District 12-N News & Views “In a World of Service”

October-November 2012 District 12-N, Tennessee (USA) http://tnlions.org/

Hello Fellow Lions:

Well another month has passed and almost the end of the calendar year. October was White Cane month and November is Diabetes Awareness month. Did you know that diabetes is the # 1 cause of blindness? If your club is not

promoting diabetes screenings you need to start doing so. It’s almost hypocritical to promote eye health if we don’t screen for diabetes. There is no cost to the club for training and/or supplies. Immediate Past District Governor Chuck Bailey is doing a great job in getting the clubs trained and supplying those clubs after their training. If your club is in need of training, call or email IPDG Chuck today.

My next topic is membership. Most of you are aware that our district is slipping in membership numbers. Our district should be at 1250 and we are currently at 1021. If each member would grow by one member, then we would double in size. How awesome would that be? More members in your club would mean a lighter load for all your members. We need to think outside the box when attracting potential new Lions. The world is a changing place. Our clubs also need to change if we are to continue serving our communities. Let’s start asking our friends, neighbors and relatives to become members and start bringing up our club numbers.

Think of ways to promote your club that do not cost anything. Such as

Does your club have a web site?

Public Service Announcements, such as kid sight screenings, elections, new members joining your club, your club project

Connect with the Imagination Library representative in your area. They get books that are returned and are unable to locate the owners, so they need a way to get these books into the hands of other children. You could give a child a book at your Kid Sight screenings.

Get local Boy Scout clubs involved in your community service projects. Did you know that LCI has a patch/badge for that?

Add your club’s activities to the district web site. Some clubs are growing by leaps and bounds and others are not. What is the difference you ask, I’m glad you asked. The difference is they are asking their friends, coworkers and others. Don’t forget to ask. Remember “EACH ONE GROW ONE”!

Thanks for all you do! District Governor, Diane Wilkerson

Zone Chairpersons and Club Presidents “In a world of need, there is someone to help, in a world of suffering, there is someone who cares. In a world of service, there is one name that stands out among oth-ers—Lions Clubs International. That’s what we do. That’s what we have always done. It is our motto, and the rea-son we exist,” says our current Lions Clubs International President Wayne Madden. A world of service – this philosophy needs to be applied to our District White Cane and Walk for Sight efforts this year. As you know, District 12N’s contributions to our ten charities have fallen from a high of almost $120,000 to a low of just $39,000 last year. We need to reverse this trend. We need the courage to try new approaches; we need the commitment to work all year on this effort and to inspire others. We need to take the actions necessary to raise more funds! I know many clubs have had Fall White Cane Days or planning for the Spring. I know other clubs are planning a special fundraising project to support our charities. And, I know some clubs do not participate. Our ten wonderful charities; Tennessee School for the Blind, Tennessee School for the Deaf, East Tennes-see Lions Eye Bank, Lions Volunteer Blind Industries, Learning Ally, Lions World Services for the Blind, Leader Dog for the Blind, Direct Braille Slate Project, Diabetes Awareness Program and Lions Quest Youth Program, deserve more of an effort from us as clubs and

individuals this year in order to reverse this downward trend. Let’s consider trying more new things this year like adding more locations and/or hours to our White Cane Days. Let’s consider greater advertising for our fundrais-ing project or adding a new fundraising event. Let’s send a walking team from every club to Walk for Sight this year. Let’s get involved. Clubs can be encouraged to participate in White Cane Days and individuals can be encouraged to participate in the Change for Charities Program. I have a supply of White Cane Days flyers. If you need any contact me at email: ed.gibbons@wataugainsurance.com or call my mobile at 423-914-9991 or office at 423-929-7103. Thanks for being a volunteer in the World’s Best Service Organization! Second-Vice DG Ed Gibbons and White Cane Days Chairman

DG Diane on the move!

Kingston Lions Club Visit

Fountain City Lions Club Visit

Farragut Lions Club Visit

Lenoir City Lions Club Visit

Johnson City Lions Club Visit

Tennessee Lions Learning Retreat January 11-13, 2013

The tenth annual Lions Learning Retreat (LLR) will be held January 11-13, 2013 in Manchester, Tennessee. The LLR provides an excellent opportunity for participants to improve their skills in becoming Lion leaders while

enjoying the company of the greatest folks in the world.

The Steering Committee is working hard to assure that this will be another in a series of great successes. There will be something for everyone, including social activities, great door prizes, a Lion’s Choir, a basket contest,

auction, and of course lots of informative seminars.

In keeping with the theme of International President, Wayne Madden, the theme of the Retreat is “A World of Service”. Fifteen seminar topics are being planned – see the Registration Form or Brochure for more details! Meal speakers include Past International Director Haynes Townsend (Georgia) and Past Council Chair Terry

Goodman (New Hampshire).

The registration fees for the LLR are a real bargain and primarily reflect the cost of the meals provided. A Saturday-only registration will be offered again this

year.

Get more information or download the registration form at:

http://tnlions.org/2013-lions-learning-retreat-details-

announced/

District 12-N will again offer scholarships to first-time attendees! You must register and pay in advance, but will

be reimbursed upon attendance.

