Lion Clubs International District 11-E2 November, 2015 Newsletter
16
District 11-E2, the northeast quadrant of the mien, has been blessed by many giants over the years. We have had such great Lions who have impacted so many lives that I can’t believe that I am occu- pying the office of Governor of this District. I hardly feel worthy. I look in the District Directory and under Past District Governors find a name that I am very familiar with. Judge William McCready was a man that I knew and respected. He was very accomplished. He seled in my home town of Tawas, opened a Law Office and eventual- ly became a judge. He served as District Governor in 1963-64. I met him when I appeared in his court for a minor traffic cket at the age of fiſteen. He could have thrown the book at me. I had a restricted driver’s license allowing me to drive with my parent or guardian in the car or alone if the vehicle was under a certain horsepower. Well, I was driving a small moped-type vehi- cle and received a cket for not completely stopping at a stop sign. He could have revoked my license and made me wait unl I was sixteen to get it back. Aſter conferring with my mother in his office, he called me in and read the riot act to me. He told me that I needed to be much more careful in the future and that he was leaving my mother with the decision as to whether I could drive. I was to obey her. I did! He was a very wise and compassionate man. It was only recently that I discovered that he had been District Governor in the Lions. As a child growing up I saw him oſten, especially when the weather was good. He walked to work with some of his best friends. There was, in succession, Storm, Patrick, Maxwell, Joshua and, his last leader dog was Ezekiel. I always ad- mired those dogs. I knew that they gave him independence to a certain degree. He served in the U.S. Army & Army Air Corp in the South Pacific. Aſter being blinded in an accident at age 22, he received his Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State College and he graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1957. What a tremendous accomplishment in the 1950s. He was elected to serve as Judge of Probate and Juvenile Court in Iosco County from 1964 to 1994. I salute you, DG William McCready (1927-2011). I only hope that I can carry the ball a lile farther down the field. GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE. . . ON THE INSIDE . . . November 2015 Governor’s Message........................................ 1 VDG’s Message ................................................ 2 Member Page .................................................. 3 Club Acvies ............................................... 4,5 Club Pix ...................................................... 5,6,7 Leader Dog Holiday Fundraiser ....................... 7 Funding Your Club ............................................. 8 Lions of Michigan Foundaon ........................... 9 LCIF ............................................................. 10,11 Lions Youth Exchange Program ....................... 11 Billboard Campaign ......................................... 12 Visually Impaired Scholarship Applicaon ...... 13 DG Bob DISTRICT 11-E2 NEWSLETTER
Transcript
District 11-E2 the northeast quadrant of the mitten has been
blessed by many giants over the years We have had such great Lions
who have impacted so many lives that I canrsquot believe that I am occu-
pying the office of Governor of this District I hardly feel worthy
I look in the District Directory and under Past District Governors
find a name that I am very familiar with Judge William McCready
was a man that I knew and respected He was very accomplished He
settled in my home town of Tawas opened a Law Office and eventual-
ly became a judge He served as District Governor in 1963-64
I met him when I appeared in his court for a minor traffic ticket at the age of fifteen He could have
thrown the book at me I had a restricted driverrsquos license allowing me to drive with my parent or guardian in
the car or alone if the vehicle was under a certain horsepower Well I was driving a small moped-type vehi-
cle and received a ticket for not completely stopping at a stop sign He could have revoked my license and
made me wait until I was sixteen to get it back After conferring with my mother in his office he called me in
and read the riot act to me He told me that I needed to be much more careful in the future and that he was
leaving my mother with the decision as to whether I could drive I was to obey her I did He was a very wise
and compassionate man
It was only recently that I discovered that he had been District Governor in the Lions As a child growing
up I saw him often especially when the weather was good He walked to work with some of his best friends
There was in succession Storm Patrick Maxwell Joshua and his last leader dog was Ezekiel I always ad-
mired those dogs I knew that they gave him independence to a certain degree
He served in the US Army amp Army Air Corp in the South Pacific After being blinded in an accident at
age 22 he received his Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State College and he graduated from the University of
Michigan Law School in 1957 What a tremendous accomplishment in the 1950s He was elected to serve as
Judge of Probate and Juvenile Court in Iosco County from 1964 to 1994
I salute you DG William McCready (1927-2011) I only hope that I can carry the ball a little farther down
the field
GOVERNORrsquoS MESSAGE
ON THE INSIDE
November 2015
Governorrsquos Message 1 VDGrsquos Message 2 Member Page 3 Club Activities 45 Club Pix 567 Leader Dog Holiday Fundraiser 7
Funding Your Club 8 Lions of Michigan Foundation 9 LCIF 1011 Lions Youth Exchange Program 11 Billboard Campaign 12 Visually Impaired Scholarship Application 13
DG Bob
DISTRICT 11-E2 NEWSLETTER
2
ONE OF TWO POSITIONS FILLED
DISTRICT GOVERNOR Bob Gingerich (CarlaJean) 989-348-5355 bobdanishlandingcom 1ST VICE DIST GOVERNOR Carol Athan (Terry) 989-786-3553 cathani2kcom 2ND VICE DIST GOVERNOR Vacant CABINET SECRETARY Clairene Jorella 989-390-2106 cjorellayahoocom CABINET TREASURER Tommy Otto (Cathy) 989-732-7840 toottomgmailcom IMMED PAST DISTR GOV Barb Durflinger (Duane) 989-742-2790 lionbarbcomdaccom GLT DISTR COORDINATOR PDG Al Kelpinski (Florence) 989-728-4664 afkelpinskigmailcom GMT DIST COORDINATOR PDG Lewis Moeller (Cheryl) 989-739-4962 lmoeller70hotmailcom REGION 1 CHAIR Beverly Bodem (Dennis) 989-354-4656 bodembdcharternet REGION 1 ZONE 1 Dennis Bodem (Bev) 989-354-4656 bodembdcharternet
REGION 1 ZONE 2 CHAIR Dennis Downie (Cherie) 989-734-4315 dennisd311yahoocom REGION 2 CHAIR Jill Drury (John) 231-920-9645 jdrurycctransitorg REGION 2 ZONE 1 Bill Chase (Linda) 231-499-9619 windyridgetorchlakecom
REGION 2 ZONE 2 Justin Weisler 231-350-0224 jsweislerhotmailcom REGION 3 CHAIR Carol Athan (Terry) 989-786-3553 cathani2kcom REGION 3 ZONE 1 Corky Roberts 989-786-1065 corky62852aolcom REGION 3 ZONE 2 Lonnie Crampton (Rita) 989-724-9900 lonritacharternet REGION 4 CHAIR Bill Fitch (Janet) 989-275-4968 No Email REGION 4 ZONE 1 Tom Olszewski (Darlene) 989-348-0153 thomasolzsewskigmailcom
REGION 4 ZONE 2 Flo Kelpinski (Al) 989-728-4664 afkelpinskigmailcom
Fall is here and the col-ors are everywhere
Irsquove taken some time to reflect on the memories and friends I have made in the Lions Clubs Irsquove had the pleasure to visit so farmdashand I look forward to visiting
more clubs
Terry and I have enjoyed your hospitality and hearing about your ideas and community pro-jects Your pride in Lionism stands out in all you do
A few clubs have increased their membership and Irsquove had the pleasure of meeting some of these new members
Irsquom asking clubs to consider donating even a small amount to each of the State and District projects Without your support these projects cannot function
Thank you for being such dedicated Lionsmdashindeed you have Heard the Call to serve
Note Please consider joining our teammdashremember this is your district
VDG Carol
201516 DISTRICT CABINET VDGrsquoS MESSAGE
I am announcing the appointment of Lion
Corky Roberts of the Lewiston Lioness Lions as
the Zone Chair for Region 3 Zone 1 to replace
Lion Thom Seymour Please direct all questions
regarding the Zone to Lion Corky This encom-
passes Atlanta Fairview-Comins Lewiston
Lewiston Lioness Lions and Mio
Thank you
DG Bob
3
EAST JORDAN Dave PeckmdashSponsor Bill Chase
HOUGHTON LAKE
Lynn F ChidestermdashSponsor Fred Chidester
OSCODA Cathy A BrucemdashSponsor Beverly Hunt
Paul L BrucemdashSponsor Beverly Hunt
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE NEW MEMBERS
Hillman mdash 120880mdash35 Years
Gaylord mdash 021716mdash50 Years
Grayling mdash 031576mdash40 Years
UPCOMING CHARTER ANNIVERSARIES DECEASED LION
LINCOLN Lion Larry Duby
MEMBER PAGEmdashMONTH ENDING OCTOBER 2015
OCT 2015 201516
Opening Balance 1070 1084
Added Members 4 25
Dropped Members -13 -48
Closing Balance 1061 1061
NET GAINLOSS -9 -23
Larry Duby age 76 from the Lincoln Lions died at home on Sunday October 18 2015 Lion Larry served
as District Secretary for DG Al Kelpinski as well as Lincoln Club Secretary for many years in the 1990s A
memorial service was held Friday October 30 2015 at Gillies Funeral Home in Lincoln
PDG John Sinclair passed away October 15 A funeral service was held on Sunday October 18 at the Methodist Church in Hartford Memorials may be made to the Hartford Lions Club Sight Fund PO Box 633 Hartford MI 49057
PDG Jackie McNutt has passed away PDG Jackie served our state as District Governor of District 11-A1 in 1999-2000 PDG Jackie and Lion Jim left Michigan for the balmy climate of South Carolina several years ago but remained close with many Lions in Michigan Condolences can be sent to Lion Jim McNutt 800 Wintercreeper Drive Longs South Carolina 29568
DIRECTORY CHANGES
PAGE 6mdash REGION 3 ZONE 1 Corky Roberts 989-786-1065
corky62852aolcom
4
ALPENAmdash17 Lions held a mint sale on October 2
with proceeds of $1720 5 Lions and club Mascot
held their first trunk or treat activity on October 23
with over 1300 kids greeted by the Mascot Lion and
treated with candy 20 Lions and spouses enjoyed a
hobo dinner on October 6
ATLANTAmdash2 Lions unloaded and distributed food to
the needy and senior citizens Donated 30 pair of
eyeglasses to be recycled and used by people who
are in need
BELLAIREmdashGuest speakers for October 8 meeting
were from the new Bellaire Family Health Center
Koeze Nut sales materials were distributed sale
ends November 11 with delivery before Thanksgiv-
ing Details for poinsettia fundraiser will be dis-
cussed at next meeting Guest speaker John Tar-
rant owner and publisher of the Antrim Review and
Kalkaska newspapers spoke about their new facility
and invited members to their October 30 open
house There was also discussion on current and
upcoming fundraising activities
CENTRAL LAKEmdash12 Lions participated in M-88 road
cleanup
EAST JORDANmdashDrawing for the Rifle Raffle (their
largest fundraiser of the year) was held on October
28 and raised $3500 4 Lions picked up trash and
recycled cans and bottles at 4 Jordan River locations
FAIRVIEWCOMINSmdashHelped one child purchase
glasses and provided an eye exam and eyeglasses to
another individual 2 Lions worked at the food bank
10 Lions helped sort and stack newspapers and
phone books at their recycling trailer
GRAYLINGmdashDonated $100 to the Baby to Toddler
Closet which supplies parents of young children with
essential items that they need but cannot afford 2
Lions built an access ramp for a family with 2 wheel-
chair-bound children (ages 8 and 10) due to Cerebral
Palsy Donated $250 to the Community Thanksgiv-
ing Dinner Donated $250 to the Crawford County
Christian Help Center for food baskets to individuals
who are unable to afford holiday meals 15 Lions
participated in their White Cane fundraiser on Octo-
ber 9-10 and raised $2868 Donated $50 to the
Grayling Youth Booster Club which supports youth
sports in Crawford County
LEWISTONmdash3 Lions sold raffle calendars at the
Christmas in October Bazaar Lion Cohoe donated 3
knives that were raffled to club members and raised
$200 which was then donated to help sponsor a
camper to the Lions Bear Lake Camp
LEWISTON LIONESSmdashHeld several fundraisers at the
Christmas in October Bazaar on October 16 19 Li-
ons donated baked goods for their bake sale 6 Lions
worked the food concession 1 Lion sold Commemo-
rative Tree Bulbs for the December community tree
lighting 1 Lion sold quilt raffle tickets and 13 Lions
contributed to the 5 raffle baskets 5 Lions attended
the October 3 Zone Meeting and 3 Lions attended
the Cabinet Meeting in Oscoda on October 24 12
members volunteered to help cleanrefurbish the
historical building after flood damage 2 Lions host-
ed the monthly bingo at the senior apartments
LINCOLNmdashPartnered with three other local service
groups to provide funds ($500) and labor to install a
50+ foot handicap ramp for a disabled veteran
MIOmdashRaised $4971 from their $11000 Raffle and
$82 from Lions Mint sales Donated $2000 to the
Lions of Michigan Foundation $600 to District 11-E2
projects $150 each to Lions Bear Lake Camp Ever-
sight Michigan Leader Dog and All State Band $200
to River House $500 to Lydiarsquos Gate $500 to LCIF
$250 to Habitat for Humanity $250 to Paws for a
Cause $100 to Hospice $200 to Trunk or Treat and
CLUB ACTIVITIES
5
$157 for an eye exam and eyeglass for an individual
OSCODAmdashDonated $500 to fill shoe boxes with
small gifts which are distributed to disadvantaged
