OCTOBER 2014
COMING SOON TO A LIONS CLUB NEAR YOU! District Governor Ed Gibbons, following trips to Toronto for the Lions International Convention in July and Puerto Rico in September for the USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum, will be making his official visit to the Tri-County Lions Club the evening of November 10. DG Ed, elected to serve during the District 12-N Convention last year, is a member of the Johnson City Lions Club. He and his wife, Theresa, reside in Jonesborough. Lion Ed has also a served on the Board of Directors of Lions Volunteer Blind Industries in Morristown and has been active with Johnson City Ties for the Blind Foundation. This will be a great opportunity to meet the District Governor and hear about his goals for this Lions Year. Also, this would be a good time to invite a guest to learn more about Lions beyond the local club.
EAGLES FOOTBALL “BREAKFAST BOWL” DEEMED SUCCESS Tuesday, September 23, the Seymour High School Football Team fundraiser at Connie's Kitchen raised a whopping $1,540! Tri-County Lions stayed busy wrestling up pancakes, sausages, and drinks, and also kicked in supplies valued at $231. Lots of football players served the patrons. The team sent autographed “thank yous” to the Club. Clockwise from top: Lions Bill Mantooth, Buddy Greene, Keith McCord, Richard Russell, and Joyce Wooliver, center, cooking!
WHITE CANE DAYS FUN-DRAI$ER RAINED OUT, RESCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1 White Cane Days fundraising has been rescheduled for Saturday, November 1, after a soggy spell in October. Plans are to set up at the intersection of Boyds Creek Road and Chapman Highway, and at Connie's Kitchen (bake sale). Kroger has a new regional policy severly restricting the groups allowed to fundraise at their stores, so in the future, we will try to find some alternative locations. White Cane Days funds support projects of District 12-N. Currently, the long-range forcast is calling for temperatures that morning in the 30s, so there is a possibility the start time will be delayed past 8:00am. Keep your ears perked for updated information! Smile, Lion Keith, and let's fill that bucket! Cupcakes and cookies fresh-baked for the October date were auctioned by Lion Ken Moffett at the October 13 meeting, raising $32 for the club's administrative account. It was noted with appreciation that Lion Joyce Wooliver made a winning bid for some of the cookies she had prepared! Thanks for your generosity!
PUMPKIN PIE SALES PRECEDES THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY November 24 is shaping up to be a busy day for Tri-County Lions, with a marathon piebaking session in the morning followed by the regular club meeting that evening at Connie's Kitchen.
Lion Connie shapes a pie crust at Sysco during last year's fundraiser.
Lion Connie Emmons has secured use of the Sysco kitchen facilities in Knoxville so we can once again bake pumpkin pies as well as the popular pumpkin cheesecake pies, as we've done the last two years. (Prior to that, we had help with baking pies from students in the culinary arts program at Walters State Community College in Sevierville).
Pre-selling the $10 pies is critical to the success of this fundraiser! We need all Lions to reach out to friends, families, neighbors, church groups, business colleagues, and more so we can make this the best pumpkin pie sale ever! All pies should be picked up or delivered before Thanksgiving, of course.
PLAN TO ATTEND LIONS LEARNING RETREAT IN MANCHESTER, TN Now through November 15 you can save $25 on cost of registration on site for the 2015 Lions Learning Retreat in Manchester. The weekend event runs January 16-18, and the $95 cost of early registration includes four delicious meals at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center. After November 15 registration cost is $105, and on site cost is $120. This year's theme is “Strengthen the Pride--We Serve”. This is one of those rare opportunities to enjoy great seminars, learn more about effective Lions programs, and hear motivating keynote speakers. There is a one day (Saturday only) registration available until December 15 for $65, including the Saturday seminars, lunch and banquet. As an added incentive, those registered and in attendance are eligible to receive special prizes after the Friday and Sunday meals. Other highlights this year include: ■ Virginia Lions presentation: "Ethics in Lionism" ■ Improved scheduling ■ Three service projects The registration form, as well as lodging information, is available on the LLR website at: http://www.lionslearningretreat.org . Lodging with complimentary breakfast at the adjacent Holiday Inn is $85.99 + tax. Phone 1 (931) 728-9383. Ask for the Lions rate. Additional information will be posted from time to time on the LLR Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LionsLearningRetreat . PDG Clare Crawford is chair, PDG Ken Moffett is co-chair, and PDG Wendy Cain serves as Board President.
