District Governor—Ronald Spivey

GOVERNOR’S ARTICLE 

This newsletter is going to be a bit different in that I am going to put a letter from our Emergency Management Chairperson, PDG Wanda Wentland in so that everyone can read and know what a great organization we are involved with.

            This report from PDG Wanda is about the flood that started early in January 2008 in the Northern part of our District.  This winter flood was the result of heavy rain and rapidly melting snows farther to the north.   Wanda’s report will be at the end of my article.

            PDG Wanda also made out a news release and put it in the newspapers so that others could learn of the good that was taking place to help those affected by this flood.

            This kind of response and dedication is what being a Lion is all about.  I want to thank Lions Clubs International Foundation for their swift reaction to our grant request.  Also I want to thank the Clubs that got out there and helped during this disaster.

            To the Clubs in the flood area, is there more help needed, and if so what do you need from the rest of the District Clubs?  Who I am sure are ready and willing to help.  Please let us know.

            In other news-The District-C Annual Convention will be on Feb 24^th, 2008 at the North Vermillion High School, just north of Cayuga, Indiana on SR 63.  An application is in this newsletter.  Please come to this event.   There will be a great meal served and much to see and learn.  Have you ever been to a District Convention?  If not why not?  Are you chicken or what?  Good food, good people, learn about programs to help you be a better Lion.  What’s not to like?  Who will be there for you to see in action—Vision Van Demonstration, Photo Screening Demonstrations, Cancer Control, Eye Bank, CapTel-a phone for the deaf and hard of hearing, Sight First 2 Presentation, Shirts and Pens to buy.  The three candidates for International Director of Indiana will be there to answer your questions on who they are and what they can do for Lions everywhere.  Our Keynote Speaker is Russell Sarver, International Director from Durand, Illinois.

            Come on down and learn what Mr. Sarver has to say and what his plans for our District are.  So let’s get this going—Get with other Club members and get to the convention.  Don’t think why you can’t be there, think how you can make plans to get there.  Be proactive and be there.

            In other news—Good News—with the untiring efforts of Lion Bob Monroe of the Plainfield Club, we finally have signed up officers for a new Danville Lions Club.  To date 31 good people have signed up, including 3 from another District that has just recently moved into our area.  This new Club will be chartered in February with a Charter Night, hopefully in March.

            Our District now—before this Club is on the books—stands at 19 plus in membership.  This is GOOD!  It is the result in a large part to the recruiting efforts of all of our Clubs so keep up the good work, and bring in new Lions.  Remember if you don’t ask them, you are depriving them of the good feeling of being a Lion. 

Thank You,

DG Ron

LCIF Emergency Grant

PDG Wanda Wentland

In the case of the flooding in White and Carroll Counties and the Battle
Ground area, the rain started late Monday night on January 7. Evacuations by boat
started before dawn on Tuesday, By Tuesday afternoon, the Emergency
Management Officers for White and Carroll Counties had declared both counties
emergency areas. A phone message was left for the DG on Tuesday afternoon. By
Wednesday morning, a record amount of water (33,000 cfs - cubic feet per second)
was passing through the two dams (the old record had been 22,000 cfs), DG Ron
returned the phone call early Wednesday morning, got the information needed, and
called LCIF as soon as they opened on Wednesday morning. The grant was
approved Wednesday morning in about two hours, the clubs and stores involved
were contacted Wednesday afternoon, and the vouchers were ready for the clubs
Wednesday night. Clubs started distributing the vouchers on Thursday.    Some of
the clubs were asked by their communities to wait until relief distribution to could
be coordinated so that those affected would only need to make one trip. As of
January 17, the following damages were reported by the Emergency Management
Offices and Red Cross

• 738 homes affected by flooding

• 165 homes considered total loss (4' or more water inside home)

• 285 homes with major damage

• 288 homes with minor damage

• 109 homes still not accessible by land

Steps taken to get the grant and provide relief assistance.

• Heard about the situation on the local radio and tuned in to the local TV
  news - wrote down the information as given on the radio and TV

•  Called the DG as soon as possible giving the information available about the
  problem    in our district, tornadoes, floods, and ice storms are the most
  common

• Tried to get the answers to the following questions:

1. When and where did the disaster occur? (January 7-8, White and
   Carroll Counties and Battle Ground area of Tippecanoe County)

2. What is the extent of damages, deaths, injuries? How many homes
   and families are affected? (many homes flooded and 200-300 families
   evacuated at that time)

3. What are the current relief efforts by the community and by the
   Lions? (families being evacuated by boat and shelters being set up)

4. What plans are being made to provide relief if grant is approved?

(vouchers for food, baby supplies, and medical supplies would be
provided to clubs in the affected areas - stores in Monticeilo and
Delphi would be contacted to accept the vouchers)

•  The DG made a phone call to LCIF notifying them of the disaster and
  requesting a grant ■ ■ the DG needed the answers to the four questions above
  to request a grant

• LCIF notified the DG that the grant had been approved

•  LCIF contacted the CT to arrange a wire transfer of the funds

• Club officers in affected areas were contacted to let them know of approval
  of the grant and to plan distribution of vouchers

• Stores that were to redeem the vouchers were contacted and appointments
  set up to discuss the redemption of vouchers - register receipts will be
  stapled to the voucher

• Number of vouchers and amount of vouchers were discussed with the DG
  (in this case 286 vouchers at $35 each)

