District 31A Lions Club • Newsletter • Click Here to Download the latest Lions Dispatch
A MESSAGE FROM DISTRICT GOVERNOR RANDY CHAMPION - January 2012
The new calendar year is here and I hope that each of you had a very Merry Christmas and will have a prosperous new year! Six of our months have come and gone for District 31-A and I am pleased that we have accomplished a lot; our white cane kick-off, two cabi-net meetings and our Fall Convention were successful. We have elected our officers for 2012-2013 and if you are called on to serve for next year, please do so! DGE Rose Edgar is counting on you. However, we still have six months to go for 2011-2012. OUR NEXT CABINET MEETING WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 25TH AT ETOWAH LIONS DEN. THE TIME IS 1 PM.
1st VDG-E Will Hicks has us doing well in our White Cane drive with $44,108 turned in so far; that is 49.3 % of our goal. Be sure that he has spoken to your club about White Cane; if he has not, schedule him to do so.
The Camp Dogwood ticket sales have produced $13,184 and the challenge is for each club to average 3 books per member. I might add that the winner of the $200 drawing at the Fall Convention cannot be located; therefore, another drawing will be made from our basket of tickets to determine the winner.
Twenty-five of our clubs have donated to our Tree Planting Project; however we need all of our clubs to participate. If your club has not sent in a donation, please do so because the trees are to be shipped on February 16th to the distribution center in Asheville. Send your donation to Secretary/Treasurer Larry Gasperson at PO Box 494, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768.
Plus One as a Net in membership for each club is our goal for this year; that would be a plus 54 for the district. Invite a friend to visit your club. Ask them if they liked what they saw and invite them to join your club. Make this month the one you stress for membership and you will make our district………
GOOD-BETTER-BEST,
DG Randy Champion
From the Desk of District Governor Elect Rose Edgar
Fellow Lions:
What a busy time of year this has been, as most of you will agree! December 10th I attended the Buncombe County Assn f/t Blind, Children’s Christmas Party. Reynolds Lions Club sponsors this event each year. Reynolds Lions Club members provide lunch (from McDonalds), snacks, games, and presents under the tree for all the children who attend.
On December 17th, 100 VIPs, guests, and Lions attended the BCAB Adult Christ-mas Party at Covenant Community Methodist Church in Fairview, NC. Everyone enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Lions Joe Penland, Beth Gentry, Diana and Peewee Baker. As is customary, the VIPs received a cash gift as well as a present from Santa. There was also entertainment provided by Lion Kim West.
December 20th found us at the Marjorie McCune Center for our Sand Hill Lions Christmas Party. Each year our club provides Christmas for the residents who have no other family to celebrate the holidays with. The Upper Hominy Lions held the drawing for a Rifle on Saturday morning, December 24th. Yours truly could not resist the temptation to “shoot a turkey”. Lion Dean Warren let me use his shot-gun and not only did I hit the target, but came in second place.
PDG Jim and I also attended the Swannanoa Lions Christmas Party and the Reynolds Lions Christmas Party. I am happy to report “Dirty Santa” is alive and well.
Whew! I think I’ll take a little break and start back again in the New Year. From our home to yours, we hope everyone has a blessed holiday season.
Lion Rose Edgar
VDG1
From Will Hicks VICE DG II - Humanitarian White Cane
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Holiday and may the New Year bring more opportunities to serve.
Our Humanitarian White Cane Drive is doing well! The last report I have is dated 12/20/2011. We have collected $44,108.57 which is 49.3 percent of goal. Our goal for December 31st was 40 percent. Our next goal is 75 per-cent by March 31st. I don’t see any problems making that goal. The dis-trict is doing the task and all of the recipients are really appreciative of our efforts. We are $3,272.25 up from where we were last year at this time.
The North Carolina Lions, Inc. is our organization that enables us to help out in our respective communities. There are a lot of folks that need our help that we are not even aware of.
Did you know that memorials and honorariums to the NC Lions are counted towards your White Cane Goals?
Camp Dogwood Raffle Tickets are doing well. We are all looking forward to the giving away of the car at the State Convention. The district total is $13,184.00 so far with 1.14 books per member. District A is, once again leading the state on money collected. This time last year we were at $10,270.00. Now that’s how it’s done! I am available to speak to your club about the Humanitarian White Cane Drive. I may be contacted by phone at 828-892-3776 or email at will@willstech.com. Contact me and I’ll get you on the schedule.
White Cane
Goal for Year $89,400
As of 20 Dec $44,108.57
Don’t stop now! Lets show the other districts how it’s done!
Lion Will Hicks
2nd VDG
McCUNE CENTER NEWS
Happy New Year! The Center is excited for a new year with our Lions! It’s going to be a big year with our new maintenance/storage building, televisions on the walls, exciting new adventures and the grace to continue to provide compassionate, pro-fessional care for those that depend on us. Together we can also conquer the challenges ahead. Some of the challenges are the retention of revenue to meet the operational needs of our Center, the ongoing pressures from government decisions and changes, and the condition of the current economic and health crisis. The Lions are a blessing to the McCune Center. Let’s thrive to have another progressive and successful year together!
