LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 16-L Governor’s Gazette
Transcript of LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 16-L Governor’s Gazette
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
District Governor’s Corner
2
Passages 3
District Events & Meetings
4
Governor’s Travels
5-
Public Speak-ing Workshop
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Calendar of Events
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9
District Sight Meeting
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Gloucester City Anniversary
11
Examples of Service
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13
Peace Poster; Diabetes
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District Cabi-net Meeting
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Gov’s Corner, M McFarland
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16L Club Events
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24
Leo Club Events
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V O L U M E V I I S S U E 3
LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 16-L
Kudos to ‘Dead on the Range’
Governor’s Gazette
This year’s annual District 16L Charitable Foundation fundraiser was a delightful departure from past years. Instead of the usual dinner dance with often black-tie optional dress code, we were invited to come in country western or business casual attire. The theme of the murder mystery dinner was “Dead on the Range.” Over half of the attendees chose country western attire which started off the evening of November 23rd in an appropri-ate mode. Most folks were attracted initially to the 30 auction baskets, each valued at a minimum of $100, and consisting of a very diversified combination of desirable items. There were so many takers of these tickets that the sellers actually ran out of that particular type of ticket.
Additionally, there were so many generous minded gamblers that the 50/50 prize amounted to a whopping $540, which was won by an employee of O’Connors – the venue where once again this annual event was held. O’Connors, while in a somewhat remote rural section of Eastampton, is strategically located - easily ac-cessible from the NJ Turnpike or Route 295. This year, the food served matched the country western theme of the evening – corn on the cob, baked beans, ribs, beef, etc. On display was a beautifully decorated cake – made of half chocolate and half vanilla, to suit everyone’s taste buds.
It’s somewhat difficult to describe the extent of the humor of the entertainment
of the evening. Several Lions had volunteered in advance to become part of the
interactive “show.” Some definitely had a flair for drama - some for comedy. The
hired presenters, Karen Scioli and Joey Perillo, seemed to be very comfortable in
their roles, as the leads, with Karen inviting specific attendees to “c’mon up” at
the appropriate times. Joey portrayed the role of LBS, the wealthiest man in Tex-
as, while Karen (Deputy Betty Bob) was more the narrator of the drama. They
each spoke with a strong Texas drawl, as did some of our Lions. The play depicted
the wedding of LBS (Lionel Baines Simpson) to gold digger, Shirley Simmons, por-
trayed by our Donna Freidel.
(continued on page 9 and more pictures)
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District 16 L Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/LionsDistrict16L/
District Website http://
www.lionsdistrict16l.org/
E-District webpages http://e-district.org/sites/16l/
District Governor’s Corner
Greetings Lions of District 16L,
I have enjoyed a very pleasant first half of my Gubernatorial Year. I have
had the distinct pleasure to officiate at three 75th Anniversaries and one 70th
Anniversary. It started with my own club, Stafford Township, when we
celebrated our 70th Anniversary at Sea Oakes Country Club on September 4,
2019. The Haddonfield Lions celebrated their 75th Anniversary aboard the
Battleship New Jersey on September 19, 2019. Next, I attended the
Gloucester City 75th Anniversary Celebration on October 28,2019. Finally, I
presented Palmyra Riverton Cinnaminson with their award on January 9th,
2020. All clubs received a Presidential Proclamation signed by Internation-
al Jung Yul Choi as well as his Presidential Banner.
As I make my various visitations to the clubs it has been my honor to pre-
sent Chevrons to various members indicating years of service. These Chev-
rons run the gamut from 10 years, then every 5 years thereafter, to 50 years.
I was pleased to be able to obtain two 50-year Chevrons to be awarded post-
humously. It was a pleasure to find that we remember and honor our recent-
ly passed members and present the Chevrons to their families.