•  Vouchers were printed and embossed (so they couldn't be copied)

1. Vouchers were printed in color (to discourage copying)

2. Vouchers were numbered

3. Vouchers listed the clubs participating and Lions Clubs International

4. Vouchers listed the stores where vouchers could be redeemed

5.  Vouchers listed the expiration date

6. Vouchers listed the approved purchases (food, baby supplies, and
   medical supplies)

• Club officers were notified that vouchers were ready and plans were made to
  get the vouchers to the clubs - a list of the voucher numbers given to each
  club was made

• Clubs in the affected areas made their plans and distributed the vouchers

• A press release was written listing a contact person for each club and how
  the vouchers would be distributed - this was taken to the newspaper and the
  radio station

•  Vouchers will be collected and the CT will send checks to the stores
  involved

• After the expiration of the vouchers, the CT will make final financial report
  to the DG (any money left over will have to be returned to LCIF)

• The DG will make a final report to LCIF

What Can Your Club Do To Be Prepared?

• Contact one or more stores in your community about accepting vouchers in
  case of emergency (keep a list of names and phone numbers)

• Schedule an appointment with Emergency Management and Police ahead of
  an actual emergency and let them know that the Lions can provide vouchers

• Listen to the local radio or TV station for information during a possible
  emergency - Emergency Management and Police will probably be too busy
  to talk with you right then

• Know ahead of time if there are members in your club familiar with various
  areas of the communities and the residents of these areas - designate a
  contact person for distribution of vouchers

• Know what areas are prone to Hooding and about how many homes are in
  each of these areas

• Know where your district directory is located so you can call the DG if
  necessary

1 would like to thank DG Ron Spivey, VDG Charles Short, the Battle Ground,
Delphi, Morion, Monticello Area, and Wolcott Lions Clubs, and the Monticello
Wal-Mart and Delphi Wallmann's Quality Foods for their help in this
emergency.

VICE DISTRICT GOVERNOR ARTICLE

Spring Clean Now To Spring Forward Later

VDG Charlie Short

Even thought we are under a forecast for ten inches of snow, I can't help but think ahead to Spring.  It will be here before you know it, so here's a few ideas for you and your club. 

If you're cold, get fired up! District Convention will be the 24^th of February at north Vermilion High School and it will be the best meeting in a long time. Why? We got rid of what you don't want and started listening to what you wanted. You said: ” We don't want to be there all day and have a long boring dinner at night”. We said, “us neither!” and designed a meeting that runs- with services- from 9 am to 3 pm. This will be a better use of time for all, and we get home before it's too late. ALL CLUB PRESIDENTS should attend at the very least. We also have a super meal with your choice of rib eye or pork chop for TEN BUCKS. Come have a good time with your fellow Lions, have a good meal, and lose that cabin fever. You can watch that DVD another day.

 Do your Spring Cleaning NOW! There are always those unpleasant administrative chores, but attack them now, so you aren't doing them in May. If your club is sitting on money that needs to be sent to the District Treasurer for State Projects or Campaign SightFirst II, do it now and get it off your desk!    Likewise any drops of members for unpaid dues- DO IT NOW. You aren't doing anyone a favor by fooling yourself, the DG, or International now, only to drop the bomb in June.  Clean up your books and get ready for more fun things in April and May. I know this sounds like heresy coming from a VDG, but it's the only right and honest thing to do.

Plan a new Spring activity now!  Many clubs talk a good game about what they are going to do when spring comes around, but we all know that we get off to a slow start. Don't wait until the crocuses are up to think about something FUN and possibly PROFITABLE for a Spring Project. Staff it and budget it now! Jump-start both you and your town out of the Winter Blahs!

Think “Hoosier Hundred”: I'm challenging the clubs of District 25C to a race- a race to swear in

100 new members during the month of May. Let's face facts: activity attracts attention and FUN activity attracts even more. Design your Spring Activity to need a few new hands, and start prospecting for them NOW.  Work your activity in April, Swear in your new Lions in May, and get your report in to Owen Matz, District Secretary/Treasurer. Rules are simple: new members must be SWORN IN and DOCUMENTS FILED by May 31. Prizes will be announced in next months newsletter. And they won't just be banner patches.

 Too big a goal? Think you can't do it? Well then, you probably can't. But if every club in the District swears in three new members, we'll all win the race. Better projects, more fun, and more money:    Plan in February, win in May.

 Bite 'em!

VDG Charlie

Dates To Remember

Feb 11 Romney O.V.

Feb 12 Cayuga O.V.

Feb 13 Walton O.V.

Feb 14 Jamestown O.V.

Feb 16 Clinton 65^th Anniversary

Feb 19 Young America O.V.

Feb 20 Bainbridge O.V.

Feb 21 Whitestown O.V.                                                      

Feb 24 District Convention @ North Vermillion H.S. Cayuga, In

Feb 26 Colfax O.V.

Feb 27 Brownsburg O.V.

New Members

Christopher Arthur- Greencastle

John Wallace- Zionsville

Max King- Young America

Richard M. Yelich- Clinton

Charles Dedrick- Clinton

Thomas Frey- Clinton

In Memory

Denny Shaul- Plainfield

Bob Edlin- Zionsville

Abe Stock- Michigantown

Bart Daly- West Lafayette Sagamore

Please visit our new website at:

www.indianalionsdistrict25c.org