4 de Mayo de 2010

( for English - press 1 )

  Sporting a "John Boehner" tan, Ken Johnson has returned from his vacation to resume his duties as King Lion. The first order of business today was to recognize the one and only May birthday Lion - Dee Johnson. (Dee has always told us that he was in a class by himself) Other than a reminder that the Installation Dinner is tentatively set for June 17 and with the venue at the Cosmopolis Lions hall, there was nothing further so we proceeded to our program for today.

  Al Bruun introduced Dan Varland, Ph.D. to be our speaker for this meeting. Dan was the ornithologist for Rayonier for many years and when Rayonier was forced to down-size it's operation, Dan's job was one of the victims of the "axe".

  During his tenure with Rayonier, Dan became concerned with the health and survival of the coastal raptors; Peregrine Falcons, Bald Eagles, Gyrfalcons, Merlins, etc. Rather than relocate after his position was terminated, Dan decided to form a not-for-profit group - Coastal Raptors - that addresses the Research, Education, and Conservation of these magnificent birds.

  Coastal Raptors is concerned about the long-term health and viability of raptors found along the coastlines, given the vulnerabilities of raptors in this environment. Their further concern is the lack of information for the general public, scientists, land managers, and policy makers on raptors in a coastal environments.

  Medical research is another, and arguably the most important, part of their endeavors. Blood and tissue samples from captured birds have been sent to various laboratories around the US for the study of avian flu and other human maladies linked to birds. Coastal Raptors web site is www.coastalraptors.org .

  Another very interesting Dan Varland presentation.

Mark Maxfield's name was drawn for the attendance pot. He was not present.

May 11, 2010

  King Lion Ken called a fairly well attended meeting to order this day. Having no visitors to introduce nor old business to discuss, we proceeded with the business of this day.

  This past weekend was White Cane Days, however Chairman Ray Pumphrey was absent today and we had no report regarding the success (or failure) of our efforts. We do know that Ray had a very difficult task rounding up Lions for this work party. Hopefully we will get an upbeat report at next meeting.

  Mark VandenHazel, Principal at HHS was called upon to introduce the Lions Club's students of the month for April 2010. Prefacing the introductions, Mark explained briefly the criterion by which the students are chosen. He then apologized for not giving the students enough advance notice so they may invite their parents to our luncheon presentation. With this being said, he introduced the honorees:

  Al Bruun introduced our speaker for today - John Larson, Curator of the Polson Museum. John prefaced his museum message with a very complete and heartfelt report on Lion George Reay's funeral service in Hawaii. George was laid to rest  in the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery at Kaneohe.

  John's message today was to give us an update on what is happening now at the museum and what is planned for future expansion. The completion of the Polson Museum Railroad Camp is the immediate goal.

  When this is completed it will serve as a permanent home for Grays Harbor's rich logging and sawmilling history. On the museum grounds, there will be several exhibits devoted to the industrial tools of the local timber industry. Pathways will lead the visitors from the mansion to the Lidgerwood Donkey, through the existing Blacksmith's Shop, to the new Dolbeer Engine Shed, to the Children's Outdoor Amphitheater and Locomotive Shop. A pathway, and section of standard gauge railroad, leads visitors back to the parking area.

  Several major gifts of funding and materials have been received and used to begin Railroad Camp. Now that the project is off the ground, financial support is crucial to it's completion. John asks that we do our part in reminding people of this major Community project and urge them to contribute.

  As always, John's presentation was very complete and, above all, passionate.

Can you believe this - Mark Maxfield's name was drawn for the second straight week ???

May 18, 2010

( Lion Paul Dean reporting )

  The very sparsely populated meeting was opened by King Lion President Ken Johnson whom we have not seen for awhile as he has been vacationing in Arizona. I hear that he was almost sent back home though as he could not find his Green Card.  There were no visiting Lions in attendance today, (Or regulars for that fact)

  The only committee report came from Lion Ray Pumphrey on our recent “White Canes Day”  He stated that we collected donations amounting to $912.00 which was down from previous years. There were a couple of empty slots not filled by members that helped contribute to this, but all in all we done well.  Lion Jerry Schaefer kicked in another $20.00 he had hiding in his briefcase for a grand total of $932.00

  Lion Jerry also had some correspondence  and reported that there have been some changes in the name of what we have come to know as the “Northwest Lions Foundation” The new name is “Sight For Life” and was reported that their focus and the way the money is raised has changed somewhat.  They have reached out to cooperate sponsors which may be able to provide more dollars than the white cane collections.  We will be waiting for more information on this matter to be presented to us.

