Sept/Oct 2005

In This Issue.." How Sweet It Is"! * In My Opinion * Golf Classics Results * Thank You * Moving In or Out * Recycling Programs * Hearing Unit Calendar * LIF Directory * Workplace Pledges * Show Your Pride * Sweepstakes 2006 * Photo Gallery - 12th Annual Golf Classic * Upcoming Events * Diabetic Retinopathy

"How Sweet It Is"!

These immortal words of Jackie Gleason were never meant to be a metaphor for our Foundation's Candy Day . However, if one considers the tremendous good that a successful Candy Day can provide the visually and hearing impaired children and adults in Illinois , the metaphor fits. Each year, the Lions of Illinois take to the streets in a magnificent humanitarian gesture to publicize our cause and to raise critically needed funds to make a difference in the lives of those who cannot see or hear properly. It never ceases to amaze me that every Lion and Lioness does not absolutely relish the opportunity to recruit others to participate in an event that changes lives. First, Candy Day is fun if one enjoys “working” on behalf of others who are need. Secondly, it fills the heart with the joy to know that a life has been positively affected because a Lion has chosen to give the precious commodities of time and energy to the task.

This year, the challenge has been issued to every club in Illinois to engage in an honest discussion on how to improve the results of the campaign. Repeating marginal or failing strategies only result in the people of our communities and those who are served statewide being denied assistance. Can we ignore the needs of the people we serve because we prefer the comfort of our own personal agendas? We hope that the fire to build a mighty fortress in the battle to improve the quality of life for those suffering visual or hearing loss burns as brightly now as in the past. My supplication is that every club in Illinois set new records for themselves this year. If every club makes thousands of dollars more for themselves, our Foundation and its thirteen programs mandated by the Lions will prosper even greater.

During the Jamborees, the Lions of every District have been challenged to view Candy Day creatively. Every Lion has been asked to recruit others for an hour or more of a “labor of love”. Every Lion should consider how he/she “connects the dots” between the raising of funds and the programs and services provided those we serve.

CANDY DAY Homepage is open

Lions Candy Day is on October 14 (15), 2005. While this date may vary slightly from Club to Club, it does not alter the preparation needed to have a successful event. To assist our members, a special page has been added to the LIF website –www.lionsofillinoisfoundation.org. The CANDY DAY Homepage can be viewed by clicking on the left margin tab "funding”. The CANDY DAY Homepage is designed to provide all the forms, campaign strategies, and resources to help set you on a path to success. For added interest, a history of the origins of Candy Day, and the transition to what it is today has also been included.

Viewer note: the CANDY DAY Homepage was designed to be viewed at 800 x 600 pixels resolution.

Thank You, Thank You!

I would like to thank all the Lions, Lioness, and friends for their cards, e-mails, and prayers while I have been on the mend. I am doing great now and hope to see all of you real soon.

Once again, Thank You.

Sincerely,
Mario Gumino
LIF Account Manager

Recycling donations

More & more members are becoming aware of the LIF recycling programs. What? You didn't know about them?

Allow me to introduce you to all the items we collect:
cell phones,
aluminum pull tabs,
keys,
and ink toner cartridges.

All are used to garner cash to fund LIF activities & programs.

Special Thanks to two of the biggest donators of recycled materials in recent history –
Barrington Lions for their $610 donation from aluminum collections &
Olney Lions for 67 gallon jugs filled with thousands & thousands of aluminum pull tabs.

If you, your club, or perhaps your business has any of these products and would like to donate them, please contact Alan Wilson at adwilson@tbc.net for details.

Moving In or Out?

Can you guess? Even the lions on the scene were scratching their heads over this one.

the boxes are full of donated eyeglasses which arrived at the memorials & endowments meeting in Bloomington.

These are a very small portion of the eyeglasses received at the LIF annually -
nearly 350,000.

So in a way these boxes are moving in to be sorted, and moving out to be graded and distributed to thousands of needy people around the globe.

Hearing Screenings Calendar

Below are the upcoming dates & host clubs scheduled for the Mobile Hearing Screening Unit. For complete information please call the LIF office at 815-756-5633 or check the LIF website at www.lionsofillinoisfoundation.org .