SOME NEWS YOU CAN USE:
tri-countylions@googlegroups.com Any club member may use this email list address to send an email to all members with email. Be sure to send from the email address you've provided, or send your email address to Lion Ken Moffett at weserve@kmmoffett.net if not on the list. LEO CLUB INTEREST EVIDENCED AT SEYMOUR HIGH SCHOOL Chandler Jernigan, a student on the Debate Team with Lion Connie's granddaughter Morgan, was welcomed at the September 22 meeting, and expressed interest in getting a Leo Club started at Seymour High School. He received a lot of encouragement from the club members, and President Ray Valentine gave him brochures and other information about forming a local Leo Club. Tri-County Lions stand ready to sponsor the new club. CLUB TREASURY INFORMATION PRESENTED Club Treasurer Judy Moffett presented the September, 2014 financial report at the first October meeting. Here is a summary: • • • •
Administrative account balance: $328.27. All invoices (district, state, and international) paid. Project account balance: $2,512.70. Invoice for eye exams and glasses of $321.71 paid. Savings account balance: $950.44 CDs balance: $27,558 [Restricted]
LVBI DIRECTOR BRITTON RETIRING Lion Don Britton will be retiring soon. On Facebook, he posted, “I am announcing my retirement from Volunteer Blind Industries, effective Jan. 1, 2015.� Lions Volunteer Blind Industries will have an Open House at their facility in Morristown on Friday, November 7 from 1:00-3:00pm. Lion Don encourages friends to stop by for refreshments and conversation. Lion Don joined the firm right out of school, moved up through the rehabilitation program, eventually moving into the Executive Director position. During his tenure, LVBI has seen many changes in the marketplace, as well as in the availability of various services for the blind and visually impaired. He and his wife, Martha, have a son and daughter, as well as a grandchild. LVBI is a project of District 12-N Lions that has provided meaningful employment to hundreds of persons who are blind or visually impaired, supplying government contracts as well as a high quality commercial line of bedding available in showrooms throughout East Tennessee. Tri-County Lions Buddy Greene and Ken Moffett served on the LVBI Board of Directors during Lion Don's tenure. Lion Trevor Southerland will assume the role of Director in 2015.
EYEGLASSES RECYCLING NEWS According to Lion Harry Ennis, The Lions District 12-N Fall 2014 trip to the Virginia Lions Sight Foundation Recycling Center in Roanoke, VA is scheduled for this Saturday, November 1, 2014. Lion Bill Mantooth recently collected hundreds of used eyeglasses from the Tri-County Lions Club's recycling locations that will be delivered as a part of the trip. These will eventually provide the less fortunate overseas with the gift of sight. Thanks to all who are a part of this ongoing project! Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes is November 2, registration at 1:00 p.m., UT Gardens, 2431 Joe Johnson Dr., Knoxville. Find more information on the District 12-N team at the link below, where you can donate or sign up to walk. http://main.diabetes.org/site/TRteam_id=691820&fr_id=9897&pg=team
DG GIBBONS ANNOUNCES CABINET MEETING & FALL INFORMATION FORUM All Lions are welcome! Club Presidents and Secretaries from each club are encouraged to attend. This event will be held November 15, 8:30 to Noon, at the facilities of LVBI on Morris Blvd. in Morristown. This is a great opportunity to keep abreast of all the Lions activities and projects going on throughout East Tennessee. PLAN NOW TO ATTEND THIS EXCITING EVENT! Coming up February 20-21, 2015 is the District 12-N Convention at the Carnegie Hotel, Johnson City.