We Serve

My Club, My Family

Grumpa Joe — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:18:56 +0000

International President Wing-Kum-Tan

Dear Lion,As we began the year, I asked you to treat the members of your club and the Lions in your district as you would the members of your own family. Reports show there currently is an increase in members around the world due to better member retention. It is because leaders like you are embracing the My Club, My Family concept. By now, most of you have taken positive steps towards this concept, but let me underline its importance to membership retention and the health of our clubs.One club I know lost a member in a most tragic way. One of its senior members became very ill and could not attend meetings for more than six months. When he recovered, one of his first acts was to deliver a letter of resignation to his club president. During his lengthy illness, not one member of his club had visited him or inquired about his health.Here is one lifetime of service that could have been preserved with a simple telephone call, a card or any expression of concern. I can’t say I would have acted differently than that senior Lion. But I was lucky. When I first joined the Mt. Cameron Lions Club in Hong Kong, the senior members made me feel welcome, let me take meaningful responsibility and listened to my ideas.

That is one reason why I regard club presidents around the world as my own Lions family and developed the President Meets Presidents Program. I have met with more than 7,000 club presidents, have listened to their ideas and been inspired by their enthusiasm for service and respect for their fellow Lions. I was especially pleased to hear President Dennis Sew of the Hampstead Lions Club in Hampstead, Maryland, USA say:

“My Lions rally together to work annual fundraisers, support our causes and celebrate holidays and charter nights as a family would.”

President Jalila Harchaoui of the Lions Club Blida la Rose in Algeria put it succinctly:

“One hand, one heart, we serve with a smile for better future. We serve because we believe more than ever!”

And I am confident that the Lions Club of Tumut, New South Wales, Australia, has a bright future because President Phyllis Darragh told me that:

“We are fortunate to have four of our charter members still with us. We do, however, need to attract members who can actively participate in our community activities. I will be making use of those more experienced than me in our Lions organization for guidance and assistance.”

I plan to meet with many more club presidents before the end of our leadership year. In the meantime, I would be grateful if you would share the stories of your clubs service and membership successes by sending them to Submit Your Story.

As Lions, our main focus is and must always be on service. But let us remember that our fellow Lions are no less our neighbors and no less deserving of our care and concern than those we exist to serve. I believe this is crucial to making a strong finish to our leadership year. Our ultimate success as Lion leaders may well depend on reaching out to them outside the context of meetings and official occasions.

They are your Lions family as you are all my Lions family.

Sincerely,

Wing-Kun Tam

International President

Tree PlantingI am proud and grateful for the overwhelming support Lions have shown for our tree planting campaign. You have done amazing work to surpass my goal more than 6 times over but the project still offers us great opportunities to change the world and build our clubs.

The ideal time to plant trees in the Northern Hemisphere is during the early spring when the weather is still cool. This allows trees to develop strong roots before the heavy rains and heat of summer. Tree planting remains a crucial environmental concern for our world. Read Why Trees to learn why they are so important.
Planting trees is an ideal way to attract new members who care especially about environmental issues. Work in partnership with Leos, other youth groups and environmental groups in your community and use the Million Tree Planting Campaign Resources to publicize your projects. Be sure to report all tree planting activities through the Service Activity Report to help spread the word about the great work that Lions are doing around the world.

Global Service Action CampaignsThis year Lions have directly touched the lives of more than four million people through Global Service Action Campaignsalone. Please take a moment to reflect on these statistics and appreciate how Lions are changing the world one person at a time.August – Engaging our Youth

Activities: 9,829 -Lions Hours: 825,534 -People Served: 1,746,302

October – Sharing the Vision

Activities:7,439 -Lions Hours: 588,329 – People Served: 4,425,142

December/January- Relieving the Hunger

Activities: 7,161 – Lions Hours: 624,978 – People Fed: 7,523,880

Now get ready for an even greater impact on our world by preparing your club and district for the April Global Service Action Campaign, Protecting Our Environment.