children at Christmas time 9 Lions helped the Os-
coda Lioness during the community blood drive 2
Lions attended meetings in Lansing for the Lions of
Michigan Hall of Fame Project Fund Deveopment
and Marketing Committees Sponsored a craft show
at the local high school where 31 Lions a Rotarian
and 2 community workers raised $3529 Guest
speaker at October 8 meeting gave a presentation
to 28 Lions on alternative education in the commu-
nity 9 Lions attended the October 1 board meeting
Donated $500 toward a new well for a low income
couple Donated $750 to purchase art materials for
students to form and glaze bowls they will sell at the
upcoming Soup Supper fundraiser (The students
will donate their proceeds to charity also)
PETOSKEYmdashVDG Carol and husband Terry visited
their monthly meeting on October 28 VDG Carol
discussed several Lions projects including the All
State Band and Lions Bear Lake Camp There was
also discussion on the October 3 Furry Scurry Dog
Park Walk and their upcoming blood drive Novem-
ber 6
PRESCOTTSKIDWAY LAKEmdash2 Lions installed the 2
new Lions road signs to replace the weathered
signs 3 Lions worked at the food pantry distributing
food to the needy 20 Lions participated in their an-
nual fundraiser which raised $2100 Proceeds are
used for eye exams and glasses and to help fund
other projects
ROSCOMMONHIGGINS LAKEmdash 4 Lions sold tickets
at high school football games
ROSE CITYmdash16 Lions collected funds for White Cane
October 2-3 at Family Fare raising $431 Welcomed
trick or treaters to their cabin October 31 where 6
members passed out candy donuts and apple cider
to 95 children and their parents A Project KidSight
vision screening was held October 19 6 Lions
screened 20 children and 2 were ldquoreferredrdquo for
further evaluation
LINCOLNmdashThe Lincoln Lions partnered with three other local service groups to fund and build a fifty+ foot handicap ramp for a disabled veteran The picture was taken minutes before completion
MORE CLUB ACTIVITIES
6
OSCODAmdashIn late September the Oscoda Lions sold over 2500 tickets for their Annual 5K
Raffle Thank you to all the members who sold tickets and the friends of the Oscoda Lions
who purchased tickets for this very successful fundraiser
GRAYLINGmdashBuilt a ramp for a Grayling family with two children (ages 8 and 10) who are wheelchair-bound due to Cerebral Palsy (L-R) homeowner Danielle Weaver Lion Ron Rakoczy and Lion Dave Pratt
LEWISTON LIONESS LIONSmdash(L-R) Lions Fay Wright Pat Brooks and Julie Zyla staff the food concession at the Christmas in October Bazaar in Lewiston The food concession was one of the many activities where club members worked to raise money
CLUB PIX
7
MORE CLUB PIX
CHARLEVOIXmdash(L) Lion Tim Clagett is welcomed home
on Wednesday October 21 with an emotional hug
from his wife Barb Clagett a 93 year-old World War II veteran flew out of Cherry Capital Airport early
Tuesday morning October 20 for a whirlwind 12-hour visit to the nations capital as part of the Mid-
Michigan Honor Flight Lion Don Hengesh (right) who is a Viet Nam veteran traveled on the flight as
Clagetts Honor Flight Guardian (R) Lion Tim is all smiles as he listens to a room full of people sing to his
honor on at the Flap Jack restaurant where the Charlevoix Lions held a reception for him (Lonnie Allen
Charlevoix Courier)
LEAD IN THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER
Join us as we celebrate the start of the holiday season with Leader Dogrsquos signature fundraising event The
event features fantastic food exciting silent and live auctions adorable puppies blindfold walks and more
This yearrsquos event will be held at the beautiful Royal Park Hotel in Rochester Michigan Doors will open at
600 pm and the program and dinner begin at 730 pm Tickets are $175 and include one drink ticket a
champagne welcome and a seated dinner
RESERVE YOUR TICKET TODAY AT leaderdogorgleadintheholidays
8
FUNDING YOUR CLUB
So how do our clubs fund themselves Well dues are part of it Some clubs add on to the International
Multi-District (known to some as State) and District dues Some clubs are aggressive on collecting Tail Twist-
er fines Some clubs get lucky and have benefactors bequeathed to the club In the Grayling Lions Club we
have a member who buys and sells sugar beets during deer season as a personal project and donates the
proceeds to our club for the administrative fund Thanks Lion Tom Olszewski
I would like to mention a couple of ways to fund your club with funds that are not considered to be
solicited from the public
1 Some clubs hold a garage sale or yard sale with items that they contribute to the club and
then sell to the public but do not advertise it as a Lions event The funds raised are then
donated to the club for the use of the club While the items and funds come from the
public they are not bound by the Use of Funds Policy A note of caution No Lions para-
phernalia recruiting or hint of Lions involvement should be present during the collection
and sale of the items
2 Your club holds a dinner party inviting only Lions to participate for a donation Most often
this is in conjunction with a visit from a Lion dignitary These funds may be placed in the
administrative accountmdash provided you do not issue an invitation to the general public
3 Your club supports local sports teams by volunteering to staff a refreshment stand or the
entrance gates to the facility A stipend is donated to the club by the entity (school or
governing body) and that may be placed in the administrative account Do not wear Lions
paraphernalia or advertise the Lions while participating
Consider using one of these suggestions to raise funds to support your club
Taken from the Use of Funds Policy from the LCI website
ldquoGeneral Policy on Funds Raised from Lions Clubs Activities Funds raised
from the public must be used for the benefit of the public and community
in which the Lions Clubs serve The International Constitution and By-Laws
and Articles of Incorporation (the ldquogoverning documentsrdquo) provide that
chartered Lions clubs shall be not-for-profit of the individual club or its indi-
vidual members Consequently no part of the net earnings of funds raised
from the public shall benefit any individual Lions member or other private
individual or entityrdquo
DG Bob
9
News from the Lions of Michigan Foundation
Affordable Hearing Aid Program
At the first quarterly meeting of the Lions of Michigan Foundation we were informed that in the first
quarter the Foundation has already spent almost 40 of the yearrsquos budget for the Affordable Hearing Aid
Program They are receiving hearing aid requests at the rate of fifteen per week At this rate the funds to
provide hearing aids to needy Michigan residents will run out in April with almost three months of the
year remaining
To avoid a reduction in services one of the things requested was that we all look into an increase in our
recycling of hearing aids Eyeglass collection boxes also serve to collect hearing aids so when you receive
them in the boxes please retain them for the Foundation You can send them in to the state office in Lan-
sing give them to one of the Foundation trustees or give them to your zone or region chairmen or any
cabinet officer who will see that they reach the Foundation The hearing aids are then sent into the com-
pany that provides the new hearing aids for our clients and they give the Foundation a credit for them
With enough credits we will be able to continue to buy the hearing aids we need
One suggestion for increasing your collections is to contact the funeral homes in your area to speak to
the directors about the importance of collecting hearing aids as well as glasses Be sure that they have a
collection box for the convenience of their clients and please service it regularly With a little extra effort
we can ensure that we can continue to help the needy of Michigan
Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes
Your clubrsquos tickets for the Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes will be in the mail soon If you have not sold
tickets in the past please consider it this year This is a great fundraiser for your club as well as the fund-
raiser which provides 25 of the revenue for the Foundation If you sell 16-24 tickets you will receive 25
of the ticket price back 25-99 gives you 35 and if you sell 100 or more you will get 50 backmdasha great
return for very little effort You donrsquot have to get licenses collect prizes or print tickets
The Oscoda Lions sold 706 tickets last year which gave them a return to their treasury of $3530 to use
for their community projects Which of our clubs couldnrsquot use that much money for their communities
If you need more information about the Foundation or would like to have one of our districtrsquos trustees
do a program for your club please contact one of us
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
2
ONE OF TWO POSITIONS FILLED
DISTRICT GOVERNOR Bob Gingerich (CarlaJean) 989-348-5355 bobdanishlandingcom 1ST VICE DIST GOVERNOR Carol Athan (Terry) 989-786-3553 cathani2kcom 2ND VICE DIST GOVERNOR Vacant CABINET SECRETARY Clairene Jorella 989-390-2106 cjorellayahoocom CABINET TREASURER Tommy Otto (Cathy) 989-732-7840 toottomgmailcom IMMED PAST DISTR GOV Barb Durflinger (Duane) 989-742-2790 lionbarbcomdaccom GLT DISTR COORDINATOR PDG Al Kelpinski (Florence) 989-728-4664 afkelpinskigmailcom GMT DIST COORDINATOR PDG Lewis Moeller (Cheryl) 989-739-4962 lmoeller70hotmailcom REGION 1 CHAIR Beverly Bodem (Dennis) 989-354-4656 bodembdcharternet REGION 1 ZONE 1 Dennis Bodem (Bev) 989-354-4656 bodembdcharternet
REGION 1 ZONE 2 CHAIR Dennis Downie (Cherie) 989-734-4315 dennisd311yahoocom REGION 2 CHAIR Jill Drury (John) 231-920-9645 jdrurycctransitorg REGION 2 ZONE 1 Bill Chase (Linda) 231-499-9619 windyridgetorchlakecom
REGION 2 ZONE 2 Justin Weisler 231-350-0224 jsweislerhotmailcom REGION 3 CHAIR Carol Athan (Terry) 989-786-3553 cathani2kcom REGION 3 ZONE 1 Corky Roberts 989-786-1065 corky62852aolcom REGION 3 ZONE 2 Lonnie Crampton (Rita) 989-724-9900 lonritacharternet REGION 4 CHAIR Bill Fitch (Janet) 989-275-4968 No Email REGION 4 ZONE 1 Tom Olszewski (Darlene) 989-348-0153 thomasolzsewskigmailcom
REGION 4 ZONE 2 Flo Kelpinski (Al) 989-728-4664 afkelpinskigmailcom
Fall is here and the col-ors are everywhere
Irsquove taken some time to reflect on the memories and friends I have made in the Lions Clubs Irsquove had the pleasure to visit so farmdashand I look forward to visiting
more clubs
Terry and I have enjoyed your hospitality and hearing about your ideas and community pro-jects Your pride in Lionism stands out in all you do
A few clubs have increased their membership and Irsquove had the pleasure of meeting some of these new members
Irsquom asking clubs to consider donating even a small amount to each of the State and District projects Without your support these projects cannot function
Thank you for being such dedicated Lionsmdashindeed you have Heard the Call to serve
Note Please consider joining our teammdashremember this is your district
VDG Carol
201516 DISTRICT CABINET VDGrsquoS MESSAGE
I am announcing the appointment of Lion
Corky Roberts of the Lewiston Lioness Lions as
the Zone Chair for Region 3 Zone 1 to replace
Lion Thom Seymour Please direct all questions
regarding the Zone to Lion Corky This encom-
passes Atlanta Fairview-Comins Lewiston
Lewiston Lioness Lions and Mio
Thank you
DG Bob
3
EAST JORDAN Dave PeckmdashSponsor Bill Chase
HOUGHTON LAKE
Lynn F ChidestermdashSponsor Fred Chidester
OSCODA Cathy A BrucemdashSponsor Beverly Hunt
Paul L BrucemdashSponsor Beverly Hunt
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE NEW MEMBERS
Hillman mdash 120880mdash35 Years
Gaylord mdash 021716mdash50 Years
Grayling mdash 031576mdash40 Years
UPCOMING CHARTER ANNIVERSARIES DECEASED LION
LINCOLN Lion Larry Duby
MEMBER PAGEmdashMONTH ENDING OCTOBER 2015
OCT 2015 201516
Opening Balance 1070 1084
Added Members 4 25
Dropped Members -13 -48
Closing Balance 1061 1061
NET GAINLOSS -9 -23
Larry Duby age 76 from the Lincoln Lions died at home on Sunday October 18 2015 Lion Larry served
as District Secretary for DG Al Kelpinski as well as Lincoln Club Secretary for many years in the 1990s A
memorial service was held Friday October 30 2015 at Gillies Funeral Home in Lincoln
PDG John Sinclair passed away October 15 A funeral service was held on Sunday October 18 at the Methodist Church in Hartford Memorials may be made to the Hartford Lions Club Sight Fund PO Box 633 Hartford MI 49057
PDG Jackie McNutt has passed away PDG Jackie served our state as District Governor of District 11-A1 in 1999-2000 PDG Jackie and Lion Jim left Michigan for the balmy climate of South Carolina several years ago but remained close with many Lions in Michigan Condolences can be sent to Lion Jim McNutt 800 Wintercreeper Drive Longs South Carolina 29568
DIRECTORY CHANGES
PAGE 6mdash REGION 3 ZONE 1 Corky Roberts 989-786-1065
corky62852aolcom
4
ALPENAmdash17 Lions held a mint sale on October 2
with proceeds of $1720 5 Lions and club Mascot
held their first trunk or treat activity on October 23
with over 1300 kids greeted by the Mascot Lion and
treated with candy 20 Lions and spouses enjoyed a
hobo dinner on October 6
ATLANTAmdash2 Lions unloaded and distributed food to
the needy and senior citizens Donated 30 pair of
eyeglasses to be recycled and used by people who
are in need
BELLAIREmdashGuest speakers for October 8 meeting
were from the new Bellaire Family Health Center
Koeze Nut sales materials were distributed sale
