Jungle Jottings - Lions Club of Danbury

Jungle Jottings
Vol. 78, No. 7
Not above you, not beneath you, but with you.
January 2006
Dear Fellow Lions:
Support Group Hears About CRIS
The end of a calendar year is a fitting time to reflect on what Lions accomplished over the past 12
months. In 2005, Lions responded to global needs
as never before. Lions provided critical emergency
relief following the tsunami in South Asia, Hurricane Katrina in the United States and the earthquake that devastated parts of Pakistan and India.
Lions also are providing or will provide long-term
rebuilding to help people resume their normal lives.
Lions around the world joined forces to help disaster victims in desperate need.
More than three hundred CRIS radio receivers are currently in service around the greater Danbury area but
more than six thousand persons with severe visual restrictions could benefit from the installation of one of
these units in home or the workplace. This, according to
First VP Helene Thompson and IPP Kate Shea, is one
of the reasons these Danbury Lions teamed up to make
a presentation to the Lions Low Vision Support Group
on November 28 at the Danbury Senior Center.
There is another “disaster” waiting to happen. Experts predict the blind population will double by
2020 if nothing is done. Lions will not let that happen. We’ve launched Campaign SightFirst II to
prevent millions of children and adults from losing
their precious vision.
SightFirst has achieved tremendous success.
Through SightFirst Lions have prevented vision
loss or restored sight for 24 million people. Campaign SightFirst II will build on that remarkable
success. As we look forward to 2006 and beyond,
we realize there is much more work for us to accomplish.
Over the next three years, all clubs will be asked to
participate in Campaign SightFirst II. It will take all
of us working together to reach our goal of raising
US$150 million. Clubs eager to take a leadership
role in the campaign have the opportunity to become a Model Club Candidate. The deadline for a
club to submit their candidacy is December 31,
2005.
“We’re trying to make people with serious vision problems aware that the Lions-sponsored CRIS program
can really enhance their life style and keep them
abreast of local happenings through the readership of
local newspapers broadcast for reception via a single
ban radio receiver provided free of charge by the Lions
Club”.
Several of those in attendance at this monthly gathering
of the LV Support Group were users of the CRIS receivers and acknowledged the benefits of “knowing
what’s going on in the area” and being aware of local
store ads and especially the obituaries.
Kate and Helene handed out several applications and
answered many questions from the group of about forty
attendees.
The meeting concluded with a free raffle for members
and a bountiful offering of pastries and refreshments
provided by ShopRite Stores of Brookfield.
Olga Turosky was the lucky winner of a talking watch
and John and Marilyn Hoxson took home the big basket
of holiday food and goodies.
Model Club Candidates will receive additional recognition opportunities while doing a great service
in the fight against preventable blindness. More
information about the requirements of a Model Club
Candidate can be provided by your local Lion leaders or by contacting the campaign office at
[email protected]. Please consider your club
for this important role in Campaign SightFirst II.
Now is the time to take your club’s commitment to
service to a new level by helping preserve vision in
your community and around the world.
Dr. Clement F. Kusiak
2005-2006 LCIF Chairperson
P.S. You can contact us at [email protected].
Serving the Danbury Community Since 1927
Jungle Jottings
2
Future Speakers and Programs
Jan
16 Lions Board Meeting
Jan
24 World Peace Day
Feb
3,4,5 Mid-Winter Conference
Feb
25 LCIF Benefit
Mar
10 Lions Day at the United Nations
Apr
22 SightSaver Day
Apr
29 World Wide Induction Day
May
19-21 State Convention
Jun 30-Jul 4 Lions International Convention
Lions International Peace Poster Contest 2005-2006
Title: Peace Without Borders
Award based on originality, artistic merit and expression
of the theme.
Five schools entered the contest and approximately
127 students participated.
The citywide winner is Amanda Rodrigues of Rogers
Park Middle School. She is the recipient of a $25 Gift
Certificate to the Teacher Parent Store and a $100 Savings Bond that is being mailed directly to her home. Her
poster was forwarded to District 23A for further competition.
Amanda attended the Lion’s luncheon on Thursday,
December 15, 2005 at which time she received the gift
certificate. Her mother, Yamari Rodrigues, accompanied her as well as her Art Teacher, Carol GaulinMcKenzie.
Peter Winter Memorial Charity Breakfast
The Peter Winter Memorial Charity Breakfast was well
attended by Lions and supporting community members.
