LCI records.

Welcome New Members

In Memoriam

Members Dropped

Code Explanation

1 Resigned in Good Standing

2 Dropped for non-payment of dues

3 Dropped for non-attendance

4 Dropped for non-attendance and non-payment of dues

5 Transferred in good standing

6 Moved (Dues unpaid)

8 Other

Membership Gain for July 2005 +15

Membership Loss for July 2005 -22

Net Change in Membership 18-B -7

District 18-B Newsletter Distribution Policy

Lions International District 18-B Newsletter is published each month to promote the activities of the district. The cost of this newsletter is partially covered by Lions International and by dues collected by District 18-B. In order to maintain costs of publishing and mailing the newsletters, delivery is limited to the following Lions; Club Presidents, Club  Secretaries, Zone and Region Chairpersons, Cabinet Officers, District Committee Chairs, Past District Governors, International Director (In State), Past International Directors (In State). It is not cost effective to mail to  every member in the District.

This newsletter is also published on the internet at http://galions.org/18b/news and is available for download by anyone who has an internet connection. In order to control costs, those Lions who have an  internet connection and on the mailing list will have a hard copy mailed to them only on written request. Any other Lions who requests a hard copy of the newsletter may subscribe at a rate of $10.00 per year. This will cover the cost of production and mailing. Questions and comments may be directed to DG Lou, or IT Chair PDG Rick.

Camp for the Blind

If you didn’t get down to the camp for the Georgia Lions day at camp you missed a wonderful event.  With a theme of “sailing the seven seas”, two hundred and fifty four (254) lions, staff and campers were fed a Caribbean style meal.  The activities center was completely decorated as if you were actually sitting inside a sailing ship.  And as usual the campers and staff did a skit after lunch.

Special thanks to the Okefenokee Lions Club for cooking the chicken for the meal. Camping season is over, and I am proud to announce that 174 campers attended this summer.  This is an increase over last year.

It’s that time of year again to kick off our major fund raiser for the camp.  In the next several weeks each club in the district will receive ten (10) raffle tickets per member for the 2006 Chevrolet pick-up or$15,000 cash.   We are asking the clubs to sell or buy these tickets and return the money and stubs to:  Lion Jerry Kaiser, PDG at 110 Rommel Ave in Garden City, GA 31408.  These tickets are very easy to sell at only one dollar each.  Extra tickets are on hand if you are planning a major ticket selling event.  And remember the camp is a 501 (C)3 organization and checks should be made payable to the Georgia Lions Camp for the Blind. The “lions club” that sells the most tickets will receive a $100 gift certificate to Wal-Mart!

Because of the tremendous savings in construction cost, the building committee has been given permission to consider the feasibility of a metal structure building for the new office and nursing complex by the executive committee. 

As always, if your needing a speaker at one of your club meetings, please give me a call.  (912) 964-4518 or: [email protected].

Jerry

Vice President

Editorial Comments

And suddenly there was a dead calm. At first the Captain and the crew of the sailing ship were not concerned. They had experienced a dead calm before. It simply meant that they were being delayed in arriving at their destination. But before long, hours stretched into days. Fears began to rise that they would never again see their sails reaching out to catch the wind. There was a sickness that had begun to thin the numbers of the crew. They had become desperate in trying to keep the ship in order. They tried many things to keep the spirits up, but nothing seemed to work. Their sprits were as lifeless as the wind.

Perhaps we are seeing this situation in many clubs in this district. Despite the hard work of many, we are unable to reverse the trend of many of our members to give up on community service. This month’s membership reports show a good increase in new members who have joined Lionism. This is good that we are growing. The sad part is that we lost a great deal more members than we brought in. During my year as District Governor, we began the year with 1,282 members. During the year, we gained 1 club (Georgia Southern University Campus Lions Club) and we lost 1 club (Rincon Savannah River Lions Club). We increased our membership with 18 charter members, 86 new members, 3 reinstated members, and 5 transfer members. That is a total of 112 members added. This would be great news but the next figure as read on the LCI cumulative report tells us that we have a severe problem that needs fixing now. Total members dropped, 199. As of the end of June 2005 the official membership of 18B is 1,195. This is a loss of 87 members. Of all of the districts in Georgia, only District 18-F lost more members at 109. We still have the most clubs of any district, but we are now the 3rd largest district in terms of membership. Districts 18-A and 18-D have more members.

The point of this message is not just about the health of the District, but I ask the question, how is the health of your club? Is your club one of the many who dropped 1 or more members last year? When you conduct meetings, are you making those meetings entertaining and meaningful for the participants? Do you seek out new ideas for service projects? Do you make a name for your club in the community? How old are your projects? Do you review your projects on a regular basis to see if they are working as you have planned? Have you asked the question why, when each member resigns or becomes inactive? And the most important question is, what are you doing to stop the losses in membership?

Over the past year, I had heard comments from several Lions about the need for proper training for club officers. Each year the District has offered training at the last and first Cabinet meetings each Lions year. We have offered classes after those meetings and we have conducted training as a part of the Cabinet Meeting. Neither approach has worked very well. Club representation for the most part is poor at best with those Lions who need the training the least in attendance. In April it is announced that we would be providing training in each region to make it possible for more Lions Leaders to become involved. The training was based on the method of USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum. The idea died because of the lack of commitment of those who would teach and those who would attend.

There is a need in District 18-B. There is a need for involvement within each club and there is a need for involvement on the District level as well. We need to stop the loss of members and grow this district by 150 members this Lions year. –Rick Mizell, IPDG, Editor

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