September

1 st & 2 nd – Farm Progress Show, Rantoul, 1-B 3 rd , 4 th , & 5 th – Schaumburg, 1-F
7 th – District 1-A Candy Day Jamboree
8 th - Schaumburg Health Fair, 1-F
9 th & 10 th - Monmouth, 1-H
12 th – Arlington Heights, 1-F
13 th – Fox Lake, 1-F
14 th – Niles, 1-F
15 th - Morton Grove, 1-F
16 th – Franklin Park, 1-A
17 th - Glenwood, 1-A
19 th – Steeleville, 1-CS
20 th - Chicago South East, 1-A
21 st – Lisle, 1-J & Riverside Township, 1-A
23 rd – Rock Island Greater, 1-H
24 th – Barrington, 1-F
25 th – Mt. Prospect, 1-F
26 th – Shorewood, 1-B
27 th - Geneva, 1-J
28 th - Lombard, 1-J
29 th - Chicago Hegewisch, 1-A
30 th - Argo Summit, 1-A

October

1 st – Winthrop Harbor, 1-F
3 rd – Marissa, 1-CS
4 th – Christopher & DuQuoin, 1-CS
5 th – Johnston City, 1-CS
6 th – Cobden, 1-CS
7 th – Thompsonville & West Frankfort , 1-CS
10 th – Durand, 1-D
11 th – River Forest Area, 1-A
13 th – Effingham, 1-L
14 th – Aurora Evening , 1-J
15 th – Princeton, 1-K
17 th – Carmi, 1-CN
21 st – Lyons, 1-A
22 nd – Chicago North Star, 1-A
25 th – Bolingbrook, 1-D &
Hintzche Fertilizer, Maple Park , 1-D
28 th – Chicago Lakeview, 1-A
29 th – Chicago FIL-USA, 1-A

The LIF Hearing Screening Unit has been on the road making a positive change in detecting hearing loss since 1987.

< >In My Opinion
by Lion Van C. Stone, LIF Executive Director

WHAT WILL HISTORY SAY?
How will history render judgment on the Lions of Illinois and the Foundation they created? The answer to this important question depends upon the mind set of the Lions themselves. Will history reflect a caring and dedicated “band of brothers” who responded to destiny’s call to leave a permanent legacy to the human landscape with courage and conviction? The battle to leave such a just and honorable legacy has commenced with mixed results.

First, membership continues to decline precipitously with no real solution in sight. Acronyms and rhetoric will not garner new members. Losing our causal identity will not attract new recruits. Failure to remain focused on a clear and well-articulated vision will not result in the swelling of our ever-diminishing ranks with enthusiastic converts. Political intrigue, personal agendas, and organizational arrogance will render our efforts to build a formidable redoubt against the virulent attacks of blindness and deafness improbable. Only the honest efforts of dedicated Lions who are truly passionate in changing the lives of those we serve will make a significant difference.

It is my firm belief that our Lions of Illinois Foundation can, and should be, the great legacy we leave to posterity. Most of us will not achieve individual immortality, nor do we particularly desire to do so. We can however, achieve a collective immortality by building a Foundation whose only purpose is to serve the most vulnerable members of society. At our Foundation, there is no political agenda or hidden destinies. There is only the honest desire to help as many children and adults with visual and/or hearing impairments as possible. We invite all who can embrace such simplicity. Our Board of Trustees meetings are open to all who share the common ideal of service to others without regard to personal aggrandizement. We ask that you voice your concurrence by dedicating the remainder of your earthly pilgrimage to helping us realize our great vision “…to build a permanent vehicle for the delivery of programs and services to the visually and hearing impaired”. Won’t you join us? History is watching!

Workplace pledges:
Mark your donation to the LIF

Our Foundation has qualified for inclusion in the Combined Federal Campaign 2005 (our assigned number is 6270; you can find our information on page 11 in the CFC book). What this means is that any employee of a governmental entity or participating corporation can select our Lions of Illinois Foundation as the recipient of their donations given during the annual fall campaign.