It has been my honor to present Service Excellence awards to the following
clubs so far: Neptune Township, Oceanport, Eatontown, Toms River,
Pennsauken, Westmont and West Berlin. I have three more to go when I
visit them. They are Brick, Lakewood, and Cherry Hill Pennsauken Kore-
an. The Service Award is presented to clubs that do community service and
exhibit membership growth. At a minimum there is a plus one growth re-
quired
However, all is not rosy. The District is now down to 60 Clubs at the mo-
ment. Unfortunately, there are also Clubs that, at this point, are deciding
whether or not to continue or to surrender their Charters. It is possible that
by the end of my Gubernatorial year we may be down two more Clubs vol-
untarily. Hopefully, if and when these clubs fold, the members will transfer
to other Clubs. There is a six-month period of time to do this to retain
membership.
Unfortunately, we experienced a Club that no longer paid its Membership
Dues to International, State or District. Every means possible was imposed
to make contact with the membership. The District Treasurer, Myself and
International employed email, telephone and lastly Snail Mail. The entire
membership was contacted via these methods. There was zero response to
any and all attempts. The ultimate result, after all attempts to rectify the
situation, was that I had no recourse but to cancel their Charter.
(continued on page 16)
District Governor
David Skrivanek
Stafford Township Club
348 Golf View Drive
Little Egg Harbor
Township NJ 08087
Email:
Cell: 201-280-8154
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Welcome New Members
Below are those newly inducted Lions who became Lions during the time frame of October 21st through January 12,2020. If your name should be on this list, and is not, please contact your club secretary.
Congratulations!
Avalon Club
Linda Brennan Debbie Greto Edwin Reynolds Rebecca Reynolds Brigantine Club
Mary Crane Ronald Santaniello Colts Neck Club
Jessica Viggiani
Lakewood Club
Drew Orski
Maple Shade Club Danielle Russo Juhi Siddiqui Rizwan Siddiqui Pennsauken Club
Chris Biederman
Wenonah Club
Brian Salvatore
Medford Lakes Club
Richard Farr, Jr. Marilyn Hardwick Juie Haughey Michael Haughey Gina Nardo Karl Oettl
Atco Club
Frank Maimone, Sr. Avalon Club
Mark Marroletti
In Memorial
We respectfully remember these Lions of District 16L whose deaths were recorded
in MyLCI during the time frame of October 21st through January 12, 2020. Our condolences to their families, friends and loved ones. May they rest in peace.
The Maple Shade Club inducted three new members in Novem-ber. Membership chair, Idea Der-rico is in the middle holding the new member packet. New mem-ber Danielle Russo is standing next to her; Rizwan Siddiqui is on her other side with Juhi Siddiqui in the orange and black outfit. Some sponsors’ names were not identified in MyLCI.
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District Wide Meetings & Events
March 21, 2020 (Saturday) - Joint District Cabinet and Sight & Service Meeting Ramblewood Country Club, 200 Country Club Parkway, Mt Laurel 08054 8:45 AM: Check in / Buffet breakfast 9:30 AM Meeting ~ Cost: $20.00 per person
May 1, 2020 (Friday) - District Governor Dave Skrivanek’s Testimonial Sea Oaks Country Club, 99 Golf View Drive, Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08087
May 14-16, 2020 (Thursday – Saturday) - New Jersey Lions State Convention
Bally’s Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, NJ
Multi-Club Vision Screening at Pleasantville
On the mornings of November 19th and 21st, many volunteers from District 16L travelled to the Pleasantville Public School District in Atlantic County to do vision screening for pre-K through second grade students. Several different lo-cations house these various grades and all locations were covered by our diligent workers. Some volunteers had expe-rience operating the “cameras” while some kindly agreed to handle paperwork and do other needed functions. Pleasantville is an economically depressed area with no functioning Lions Clubs. The nurses and staff were extremely welcoming to our volunteers. The target population consisted of 1300+ students, of which we were very pleased that 782 students presented with signed permission slips. There was a 24.2% referral rate – which is very, very high. The average referral rate (those who are declared by the screenings to need further eye exams by an eye professional) is 10-12%, so our vision screening was definitely needed. Not only did Lions themselves help, but some also came bearing vision screening cameras. The Stafford Club brought
one camera; the LEEDS organization supplied three; and the three from the District 16L Charitable Foundation were
used. A hearty THANK YOU to all those Lions, and some non-Lion friends, who participated on those two days from the
following clubs: Berlin, Clayton-Glassboro, Bridgeton, Moorestown, Maple Shade, Neptune, Toms River, Bellmawr,
Cherry Hill Pennsauken Korean, Mantua, & Greater Wildwood.
