Elizabethtown Lions Club
“We Serve”
NOVEMBER 2004
President’s Message
I am looking forward to the Region V Rally at Four Seasons November 11th. You can count on good food and entertainment as well as some “unique” door prizes. Just ask Lion Bob Brain what he received last year. There will be a car pool leaving the Lutheran Church parking lot on East High Street at 5:30 p.m. Remember, this meeting will replace our regular November 9th meeting.
Lion Bob and I attended a Merlow Team seminar on October 16th in Leola. The major thrust of the morning was on membership, which made it very relevant. One of the points focused on the value of having women in a club. They could introduce several new ideas for projects and serve as willing workers. This would surely be a quick way to increase our membership in a constructive fashion. The next Merlow meeting is scheduled for December 11.
Our most recent Lion project is now history. Lion Dean did a good job in organizing our White Cane Days. We send a special thank you to all the participants. Lion Joe is now eager to put us in a pie mode and Lion Dale will be pushing the new Elizabethtown Commemoratives. I am sure they will receive strong support – we have to keep pitching!
Lion Bill
Programs for November
Tuesday, November 9, 2004 – There will be NO meeting on this date.
Thursday, November 11, 2004 – Region V Rally at Four Seasons. See details in President Bill’s comments above, or the article appearing later in this newsletter.
Tuesday, November, 23, 2004, 6:15 p.m. at the Fire Hall – We have all heard of the Humane League of Lancaster County, but what do you really know about who they are and what they do? Come to this meeting and meet Michael Walters, the Executive Director of this organization, and learn about all they do for pets and pet owners in our area.
Welcome Lion Gary!
We were pleased last month to induct our newest member, Lion Gary Epler. He was formerly a Lion in Fredericksburg but now lives in Elizabethtown (47 Watercress Lane, 367-0889) so he has joined with us to contribute to our efforts to help the less fortunate and we are glad he did. Lion Gary was a pastor, and he has already been asked to fill the vacancy in the role of our Club’s Chaplain and has accepted that responsibility. Welcome, Lion Gary, and thanks for being willing to jump right in and become active in our Club. Lions, please introduce yourself to Lion Gary at our next meeting.
Greeters for November
Since we don’t have a “regular” meeting for the first meeting of this month, we will not have greeters until the November 23 meeting, at which time Lions Phil Daubert and Marty Risser will handle the official duties of the Greeters.
Yellow Book Corrections
Please make the following changes in the “Yellow Book” for this year:
* Page 2 – Lion Bob Brain’s phone number is 361-8837
* Pages 3 and 19 – Lion Chris Metzler’s phone number is 967-0126
* Page 11 (top) – Membership dues are $120.00 per year
* Inside back cover – Add these events: Boys Seminar at Beacon Lodge, April 1-3, and
the Girls Seminar at Beacon Lodge is April 8-10
Region Rally
One of the larger annual gatherings of Lions from our area, the Region V Rally, will take place on Thursday, November 11, 2004 at Four Seasons, in Landisville. As noted previously in this newsletter, this event will replace our Club’s regular meeting of November 9. This yearly assembly of Lions from our Region promises a night of good food, fun, and fellowship. Numerous door prizes are awarded, and there will also be entertainment. Our Club will form car pools in the Lutheran Church parking lot on East High Street at 5:30 p.m. to travel to Landisville for the 6:30 p.m. start of the meeting. Please bring a check, payable to “Lions District 14-D,” in the amount of $17.00 to cover the cost of the evening. In addition, each Lion is asked to take to this meeting a non-perishable food item which will be collected that night for donation to the food bank to help make nice Thanksgiving meals for a needy families.
Third Vice-President Dean
When Lion Henri Eberly passed away in June, it left our office of Third Vice-President vacant. We are pleased to announce that Lion Dean Dochterman has been elected to fill that vacancy and was installed to that office at our regular meeting on October 12 by Region Chairman, Lion Andy Fantom. Lion Dean has, for the past several years, chaired our White Cane Days project, and has been an active participant in numerous other Club projects and activities. Congratulations, and welcome, Lion Dean, and thank you for stepping up to fill a need in the Club.
White Cane Days
While on the topic of White Cane Days, Lion Dean announced at our meeting on October 26 that this year’s project resulted in the donation of $1569.00 to this cause, all of which goes to benefit the blind and visually impaired. Nice job, Lion Dean, and thank you to all the Club members who contributed time and effort to this project.
Dues Increase
Enclosed with this newsletter is a dues statement. Due to an increase in International dues, we must increase our dues structure by $8.00 per member, per year, bringing the annual cost to $120.00. Included in this amount is $2.50 per meeting towards the cost of your meals. Members who pay on a quarterly basis have had this increase prorated (the increase was effective July 1, 2004) in their statements. As always, the Club will appreciate your prompt remission of your dues.
Wanna’ Buy a Brick?
