August Newsletter

LION TALK

August, 2002

“BUILD A FUTURE--LEAVE A LEGACY”

DG GERALD “JERRY” INMAN

PO BOX 39, STANWOOD, IA 52337

PHONE 563-942-6603

E-MAIL: gcinman@netins.net

OSAKA, JAPAN

Day 1--July 2 Our trip to the District Governor Elect Seminar and the 85th Lions International Convention in Osaka, Japan, began at the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids. It was an uneventful day, unless you consider lost luggage at the International Airport in Tokyo. Twenty-eight hours later we were in Osaka, Japan.

Day 2--July 4 Oh! We lost a day. The opening ceremony for the DGE Seminar was held in the afternoon with a keynote address given by IP Kay K. Fukushima .

Day 3--July 5 The first full day of the seminar began with group photos and was followed with sessions on various topics. We ended the day with dinner at a traditional Japanese restaurant. I mastered the use of chopsticks, but would have preferred eating an Iowa Chop and baked potato.

Day 4--July 6 Highlights of today’s seminar included a motivational speech by PIP Brian Stevenson from Canada and a noon luncheon with my Twin DG Dasrur Rajeev Shetty from India.

Day 5--July 7 Today we examined toolboxes and had a session about LCIF facilitated by IPIP Dr. Jean Bahar from France. American food at the Osaka Hard Rock Cafe ended the day.

Day 6--July 8 The DGE Seminar culminated today and I did graduate. After the DGE Celebration Party, we attended the Iowa-Nebraska Caucus with the Iowa Delegation and ID Candidate, Del Brown.

Day 7--July 9 Participation in the Lions International Parade at Universal Studios Japan was the main event. A Hospitality Evening with the Lions of Scandinavia concluded the day.

Day 8--July 10 The opening ceremony for the Lions 85th International Convention was very impressive with an address by IP Frank Moore III and a flag ceremony with a flag from each of the 189 nations having Lions clubs. Special recognition to the US flag and the playing of the National Anthem was a very moving experience. The evening was occupied by several receptions for international candidates and a hospitality evening with the Pennsylvania Lions.

Day 9--July 11 PCC Delbert Brown was nominated to be a 2002-2004 International Director at today’s session. The message to ring Del’s bell rang loudly. The afternoon included sightseeing at the Osaka Castle and a ride on the aquabus.

Day 10--July 12 Induction of the international officers and district governors concluded the 2002 International Convention. A train trip to Kyota, Japan, occupied free time in the afternoon. We returned to the Hard Rock Cafe as we were overcome by a craving for hamburger.

Day 11--July 13 Homeward bound to where the tall corn grows. It’s great to be home!

IOWA LIONS FOUNDATION

I recently received the 2001-2002 financial report from the Iowa Lions Foundation and would like to share a few of the numbers with you. Only one district in MD9 made their budget goal for the year. Congratulations, Lions of 9X7! Lions of 9X9, we were very close to making our budget goal of $59,000 by contributing $57,487. The shortfall in donations amount to less that $1 per member in the district. Contributions were received from 48 of the Lions and Lioness clubs in District 9X9. TREMENDOUS! I commend Trustee Jim Spears for working so diligently in fund- raising for the foundation. Other sources of income, such as interest and administrative income, made it possible for the foundation to meet its budget of $303,000.

As a new year in Lionism begins, I ask each club to increase the amount budgeted for the Iowa Lions Foundation so we can give Trustee Jim an award for achieving the 9X9 budget goal during the third year of his term.

PEACE POSTER CONTEST

As summer for our school-age children rapidly comes to an end and the school year begins, it is time to start making plans for the Peace Poster Contest. In today’s world we all understand the importance of peace. The Peace Poster Contest is a great opportunity to work with schools and youth in your community and a simple way to generate local publicity. The theme for this year’s contest is “Dream of Peace”.

The initial step is for participating clubs to purchase Peace Poster Contest Kits from the Club Supplies Sales Department at International Headquarters for a cost of $7.95 plus shipping, handling and taxes. If your club will be sponsoring more than one contest, a kit must be purchased for each contest sponsored. The kits are available now through Oct. 1, 2002. In this kit you will find a guide outlining easy steps to having a successful contest, contest rules, forms to use is setting up the contest, award certificates and a sample news release.

It is not too early to contact school administrators and teachers in your area about this contest. It is often best to make this initial contact before the start of the school year. If one waits until the school doors have opened, other projects are in place, school personnel find themselves busy with other things, and this project might not be considered.

The contest should be completed toward the end of October or the beginning of November. Once clubs have completed their local judging, one winning entry from each contest needs to be forwarded to the 9X9 Peace Poster Contest Chair. This person is Clara Cook, P.O. Box 291, Center Point, IA 52213.