  The date, time and place for our Installation dinner have been finalized and set in stone. June 17^th is the date, 5:30 to 6:30 is the Social Hour with a Prime Rib dinner to follow catered by O'Brien's.  The cost including gratuity will be $21.00 per person.

  Our annual Fireworks sales were brought up and it was said that a signup sheet will soon appear at the meetings for your pleasure. 

  Lion Paul Dean introduced the program for today’s meeting -  Pastor Doug Marks is the Pastor at the River Of Life Church located in South Aberdeen.  He along with other pastors in the area have corporately planned a large community outreach to the needy of our local communities.  Planning has been ongoing for the organization named “Convoy of Hope” to help with this huge event which they have much experience with. 

  Convoy of Hope, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, feeds the hungry and provides pure drinking water to people in need across the United States and around the world.  To date, the organization has provided real help to 28 million people in 112 countries and 45 states. Lauded for its effectiveness and efficiency, Convoy of Hope mobilizes thousands of volunteers each year to deliver food and supplies and to offer hope to the poor and suffering.

  Convoy of Hope provide s help and hope to people in need in the United States and around the world by providing food, clean water and supplies. To do that, they’ve held community outreaches, rendered aid to disaster victims, and implemented sustainability and nutrition programs in more than 120 countries.

  Each year in the United States alone they hold up to 50 community events with the help of thousands of volunteers who serve tens of thousands of guests. At each event free groceries, job and health fairs, and activities for children are provided. In doing so, volunteers are given an opportunity to connect with members of their community, and guests are shown love and respect regardless of age, race, physical appearance, or spiritual condition.

  The outreach will take place on September 18^th at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam. There will be many different events all taking place at the same time during this one day outreach planned from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and expect to draw 3,000 to 5,000 people.

  This event happens through the efforts of volunteers who want to make a difference in their communities and reach out to those less fortunate and give them some hope for the future. Thank You Pastor Doug for a great program.

Lion Bud Meservey's name was drawn ( yep, Meservey not Maxfield ) Same results, Bud was absent.

May 25, 2010

  We welcomed two visitors today: Jason Lackey who is spending the summer with his grandparents, Pete and Norma VanderLinden.( a very nice young man who obviously takes after his grandmother Norma.) Our other visitor - Mitzy Ludwig - is no stranger to most of us. Mitzy, a long time employee of the Hoquiam School District who retired and moved to Lacey, visited us as a Lacey Lion. She is very active in that Club and has served a term as Zone Chairman (Chairperson?)

  Lion Secretary Jerry again reminded us of the Installation of Officers on June 17 at the Cosmopolis Lions Clubhouse... He also announced that a 99th birthday party for Lion Helge Erickson will be held on June 10 at the Hoquiam Methodist Church from 12 noon - 3 PM.

  Our gathering today was our monthly business meeting and we discussed many things germane to the operation of our Club. Our fund-raising projects (and lack of member participation therein) took "center stage". Of late, the various project chairmen have had difficulty getting a sufficient number of volunteers to participate in their projects. ( It was even mentioned that perhaps the Hoquiam Lions Club has out-lived it's usefulness?)  We don't believe that for a moment, however we as Club members must be more willing to volunteer at least a little of our personal time to ensure that our Club charter is NOT vacated.

  Our Club finances was another area we discussed. At this point in time, our Club is very solvent and - as there are NO secrets in Grays Harbor County - everyone in the area knows this. Lately it seems that we have received many more requests for donations that fall outside of our guidelines of benevolences. This is a subject that the Board must address very soon.

  Hearing that the carry-over attendance pot was huge, Lion Larry Jones returned home to make his bid for the cash. His bid was successful and was heard to mumble as he left the meeting, "another tank of fuel for the motorhome".

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