ends November 11 with delivery before Thanksgiv-
ing Details for poinsettia fundraiser will be dis-
cussed at next meeting Guest speaker John Tar-
rant owner and publisher of the Antrim Review and
Kalkaska newspapers spoke about their new facility
and invited members to their October 30 open
house There was also discussion on current and
upcoming fundraising activities
CENTRAL LAKEmdash12 Lions participated in M-88 road
cleanup
EAST JORDANmdashDrawing for the Rifle Raffle (their
largest fundraiser of the year) was held on October
28 and raised $3500 4 Lions picked up trash and
recycled cans and bottles at 4 Jordan River locations
FAIRVIEWCOMINSmdashHelped one child purchase
glasses and provided an eye exam and eyeglasses to
another individual 2 Lions worked at the food bank
10 Lions helped sort and stack newspapers and
phone books at their recycling trailer
GRAYLINGmdashDonated $100 to the Baby to Toddler
Closet which supplies parents of young children with
essential items that they need but cannot afford 2
Lions built an access ramp for a family with 2 wheel-
chair-bound children (ages 8 and 10) due to Cerebral
Palsy Donated $250 to the Community Thanksgiv-
ing Dinner Donated $250 to the Crawford County
Christian Help Center for food baskets to individuals
who are unable to afford holiday meals 15 Lions
participated in their White Cane fundraiser on Octo-
ber 9-10 and raised $2868 Donated $50 to the
Grayling Youth Booster Club which supports youth
sports in Crawford County
LEWISTONmdash3 Lions sold raffle calendars at the
Christmas in October Bazaar Lion Cohoe donated 3
knives that were raffled to club members and raised
$200 which was then donated to help sponsor a
camper to the Lions Bear Lake Camp
LEWISTON LIONESSmdashHeld several fundraisers at the
Christmas in October Bazaar on October 16 19 Li-
ons donated baked goods for their bake sale 6 Lions
worked the food concession 1 Lion sold Commemo-
rative Tree Bulbs for the December community tree
lighting 1 Lion sold quilt raffle tickets and 13 Lions
contributed to the 5 raffle baskets 5 Lions attended
the October 3 Zone Meeting and 3 Lions attended
the Cabinet Meeting in Oscoda on October 24 12
members volunteered to help cleanrefurbish the
historical building after flood damage 2 Lions host-
ed the monthly bingo at the senior apartments
LINCOLNmdashPartnered with three other local service
groups to provide funds ($500) and labor to install a
50+ foot handicap ramp for a disabled veteran
MIOmdashRaised $4971 from their $11000 Raffle and
$82 from Lions Mint sales Donated $2000 to the
Lions of Michigan Foundation $600 to District 11-E2
projects $150 each to Lions Bear Lake Camp Ever-
sight Michigan Leader Dog and All State Band $200
to River House $500 to Lydiarsquos Gate $500 to LCIF
$250 to Habitat for Humanity $250 to Paws for a
Cause $100 to Hospice $200 to Trunk or Treat and
CLUB ACTIVITIES
5
$157 for an eye exam and eyeglass for an individual
OSCODAmdashDonated $500 to fill shoe boxes with
small gifts which are distributed to disadvantaged
children at Christmas time 9 Lions helped the Os-
coda Lioness during the community blood drive 2
Lions attended meetings in Lansing for the Lions of
Michigan Hall of Fame Project Fund Deveopment
and Marketing Committees Sponsored a craft show
at the local high school where 31 Lions a Rotarian
and 2 community workers raised $3529 Guest
speaker at October 8 meeting gave a presentation
to 28 Lions on alternative education in the commu-
nity 9 Lions attended the October 1 board meeting
Donated $500 toward a new well for a low income
couple Donated $750 to purchase art materials for
students to form and glaze bowls they will sell at the
upcoming Soup Supper fundraiser (The students
will donate their proceeds to charity also)
PETOSKEYmdashVDG Carol and husband Terry visited
their monthly meeting on October 28 VDG Carol
discussed several Lions projects including the All
State Band and Lions Bear Lake Camp There was
also discussion on the October 3 Furry Scurry Dog
Park Walk and their upcoming blood drive Novem-
ber 6
PRESCOTTSKIDWAY LAKEmdash2 Lions installed the 2
new Lions road signs to replace the weathered
signs 3 Lions worked at the food pantry distributing
food to the needy 20 Lions participated in their an-
nual fundraiser which raised $2100 Proceeds are
used for eye exams and glasses and to help fund
other projects
ROSCOMMONHIGGINS LAKEmdash 4 Lions sold tickets
at high school football games
ROSE CITYmdash16 Lions collected funds for White Cane
October 2-3 at Family Fare raising $431 Welcomed
trick or treaters to their cabin October 31 where 6
members passed out candy donuts and apple cider
to 95 children and their parents A Project KidSight
vision screening was held October 19 6 Lions
screened 20 children and 2 were ldquoreferredrdquo for
further evaluation
LINCOLNmdashThe Lincoln Lions partnered with three other local service groups to fund and build a fifty+ foot handicap ramp for a disabled veteran The picture was taken minutes before completion
MORE CLUB ACTIVITIES
6
OSCODAmdashIn late September the Oscoda Lions sold over 2500 tickets for their Annual 5K
Raffle Thank you to all the members who sold tickets and the friends of the Oscoda Lions
who purchased tickets for this very successful fundraiser
GRAYLINGmdashBuilt a ramp for a Grayling family with two children (ages 8 and 10) who are wheelchair-bound due to Cerebral Palsy (L-R) homeowner Danielle Weaver Lion Ron Rakoczy and Lion Dave Pratt
LEWISTON LIONESS LIONSmdash(L-R) Lions Fay Wright Pat Brooks and Julie Zyla staff the food concession at the Christmas in October Bazaar in Lewiston The food concession was one of the many activities where club members worked to raise money
CLUB PIX
7
MORE CLUB PIX
CHARLEVOIXmdash(L) Lion Tim Clagett is welcomed home
on Wednesday October 21 with an emotional hug
from his wife Barb Clagett a 93 year-old World War II veteran flew out of Cherry Capital Airport early
Tuesday morning October 20 for a whirlwind 12-hour visit to the nations capital as part of the Mid-
Michigan Honor Flight Lion Don Hengesh (right) who is a Viet Nam veteran traveled on the flight as
Clagetts Honor Flight Guardian (R) Lion Tim is all smiles as he listens to a room full of people sing to his
honor on at the Flap Jack restaurant where the Charlevoix Lions held a reception for him (Lonnie Allen
Charlevoix Courier)
LEAD IN THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER
Join us as we celebrate the start of the holiday season with Leader Dogrsquos signature fundraising event The
event features fantastic food exciting silent and live auctions adorable puppies blindfold walks and more
This yearrsquos event will be held at the beautiful Royal Park Hotel in Rochester Michigan Doors will open at
600 pm and the program and dinner begin at 730 pm Tickets are $175 and include one drink ticket a
champagne welcome and a seated dinner
RESERVE YOUR TICKET TODAY AT leaderdogorgleadintheholidays
8
FUNDING YOUR CLUB
So how do our clubs fund themselves Well dues are part of it Some clubs add on to the International
Multi-District (known to some as State) and District dues Some clubs are aggressive on collecting Tail Twist-
er fines Some clubs get lucky and have benefactors bequeathed to the club In the Grayling Lions Club we
have a member who buys and sells sugar beets during deer season as a personal project and donates the
proceeds to our club for the administrative fund Thanks Lion Tom Olszewski
I would like to mention a couple of ways to fund your club with funds that are not considered to be
solicited from the public
1 Some clubs hold a garage sale or yard sale with items that they contribute to the club and
then sell to the public but do not advertise it as a Lions event The funds raised are then
donated to the club for the use of the club While the items and funds come from the
public they are not bound by the Use of Funds Policy A note of caution No Lions para-
phernalia recruiting or hint of Lions involvement should be present during the collection
and sale of the items
2 Your club holds a dinner party inviting only Lions to participate for a donation Most often
this is in conjunction with a visit from a Lion dignitary These funds may be placed in the
administrative accountmdash provided you do not issue an invitation to the general public
3 Your club supports local sports teams by volunteering to staff a refreshment stand or the
entrance gates to the facility A stipend is donated to the club by the entity (school or
governing body) and that may be placed in the administrative account Do not wear Lions
paraphernalia or advertise the Lions while participating
Consider using one of these suggestions to raise funds to support your club
Taken from the Use of Funds Policy from the LCI website
ldquoGeneral Policy on Funds Raised from Lions Clubs Activities Funds raised
from the public must be used for the benefit of the public and community
in which the Lions Clubs serve The International Constitution and By-Laws
and Articles of Incorporation (the ldquogoverning documentsrdquo) provide that
chartered Lions clubs shall be not-for-profit of the individual club or its indi-
vidual members Consequently no part of the net earnings of funds raised
from the public shall benefit any individual Lions member or other private
individual or entityrdquo
DG Bob
9
News from the Lions of Michigan Foundation
Affordable Hearing Aid Program
At the first quarterly meeting of the Lions of Michigan Foundation we were informed that in the first
quarter the Foundation has already spent almost 40 of the yearrsquos budget for the Affordable Hearing Aid
Program They are receiving hearing aid requests at the rate of fifteen per week At this rate the funds to
provide hearing aids to needy Michigan residents will run out in April with almost three months of the
year remaining
To avoid a reduction in services one of the things requested was that we all look into an increase in our
recycling of hearing aids Eyeglass collection boxes also serve to collect hearing aids so when you receive
them in the boxes please retain them for the Foundation You can send them in to the state office in Lan-
sing give them to one of the Foundation trustees or give them to your zone or region chairmen or any
cabinet officer who will see that they reach the Foundation The hearing aids are then sent into the com-
pany that provides the new hearing aids for our clients and they give the Foundation a credit for them
With enough credits we will be able to continue to buy the hearing aids we need
One suggestion for increasing your collections is to contact the funeral homes in your area to speak to
the directors about the importance of collecting hearing aids as well as glasses Be sure that they have a
collection box for the convenience of their clients and please service it regularly With a little extra effort
we can ensure that we can continue to help the needy of Michigan
Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes
Your clubrsquos tickets for the Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes will be in the mail soon If you have not sold
tickets in the past please consider it this year This is a great fundraiser for your club as well as the fund-
raiser which provides 25 of the revenue for the Foundation If you sell 16-24 tickets you will receive 25
of the ticket price back 25-99 gives you 35 and if you sell 100 or more you will get 50 backmdasha great
return for very little effort You donrsquot have to get licenses collect prizes or print tickets
The Oscoda Lions sold 706 tickets last year which gave them a return to their treasury of $3530 to use
for their community projects Which of our clubs couldnrsquot use that much money for their communities
If you need more information about the Foundation or would like to have one of our districtrsquos trustees
do a program for your club please contact one of us
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
3
EAST JORDAN Dave PeckmdashSponsor Bill Chase
HOUGHTON LAKE
Lynn F ChidestermdashSponsor Fred Chidester
OSCODA Cathy A BrucemdashSponsor Beverly Hunt
Paul L BrucemdashSponsor Beverly Hunt
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE NEW MEMBERS
Hillman mdash 120880mdash35 Years
Gaylord mdash 021716mdash50 Years
Grayling mdash 031576mdash40 Years
UPCOMING CHARTER ANNIVERSARIES DECEASED LION
LINCOLN Lion Larry Duby
MEMBER PAGEmdashMONTH ENDING OCTOBER 2015
OCT 2015 201516
Opening Balance 1070 1084
Added Members 4 25
Dropped Members -13 -48
Closing Balance 1061 1061
NET GAINLOSS -9 -23
Larry Duby age 76 from the Lincoln Lions died at home on Sunday October 18 2015 Lion Larry served
as District Secretary for DG Al Kelpinski as well as Lincoln Club Secretary for many years in the 1990s A
memorial service was held Friday October 30 2015 at Gillies Funeral Home in Lincoln
PDG John Sinclair passed away October 15 A funeral service was held on Sunday October 18 at the Methodist Church in Hartford Memorials may be made to the Hartford Lions Club Sight Fund PO Box 633 Hartford MI 49057
PDG Jackie McNutt has passed away PDG Jackie served our state as District Governor of District 11-A1 in 1999-2000 PDG Jackie and Lion Jim left Michigan for the balmy climate of South Carolina several years ago but remained close with many Lions in Michigan Condolences can be sent to Lion Jim McNutt 800 Wintercreeper Drive Longs South Carolina 29568
DIRECTORY CHANGES
PAGE 6mdash REGION 3 ZONE 1 Corky Roberts 989-786-1065
corky62852aolcom
4
ALPENAmdash17 Lions held a mint sale on October 2
