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

Invocation – David Hunter: Food like this is surely bliss. For it, we thank Thee, Lord. And now we'll play our Lion games and grow Tail Twister's hoard. Amen. Vittles – Chicken Cordon Bleu, rice, mixed vegetables, salad and toppings, rolls and butter, Chocolate Layer cake, tea and coffee.

Attendance – 22 members, 2 visitors. Guests – John Garrelts (grandson of Weldon Garrelts)

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

Lottery – Ed Tichenor won the $11 lottery.

Announcements – Ted Gonsiorowski announced the following activities:

Birdies for Charity and Lions of Illinois Foundation Diabetes Awareness Campaign (March 1 through May 31) – If we are to participate in these programs, we need someone who is willing to chair and promote the effort.

1E Zone Meeting, April 11 at Monical’s on Kirby at 6:00 pm. If you wish to attend please tell Marvin Paulsen, Zone Chair.

Water Station to support the marathon is April 27, 7:30 am on Church Street in front of Huber’s.

Tootsie Pop Days -- May 10/11/2013 – Weldon Garrelts, Chair

May 15 is the deadline for submitting our officers reporting form (PU101)

May 19/20, 2013 State Convention, in Rockford.

Hearing bus - June 2013 – Marvin Paulsen, Chair

Walk for Sight - June 9 at Mattoon -- Rich King, Chair

Jay Hoeflinger reported we have collected $520 for Sight and Sound

Program – Business Meeting. Ted Gonsiorowski presented for Secretary Fonda Bowden and read the minutes of the February Board Meeting:

Karl Drake presented Treasurer’s report. As of March 31, 2013, the General Fund has $2,899.36; the Charities Fund has $7,876.92. The Endowment Fund (unchanged) has $2,865.64.Motions were made and passed by the Board: to purchase an iPad for use at home by a legally blind student. The cost would be $300 and the iPad would be loaned to her and would be paid for from the existing budget item, “special funding requests.”to provide $125 to partially pay for a hearing aid for a patient Ben Turpin is working with at Audibel.to contribute $100 from the Champaign Lions Club to the Walk-for-Sight to help support the district event. This will be from the General Fund.Membership and Activities Committee: David Lin is working with Jay Hoeflinger and Sam McGrew on Club activities that might be of interest to new and potential members as well as current members. He reported that he volunteered at the daily Soup Kitchen recently to see what that required and thought it would be a possibility. An initiation fee of $35 is required with each new member application.

Nominating Committee: The following slate of officers for next year is submitted to the members and will be repeated two more times. Members will then be asked to vote.President Weldon Garrelts; Past President Ted Gonsiorowski; 1st VP Charlie Osborne; 2nd VP Sam McGrew; Treasurer Karl Drake; Secretary Fonda Bowden; Director 2012-2014: Jay Hoeflinger; Director 2013-2015: David Hunter; Lion Tamer Floyd “Gordie” GordonHerb Bail emailed that he collected 240 pair of glasses for March.Rich King will Chair and participate in Walk for Sight. Another planning meeting will be in Georgetown on April 14. June 9 is the date of the event at Mattoon. The Mattoon Club has challenged Champaign Club to a game of beep ball. Rich is getting a team together and hopes to have a practice game before the event.

Hit the space bar twice when you’ve seen enough…

These meetings are just too darn long!

David Lin explained that new member membership dues will be $40 for the first year and agreement to work at least two fundraising events for the Club, $80 the second year and the full $160 the third year. For those who join midyear the rates will be prorated.

Know Your Lion. Ed Tichenor presented Lion Homer Kuder. Homer was born and raised on a farm near St. Joseph.

He said that Abraham Lincoln, who stayed at a rest stop there, named the town.

Homer graduated in1941 from the University of Illinois with a degree in Agriculture. He majored in soils and worked with Soil Conservation Service.

He got married the same day he graduated from the University. Probably a very busy day!

He joined Lion’s club in St. Joe for about 15 years and joined our club when he moved here.

He had 4 children; 2 girls and 1 boy are still living. He has 4 grandchildren and 4 great-grand children.

Tail Twister – Omer Benn asked Sam McGrew to carry the bucket,

because he is running for a place on the Parkland College Board of Trustees. The election is April 9th.

In response to questions from the floor, Sam told us some things about his experience in education and as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives.

Rex Hess paid for leaving early.

Omer fined Ted Gonsiorowski for missing past meetings;

Ed Tichenor for having won the lottery;

Weldon Garrelts

and Pedro Heller for something about parking;

Charlie Osborne

and Pat Bryan for sitting at Sam’s table,

Frank Duff for some minor infraction.

Pat Bryan paid for bragging.

Then our big-hearted TailTwister paid because he felt guilty for fining the rest of us.

Greeter: Weldon Garrelts

Apr 17 – David Lin – Trip to Vietnam

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

Coming up

Apr 10 - BJ Sizemore – Kentucky Fried Chicken

Thank you for watching

Editor

Rex Hess

Publisher

David Hunter

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

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