I would like to thank our Major Sponsors, Union Savings
Bank and Peoples Bank as well as the Amber Room
Colonade, the Brookfield Lions Club and the Goodrich
Helping Hands Fund. Their support over the years has
helped build our Programs in the community to make a
continuing difference in the lives of our citizens.
Thank you to all of the Table Hosts, many of you Lions,
for inviting all of our guests. Together we raised over
$11,000 for our community programs!
A special "thank you" to those who made the morning a
success, Ken Saloom, Tom Nolan, Helene Thompson,
Dan Jowdy and our Door Prizes from Joan Bielizna,
Ken Saloom, Helene Thompson, Cathy Golankowicz,
and BethAnn Fetzer.
See you all next year!
IPP Kate Shea
Amanda Rodrigues, Citywide Winner
51 Main Street
Danbury, CT 06810
Rogers Park Middle School
Dennis Gehring
21 Oak Ridge Road
Bethel, CT 06801
Sacred Heart School
Heather Brosz
35 Rockwood Lane
Danbury, CT
Saint Joseph School
Susan Morrison
4 John Perry Drive
Danbury, CT
Saint Peter School
Alexandra LaMonica
59 Sail Harbour Drive
New Fairfield, CT 06812
Saint Gregory The Great
Individual school winners also receive a $25 Gift Certificate to the Teacher Parent Store.
PP J. Roger Schmeidel again was the local chairman
for this annual project.
Thank you Roger.
Serving the Danbury Community Since 1927
IPP and CRIS Studio Coordinator Kate Shea thanks CRIS-Charities
Breakfast major sponsors, Josh Reilly of People’s Bank and PP Chick
Frosch of Union Savings Bank.
Resignation
Citing the pressures of starting up a new real estate
rd
venture, 3 VP Tina Prescott tendered her resignation
from the Club to President Meyers prior to the Decemth
ber Board of Directors meeting on the 19 . The Board
accepted her resignation with regret.
Resignation
Our current Lion Tamer, Chris White has taken a job in
New York City and has asked for a change in membership to Affiliate. Since he can no longer make our
weekly luncheons he has seen fit to resign the post of
Lion Tamer effective immediately. New Member Donna
Williams has been asked to fill out Chris’ term of office.
Jungle Jottings
3
Kudos to Kate from Tom Nolan
In the words of our longtime friend, esteemed citizen
and former Lion, Brian Cronin, there has been a
groundswell of enthusiastic, almost bordering on obsessive, sentiment, during this past week, that a appropriate form of recognition be directed this day to one of
our fellow Lions for an act of dedicated service so
timely and appreciated that a public acknowledgement
should be forthcoming at this time.
True to form and consistent with her performance as
our Immediate Past President, last Wednesday, as CoChair of the Lions Charities Breakfast, our beloved
Kate Shea, once again demonstrated why she has what
it takes and why she makes it happen in any of her undertakings, and she did it again!!
IPP Kate Shea Cited
Amid the gaiety and sounds of the Annual Lions
Christmas Party, a break in the activities was allotted to
acknowledge the performance of IPP Kate Shea for her
leadership role in the success of the recently held Lions
Charities Breakfast. PP Tom Nolan read the award
which was as follows:
“Ever mindful that brevity and commitment to “get people out on time” are the by-words of a successful program, Kate made sure that the Amber Room building
was vacated at 8:30 AM, AS PROMISED….!! An thus
we are pleased and honored to present this one time
only award to Kate She . THE KATE SHEA MEMORIAL
HOOK AWARD.”
Bell Ringing cont.
A special thank you to the Lion Bell Ringers who
manned the kettles on more than one occasion. They
are Boyd Losee, Mike Michael, Frank Molinaro, Hugh
Morgan, Bob Yamin, Fran Evans, Jim Leheny, Lou
Ginsberg and Keith Beaver.
Also volunteering were Helene Thompson, Bob Lovell,
Don Miloscia, Lou Ginsberg, Cathy Golankiewicz, Kate
Shea, Ken Saloom, Kurt Miller, Mohaammed Alam, Lyn
Meyers, Ernie Harrington, Don Zaleta, Howard Blayney,
John Allen, Warren Levy, Wayne Shepperd, Rick
Gottschalk, Scott LeRoy, Val White, Tina Prescott,
BethAnn Fetzer, Joan Bielizna, Tom Nolan, Tom
Frizzell, Lisa Cerbone, Emil Fusek, Howie Schulze,
Julie Johnson, Gerry Hoffman, Chris White and John
Durkin. Thanks to non Lions Liz O’Connell, Erin
Kramer and Sean Gallagher who also devoted time to
this Bell Ringing Campaign.