You can build on the momentum of our Million Tree Planting Campaign by planting even more trees or by engaging your club and local Leos on projects such as:

Helping to build a safe drinking water system
Organizing a battery or electronics recycling campaign
Cleaning-up a beach or park
Raising awareness about “going green”

See Protecting Our Environment Project Ideas for more suggestions. Use the Service Activity Report to spread the word about your projects.

Worldwide Induction DayWorldwide Induction Day on April 21, 2012 is the perfect time for a membership campaign, a public relations campaign and to strengthen member retention. Start your planning now by downloading the Worldwide Induction Day Planning Guide.

Regular Meeting Reminder-Sweethearts Night

Grumpa Joe — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:58:53 +0000

The Frankfort Lions Club meets this evening, 13 February 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at the Smokey Barque restaurant (formerly Jenny’s) 20 Kansas St. in Historic Frankfort.

We will meet in the upstairs party room, the Smokey Barque is closed for business on Monday night, and the Lions meeting is a private party.

Smokey Barque

Connor’s Chair (grumpajoesplace.com)
New Product Alert: Necco Sweethearts Collection (bellasugar.com)
Women in LIONS (frankfortlionsclub.com)

A Message from Sid Scruggs

Grumpa Joe — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:34:49 +0000

HELEN KELLER "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do."

Dear Lion,

In the time it takes you to read this message, a child will die from a measles related complication. In the following 24 hour period, 450 more children will die. More than 13,000 children will die by months’ end. My fellow Lions, we cannot stand by and do nothing.

I am reminded of Helen Keller’s words: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” The most effective way to help is by making a gift to the One Shot, One Life: Lions Measles Initiative effort. I have already made a commitment, along with International President Tam and the other officers.

Lions, we can and must do something to help these children. We have made great strides against measles in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mali and Nigeria, and have started work in India. I recently visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting with Lions’ African leaders and hearing the desperate call for support of this initiative within their country and their community.

Following the All-Africa conference, I visited Nepal, where the One Shot, One Life: Lions Measles Initiative has expanded. There, we are working to vaccinate and save 10 million children from contracting measles. Representatives from the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Nepal’s Ministry of Health all expressed their gratitude for our help saving the lives of children in Nepal. When I met with President Ram Baran Yadav of Nepal, he told me that “this is very necessary work; health and social services are neglected areas in my country and we are happy to have your help.”

This is great work, but we need to do more. As our efforts expand, Lions have the opportunity to help children in all countries where measles remains a heavy public health burden. For less than US$1, we can vaccinate one child for life. Through our collaboration with Measles Initiative partners, we can save 157 million children this year!

The Gates Foundation is challenging Lions to mobilize US$10 million by providing a matching grant of US$1 for every US$2 raised by Lions. LCIF has received several large donations to help meet this challenge, including US$250,000 from Multiple District 300, Taiwan, and US$10,000 from International Director Seiki Yamaura from Japan. With these generous gifts and other donations, we have raised just over US$810,000 in donations towards meeting our goal of US$10 million. All Lions are encouraged to support this program and help meet the challenge. Donations are eligible for Melvin Jones Fellowship recognition and qualifying clubs will receive banner patches based on a per member average.

You can help us save the lives of these children and ensure they do not become a statistic. Be a part of the solution through the One Shot, One Life: Lions Measles Initiative.

Serving together today for a better tomorrow,

Sid L. Scruggs, III

Chairperson, Lions Clubs International Foundation

Measles Initiative Hails Gavi Decision To Fund Rubella Campaigns (prweb.com)
Indiana Officials Warn of Measles Cases After Super Bowl – ABC News (abcnews.go.com)
Super Bowl Visitors May Have Been Exposed To Measles (chicago.cbslocal.com)

February Board Meeting

Grumpa Joe — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:37:45 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

The February Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Frankfort Lions club will take place Tuesday, 7 February 2012 at Founders Center, 140 Oak Street, Frankfort, Illinois 60423.

The meeting is at 7:00 p.m.