PDG Clarence Brown of the Neptune Township Club.
Left: Judy Wood of Clayton-Glassboro Club; Middle: Peg Snyder of Maple Shade Club;
Right: Ellen Gagnon of the Moorestown Club.
GLT Chair, Donna Freidel of Clayton- Glassboro Club; Volunteer, Linda Kogan on far right.
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The Governor’s Travels
District Governor Presents Club Excellence Awards
Congratulations to All!
<<<Club Excellence Award presented to the West Berlin Club - accepted by President Terry Rosiak.
Above: Award presented to the Pennsauken Club - received by President Ely Mateo.
<<<<DG presents the coveted award to the Neptune Township Club - accepted by PDG Clarence Brown, Club President.
Above: Award accepted by Toms River Club President, PID Melvyn Bray.
<<<President Franklin Jackson of Westmont Club accepts the Club Excellence Award and his personal 35 year Chevron.
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The Governor’s Travels
<<<DG Dave visited the Pennsauken Club at which time he presented them with their Club Excellence Award (see page 5).
Members of the Audubon Club received their visit from DG Dave at which time he in-ducted a returning member (above) into their Club - Den-nis McGee, sponsored by PCC Al Olizi. A 30 year Chevron was available for PCC Al; 35 year Chevrons for Bryan Meehan and Jason Mangel - but all three were not present that evening. <<<
At the time of the District Governor’s January 20th visit to the Westmont Club, PDG Karen Ressler received her 20 year Chevron. Group picture and presentation pictured below.
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Public Speaking Workshop Participants
January 25th
Middle Row, L to R: Professor Allison Green; Tal Kramer of Clayton-Glassboro Club and Connie Cocciolone of Bellmawr Club; GLT Donna Freidel of Clayton-Glassboro Club.
Bottom Row: Terry Rosiak of West Berlin Club; Fred Fynan of Avalon Club; Tal Kramer.
Left: Group Pose Beneath: Professor Allison and DG Dave Skrivanek of Stafford
Township Club
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The GovernoCalendar of Events r’s Travels Calendar of Events
Currently available until Super Bowl, Feb 2nd: Super Bowl Mania Tickets at $5 donation per: Click here for information. ~Sponsored by Gloucester Township Club.
February 2 - 13th Annual Super Bowl Pancake Break-fast: 8-10am; $10 donation at Applebee’s, Rte 35 North-bound at New Monmouth Road in Middletown. Click here for additional info. ~Sponsored by the Middletown Club.
February 15 - Meet Seeing Eye Pup-pies: 10am-2pm at the Republic Bank, 220 N Rte 73 in West Berlin. For family - no charge. ~Sponsored by the West Ber-lin Club and the Republic Bank.
February 20 - BUNCO Night & Basket Auction: Doors open 6pm; Games begin 7pm; $10 per person; Location - Holy Sav-ior Church (St. Teresa of Calcutta) at 50 Emerald Ave in Haddon Township. Click here for more info. ~Sponsored by the Westmont Club.
February 22 - Ninth Annual Bowling Fundraiser: 1-4pm at the Westbrook Lanes in Brooklawn; $15 per per-son. Click here for additional info; Basket auction also. ~Sponsored by the Westville Club.
February 24 - Fundraiser at Silver Coin Diner: Located on White Horse Pike in Hammonton. ~Sponsored by the Hammonton Club.
March 1 - Breakfast Buffet: 8-11am; $8 per adult; $4 for children 12 & under; at Maple Shade Lions Clubhouse, 37 N Lippincott Ave. ~Sponsored by Maple Shade Club.
March 3 - Lions Day with United Nations: See last page of this newsletter for more details.
March 21 - District 16L Sight Meeting: 8:30am regis-tration; 9am breakfast meeting. More details TBA.