with proceeds of $1720 5 Lions and club Mascot
held their first trunk or treat activity on October 23
with over 1300 kids greeted by the Mascot Lion and
treated with candy 20 Lions and spouses enjoyed a
hobo dinner on October 6
ATLANTAmdash2 Lions unloaded and distributed food to
the needy and senior citizens Donated 30 pair of
eyeglasses to be recycled and used by people who
are in need
BELLAIREmdashGuest speakers for October 8 meeting
were from the new Bellaire Family Health Center
Koeze Nut sales materials were distributed sale
ends November 11 with delivery before Thanksgiv-
ing Details for poinsettia fundraiser will be dis-
cussed at next meeting Guest speaker John Tar-
rant owner and publisher of the Antrim Review and
Kalkaska newspapers spoke about their new facility
and invited members to their October 30 open
house There was also discussion on current and
upcoming fundraising activities
CENTRAL LAKEmdash12 Lions participated in M-88 road
cleanup
EAST JORDANmdashDrawing for the Rifle Raffle (their
largest fundraiser of the year) was held on October
28 and raised $3500 4 Lions picked up trash and
recycled cans and bottles at 4 Jordan River locations
FAIRVIEWCOMINSmdashHelped one child purchase
glasses and provided an eye exam and eyeglasses to
another individual 2 Lions worked at the food bank
10 Lions helped sort and stack newspapers and
phone books at their recycling trailer
GRAYLINGmdashDonated $100 to the Baby to Toddler
Closet which supplies parents of young children with
essential items that they need but cannot afford 2
Lions built an access ramp for a family with 2 wheel-
chair-bound children (ages 8 and 10) due to Cerebral
Palsy Donated $250 to the Community Thanksgiv-
ing Dinner Donated $250 to the Crawford County
Christian Help Center for food baskets to individuals
who are unable to afford holiday meals 15 Lions
participated in their White Cane fundraiser on Octo-
ber 9-10 and raised $2868 Donated $50 to the
Grayling Youth Booster Club which supports youth
sports in Crawford County
LEWISTONmdash3 Lions sold raffle calendars at the
Christmas in October Bazaar Lion Cohoe donated 3
knives that were raffled to club members and raised
$200 which was then donated to help sponsor a
camper to the Lions Bear Lake Camp
LEWISTON LIONESSmdashHeld several fundraisers at the
Christmas in October Bazaar on October 16 19 Li-
ons donated baked goods for their bake sale 6 Lions
worked the food concession 1 Lion sold Commemo-
rative Tree Bulbs for the December community tree
lighting 1 Lion sold quilt raffle tickets and 13 Lions
contributed to the 5 raffle baskets 5 Lions attended
the October 3 Zone Meeting and 3 Lions attended
the Cabinet Meeting in Oscoda on October 24 12
members volunteered to help cleanrefurbish the
historical building after flood damage 2 Lions host-
ed the monthly bingo at the senior apartments
LINCOLNmdashPartnered with three other local service
groups to provide funds ($500) and labor to install a
50+ foot handicap ramp for a disabled veteran
MIOmdashRaised $4971 from their $11000 Raffle and
$82 from Lions Mint sales Donated $2000 to the
Lions of Michigan Foundation $600 to District 11-E2
projects $150 each to Lions Bear Lake Camp Ever-
sight Michigan Leader Dog and All State Band $200
to River House $500 to Lydiarsquos Gate $500 to LCIF
$250 to Habitat for Humanity $250 to Paws for a
Cause $100 to Hospice $200 to Trunk or Treat and
CLUB ACTIVITIES
5
$157 for an eye exam and eyeglass for an individual
OSCODAmdashDonated $500 to fill shoe boxes with
small gifts which are distributed to disadvantaged
children at Christmas time 9 Lions helped the Os-
coda Lioness during the community blood drive 2
Lions attended meetings in Lansing for the Lions of
Michigan Hall of Fame Project Fund Deveopment
and Marketing Committees Sponsored a craft show
at the local high school where 31 Lions a Rotarian
and 2 community workers raised $3529 Guest
speaker at October 8 meeting gave a presentation
to 28 Lions on alternative education in the commu-
nity 9 Lions attended the October 1 board meeting
Donated $500 toward a new well for a low income
couple Donated $750 to purchase art materials for
students to form and glaze bowls they will sell at the
upcoming Soup Supper fundraiser (The students
will donate their proceeds to charity also)
PETOSKEYmdashVDG Carol and husband Terry visited
their monthly meeting on October 28 VDG Carol
discussed several Lions projects including the All
State Band and Lions Bear Lake Camp There was
also discussion on the October 3 Furry Scurry Dog
Park Walk and their upcoming blood drive Novem-
ber 6
PRESCOTTSKIDWAY LAKEmdash2 Lions installed the 2
new Lions road signs to replace the weathered
signs 3 Lions worked at the food pantry distributing
food to the needy 20 Lions participated in their an-
nual fundraiser which raised $2100 Proceeds are
used for eye exams and glasses and to help fund
other projects
ROSCOMMONHIGGINS LAKEmdash 4 Lions sold tickets
at high school football games
ROSE CITYmdash16 Lions collected funds for White Cane
October 2-3 at Family Fare raising $431 Welcomed
trick or treaters to their cabin October 31 where 6
members passed out candy donuts and apple cider
to 95 children and their parents A Project KidSight
vision screening was held October 19 6 Lions
screened 20 children and 2 were ldquoreferredrdquo for
further evaluation
LINCOLNmdashThe Lincoln Lions partnered with three other local service groups to fund and build a fifty+ foot handicap ramp for a disabled veteran The picture was taken minutes before completion
MORE CLUB ACTIVITIES
6
OSCODAmdashIn late September the Oscoda Lions sold over 2500 tickets for their Annual 5K
Raffle Thank you to all the members who sold tickets and the friends of the Oscoda Lions
who purchased tickets for this very successful fundraiser
GRAYLINGmdashBuilt a ramp for a Grayling family with two children (ages 8 and 10) who are wheelchair-bound due to Cerebral Palsy (L-R) homeowner Danielle Weaver Lion Ron Rakoczy and Lion Dave Pratt
LEWISTON LIONESS LIONSmdash(L-R) Lions Fay Wright Pat Brooks and Julie Zyla staff the food concession at the Christmas in October Bazaar in Lewiston The food concession was one of the many activities where club members worked to raise money
CLUB PIX
7
MORE CLUB PIX
CHARLEVOIXmdash(L) Lion Tim Clagett is welcomed home
on Wednesday October 21 with an emotional hug
from his wife Barb Clagett a 93 year-old World War II veteran flew out of Cherry Capital Airport early
Tuesday morning October 20 for a whirlwind 12-hour visit to the nations capital as part of the Mid-
Michigan Honor Flight Lion Don Hengesh (right) who is a Viet Nam veteran traveled on the flight as
Clagetts Honor Flight Guardian (R) Lion Tim is all smiles as he listens to a room full of people sing to his
honor on at the Flap Jack restaurant where the Charlevoix Lions held a reception for him (Lonnie Allen
Charlevoix Courier)
LEAD IN THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER
Join us as we celebrate the start of the holiday season with Leader Dogrsquos signature fundraising event The
event features fantastic food exciting silent and live auctions adorable puppies blindfold walks and more
This yearrsquos event will be held at the beautiful Royal Park Hotel in Rochester Michigan Doors will open at
600 pm and the program and dinner begin at 730 pm Tickets are $175 and include one drink ticket a
champagne welcome and a seated dinner
RESERVE YOUR TICKET TODAY AT leaderdogorgleadintheholidays
8
FUNDING YOUR CLUB
So how do our clubs fund themselves Well dues are part of it Some clubs add on to the International
Multi-District (known to some as State) and District dues Some clubs are aggressive on collecting Tail Twist-
er fines Some clubs get lucky and have benefactors bequeathed to the club In the Grayling Lions Club we
have a member who buys and sells sugar beets during deer season as a personal project and donates the
proceeds to our club for the administrative fund Thanks Lion Tom Olszewski
I would like to mention a couple of ways to fund your club with funds that are not considered to be
solicited from the public
1 Some clubs hold a garage sale or yard sale with items that they contribute to the club and
then sell to the public but do not advertise it as a Lions event The funds raised are then
donated to the club for the use of the club While the items and funds come from the
public they are not bound by the Use of Funds Policy A note of caution No Lions para-
phernalia recruiting or hint of Lions involvement should be present during the collection
and sale of the items
2 Your club holds a dinner party inviting only Lions to participate for a donation Most often
this is in conjunction with a visit from a Lion dignitary These funds may be placed in the
administrative accountmdash provided you do not issue an invitation to the general public
3 Your club supports local sports teams by volunteering to staff a refreshment stand or the
entrance gates to the facility A stipend is donated to the club by the entity (school or
governing body) and that may be placed in the administrative account Do not wear Lions
paraphernalia or advertise the Lions while participating
Consider using one of these suggestions to raise funds to support your club
Taken from the Use of Funds Policy from the LCI website
ldquoGeneral Policy on Funds Raised from Lions Clubs Activities Funds raised
from the public must be used for the benefit of the public and community
in which the Lions Clubs serve The International Constitution and By-Laws
and Articles of Incorporation (the ldquogoverning documentsrdquo) provide that
chartered Lions clubs shall be not-for-profit of the individual club or its indi-
vidual members Consequently no part of the net earnings of funds raised
from the public shall benefit any individual Lions member or other private
individual or entityrdquo
DG Bob
9
News from the Lions of Michigan Foundation
Affordable Hearing Aid Program
At the first quarterly meeting of the Lions of Michigan Foundation we were informed that in the first
quarter the Foundation has already spent almost 40 of the yearrsquos budget for the Affordable Hearing Aid
Program They are receiving hearing aid requests at the rate of fifteen per week At this rate the funds to
provide hearing aids to needy Michigan residents will run out in April with almost three months of the
year remaining
To avoid a reduction in services one of the things requested was that we all look into an increase in our
recycling of hearing aids Eyeglass collection boxes also serve to collect hearing aids so when you receive
them in the boxes please retain them for the Foundation You can send them in to the state office in Lan-
sing give them to one of the Foundation trustees or give them to your zone or region chairmen or any
cabinet officer who will see that they reach the Foundation The hearing aids are then sent into the com-
pany that provides the new hearing aids for our clients and they give the Foundation a credit for them
With enough credits we will be able to continue to buy the hearing aids we need
One suggestion for increasing your collections is to contact the funeral homes in your area to speak to
the directors about the importance of collecting hearing aids as well as glasses Be sure that they have a
collection box for the convenience of their clients and please service it regularly With a little extra effort
we can ensure that we can continue to help the needy of Michigan
Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes
Your clubrsquos tickets for the Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes will be in the mail soon If you have not sold
tickets in the past please consider it this year This is a great fundraiser for your club as well as the fund-
raiser which provides 25 of the revenue for the Foundation If you sell 16-24 tickets you will receive 25
of the ticket price back 25-99 gives you 35 and if you sell 100 or more you will get 50 backmdasha great
return for very little effort You donrsquot have to get licenses collect prizes or print tickets
The Oscoda Lions sold 706 tickets last year which gave them a return to their treasury of $3530 to use
for their community projects Which of our clubs couldnrsquot use that much money for their communities
If you need more information about the Foundation or would like to have one of our districtrsquos trustees
do a program for your club please contact one of us
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
4
ALPENAmdash17 Lions held a mint sale on October 2
with proceeds of $1720 5 Lions and club Mascot
held their first trunk or treat activity on October 23
with over 1300 kids greeted by the Mascot Lion and
treated with candy 20 Lions and spouses enjoyed a
hobo dinner on October 6
ATLANTAmdash2 Lions unloaded and distributed food to
the needy and senior citizens Donated 30 pair of
eyeglasses to be recycled and used by people who
are in need
BELLAIREmdashGuest speakers for October 8 meeting
were from the new Bellaire Family Health Center
Koeze Nut sales materials were distributed sale
ends November 11 with delivery before Thanksgiv-
ing Details for poinsettia fundraiser will be dis-
cussed at next meeting Guest speaker John Tar-
rant owner and publisher of the Antrim Review and
Kalkaska newspapers spoke about their new facility
and invited members to their October 30 open
house There was also discussion on current and
upcoming fundraising activities
CENTRAL LAKEmdash12 Lions participated in M-88 road
cleanup
EAST JORDANmdashDrawing for the Rifle Raffle (their