Connor’s Chair (grumpajoesplace.com)
Summit Hill Talent Show (frankfortlionsclub.com)

Women in LIONS

Grumpa Joe — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:31:27 +0000

leadership (Photo credit: Ed Gaillard)

A message from the International President

Dear Lion,In an era in which membership in all types of civic, service and social organizations is declining, Lions Clubs International posted membership gains for four consecutive years. In the past four years the number of Lions clubs members worldwide has grown by 50,000.We are indebted to all who worked so hard to make this possible and we recognize that this success is due in large part to the steadily growing numbers of women in local Lions clubs. More than 300,000 women are now Lions, making up 23 percent of our total membership.

Perhaps just as important, women now make up approximately the same percentage of Lion leaders. Having women advance into leadership positions in proportion to their overall numbers is a tremendous success and a source of pride for our association. It helps ensure that membership in a Lions club will be an even more attractive option for dedicated, energetic women who wish to serve their communities and the world.

I have asked some of our most accomplished women leaders to play a special role in making this happen. International Directors Sonja Pulley, Gudrun Yngvadottir, Claudette Cornet, Carolyn Messier, and Board Appointees Alice Lau and Thersa Mann are serving on the Women’s and Family Membership Development Task Force. For the remainder of our leadership year, these women will be attending women’s workshops, participating in symposiums and talking with individual Lions to gain insight on how to increase female membership and advance women into leadership positions.

Preliminary reports back are indicating that it is all about providing needed services in their community. I believe what we learn now will provide guidance for all clubs to prove greater service to their community. I look forward to seeing their findings and receiving their recommendations which will be shared with you so that we can make the most of this important resource for our communities.

Sincerely,

Wing-Kun Tam

International President

*To see who received this message, view the distribution list.

Trees! Trees! Trees! (tcpalm.com)
Lions Extend Hand to Collaborate More Closely With the National Federation for the Blind, Virginia Chapters (prweb.com)
Lady Lions sew bed sheets local women’s shelter (tcpalm.com)

Help Wanted at Summit Hill Talent Show and Have a Heart for Connor Fund Raiser

Grumpa Joe — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:19:03 +0000

Connor Gill gets his head shaved during a recent fund raiser at LWN. The Saint Baldrick's tradition supports the fight against cancer.

Frankfort Lions, remember the Summit Hill Talent show fund and raising event “Have a Heart for Connor,” is this evening Friday 27 January 2012. Lion Denise will assign us jobs upon arrival. She wants Lions there between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. We will work until 9:30 p.m.

Come to see the show, entry is $5.00 for a wonderful night of youthful fun and entertainment. Food will be on sale. A Silent auction for gifts donated by vendors in the vendor show, a fifty-fifty raffle, and a Pick Three raffle adds to the party.

In case you need directions to Summit Hill Junior High School

click on Google Maps

7260 North Avenue

Frankfort, IL 60423

North Avenue is about half a mile North of Route 30, the school faces Harlem but you must enter off North Avenue.

The easiest route for those coming from the south, west or east, follow Lincoln Highway (rte 30) to Frankfort Square Road (immediately west of the Shell Station between Harlem and LaGrange Road) Take Frankfort Square Road to North Avenue and turn right. Follow North Avenue to the school.

Notice! There is a median blocking a left turn from Harlem Avenue onto North Ave. You can turn left onto Hickory Creek Drive which is the first street North of Rte 30 and sneak in the back way. If you are Northbound, and have passed the school, you must make a U-turn at the next light and return.

There is still time to give online.

Go here:

Connor’s Chair (grumpajoesplace.com)
Summit Hill Talent Show (frankfortlionsclub.com)

Summit Hill Talent Show

Grumpa Joe — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:36:38 +0000

The Frankfort Lions will help at the Summit Hill Junior High School Talent show on Friday January 27, 2012 in different ways. First, they will sell food at the food booth. Second, they will help direct the talent behind the scenes. Third, they will sell raffle tickets.

This year, the proceeds from the show will go toward the Have a Heart for Connor fund.

Connor Gill gets his head shaved during a recent fund raiser at LWN. The Saint Baldrick's tradition supports the fight against cancer.