March 22 - Pasta Bowl & Basket Auction: At Christ the King Gymnasium. See any Haddonfield Lion for additional info. ~Sponsored by the Haddonfield Club.
March 31 - Last day for regular International Convention fee pricing.
April 3 - Spring Fling: All you can eat & drink of limited alcoholic beverages; live band & dancing; basket auction; $40 per person at Lucien’s Manor, 81 W White Horse Pike in Berlin; no tickets sold at the door. Click here for more info. ~Sponsored by the Atco Club.
April 9 - Easter Egg Hunt: Actual hunt begins at 9am; gather prior to for grouping by ages; every egg is redeemable for a prize though prizes vary. Rain date of April 11th. Easter bunny will appear at Farmer Park in Allentown. ~Sponsored by the Allentown Club.
April 18 - Doctors Speak Forum - Save the Date: Actual location TBD; reservations must be made prior to April 10 by calling PID Mel Bray at 732-239-8968 or email at: [email protected]. 8:30am is time of con-tinental breakfast with program from 9am - noon. ~Sponsored by Lions Eye Research Founda-tion.
April 17 & 18 - Work Day at Helen Diller Vacation Home for the Blind: See page 12, “Service Opportuni-ties” in this newsletter for details.
April 23 - Citizen of the Year Event: See any member of the Club for info. ~Sponsored by the Hammonton Club.
May 2 - Mane Event Car, Truck & Cycle Show: Preregistration $15 until 4/15; $20 day of event. 9am-3pm with registration beginning a 8:30am. DJ, food, beverages, vendors. This is a judged show at Pizza Hut, 211 Rte 37 East in Toms River. Click here for additional info. ~Sponsored by the Toms River Club.
May 2 - Annual Kentucky Derby Fundraiser: Doors open at 4pm at Clubhouse at 37 N Lippincott Ave in Maple Shade. $30 per person or $50 per couple. Click here for info and to purchase tickets online. Includes Best Derby Hat contest. ~Sponsored by the Maple Shade Club.
May 2 & 3 - Lions Lizzy Haddon Basketball Charity Invitational: 20th Anniversary. Click here for much more additional info. ~Sponsored by the Haddonfield Club.
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Calendar of Events (Continued from Previous Page)
May 9 - 14th Annual Rung with the Eagles: Starts at Cream Ridge Winery. 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run. Festive fam-ily morning with music, refreshments, goody bags, t-shirts and prizes. Click here for more info, to register online, or to download registration form. ~Sponsored by the Allen-town Club.
May 14-16 - MD-16 State Convention: Location: Bally’s in Atlantic City, NJ. Details to be announced.
May 15 - Deadline to submit club officer information for 2020-2021 Lion year.
May 25 - Allentown Lions Memorial Day Parade: The parade itself begins promptly at 10:30am, rain or shine. Prior to the parade is a bicycle decorating contest. A me-morial service follows at the Allentown Grammar School grounds. Click here for additional info. ~Sponsored by the Allentown Club.
May 27-31 - Strawberry Fair: Save the Date! ~Sponsored by the Oceanport Club.
Kudos to ‘Dead on the Range’ Continued from Front Page
Various wedding guests (portrayed by Lions) gave immediately,
easily visible, ingestible gifts to LBS, one of which turned out to be
poisonous, so that the groom died during the wedding festivities.
The question became: who was the perpetrator? By the end of the
drama, a spurned lover, (portrayed by Donna Mottola), daughter of
the second wealthiest man in Texas (portrayed by Dayl Baile) was
finally unearthed. You definitely had to be there to understand
some of the humorous moments – watching some “quieter, out-
wardly shy” Lions, seeming to enjoy their roles, as boisterous Tex-
ans.