largest fundraiser of the year) was held on October
28 and raised $3500 4 Lions picked up trash and
recycled cans and bottles at 4 Jordan River locations
FAIRVIEWCOMINSmdashHelped one child purchase
glasses and provided an eye exam and eyeglasses to
another individual 2 Lions worked at the food bank
10 Lions helped sort and stack newspapers and
phone books at their recycling trailer
GRAYLINGmdashDonated $100 to the Baby to Toddler
Closet which supplies parents of young children with
essential items that they need but cannot afford 2
Lions built an access ramp for a family with 2 wheel-
chair-bound children (ages 8 and 10) due to Cerebral
Palsy Donated $250 to the Community Thanksgiv-
ing Dinner Donated $250 to the Crawford County
Christian Help Center for food baskets to individuals
who are unable to afford holiday meals 15 Lions
participated in their White Cane fundraiser on Octo-
ber 9-10 and raised $2868 Donated $50 to the
Grayling Youth Booster Club which supports youth
sports in Crawford County
LEWISTONmdash3 Lions sold raffle calendars at the
Christmas in October Bazaar Lion Cohoe donated 3
knives that were raffled to club members and raised
$200 which was then donated to help sponsor a
camper to the Lions Bear Lake Camp
LEWISTON LIONESSmdashHeld several fundraisers at the
Christmas in October Bazaar on October 16 19 Li-
ons donated baked goods for their bake sale 6 Lions
worked the food concession 1 Lion sold Commemo-
rative Tree Bulbs for the December community tree
lighting 1 Lion sold quilt raffle tickets and 13 Lions
contributed to the 5 raffle baskets 5 Lions attended
the October 3 Zone Meeting and 3 Lions attended
the Cabinet Meeting in Oscoda on October 24 12
members volunteered to help cleanrefurbish the
historical building after flood damage 2 Lions host-
ed the monthly bingo at the senior apartments
LINCOLNmdashPartnered with three other local service
groups to provide funds ($500) and labor to install a
50+ foot handicap ramp for a disabled veteran
MIOmdashRaised $4971 from their $11000 Raffle and
$82 from Lions Mint sales Donated $2000 to the
Lions of Michigan Foundation $600 to District 11-E2
projects $150 each to Lions Bear Lake Camp Ever-
sight Michigan Leader Dog and All State Band $200
to River House $500 to Lydiarsquos Gate $500 to LCIF
$250 to Habitat for Humanity $250 to Paws for a
Cause $100 to Hospice $200 to Trunk or Treat and
CLUB ACTIVITIES
5
$157 for an eye exam and eyeglass for an individual
OSCODAmdashDonated $500 to fill shoe boxes with
small gifts which are distributed to disadvantaged
children at Christmas time 9 Lions helped the Os-
coda Lioness during the community blood drive 2
Lions attended meetings in Lansing for the Lions of
Michigan Hall of Fame Project Fund Deveopment
and Marketing Committees Sponsored a craft show
at the local high school where 31 Lions a Rotarian
and 2 community workers raised $3529 Guest
speaker at October 8 meeting gave a presentation
to 28 Lions on alternative education in the commu-
nity 9 Lions attended the October 1 board meeting
Donated $500 toward a new well for a low income
couple Donated $750 to purchase art materials for
students to form and glaze bowls they will sell at the
upcoming Soup Supper fundraiser (The students
will donate their proceeds to charity also)
PETOSKEYmdashVDG Carol and husband Terry visited
their monthly meeting on October 28 VDG Carol
discussed several Lions projects including the All
State Band and Lions Bear Lake Camp There was
also discussion on the October 3 Furry Scurry Dog
Park Walk and their upcoming blood drive Novem-
ber 6
PRESCOTTSKIDWAY LAKEmdash2 Lions installed the 2
new Lions road signs to replace the weathered
signs 3 Lions worked at the food pantry distributing
food to the needy 20 Lions participated in their an-
nual fundraiser which raised $2100 Proceeds are
used for eye exams and glasses and to help fund
other projects
ROSCOMMONHIGGINS LAKEmdash 4 Lions sold tickets
at high school football games
ROSE CITYmdash16 Lions collected funds for White Cane
October 2-3 at Family Fare raising $431 Welcomed
trick or treaters to their cabin October 31 where 6
members passed out candy donuts and apple cider
to 95 children and their parents A Project KidSight
vision screening was held October 19 6 Lions
screened 20 children and 2 were ldquoreferredrdquo for
further evaluation
LINCOLNmdashThe Lincoln Lions partnered with three other local service groups to fund and build a fifty+ foot handicap ramp for a disabled veteran The picture was taken minutes before completion
MORE CLUB ACTIVITIES
6
OSCODAmdashIn late September the Oscoda Lions sold over 2500 tickets for their Annual 5K
Raffle Thank you to all the members who sold tickets and the friends of the Oscoda Lions
who purchased tickets for this very successful fundraiser
GRAYLINGmdashBuilt a ramp for a Grayling family with two children (ages 8 and 10) who are wheelchair-bound due to Cerebral Palsy (L-R) homeowner Danielle Weaver Lion Ron Rakoczy and Lion Dave Pratt
LEWISTON LIONESS LIONSmdash(L-R) Lions Fay Wright Pat Brooks and Julie Zyla staff the food concession at the Christmas in October Bazaar in Lewiston The food concession was one of the many activities where club members worked to raise money
CLUB PIX
7
MORE CLUB PIX
CHARLEVOIXmdash(L) Lion Tim Clagett is welcomed home
on Wednesday October 21 with an emotional hug
from his wife Barb Clagett a 93 year-old World War II veteran flew out of Cherry Capital Airport early
Tuesday morning October 20 for a whirlwind 12-hour visit to the nations capital as part of the Mid-
Michigan Honor Flight Lion Don Hengesh (right) who is a Viet Nam veteran traveled on the flight as
Clagetts Honor Flight Guardian (R) Lion Tim is all smiles as he listens to a room full of people sing to his
honor on at the Flap Jack restaurant where the Charlevoix Lions held a reception for him (Lonnie Allen
Charlevoix Courier)
LEAD IN THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER
Join us as we celebrate the start of the holiday season with Leader Dogrsquos signature fundraising event The
event features fantastic food exciting silent and live auctions adorable puppies blindfold walks and more
This yearrsquos event will be held at the beautiful Royal Park Hotel in Rochester Michigan Doors will open at
600 pm and the program and dinner begin at 730 pm Tickets are $175 and include one drink ticket a
champagne welcome and a seated dinner
RESERVE YOUR TICKET TODAY AT leaderdogorgleadintheholidays
8
FUNDING YOUR CLUB
So how do our clubs fund themselves Well dues are part of it Some clubs add on to the International
Multi-District (known to some as State) and District dues Some clubs are aggressive on collecting Tail Twist-
er fines Some clubs get lucky and have benefactors bequeathed to the club In the Grayling Lions Club we
have a member who buys and sells sugar beets during deer season as a personal project and donates the
proceeds to our club for the administrative fund Thanks Lion Tom Olszewski
I would like to mention a couple of ways to fund your club with funds that are not considered to be
solicited from the public
1 Some clubs hold a garage sale or yard sale with items that they contribute to the club and
then sell to the public but do not advertise it as a Lions event The funds raised are then
donated to the club for the use of the club While the items and funds come from the
public they are not bound by the Use of Funds Policy A note of caution No Lions para-
phernalia recruiting or hint of Lions involvement should be present during the collection
and sale of the items
2 Your club holds a dinner party inviting only Lions to participate for a donation Most often
this is in conjunction with a visit from a Lion dignitary These funds may be placed in the
administrative accountmdash provided you do not issue an invitation to the general public
3 Your club supports local sports teams by volunteering to staff a refreshment stand or the
entrance gates to the facility A stipend is donated to the club by the entity (school or
governing body) and that may be placed in the administrative account Do not wear Lions
paraphernalia or advertise the Lions while participating
Consider using one of these suggestions to raise funds to support your club
Taken from the Use of Funds Policy from the LCI website
ldquoGeneral Policy on Funds Raised from Lions Clubs Activities Funds raised
from the public must be used for the benefit of the public and community
in which the Lions Clubs serve The International Constitution and By-Laws
and Articles of Incorporation (the ldquogoverning documentsrdquo) provide that
chartered Lions clubs shall be not-for-profit of the individual club or its indi-
vidual members Consequently no part of the net earnings of funds raised
from the public shall benefit any individual Lions member or other private
individual or entityrdquo
DG Bob
9
News from the Lions of Michigan Foundation
Affordable Hearing Aid Program
At the first quarterly meeting of the Lions of Michigan Foundation we were informed that in the first
quarter the Foundation has already spent almost 40 of the yearrsquos budget for the Affordable Hearing Aid
Program They are receiving hearing aid requests at the rate of fifteen per week At this rate the funds to
provide hearing aids to needy Michigan residents will run out in April with almost three months of the
year remaining
To avoid a reduction in services one of the things requested was that we all look into an increase in our
recycling of hearing aids Eyeglass collection boxes also serve to collect hearing aids so when you receive
them in the boxes please retain them for the Foundation You can send them in to the state office in Lan-
sing give them to one of the Foundation trustees or give them to your zone or region chairmen or any
cabinet officer who will see that they reach the Foundation The hearing aids are then sent into the com-
pany that provides the new hearing aids for our clients and they give the Foundation a credit for them
With enough credits we will be able to continue to buy the hearing aids we need
One suggestion for increasing your collections is to contact the funeral homes in your area to speak to
the directors about the importance of collecting hearing aids as well as glasses Be sure that they have a
collection box for the convenience of their clients and please service it regularly With a little extra effort
we can ensure that we can continue to help the needy of Michigan
Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes
Your clubrsquos tickets for the Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes will be in the mail soon If you have not sold
tickets in the past please consider it this year This is a great fundraiser for your club as well as the fund-
raiser which provides 25 of the revenue for the Foundation If you sell 16-24 tickets you will receive 25
of the ticket price back 25-99 gives you 35 and if you sell 100 or more you will get 50 backmdasha great
return for very little effort You donrsquot have to get licenses collect prizes or print tickets
The Oscoda Lions sold 706 tickets last year which gave them a return to their treasury of $3530 to use
for their community projects Which of our clubs couldnrsquot use that much money for their communities
If you need more information about the Foundation or would like to have one of our districtrsquos trustees
do a program for your club please contact one of us
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
5
$157 for an eye exam and eyeglass for an individual
OSCODAmdashDonated $500 to fill shoe boxes with
small gifts which are distributed to disadvantaged
children at Christmas time 9 Lions helped the Os-
coda Lioness during the community blood drive 2
Lions attended meetings in Lansing for the Lions of
Michigan Hall of Fame Project Fund Deveopment
and Marketing Committees Sponsored a craft show
at the local high school where 31 Lions a Rotarian
and 2 community workers raised $3529 Guest
speaker at October 8 meeting gave a presentation
to 28 Lions on alternative education in the commu-
nity 9 Lions attended the October 1 board meeting
Donated $500 toward a new well for a low income
couple Donated $750 to purchase art materials for
students to form and glaze bowls they will sell at the
upcoming Soup Supper fundraiser (The students
will donate their proceeds to charity also)
PETOSKEYmdashVDG Carol and husband Terry visited
their monthly meeting on October 28 VDG Carol
discussed several Lions projects including the All
State Band and Lions Bear Lake Camp There was
also discussion on the October 3 Furry Scurry Dog
Park Walk and their upcoming blood drive Novem-
ber 6
PRESCOTTSKIDWAY LAKEmdash2 Lions installed the 2
new Lions road signs to replace the weathered
signs 3 Lions worked at the food pantry distributing
food to the needy 20 Lions participated in their an-
nual fundraiser which raised $2100 Proceeds are
used for eye exams and glasses and to help fund
other projects
ROSCOMMONHIGGINS LAKEmdash 4 Lions sold tickets
at high school football games
ROSE CITYmdash16 Lions collected funds for White Cane
October 2-3 at Family Fare raising $431 Welcomed
trick or treaters to their cabin October 31 where 6
members passed out candy donuts and apple cider
to 95 children and their parents A Project KidSight
vision screening was held October 19 6 Lions
screened 20 children and 2 were ldquoreferredrdquo for
further evaluation
LINCOLNmdashThe Lincoln Lions partnered with three other local service groups to fund and build a fifty+ foot handicap ramp for a disabled veteran The picture was taken minutes before completion