Rotarians, try and top that effort!
Convention Updates
Registration forms for the Mid-Winter and International
Conventions are available on the Lions Web Site or by
contacting Convention Chairperson Joan Bielizna. She
can be reached at the phone number listed in the attached roster or via e-mail which is also listed in the
attached updated roster..
Fall Raffle Concluded
st
Helene Thompson, 1 VP and Raffle Chairperson
reports that at the January 5th luncheon meeting, the
winning raffle tickets were drawn and the following
prizes were awarded to the raffle winners:
1st Prize: 42” Panasonic Plasma HDTV
John Gogliettino, sold by Warren Levy
2nd Prize: $2,000 Travel Certificate to Holton Travel
Lion Carl Susnitzky
3rd Prize: $1,000 Exxon/Mobil gas cards
Francis Larson, sold by John Hyatt
The top raffle sellers were Helene Thompson, Mike Michael, John Hyatt and Howie Schulze.
IPP Kate Shea is presented with the first recipient of the Memorial
Hook Award by PP Tom Nolan.
Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Second VP Keith Beaver reports on another successful
Salvation Army Bell Ringing Campaign. Keith reports
that more than 50 Danbury Lions and family members
manned the kettles at Macy’s and Wall Mart from Nov.
th
26 to Christmas Eve.
Serving the Danbury Community Since 1927
Congratulations to all the winners and sellers for an
outstanding job.
Roster Update
Included with this issue of the Jottings is the current
roster of Danbury Lions with phone numbers and email addresses. Please review this roster very carefully. Should you find an error, please notify the Secretary by phone or e-mail. Unless you make us aware
of errors, we cannot correct them.
Jungle Jottings
4
From the Lions Presidential Suggestion Box
The manager of the local Wal Mart store in the Berkshire Shopping Center presented IPP Kate Shea with a
check for $1,000 to be used for charitable purposes.
PP Kate is shown here presenting a giant size version
of the Wal Mart check to current Lions Club President
Lyn Meyers. PP Kate made the presentation at a recent Lions luncheon meeting. To view this photo and
the other photos in this issue of the Jottings in color,
please go to www.danburylions.org.
Dear IRS:
Enclosed is my 2005 tax return showing that I owe
$3,407.00 in taxes. Please note the attached article
from USA Today, wherein you will see that the Pentagon is paying $171.50 for hammers and NASA has paid
$600.00 for a toilet seat.
I am enclosing four toilet seats (value $2,400) and six
hammers (value $1,029), bringing my total remitted to
$3,429.00. Please apply the overpayment of $22.00 to
the "Presidential Election Fund," as noted on my return. You can do this inexpensively by sending them
one 1.5" Phillips Head screw (article from USA Today
detailing how HUD pays $22.00 each for 1.5" Phillips
Head screws is enclosed for your convenience).
It has been a pleasure to pay my tax bill this year, and
I look forward to paying it again next year.
Yours truly,
Joe Taxpayer
The $48.75 mailing cost for this January issue of the
Jottings has been donated by Lou Matthews. If you or
your company is interested in donating the mailing
cost for a future issue, please contact the Jottings Editor or Associate Editor. Thank you and best wishes
for a Happy New Year!
Lions Club of Danbury, Inc.
Post Office Box 461
Danbury, CT 06813-0461
Officers
Kate Shea………………….…IPP
Lyn Meyers .......................... Pres
Helene Thompson............. 1st VP
Keith Beaver .................... 2nd VP
rd
Open………..……………....3 VP
Bob Lovell .................... Secretary
Kurt Miller..................... Treasurer
Scott LeRoy ………...Tail Twister
Donna Williams ..........Lion Tamer
Directors
Frank Molinaro .................... 1 Yrs
Warren Levy........................ 1 Yrs
Joan Bielizna………….........2 Yrs
Ken Saloom……………… 2 Yrs
Tom Nolan…………………..3 Yrs
Eric Nadeau………………...3 Yrs
Fran Evans............... Membership
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frank Molinaro ...... Jottings Editor
Nancy Lavers…..Associate Editor
Website www.danburylions.org
Serving the Danbury Community Since 1927
Jungle Jottings