Questions can be directed to Clara Cook by phone at 319-849-1874 or by e-mail to cmc3421@aol.com or the Public Relations Department at Lions Clubs International by phone at 630-571-5466 or by e-mail to peaceposter@lionsclubs.org.

MEMBERSHIP IDEA

Does your spouse attend Lions events with you? Does your spouse help with your club fund raisers and service projects? Is your spouse a Lion? Besides living up to the motto “We Serve”, there is prestige in being a Lion. If your spouse does the work of a Lion but is not a Lion, it is time to give him/her the same prestige that you enjoy by having him/her join you in the world of Lionism.

LEADER DOG SCHOOL

On July 20 and 21, I attended the Leader Dog School at Rochester, MI. It was a very moving experience to see the training that is done in preparing a dog and pairing it with a visually handicapped person. I had the opportunity to visit with a girl who was a senior in college with a major in physics and was getting her first dog. She has aspirations to continue her education getting a masters and doctors degree is astrophysics. She indicated that she would like to work for NASA and be the first blind person in space. Her leader dog should help open the doors in attaining her goals.

If you would like to visit the Leader Dogs For The Blind at Rochester, MI, I have included information about a motor coach tour to the school.

Last year Lions clubs donated about 2.7 million dollars to the school, which accounts for about one-fourth of the school budget. Iowa Lions contributed $39,418. Seven dogs were placed in Iowa last year. At a cost of about $25,000 per dog, the cost of placing dogs in Iowa was $175,000.

Donations from District 9X9 were only $2,299 coming from only 17 clubs. A donation to Leader Dog should be an item in the budget of every club in our district. Let’s increase the number of clubs donating and the total amount that is given.

There is also a brick project at Leader Dog School raising funds for a new dormitory to be used by students attending the school. Information about Leader Dog School or this project can be obtained directly from the school by phone at 888-777-5332, on line at www.leaderdog.org or by e-mail at leaderdog@leaderdog.org.

If your club desires more information about Leader Dogs or a program for a meeting, the 9X9 Leader Dog Chair is Henry Small, 401 Cherry Hill Road, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405. He can be contacted by phone at 319-396-6140 or by e-mail at hsmall@esc.cr.k12.ia.us.

PRESIDENTS & SECRETARIES

This newsletter is intended to be shared with all the members of your club. To do this, make copies for your members or place your copies in a prominent place at your meeting so they can read it.

Secretaries, include an activity report, photographs of club activities and newspaper articles with the membership report. I will be using these for content in my newsletter and the 9X9 page in the Iowa Lion.

LIONS ON THE INTERNET

I recently received an e-mail message from Lion Dan Uitti, LionNet Administrator. The message read, “Please pass this note along to the Lions of your District. This will go a long way to show Lions in our Districts that we can use the internet to keep Lions informed.”

LCIF sponsored a summer camp in early July for families devastated by the Sept. 11 attacks. To read more about this camp, log onto

www.lcif.org/Sept11NYTimes.htm, www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/187/metro/Hope_floats+.shtml or www.pressherald.com/news/state/020703sunshine.shtml.

The camp is but just one way Lions and LCIF have responded to Sept. 11. To find out more, log onto

www.lcif.org/Sept11UpdateMarch.htm.

Have fun!

EXTENSION AND MEMBERSHIP TEAM

IP Kay K. Fukushima has a new program to foster extension in the formation of new clubs and in increasing membership. The program will involve the creation of a team to work in the areas of extension, membership and retention. Within District 9X9, the Lions serving on this team will be the vice district governor, region chairs, zone chairs, MERL team members and other Lions who volunteer to be on the team. If you desire or know of a Lion who desires to serve on this team, please contact me by phone at 563-942-6603 or by e-mail at gcinman@netins.net.

Watch for an article about this team on the 9X9 page in the September issue of the Iowa Lion.

The organizational and training meeting for this team will be on Wed., Sept. 4, 2003 at 6:30 PM. We will meet in the lunchroom at the North Cedar High School, 102 E. North Street, Stanwood, IA.

DG OFFICIAL VISITS

I encourage each club to schedule an official visit with me as soon as possible. You can do this by completing the form included with this newsletter and sending it to me or sending the same information by e-mail at gcinman@netins.net. Please call me at 563-942-6603 if you want to discuss possible dates for this visit.

OUR DECEASED LIONS

Our condolences go to the family of the deceased Lion. May his soul rest in peace having served so well while here on earth.

Carroll Pithan of the Lost Nation Lions

OUR NEW LIONS

We welcome the following new Lions to our 9X9 family.

Stephen J. Bramer of the West Liberty Lions