MORE CLUB ACTIVITIES
6
OSCODAmdashIn late September the Oscoda Lions sold over 2500 tickets for their Annual 5K
Raffle Thank you to all the members who sold tickets and the friends of the Oscoda Lions
who purchased tickets for this very successful fundraiser
GRAYLINGmdashBuilt a ramp for a Grayling family with two children (ages 8 and 10) who are wheelchair-bound due to Cerebral Palsy (L-R) homeowner Danielle Weaver Lion Ron Rakoczy and Lion Dave Pratt
LEWISTON LIONESS LIONSmdash(L-R) Lions Fay Wright Pat Brooks and Julie Zyla staff the food concession at the Christmas in October Bazaar in Lewiston The food concession was one of the many activities where club members worked to raise money
CLUB PIX
7
MORE CLUB PIX
CHARLEVOIXmdash(L) Lion Tim Clagett is welcomed home
on Wednesday October 21 with an emotional hug
from his wife Barb Clagett a 93 year-old World War II veteran flew out of Cherry Capital Airport early
Tuesday morning October 20 for a whirlwind 12-hour visit to the nations capital as part of the Mid-
Michigan Honor Flight Lion Don Hengesh (right) who is a Viet Nam veteran traveled on the flight as
Clagetts Honor Flight Guardian (R) Lion Tim is all smiles as he listens to a room full of people sing to his
honor on at the Flap Jack restaurant where the Charlevoix Lions held a reception for him (Lonnie Allen
Charlevoix Courier)
LEAD IN THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER
Join us as we celebrate the start of the holiday season with Leader Dogrsquos signature fundraising event The
event features fantastic food exciting silent and live auctions adorable puppies blindfold walks and more
This yearrsquos event will be held at the beautiful Royal Park Hotel in Rochester Michigan Doors will open at
600 pm and the program and dinner begin at 730 pm Tickets are $175 and include one drink ticket a
champagne welcome and a seated dinner
RESERVE YOUR TICKET TODAY AT leaderdogorgleadintheholidays
8
FUNDING YOUR CLUB
So how do our clubs fund themselves Well dues are part of it Some clubs add on to the International
Multi-District (known to some as State) and District dues Some clubs are aggressive on collecting Tail Twist-
er fines Some clubs get lucky and have benefactors bequeathed to the club In the Grayling Lions Club we
have a member who buys and sells sugar beets during deer season as a personal project and donates the
proceeds to our club for the administrative fund Thanks Lion Tom Olszewski
I would like to mention a couple of ways to fund your club with funds that are not considered to be
solicited from the public
1 Some clubs hold a garage sale or yard sale with items that they contribute to the club and
then sell to the public but do not advertise it as a Lions event The funds raised are then
donated to the club for the use of the club While the items and funds come from the
public they are not bound by the Use of Funds Policy A note of caution No Lions para-
phernalia recruiting or hint of Lions involvement should be present during the collection
and sale of the items
2 Your club holds a dinner party inviting only Lions to participate for a donation Most often
this is in conjunction with a visit from a Lion dignitary These funds may be placed in the
administrative accountmdash provided you do not issue an invitation to the general public
3 Your club supports local sports teams by volunteering to staff a refreshment stand or the
entrance gates to the facility A stipend is donated to the club by the entity (school or
governing body) and that may be placed in the administrative account Do not wear Lions
paraphernalia or advertise the Lions while participating
Consider using one of these suggestions to raise funds to support your club
Taken from the Use of Funds Policy from the LCI website
ldquoGeneral Policy on Funds Raised from Lions Clubs Activities Funds raised
from the public must be used for the benefit of the public and community
in which the Lions Clubs serve The International Constitution and By-Laws
and Articles of Incorporation (the ldquogoverning documentsrdquo) provide that
chartered Lions clubs shall be not-for-profit of the individual club or its indi-
vidual members Consequently no part of the net earnings of funds raised
from the public shall benefit any individual Lions member or other private
individual or entityrdquo
DG Bob
9
News from the Lions of Michigan Foundation
Affordable Hearing Aid Program
At the first quarterly meeting of the Lions of Michigan Foundation we were informed that in the first
quarter the Foundation has already spent almost 40 of the yearrsquos budget for the Affordable Hearing Aid
Program They are receiving hearing aid requests at the rate of fifteen per week At this rate the funds to
provide hearing aids to needy Michigan residents will run out in April with almost three months of the
year remaining
To avoid a reduction in services one of the things requested was that we all look into an increase in our
recycling of hearing aids Eyeglass collection boxes also serve to collect hearing aids so when you receive
them in the boxes please retain them for the Foundation You can send them in to the state office in Lan-
sing give them to one of the Foundation trustees or give them to your zone or region chairmen or any
cabinet officer who will see that they reach the Foundation The hearing aids are then sent into the com-
pany that provides the new hearing aids for our clients and they give the Foundation a credit for them
With enough credits we will be able to continue to buy the hearing aids we need
One suggestion for increasing your collections is to contact the funeral homes in your area to speak to
the directors about the importance of collecting hearing aids as well as glasses Be sure that they have a
collection box for the convenience of their clients and please service it regularly With a little extra effort
we can ensure that we can continue to help the needy of Michigan
Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes
Your clubrsquos tickets for the Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes will be in the mail soon If you have not sold
tickets in the past please consider it this year This is a great fundraiser for your club as well as the fund-
raiser which provides 25 of the revenue for the Foundation If you sell 16-24 tickets you will receive 25
of the ticket price back 25-99 gives you 35 and if you sell 100 or more you will get 50 backmdasha great
return for very little effort You donrsquot have to get licenses collect prizes or print tickets
The Oscoda Lions sold 706 tickets last year which gave them a return to their treasury of $3530 to use
for their community projects Which of our clubs couldnrsquot use that much money for their communities
If you need more information about the Foundation or would like to have one of our districtrsquos trustees
do a program for your club please contact one of us
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
6
OSCODAmdashIn late September the Oscoda Lions sold over 2500 tickets for their Annual 5K
Raffle Thank you to all the members who sold tickets and the friends of the Oscoda Lions
who purchased tickets for this very successful fundraiser
GRAYLINGmdashBuilt a ramp for a Grayling family with two children (ages 8 and 10) who are wheelchair-bound due to Cerebral Palsy (L-R) homeowner Danielle Weaver Lion Ron Rakoczy and Lion Dave Pratt
LEWISTON LIONESS LIONSmdash(L-R) Lions Fay Wright Pat Brooks and Julie Zyla staff the food concession at the Christmas in October Bazaar in Lewiston The food concession was one of the many activities where club members worked to raise money
CLUB PIX
7
MORE CLUB PIX
CHARLEVOIXmdash(L) Lion Tim Clagett is welcomed home
on Wednesday October 21 with an emotional hug
from his wife Barb Clagett a 93 year-old World War II veteran flew out of Cherry Capital Airport early
Tuesday morning October 20 for a whirlwind 12-hour visit to the nations capital as part of the Mid-
Michigan Honor Flight Lion Don Hengesh (right) who is a Viet Nam veteran traveled on the flight as
Clagetts Honor Flight Guardian (R) Lion Tim is all smiles as he listens to a room full of people sing to his
honor on at the Flap Jack restaurant where the Charlevoix Lions held a reception for him (Lonnie Allen
Charlevoix Courier)
LEAD IN THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER
Join us as we celebrate the start of the holiday season with Leader Dogrsquos signature fundraising event The
event features fantastic food exciting silent and live auctions adorable puppies blindfold walks and more
This yearrsquos event will be held at the beautiful Royal Park Hotel in Rochester Michigan Doors will open at
600 pm and the program and dinner begin at 730 pm Tickets are $175 and include one drink ticket a
champagne welcome and a seated dinner
RESERVE YOUR TICKET TODAY AT leaderdogorgleadintheholidays
8
FUNDING YOUR CLUB
So how do our clubs fund themselves Well dues are part of it Some clubs add on to the International
Multi-District (known to some as State) and District dues Some clubs are aggressive on collecting Tail Twist-
er fines Some clubs get lucky and have benefactors bequeathed to the club In the Grayling Lions Club we
have a member who buys and sells sugar beets during deer season as a personal project and donates the
proceeds to our club for the administrative fund Thanks Lion Tom Olszewski
I would like to mention a couple of ways to fund your club with funds that are not considered to be
solicited from the public
1 Some clubs hold a garage sale or yard sale with items that they contribute to the club and
then sell to the public but do not advertise it as a Lions event The funds raised are then
donated to the club for the use of the club While the items and funds come from the
public they are not bound by the Use of Funds Policy A note of caution No Lions para-
phernalia recruiting or hint of Lions involvement should be present during the collection
and sale of the items
2 Your club holds a dinner party inviting only Lions to participate for a donation Most often
this is in conjunction with a visit from a Lion dignitary These funds may be placed in the
administrative accountmdash provided you do not issue an invitation to the general public
3 Your club supports local sports teams by volunteering to staff a refreshment stand or the
entrance gates to the facility A stipend is donated to the club by the entity (school or
governing body) and that may be placed in the administrative account Do not wear Lions
paraphernalia or advertise the Lions while participating
Consider using one of these suggestions to raise funds to support your club
Taken from the Use of Funds Policy from the LCI website
ldquoGeneral Policy on Funds Raised from Lions Clubs Activities Funds raised
from the public must be used for the benefit of the public and community
in which the Lions Clubs serve The International Constitution and By-Laws
and Articles of Incorporation (the ldquogoverning documentsrdquo) provide that
chartered Lions clubs shall be not-for-profit of the individual club or its indi-
vidual members Consequently no part of the net earnings of funds raised
from the public shall benefit any individual Lions member or other private
individual or entityrdquo
DG Bob
9
News from the Lions of Michigan Foundation
Affordable Hearing Aid Program
At the first quarterly meeting of the Lions of Michigan Foundation we were informed that in the first
quarter the Foundation has already spent almost 40 of the yearrsquos budget for the Affordable Hearing Aid
Program They are receiving hearing aid requests at the rate of fifteen per week At this rate the funds to
provide hearing aids to needy Michigan residents will run out in April with almost three months of the
year remaining
To avoid a reduction in services one of the things requested was that we all look into an increase in our
recycling of hearing aids Eyeglass collection boxes also serve to collect hearing aids so when you receive
them in the boxes please retain them for the Foundation You can send them in to the state office in Lan-
sing give them to one of the Foundation trustees or give them to your zone or region chairmen or any
cabinet officer who will see that they reach the Foundation The hearing aids are then sent into the com-
pany that provides the new hearing aids for our clients and they give the Foundation a credit for them
With enough credits we will be able to continue to buy the hearing aids we need
One suggestion for increasing your collections is to contact the funeral homes in your area to speak to
the directors about the importance of collecting hearing aids as well as glasses Be sure that they have a
collection box for the convenience of their clients and please service it regularly With a little extra effort
we can ensure that we can continue to help the needy of Michigan
Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes
Your clubrsquos tickets for the Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes will be in the mail soon If you have not sold
tickets in the past please consider it this year This is a great fundraiser for your club as well as the fund-
raiser which provides 25 of the revenue for the Foundation If you sell 16-24 tickets you will receive 25
of the ticket price back 25-99 gives you 35 and if you sell 100 or more you will get 50 backmdasha great
return for very little effort You donrsquot have to get licenses collect prizes or print tickets
The Oscoda Lions sold 706 tickets last year which gave them a return to their treasury of $3530 to use