We hope all eligible Lions & Lioness will check 6270, and designate the LIF as their chose. For all of you, who have selected the Foundation in the past, please accept our heartfelt thanks. The visually & hearing impaired, who partake of the services provided by our Foundation, also thank all of the participating Lions & Lioness.
Check 6270 to pledge the LIF

Show Your Pride!
The Lions of Illinois Foundation is selling Camp Lions Caps. One size fits all and is embroidered with our new Camp Lions Logo. The cost per cap is $10 each (plus $2 shipping). All proceeds go to Camp Lions

If you would like to order one (or more) please fill out the order blank and mail back to Mario Gumino . Please make are checks payable to: LIF/Camp Lions.

  highlight & print for mailing form_____________________________________________________________

Name:____________________________________________________

Shipping Address:___________________________________________________________

 City:_____________________________________State__________Zip Code___________

Number of caps_________________ ($10.00 each) Amount enclosed__________________

Please make check or money order payable to: LIF/Camp Lions

Return to: Mario Gumino , Camp Lions Administrator
2814 DeKalb Avenue , Sycamore , IL 60178-3117

Thank you for supporting Camp Lions for visually & hearing impaired youth & adults____

A modest display of candid photos from the 12th Annual Golf Classic.

(Left) Lion Tom Martin, PDG 1-H brought
his clubs in proper attire.

Lion Jim Weiss, DG 1-L waves as he leads
the caravan of carts to the greens at The Railside
during the 12 th Annual Golf Classic.

Crete Lions pose at their sponsored hole.

Lion Margaret Wooden, PDG 1-K Lion Marcia Moore are ready to enjoy the day and raise funds for LIF Low Vision Programs.
 

LIF President Lion Mush Kojima is joined by Lion
Bob Fowler, 1-J & Lion Leo Synder, ZC, 1-J

Sweepstakes Chairperson - 2006

By Lion Ron Wigton , State Chairperson, Sight & Sound Sweepstakes Committee

While the actual start of the 2006 Sweepstakes campaign will not begin until January, your Club should start making preparations for a successful 2006 SWEEPS campaign. As Club President your Sweepstakes chairperson must be interested in the project, must understand the project, must be motivated enough to keep Club members interested in selling SWEEPS tickets from January through late April, and must convey the point / purpose of the Sweepstakes campaign to your Clubs general membership. Preferably your Sweepstakes chairperson will not be your Club President as he/she has plenty of other commitments during their year as President.

Secretaries, if your Club did not submit the name of your 2006 Sweepstakes chairperson last spring (May/June 2005), please do it now (no later than November 1st, 2005 ). The address of your SWEEPS chairperson or your Club President must have an actual street address (Sweepstakes tickets can not be delivered to a US Post Office Box). If uncertain if this information was submitted (on the Lions of Illinois Foundation new officer form) with a street address last spring or would like to change a Club officer or chairperson, send it in again.

This year (2006 campaign), all Clubs will receive Sweepstakes tickets.

Please highlight copy and print the form below and return to:

Lion Joanne Delby

% Lions of Illinois Foundation

2814 DeKalb Avenue

Sycamore IL 60178

2006 Club Sweepstakes chairperson:

Name: _________________________________________

Lion / Lioness Club: ____________________ (circle either Lion or Lioness Club)

Address: ______________________________ ( NO Post Office Box Number)

Address 2: _____________________________ (If space is required)

City: _____________________ State: _________ Zip: ______________

…

Mark Your Calendar .... CANDY DAY October 14 th – 15 th, 2005 November 4 – 6, 2005 Board of Trustees Meeting The Chateau, Bloomington , IL January 8, 2006 Coordinators Meeting The Chateau, Bloomington , IL February 10, 2006 Candidate Orientation The Chateau, Bloomington , IL February 11 – 12, 2006 Board of Trustees Meeting The Chateau, Bloomington , IL May 5 (6), 2006 Tootsie Pop Day May 18 – 21, 2006 Board of Trustees Meeting & State Convention Holiday Inn Select, Naperville, IL June 4, 2006 2 nd Annual Night Walk Danada Equestrian Center, Wheaton, IL July 10 – 16, 2006 “Birdies for Charity” John Deere Classic, Moline , IL July 21, 2006 Incoming Board of Trustees Meeting The Chateau, Bloomington, IL July 22 – 23, 2006 Board of Trustees Meeting The Chateau, Bloomington, IL   August 5, 2006 13 th Annual Golf Classic August 6, 2006 Coordinators Meeting The Chateau, Bloomington, IL October 13 (14), 2006 Lions Candy Day

 

 

 

Enjoy a

happy & safe

fall season!

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