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Call to Order – President Ted Gonsiorowski called the meeting to order and led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Invocation – David Hunter: We thank Thee, Lord, for food and light and air, and for elections open, free and fair. The winners won with campaign promises firm. The losers say "You just wait. We'll get 'em come next term." Amen. Vittles – Pork chop, fire roasted potatoes, green beans, salad and toppings, rolls and butter, strawberry shortcake, tea and coffee.

Attendance – 20 members, 6 visitors. Guests – Larry (guest of Fonda Bowden);

Bob Bentz (guest of Rich King);

Bob Dye (guest of Pedro Heller);

Ron Deering (guest of Sam McGrew);

and Murial Dean (guest of Pat Bryan)

Birthdays – none. Lions Report – If you are ill or know a fellow Lion that is under the weather, please call Pat Bryan at 586-4535.

Lottery – Rich King won the $13 lottery.

Announcements – Ted Gonsiorowski announced the following activities: 1E Zone Meeting, April 11 at Monical’s on Kirby at 6:00 pm. If you wish to attend please tell Marvin Paulsen, Zone Chair.

Rich King announced that Water Station support for the marathon is April 27, 7:30 am on Church Street in front of Huber’s.

Jay Hoeflinger reported that we have sold out of books for Sight and Sound, but will try to get more.

President Ted gave the second reading of the nominating Committee’s ballot of Officers: for President: Weldon Garrelts; Past President: Ted Gonsiorowski; 1st VP: Charlie Osborne; 2nd VP: Sam McGrew; Treasurer: Karl Drake; Secretary: Fonda Bowden; Director 2012-2014: Jay Hoeflinger; Director 2013-2015: David Hunter; Lion Tamer: Floyd “Gordie” Gordon.

Program – President Ted introduced Colonel C.J. Sizemore as the Official Colonel Sanders lookalike for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Col. Sizemore graduated from Olivet Nazarene and the University of Illinois and worked 36 years with the Illinois Dept. of Human Services.

He was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel by the Kentucky Governor and began doing promotions in 2002. His presentation was the Colonel in first person.

Col Sizemore said that Colonel Sanders was born in 1890 in Henryville, IN. Life started off rough for him and he started cooking at a very young age. He worked at a lot of labor and farm jobs but got fired a lot, too.

He had to leave home at 12 years of age, dropped out of school and went to work in Indianapolis, then on a farm, then with a streetcar in town.

He lied about his age and joined the Army in 1906 and was sent to Cuba. When they found out his age he had to leave and went to work on the railroad in Alabama.

He met his wife and had 3 children, but had to travel too much, so his wife left him. He got his family back but eventually divorced and married one of his workers.

He got a Law license while working but, when he got into a fight with a client, the Judge stopped his practice.

He then got a job with a tire company, but he had a bad accident and nearly lost his scalp. He then bought a gas station in Kentucky along H25 and gave extra service, which brought in a lot of business.

His family lived in the station and started feeding travelers and perfecting the chicken recipe.

The Colonel was a rowdy fellow and even shot a guy who was painting over his advertising sign on a barn. In 1956 he sold the gas station and started selling franchises for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

KFC was purchased by PepsiCo and later spun off with the Yum! Brand. It is interesting that Col. Sizemore had his first pair of glasses purchased by his father from a Lions Club.

Pat Bryan asked “What was the strangest question you were ever asked?”

Col. Sizemore said that a lady once asked him, “What kind of underwear do you wear, boxers or briefs?” He replied, “Depends.”

Tail Twister – Omer Benn asked Frank Duff to carry the bucket. Then he fined Frank for something or other.

(Darn!)

Omer remembered flying Bob Dye and group to St. Louis World Series and he paid a fine for that;

He fined Rich King for having won the lottery;

Fonda Bowden, Kathy Struck and Pat Bryan, for having missed our last meeting;

Weldon Garrelts for complaining;

Sam McGrew’s table for having lost the election.

Bob Dye, as the fisherman said, ”Just for the halibut;”

and David Hunter for asking our speaker, “You said your mother worked in a cannin’ factory. What kind of cannons did they make?”

Bad mistake!

Then, after the meeting, Col. Sizemore posed for pictures with Marvin Paulsen,

Weldon Garrelts,

Pat Bryan,

and Bob Dye.

Greeter: Pedro Heller

Apr 24 – To Be Announced

Click here osborne@bankchampaign.com to email Charlie Osborne and let him know what you would like to see in a Lions Club program some time.

Coming up

Apr 17 – David Lin – Trip to Vietnam

Thank you for watching

Editor

Rex Hess

Publisher

David Hunter

To email Dave with your comments, click here → hunter4000@comcast.net

To go to the our website, click here → http://www.champaignlions.org/