for their community projects Which of our clubs couldnrsquot use that much money for their communities
If you need more information about the Foundation or would like to have one of our districtrsquos trustees
do a program for your club please contact one of us
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
7
MORE CLUB PIX
CHARLEVOIXmdash(L) Lion Tim Clagett is welcomed home
on Wednesday October 21 with an emotional hug
from his wife Barb Clagett a 93 year-old World War II veteran flew out of Cherry Capital Airport early
Tuesday morning October 20 for a whirlwind 12-hour visit to the nations capital as part of the Mid-
Michigan Honor Flight Lion Don Hengesh (right) who is a Viet Nam veteran traveled on the flight as
Clagetts Honor Flight Guardian (R) Lion Tim is all smiles as he listens to a room full of people sing to his
honor on at the Flap Jack restaurant where the Charlevoix Lions held a reception for him (Lonnie Allen
Charlevoix Courier)
LEAD IN THE HOLIDAYS FUNDRAISER
Join us as we celebrate the start of the holiday season with Leader Dogrsquos signature fundraising event The
event features fantastic food exciting silent and live auctions adorable puppies blindfold walks and more
This yearrsquos event will be held at the beautiful Royal Park Hotel in Rochester Michigan Doors will open at
600 pm and the program and dinner begin at 730 pm Tickets are $175 and include one drink ticket a
champagne welcome and a seated dinner
RESERVE YOUR TICKET TODAY AT leaderdogorgleadintheholidays
8
FUNDING YOUR CLUB
So how do our clubs fund themselves Well dues are part of it Some clubs add on to the International
Multi-District (known to some as State) and District dues Some clubs are aggressive on collecting Tail Twist-
er fines Some clubs get lucky and have benefactors bequeathed to the club In the Grayling Lions Club we
have a member who buys and sells sugar beets during deer season as a personal project and donates the
proceeds to our club for the administrative fund Thanks Lion Tom Olszewski
I would like to mention a couple of ways to fund your club with funds that are not considered to be
solicited from the public
1 Some clubs hold a garage sale or yard sale with items that they contribute to the club and
then sell to the public but do not advertise it as a Lions event The funds raised are then
donated to the club for the use of the club While the items and funds come from the
public they are not bound by the Use of Funds Policy A note of caution No Lions para-
phernalia recruiting or hint of Lions involvement should be present during the collection
and sale of the items
2 Your club holds a dinner party inviting only Lions to participate for a donation Most often
this is in conjunction with a visit from a Lion dignitary These funds may be placed in the
administrative accountmdash provided you do not issue an invitation to the general public
3 Your club supports local sports teams by volunteering to staff a refreshment stand or the
entrance gates to the facility A stipend is donated to the club by the entity (school or
governing body) and that may be placed in the administrative account Do not wear Lions
paraphernalia or advertise the Lions while participating
Consider using one of these suggestions to raise funds to support your club
Taken from the Use of Funds Policy from the LCI website
ldquoGeneral Policy on Funds Raised from Lions Clubs Activities Funds raised
from the public must be used for the benefit of the public and community
in which the Lions Clubs serve The International Constitution and By-Laws
and Articles of Incorporation (the ldquogoverning documentsrdquo) provide that
chartered Lions clubs shall be not-for-profit of the individual club or its indi-
vidual members Consequently no part of the net earnings of funds raised
from the public shall benefit any individual Lions member or other private
individual or entityrdquo
DG Bob
9
News from the Lions of Michigan Foundation
Affordable Hearing Aid Program
At the first quarterly meeting of the Lions of Michigan Foundation we were informed that in the first
quarter the Foundation has already spent almost 40 of the yearrsquos budget for the Affordable Hearing Aid
Program They are receiving hearing aid requests at the rate of fifteen per week At this rate the funds to
provide hearing aids to needy Michigan residents will run out in April with almost three months of the
year remaining
To avoid a reduction in services one of the things requested was that we all look into an increase in our
recycling of hearing aids Eyeglass collection boxes also serve to collect hearing aids so when you receive
them in the boxes please retain them for the Foundation You can send them in to the state office in Lan-
sing give them to one of the Foundation trustees or give them to your zone or region chairmen or any
cabinet officer who will see that they reach the Foundation The hearing aids are then sent into the com-
pany that provides the new hearing aids for our clients and they give the Foundation a credit for them
With enough credits we will be able to continue to buy the hearing aids we need
One suggestion for increasing your collections is to contact the funeral homes in your area to speak to
the directors about the importance of collecting hearing aids as well as glasses Be sure that they have a
collection box for the convenience of their clients and please service it regularly With a little extra effort
we can ensure that we can continue to help the needy of Michigan
Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes
Your clubrsquos tickets for the Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes will be in the mail soon If you have not sold
tickets in the past please consider it this year This is a great fundraiser for your club as well as the fund-
raiser which provides 25 of the revenue for the Foundation If you sell 16-24 tickets you will receive 25
of the ticket price back 25-99 gives you 35 and if you sell 100 or more you will get 50 backmdasha great
return for very little effort You donrsquot have to get licenses collect prizes or print tickets
The Oscoda Lions sold 706 tickets last year which gave them a return to their treasury of $3530 to use
for their community projects Which of our clubs couldnrsquot use that much money for their communities
If you need more information about the Foundation or would like to have one of our districtrsquos trustees
do a program for your club please contact one of us
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
8
FUNDING YOUR CLUB
So how do our clubs fund themselves Well dues are part of it Some clubs add on to the International
Multi-District (known to some as State) and District dues Some clubs are aggressive on collecting Tail Twist-
er fines Some clubs get lucky and have benefactors bequeathed to the club In the Grayling Lions Club we
have a member who buys and sells sugar beets during deer season as a personal project and donates the
proceeds to our club for the administrative fund Thanks Lion Tom Olszewski
I would like to mention a couple of ways to fund your club with funds that are not considered to be
solicited from the public
1 Some clubs hold a garage sale or yard sale with items that they contribute to the club and
then sell to the public but do not advertise it as a Lions event The funds raised are then
donated to the club for the use of the club While the items and funds come from the
public they are not bound by the Use of Funds Policy A note of caution No Lions para-
phernalia recruiting or hint of Lions involvement should be present during the collection
and sale of the items
2 Your club holds a dinner party inviting only Lions to participate for a donation Most often
this is in conjunction with a visit from a Lion dignitary These funds may be placed in the
administrative accountmdash provided you do not issue an invitation to the general public
3 Your club supports local sports teams by volunteering to staff a refreshment stand or the
entrance gates to the facility A stipend is donated to the club by the entity (school or
governing body) and that may be placed in the administrative account Do not wear Lions
paraphernalia or advertise the Lions while participating
Consider using one of these suggestions to raise funds to support your club
Taken from the Use of Funds Policy from the LCI website
ldquoGeneral Policy on Funds Raised from Lions Clubs Activities Funds raised
from the public must be used for the benefit of the public and community
in which the Lions Clubs serve The International Constitution and By-Laws
and Articles of Incorporation (the ldquogoverning documentsrdquo) provide that
chartered Lions clubs shall be not-for-profit of the individual club or its indi-
vidual members Consequently no part of the net earnings of funds raised
from the public shall benefit any individual Lions member or other private
individual or entityrdquo
DG Bob
9
News from the Lions of Michigan Foundation
Affordable Hearing Aid Program
At the first quarterly meeting of the Lions of Michigan Foundation we were informed that in the first
quarter the Foundation has already spent almost 40 of the yearrsquos budget for the Affordable Hearing Aid
Program They are receiving hearing aid requests at the rate of fifteen per week At this rate the funds to
provide hearing aids to needy Michigan residents will run out in April with almost three months of the
year remaining
To avoid a reduction in services one of the things requested was that we all look into an increase in our
recycling of hearing aids Eyeglass collection boxes also serve to collect hearing aids so when you receive
them in the boxes please retain them for the Foundation You can send them in to the state office in Lan-
sing give them to one of the Foundation trustees or give them to your zone or region chairmen or any
cabinet officer who will see that they reach the Foundation The hearing aids are then sent into the com-
pany that provides the new hearing aids for our clients and they give the Foundation a credit for them
With enough credits we will be able to continue to buy the hearing aids we need
One suggestion for increasing your collections is to contact the funeral homes in your area to speak to
the directors about the importance of collecting hearing aids as well as glasses Be sure that they have a
collection box for the convenience of their clients and please service it regularly With a little extra effort
we can ensure that we can continue to help the needy of Michigan
Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes
Your clubrsquos tickets for the Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes will be in the mail soon If you have not sold
tickets in the past please consider it this year This is a great fundraiser for your club as well as the fund-
raiser which provides 25 of the revenue for the Foundation If you sell 16-24 tickets you will receive 25
of the ticket price back 25-99 gives you 35 and if you sell 100 or more you will get 50 backmdasha great
return for very little effort You donrsquot have to get licenses collect prizes or print tickets
The Oscoda Lions sold 706 tickets last year which gave them a return to their treasury of $3530 to use
for their community projects Which of our clubs couldnrsquot use that much money for their communities
If you need more information about the Foundation or would like to have one of our districtrsquos trustees
do a program for your club please contact one of us
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
9
News from the Lions of Michigan Foundation
Affordable Hearing Aid Program
At the first quarterly meeting of the Lions of Michigan Foundation we were informed that in the first
quarter the Foundation has already spent almost 40 of the yearrsquos budget for the Affordable Hearing Aid
Program They are receiving hearing aid requests at the rate of fifteen per week At this rate the funds to
provide hearing aids to needy Michigan residents will run out in April with almost three months of the
year remaining
To avoid a reduction in services one of the things requested was that we all look into an increase in our
recycling of hearing aids Eyeglass collection boxes also serve to collect hearing aids so when you receive
them in the boxes please retain them for the Foundation You can send them in to the state office in Lan-
sing give them to one of the Foundation trustees or give them to your zone or region chairmen or any
cabinet officer who will see that they reach the Foundation The hearing aids are then sent into the com-
pany that provides the new hearing aids for our clients and they give the Foundation a credit for them
With enough credits we will be able to continue to buy the hearing aids we need
One suggestion for increasing your collections is to contact the funeral homes in your area to speak to
the directors about the importance of collecting hearing aids as well as glasses Be sure that they have a
collection box for the convenience of their clients and please service it regularly With a little extra effort
we can ensure that we can continue to help the needy of Michigan
Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes
Your clubrsquos tickets for the Sight and Hearing Sweepstakes will be in the mail soon If you have not sold
tickets in the past please consider it this year This is a great fundraiser for your club as well as the fund-
raiser which provides 25 of the revenue for the Foundation If you sell 16-24 tickets you will receive 25