Connor Gill is a bright young man born with too many birth defects ( arthrogryposis, prune belly syndrome, bilateral hydronephrosis, scoliosis and club feet) that have caused him untold hardships. His current dilemma is a broken down wheel chair. Without the chair Connor is immobile. The chair is specially made to fit Connor’s body. When it functions, the motorized chair allows him to move about the community . Repairs to the chair will cost $5000 and the break downs have become more frequent. Therefore, Have a Heart for Connor has set a goal to raise money to replace it with a new one. This is not a small undertaking, since a new chair costs $38,000 (That is more than most new cars cost).

Connor’s parents have been diligent about accommodating their son’s needs throughout his eighteen years, but the chair has become more than they can handle.

Frankfort Lions urge the community to come out to the Talent Show for an evening of entertainment, and to support a worthy cause. Entrance is $5.00 per person. The show begins at 7:00 p.m. at

Summit Hill Junior High School
7260 North Avenue
Frankfort, IL 60423
(815)469-4330 Phone

Advance tickets are available from Lion Denise Lenz, 815-546-8745

You may donate to the fund by clicking the button:

Winter on the Green, WInter Sports

Grumpa Joe — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:55:44 +0000

Lion Denise Lenz is asking for help on Sunday January 22, 2012 to run the games at the Breidert Green. She has three games set up, hopefully there will be enough snow to play them: Two on one Hockey, Sled racing, and Punt and Pass.

Lion Denise needs six helpers. If more than six Lions show up they can join the kids and play the games.

2011 in review

Grumpa Joe — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:09:59 +0000

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,400 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 57 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

District Governor Speaks to Frankfort Lions

Grumpa Joe — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:26:45 +0000

A message from Lion District 1B Governor Paul Benetazzo

Ok 1B we have a new State Secretary Treasurer. Her name is Michelle Faires. She lives 15 minutes from the state office, and has experience in accounting and office management. I look forward to working with her. She is a non Lion so she has no prior opinions about Lions.So now that this is done…..

I used to run marathons, obviously part of running 26.2 miles is a great amount of training. Part of training and trying improve my time. I did a training workout called “negative splits.” What this entailed was to run the 2nd half of your workout faster than the 1st half. For example if you had a 1hr workout. You would run out for 31 minutes. Then you have to get back to where you started in 29 minutes. That is what is called a negative split. So you ask why am I telling you this, do I want you to run. Sure it’s great excercise so go out and run. But that is not what this is about.

The end of 1st half of the Lions year is fast approaching. So now we have to pick up the pace, cause we are going to have a negative split for the 2nd half of this year. We need to double time our efforts towards Membership, Retention, Extention, etc. So I am picking up the pace, and I asking the rest of the 1B race team to pick it up also. So grab your water bottles and stay hydrated, eat your carbs, don’t forget to stretch, and lets moving.

Looking forward to a great finish.

Lion Paul “kenyan” Benetazzo

District 1B lead runner.

We Serve

My Club, My Family

Regular Meeting Reminder-Sweethearts Night

Related articles

A Message from Sid Scruggs

Related articles

February Board Meeting

Related articles

Women in LIONS

Related articles

Help Wanted at Summit Hill Talent Show and Have a Heart for Connor Fund Raiser

Frankfort Lions, remember the Summit Hill Talent show fund and raising event “Have a Heart for Connor,” is this evening Friday 27 January 2012. Lion Denise will assign us jobs upon arrival. She wants Lions there between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. We will work until 9:30 p.m.

Come to see the show, entry is $5.00 for a wonderful night of youthful fun and entertainment. Food will be on sale. A Silent auction for gifts donated by vendors in the vendor show, a fifty-fifty raffle, and a Pick Three raffle adds to the party.

Related articles

Summit Hill Talent Show

The Frankfort Lions will help at the Summit Hill Junior High School Talent show on Friday January 27, 2012 in different ways. First, they will sell food at the food booth. Second, they will help direct the talent behind the scenes. Third, they will sell raffle tickets.

Frankfort Lions urge the community to come out to the Talent Show for an evening of entertainment, and to support a worthy cause. Entrance is $5.00 per person. The show begins at 7:00 p.m. at

You may donate to the fund by clicking the button:

Winter on the Green, WInter Sports

2011 in review

District Governor Speaks to Frankfort Lions