As you know, the Susquehanna Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SABVI) has recently completed a major renovation and addition to their facility on North Queen Street in Lancaster. As a part of this project, Lions (or Lions Clubs) could purchase a sidewalk brick and have it inscribed with their name, a short message, or some other appropriate wording. The cost of each brick is $100.00 and there are still a few remaining for purchase. If you are interested in making the donation, and having a brick inscribed with your message, please contact SABVI, but do it soon.
Pie Sale Underway
The Elizabethtown Lions Club’s annual Pie Sale was kicked off at our regular meeting on October 26 under the capable leadership of Lions Joe Ditzler and Barney Myer. The details are explained on the enclosed order form. The critical date is Friday, November 19, which is the final day to submit your orders. We will not have another regular meeting prior to this deadline, so you will need to phone your orders to either Lion Joe or Lion Barney at the numbers listed on the flyer. There are other organizations selling pies at the same time we are so we will need to work hard at our sales efforts. Any questions about this project should be directed to either of the two co-chairmen.
Football Awards Banquet
`One of the several joint meetings we hold each year with other Lions Clubs will take place on Thursday, December 2, 2004. This, of course, is the annual “Frantz-Rider-Yohe Football Awards Banquet.” Again this year, we will be meeting with the Lititz Lions Club and the Columbia Lions Club at the General Sutter Inn in Lititz. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. and we will form car pools in the Lutheran Church parking lot on East High Street at 5:30 p.m. for the drive to Lititz. The cost of the roast beef dinner will be our usual $8.00 per person, payable at the door that night.
The purpose of this event is to recognize, and honor, the outstanding high school football players in each of the three Sections of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. The winner is determined by a vote of the head coaches in each Section, and the player, his parents, and his head coach are invited as guests of the three Lions Clubs that evening. We have secured the services of Pat Principe, from WGAL Channel 8, to serve as Master of Ceremonies for the program. Each coach is asked to say a few words about the winning player from his team, the player is awarded a very nice trophy, and is also given an opportunity to address the audience. Many of our past winners have gone on to highly successful athletic careers at the college level and at least two past winners are currently playing in the National Football League. This meeting gives you an opportunity to get to know them a little while they are still “on the way up.”
The sign-up sheet for this meeting was circulated at our regular meeting on October 26, and will again be available at our next regular meeting on November 23. If you wish to attend but won’t have an opportunity to register your attendance on the sign-up sheet, please call Lion Dale Williams (367-2575) to get on the list.
Membership Drive
If you missed the Club meeting on October 26, you missed President Bill singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” – with a mouthful of peanut butter! Those of us who were there will never forget that! J And, have you seen Lion Chris carrying around the stuffed lion? It all has to do with our on-going Membership Drive which is being spearheaded by Lion Bob Brain. We have several pieces of literature which will be helpful in soliciting a friend to join us in our efforts to help the less fortunate (and to have the laughs we have when we all get together for a meeting, an activity, or a project). Contact Lion Bob for additional information about bringing in a new member and/or for copies of the material designed to assist you in this effort.
Family Christmas Party
Although it seems a long way off (despite the stores already promoting their wares) Christmas is rapidly approaching and, of course, that means we will be holding our annual Family Christmas Party before too long. Lion Jerry Lorson is again leading our Club’s planning and more information will be forthcoming but, for now, we are asking you to reserve this date … Tuesday, December 14, a regular meeting night for us. We will begin at our usual time of 6:15 p.m. at the Fire Hall with a special Holiday feast prepared by our caterer. There will be singing, entertainment, and I have heard from a reliable source that a special jolly, bearded fellow in a red suit will make an appearance to distribute gifts to the children in attendance. Mark your calendar, and tell your family.
Elizabethtown Collectible Commemoratives
Our second annual sale of Elizabethtown Collectible Commemoratives is underway. This year’s small, decorative, gold-on-brass Commemorative depicts the local Post Office. Last year the depiction was of the Elizabethtown Square. We intend to produce a new Commemorative each year, featuring a landmark in our community so you will want to collect the entire series. They sell for $10.00 each (folks have reported seeing similar pieces selling for much more in other communities) and, of course, all proceeds will go to charity.
We now have our Commemoratives on sale at the following locations in town: Chamber of Commerce, Christian Light Bookstore, Country Haus, Knowlton Dental Office, Muellers Flower Shop, Rebman’s Eyecare, Roth’s Furniture Store, and Stop-N-Go Oil Change. When you visit these merchants, please thank them for assisting us with this project – they are doing it as a service and will receive no payment from us.
In addition, we will have these available at the next few Club meetings so, if you can’t get to any of the above merchants, you can purchase your Commemoratives at our meetings. They make wonderful gifts, especially for local residents. We also have a few of the 2003 Commemoratives (the Square) available for sale at the above merchants, and at our meetings. They are also $10.00 each.
Today’s Chuckle
In bygone days, a thin man insulted a fat man. The fat man challenged his tormentor to a duel with pistols.
On the day of the duel a debate ensued about the unfair advantage held by the thin man because he was a much smaller target. Finally, the thin man came up with a solution. “Let the outline of my figure be chalked upon your body,” he said to his opponent, “and any shots of mine that hit outside the chalk lines we won’t count.”