of the ticket price back 25-99 gives you 35 and if you sell 100 or more you will get 50 backmdasha great
return for very little effort You donrsquot have to get licenses collect prizes or print tickets
The Oscoda Lions sold 706 tickets last year which gave them a return to their treasury of $3530 to use
for their community projects Which of our clubs couldnrsquot use that much money for their communities
If you need more information about the Foundation or would like to have one of our districtrsquos trustees
do a program for your club please contact one of us
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
10
LCIF ndash History
Lions Clubs International Foundation has supported compassionate service of Lions since 1968 providing
grants of nearly US $1 billion to support local and global projects benefiting millions of people
The Foundationrsquos effort to save sight combat measles provide disaster relief train young leaders and im-
prove communities have steadily increased over the years to meet growing demand worldwide
By providing grant support through 2018 and beyond LCIF will empower Lions and their partners to
undertake even larger projects in local communities serve vulnerable populations worldwide and respond
to an increasing number of natural disasters
By LCIFrsquos 50th anniversary in 2017-18 Foundation grant support will make it possible for Lions to
Immunize millions of children against measles and rubella mdash US$37 million
Prepare and respond to hundreds of devastating natural disasters mdash US$20 million
Serve more than 240000 Special Olympic athletes and their families mdash US$6 million
Improve education health care and other social services in hundreds of local communities mdash
US$53 million
Teach critical life skills to 200000 additional students through Lions Quest mdash US$18 million
Indentify and support thousands of people impacted by disasters mdash US$7 million
As LCIF expands grant support to advance Lions services worldwide and responds to growing global needs
annual donations must grow to US$50 million by 2017-18
HELP RAISE US$50 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR LCIF
Lion support is needed to meet and sustain LCIF grants and programs through 2018 and beyond By grad-ually increasing our goals this is attainable
Fiscal Year Donation Goal
2014-15 US$384 million 2015-16 US$413 million 2016-17 US$454 million 2017-18 US$500 million
As we all know club contributions count towards the Melvin Jones Fellowship but individuals may also contribute towards a MJF by donating $1000 with a minimum amount of $100 per payment over a 5-year period
Donrsquot have $1000 to spare Well you can become a contributing member through the Contributing
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
11
Member program For as little as $20 you can get an LCIF sustaining member bronze pin There are also silver pins for $50 and gold pins for $100
District Coordinators each have a supply of the bronze pins and have the applications available for the oth-ers as well Although these do not count towards a MJF they do count towards a clubrsquos contribution for the year These pins are printed with the date on them so each yearrsquos pins are different
$20 $50 $100
ldquoWhere there is a need there is a LIONrdquo Let us not let this just be a catch phrase let the Lions of District
MD 11 and Single District 10 use this program to increase our support of LCIF so the LCIF can continue to
meet the needs of our worldwide community
Lion Barb Durfinger
District LCIF Chair
Lion Eileen Delaney from the Holt Lions is the new State Chair for the Lions Youth Exchange Program Lion Eileen is hoping to garner renewed support from districts zone chairs and clubs to help spread the word about this program Lion Eileen writes
I know first-hand about finding homes and asking
teens to become exchange students My husband
Lion Steve and I have hosted some 22 exchange
students over the years and can attest that this is a
wonderful program
I have made the offer to travel to any district
to do presentations to any type of club or school or
organization that would listen I have asked district
chairs to please contact three high schools or groups
that they could talk with about LYE and have sent
them all posters to use
I am asking all District Lions to consider thishellip
LIONS OF MICHIGAN YOUTH EXCHANGE NEEDS YOUR HELP
SEE THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
Host a foreign young adult in your home for 4-6
weeks Or have your young adult become a foreign
exchange student and stay with a host family andor
in a camp in another country for 4-6 weeks You do
not need to be a Lion or know a Lion to participate
Knowledge of a foreign language is not a require-
ment for some of the countries (but it does help)
For more information please go to lionsof-
micomyouthexchange or contact Lion Eileen
Delaney at beederbrandiyahoocom or phone
517-882-6941
Thank you for any help you may give
LIONS YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
12
MD 11 Centennial and PR Committees Join Forces on
State-Wide Billboard Campaign
A state-wide Centennial PR campaign is in the planning
stages as the two committees have gained approval from
the Council to apply for a $15000 LCI grant If approved
the funds along with additional funds from each district
will be used for a concentrated billboard media buy next
spring
The Council of Governors has voted unanimously to sup-
port this project and to request a minimum of $100 per club
from each district in Michiganrsquos MD 11 Any club that con-
tributes $200 or more will receive a special banner patch commemorating their exceptional commitment to
this project Per Lions of Michigan State Treasurer Paul Hemeryck funds may be drawn from either the
clubsrsquo Activities fund or from the Administrative account
The largest billboards will be placed on major freeways while smaller ldquocommunity billboardsrdquo will be uti-
lized along major roads Posters will also be available for placement in local churches businesses libraries
etchellip Each of the posters will have a space for specific club contact information while the billboards will
feature a website address as well as social media icons The design will be based on the International Cen-
tennial logo but will be customized for the state of Michigan
The objectives of this project are
Increase Awareness of Lions International and our Centennial Celebration
Increase Donations to MI Lions Clubs
Increase Membership in MI Lions Clubs
Publicize MI Lions as a resource for those who need our services
We are required to provide minimum matching funds of 20 In order to conduct the extensive cam-
paign we envision we need to significantly exceed this match The more funds we have to work with the
more areas we can cover so please start talking to your clubs about your contribution to this project
By working together we can have a huge impact with a relatively minimal expense to each club
Checks can be made payable to ldquoLions of Michiganrdquo and put ldquoCentennial PR Projectrdquo on the memo line
Please send all monies directly to the State Office at 5730 Executive Drive Lansing MI 48911
Thank you in advance for your contributions we canrsquot wait to get started
CS Laura Hunt
MD 11 PR Chair
PDG Diane Wehby
MD 11 Centennial Chair
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
13
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
Lion Lynne Jauss PDG
PO Box 1093
Lewiston MI 49756
VETERANS DAY mdash NOVEMBER 11
SOME GAVE ALL
Thank a Vet
for their Service
THANKSGIVING DAYmdashNOVEMBER 26
Let us be thankful
for all the blessings
God has given us
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
15
Dear Lions
I recently attended the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles California USA I learned the power of giving all athletes the opportunity to compete and the importance of inclusion Watching them in action showed me that these ath-letes really blossom when given encouragement and oppor-tunity I am so proud of the Lions of California for all of their volunteer efforts for the Healthy Athletes screenings just like all of the other Lions around the world who have been instru-mental in games and screening events over the last 14 years I am also very thankful for the hospitality of our partners at Special Olympics Partnerships like this extend the reach of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) serving more people than any one Lions club could serve alone That is why it is so important that we continue to grow and expand LCIF I promoted Ask One for membership last year but that idea also applies to LCIF This is OUR foundation Every one of us is responsible for its growth and success We need to make sure every Lion knows about our founda-tion I challenge each of you to ask one Lion to make a gift to LCIF this year We are our own biggest ad-vocates Speak to your fellow Lions about what LCIF means to you and the impact it makes on millions of lives around the world every year
Joe Preston Chairperson Lions Clubs International Foundation
A Message from Bill Gates LCIF has committed to raising US$30 million by 2017 to improve access to vaccines through Gavi The Vaccine Alliance The funds raised will be matched by the United Kingdomrsquos Department for International Develop-ment and the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation bringing the total to US$60 million Bill Gates co-chair and trustee of the Bill amp Melinda Gates Foundation has an encouraging video message for Lions
LCIF Receives Another 4-Star Rating LCIF has earned its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Char-ity Navigator for its effective fiscal management and its commitment to accountability and transparency Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that LCIF adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way This means you can be confident your donations to LCIF are being used in support of the programs for which they are intended
Changes to Grant Application DeadlinesmdashDue to the restructuring of the LCIF Board of Trustees board meeting times and some grant application deadlines have changed After January 2016 applications for Standard grants are due no later than 90 days prior to the start of board meetings Applications will now be reviewed in January May and August
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
16
Dear District Governors and Council Chairs
On behalf of Lions Clubs International I kindly ask for your help in generating grassroots support for an important bill that is being considered by the US Congress In 1997 US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (Act) which provides immunity to individual volunteers of service club or volunteer organizations in the US However the Act does not provide immunity to the organization itself
Unfortunately negligence claims filed against service club or volunteer organizations often result in judgments requiring nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs to pay large sums of money in puni-tive damages Lions Clubs International believes the Act is incomplete and exposes nonprofit organi-zations to increased financial risk thereby threatening the viability of volunteerism in the US
Recognizing the need to protect service club and volunteer organizations in the US Lions Clubs In-ternational engaged Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio as well as US Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois and developed a bill to correct this issue and amend the 97 Act Volunteer Organization Protection Act of 2015 (VOPA) was subsequently introduced into Congress this year
Im asking you to encourage Lions from your district(s) to contact and urge their respective Member of Congress and US Senator to co-sponsor HR2290 (US House bill) and S1684 (US Senate bill)
This bill does not raise the standard of liability for organizations but it protects organizations such as Lions clubs from being held vicariously liable when the organization was not involved with an incident causing harm This piece of legislation will support the mission of Lions clubs by releasing financial re-sources previously allocated to support costly liability insurance The result is increased viability and growth for local nonprofit organizations such as Lions clubs
Please visit LCIs online advocacy page for additional resources concerning the VOPA including a Fre-quently Asked Questions (FAQ) document and also form letters that can be sent to Members of the US House of Representatives in support of HR2290 and US Senators in support of S1684 through their respective websites (online contact forms) or fax numbers Lions are also encouraged to call their local Congressional office and ask their legislators to sign on to the bill
LCIs online advocacy page can be accessed via the following link httpwwwlionsclubsorgENhow-we-servelions-advocacyphp
Also please direct comments or questions concerning the VOPA including updates or feedback re-garding your local Club andor Districts grassroots campaign efforts to governmentrela-tionslionsclubsorg
I hope you find this information useful and I wish you as well as Lions in your district(s) the best in bringing this matter to the attention of our lawmakers in Washington DC There are presently 32 co-sponsors on the House bill (HR2290) and one co-sponsor on the Senate bill (S1684) and we intend to build on those numbers to ensure timely passage of the legislation in this Congress
Sincerely
Jimmy Ross Past International President Lions Clubs International