Nearby Hotel Information:

Holiday Inn Express (Adjoining the Convention

Center) – Room Rates are $85.99 (Standard) not including taxes. Call (931) 728-9383 and ask for Lions Rate

Comfort Suites (Across Parking Lot from Convention

Center) – Room Rates are $82.99 (Standard) not including taxes. Call (931) 728-1301 and ask for Lions Rate

Scottish Inns (½ mile from Convention Center) –

Room Rates are $35.98 (1 bed) or $45.98 (2 beds) not including taxes. Call (931) 728-0506 and ask for Lions Rate.

Sleep Inn & Suites (Across the main highway, 1

block from Convention Center) – Room Rates are $69.99 (King) or $79.99 (Double) not including taxes. Call (931) 954-0580) and ask for Lions Rate

Quality Inn (Next to Sleep Inn & Suites) – Room

Rates are $59.88 plus taxes, $64.80 after taxes. Call (931) 728-0800 and ask for Lions Rate or mention B.J. Blankenship.

Many thanks to Lions Jim McFarland, Ron Riehn, Bob Harrington, Bobby Harrington, and Lion friends Jay Armbruster and Jamie Harrington during this phase of the project. Work continues on the truck bed, and generators and an air compressor will be mounted to the bed inside an accessible enclosure for protection against the elements. Some further sprucing up inside the trailer remains to be done as well as some equipment reinstallation and checkout. More details as they become available! -Ed.

District 12-N Convention Feb. 22-23, 2013

The District 12-N Convention will be held February 22-23, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Knoxville. We are honored to have International Director Chancellor Bob Corlew from Milton, TN as our keynote speaker for

the Saturday lunch and dinner!

The pre-registration deadline is February 1, 2013. For more information and the registration form, go to:

http://tnlions.org/district/district-convention/

The Silent Auction will help defray convention expenses. Please bring your Silent Auction donation to the convention no later than 8:45 a.m. on Saturday.

Mobile Eye Lab (Vision Van) Update

Work progresses on the Vision Van Project. The rear partition wall is now installed along with the door. New cabinets have been installed and minor repairs have been made to the entry doors. Photos: New cabinets, partition, door, and new tile floor

in the “lab” area.

District 12-N Charities Meeting on December 9 Open to All Lions The District 12-N Charities Board of Directors is meeting on December 9, 2012 2:30pm at Lions Volunteer Blind Industries Morristown. ALL LIONS are invited to attend this meeting where the 2013-2014 White Cane budget will be discussed in order to make a recommendation for funding the 10 agencies to the delegates of the District Convention in February.

Nominations Open for Lions District 12-N Charities Board of Directors Nominations are being accepted for Lions who wish to serve on the Board of Directors of Lions District 12-N Charities, Inc. This group recommends annual allocations for the 10 charitable agencies that are supported by the District. Nominees will be voted on during the Spring Convention, where one person from each Region will be elected to serve on a panel for a term of three years. Any Lion in good standing with a Club in the District can serve. If you are interested in serving or would like more information, please contact a member of the nominating committee:

VDG Mike McDonough (423-562-8017 or mikemcdtn@aol.com)

PDG Neal Vaughan (865-457-4664 or neallion@comcast.net)

PDG Chuck Bailey (865-458-3088 or chuckyegg@aol.com)

District Directory Corrections

Cabinet Treasurer, PDG Jim McFarland: (p. 117 and p. 148) The Zip Code is incorrect. It should be 37938.

Past Council Chair William (Bill) Howell was accidently omitted. His information is: William "Bill" Howell PCC (Vivian) 10718 Rock Arbor Way Knoxville, TN 37922-538 (H) 865-671-1784 (E) vwhowell@tds.net District Governor 1-F 1972-73 West Knox Lions Club

LIONS DISTRICT 12-N CHARITIES, INC. NEWS & VIEWS P.O. Box 444 Powell, TN 37849-0444

Non-Profit Org US Postage Paid

Knoxville, TN Permit # 466

DISTRICT 12N EVENTS CALENDAR

December 2012

Dec. 1 – Powell Lions “Tis the Season” Craft Fair, Powell

Dec. 9 - Lions District 12-N Charities Budget Meeting, LVBI, Morristown. Any Lion May Attend!

Dec. 13—Zone Meeting, Ryan’s in Greeneville Clubs: East Hawkins County, Elizabethton, Greeneville, Johnson City, Johnson County, Kingsport, Rogersville

Dec. 15 - Oak Ridge Lions Club Pancake Breakfast, Oak Ridge

January 2013

Jan. 11-13 – Lions Learning Retreat, Manchester

February 2013

Feb. 1—District Convention Pre-Registration Deadline

Feb 22- 23 - District Convention – Crowne Plaza, Knoxville

To access up-to-date District 12N events, and additional details for above events, go to: http://tnlions.org/calendar/

Please send your News & Views submissions to: newsandviews12n@ yahoo.com

If you are receiving a paper copy of the News & Views by mail, please register here:

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Receiving the News & Views electronically will help keep our administrative costs (therefore, member dues!) low.

CORRECTION: PDG Clare Crawford was credited with a 50 Member Key Award in the Aug.-Sept. issue instead of the 25 Member Key Award she received. She accepts the error as a challenge for the next 25! The News and Views apologizes for the error. –Ed.

The East Tennessee Lions Eye Bank new web site! Check it out here:

http://lionseyebanktn.com/