The Bulis Foundation made it possible for our VIP Bowlers to bowl again this year. Karen Calhoun, along with Lion Steve Meade and Lion Bess Owen, raised enough funds for our bowlers to register and bowl. Thanks for Lion Mary Sedgewick, too, for making this all possible.
Christmas Parade The Center won third place out of 78 entries in the Black Mountain Christmas Parade. Thanks to Lion Joe Silvers and Lions from McCune Lions Club, Black Mountain Lions Club, Haw Creek Lions Club and Swannanoa Lions Club. Lions, residents, staff and staff’s fam-ly all participated on this Saturday morning. It was great fun for all and so exciting to win a ribbon!
Wonderful Christmas! There is no place I would rather be during the holidays than at the McCune Center. You may find that hard to believe, but there is nothing like it! The good cheer and kindness of so many make our Center a true picture of what Christmas is all about. Chocolates, greetings, visitors, parties, gifts, home-made goodies and abounding goodwill. I had the privilege of shopping for the children that our McCune Lions provide for each year. The McCune Lions also sold Christmas trees this year for the first time. All of the Supervisors and I teamed up and donated a very early Saturday morning for ‘Charity Day’ at Belks. At this event we purchased most of our resident’s gifts. The Fairview Lions, the Haw Creek Lions, the Board of Directors, the staff, the Greater Fletcher Lions, the Federation for the Blind, the Sandhill Lions, and our resident’s Christmas Party were so appreciated. It’s wonderful to have so much involvement! We are so grateful to Bryson City Lions, Hendersonville Lions, Fairview Mountain Lions, Pisgah Forest Lions, Greater Asheville, Chase Lions, Candler Lions, Etowah Lions, Black Mountain Lions, Haw Creek Lions, Franklin Lions, Greater Reynolds Lions, Greater Fletcher Lions, Maggie Valley Lions, Valley Springs Lions, and the Lake Lure Lions. $2,580.00 has been given or committed to our resident’s Christmas. You are sincerely appreciated.
The Television Fund has taken off with remarkable speed. The McCune Center Chairman, Lion Jerry Cox, initiated this fundraiser with a letter sent to each of our Clubs. This fund was established for the safety and comfort of the residents of our Center. As it stands, two people share the same room. Each person normally has a television. The televisions are placed on an end table. This monopolizes a great deal of the space available in the shared room. Because we have VIPs and frail, elderly residents; this poses a safety risk. The televisions that will be purchased through this fundraiser will be mounted on the walls of the rooms. It is a true godsend. The Clubs that have contributed thus far are Greater Reynolds, Davidson River, Swannanoa Valley, Etowah Lions, Robbinsville, Melvin and Edna Allison, Hendersonville Lions, and Candler Lions. These Clubs combined have raised $2,903.00! Over 50% of the goal has already been met! Please support our effort to provide comfort and safety to our residents.
Respectfully yours,
Frances J. Coates
Administrator
INTERNATIONAL NEWS WITH AN IMPACT ON DISTRICT 31A
A grant for US$67,233 was awarded to Multiple District 31 to purchase advanced eye care equipment for the University of North Carolina Eye Center. The equipment purchased will improve the diagnosis of genetic eye diseases, increase quality of education to residents and give quality care to patients.
District 31A Awards & Installation 2011
Lion “Red” Hoyle the most recent inductee to the Lions Hall of Fame. A long time Lion and truly a man who made a difference. He help to start the McCune Center. District 31A had the distinct honor to have both submissions inducted to the hall of fame this year. The awards were presented at the state convention.
PDG George Suggs is shown to the right with Lion Red Hoyle.
The District Governor is allowed to submit a name of a deceased Lion and a Living Lion for consideration.
Meet Our New International President, Wing-Kum Tam
Wing-Kun Tam, of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), People’s Republic of China is the chairperson of a group of air transportation companies. A member of the Mt. Cameron Lions Club since 1981, he as held many offices in the association, including Campaign SightFirst multinational coordinator and OSEAL recording secretary, District Governor-elect Seminar group leader, SightFirst China Action executive chairperson, 2005 International Convention Bidding Committee executive chairperson and honorary Host Committee chairperson. He has served on the international board for eleven years and three years on the executive committee.
In addition to his Lion activities, President Tam is active in many professional and community organizations. He is a member and/or chairperson of numerous boards and committees of the Hong Kong SAR Government. He has been the Hong Kong Convention Ambassador since 1995.
President Tam is the recipient of Her Majesty the Queen’s Badge of Honor, the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and the Bronze Bauhinia Star from the Hong Kong SAR Government.
President Tam is a Justice of the Peace in the Hong Kong SAR. He was appointed Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kenya in the Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR of the People’s of China as well as Commissioner for the Kenya Tourist Board—Far East.
In recognition of his service to his association, President Tam has received numerous awards, including the 100% District Governor Award, International President’s Award, the Campaign SightFirst National/Multi– National Coordinator Award, the International Lion of the Year Award (2003) and the Ambassador of Good Will Award, the highest honor the association gives to its members. He is a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow and Campaign SightFirst Lead Gift Donor.
President Tam and his late wife, Irene, have three children—Alvin, Tiffany and Andrew.
© 2011 District 31A Lions • Randy Champion, District Governor
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