Speaking of “having to be there,” when the 16L Charitable Foundation puts
on another event – be it this year and/or next – plan to support the event. If
your club decides to spend a larger amount of money on a worthwhile project
that you cannot possibly afford, you can submit a request for funds to the
Foundation for their consideration. However, your club must put forth some
documented financial effort towards that project. But they are there “to
serve” the clubs of District 16L. The Foundation now
owns the three SPOT vision screening “cameras,” for-
merly owned by SJEC. These cameras are available to
any club to do vision screening at local schools, day-
cares, nursery schools, etc. primarily for a target population of ages 6 months to 7
years. Your attendance at “Dead on the Range” helped to financially support the
3,332 screenings already completed between September and December of 2019 by
your clubs, using just these 3 cameras, a figure that does not include the mass
screening at Pleasantville. (page 4)
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Kristin Smedley, with a BS in Elementary Ed, had a thriving career in that field, until the birth of her two sons, Michael and Mitchell – both born legally blind with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis disease from the CRB1 gene mutation. In January 2000, she was living in Chicago with her then husband. At the age of five months, their firstborn son, Michael, was determined to be blind with the disease. The doc-tors who first in-formed Kristin gave her absolutely no hope of a future for Michael – no hope of ever being able to see, to play sports, or to be-come a “normal” member of society.
Kristin reacted with extreme disbelief and depression. It took her a couple of years to begin to address the situation. At Michael’s age of 3 ½ years, Kristin was far along in her second planned pregnancy. An epiph-any occurred to her, and the trajectory of her life, and that of her family’s, changed towards the positive. She realized that blindness bothered only her – not
Michael. She began to search for the needed re-sources and the tools so that her son could become the best possible people they could be.
Within a very few months, Mitchell was born and at his age of 3 ½ months, he was against all odds, also diagnosed with the same disease. Throughout their lives, Mitchell has benefitted from all that Michael had already learned. Kristin learned how to cope from networking with other adults who had lived all or most of their lives blind without the benefit of so-cial media at that time. Today would have made that process easier and quicker. In her newly published book, “Thriving Blind,” she writes and quotes twelve blind thriving adults. Michael eventually became the valedictorian of his High School class of 600. A third child, a daughter, Karissa, was later born with full sight. Michael is now a senior at Penn State and Mitchell is also in college – both doing extremely well.
Kristin launched in 2009 a mission to fund research &
resources for children living with the rare eye disease
her sons have. In less than eight years, the Curing
Retinal Blindness Foundation raised over a million
dollars and achieved the first legislation in US history
to be submitted in Braille; legislation that advocates
for better resources for blind and visually impaired
Americans. The website CRB1.org was created in
2011. Kristin is currently the Pennsylvania Ambassa-
dor for the National Organization of Rare Disorders
(NORD). In 2016, Kristin’s blog about changing peo-
ple’s perceptions of blindness went worldwide and
was followed by her 2017 TEDx talk on setting ex-
traordinary expectations. She partnered with Com-
cast media to spread awareness of the inclusive X1
product. Kristin was one of twelve people in the
world invited to testify before the FDA to advocate
for the approval of the first ever gene therapy to re-
verse blindness.
Editorial Note from Lois Kelly,
District Sight Chair:
Having now read Kristin’s book, “Thriving Blind,” I noticed some recurring themes expressed by the blind adults in the book. It was mentioned by more than one that blind peo-ple evaluate new people very differently than sighted folks do. With the absence of visual clues, they can more effec-tively determine the true character of people they meet, because they are not distracted by the outward appear-ance of those people. “First impressions are important” does not apply. Another repeated theme is about attitude. It is easier to learn the needed skills if one is born blind, but regardless, the attitude of the blind person makes all the difference. (So true of sighted folks, too!) If the par-ents of the blind child adopt a positive attitude towards the situation, the child will likewise adopt the same kind of attitude. That will help him/her to overcome (given the tools) and become independent. Independency is very im-portant for blind folks to survive and thrive. Having heard and met Kristin Smedley, one can understand why her two blind sons have come so far in life! And we look forward to what they will do next!!
Our Speaker at November 4th District Sight & Service Meeting
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Gloucester City Club Celebrates 75 Years Contributed by Lion Linda Baile
The Gloucester City Lions Club celebrated their 75th Anniversary on Friday, October 26, 2019, at Nicolosi’s Ca-tering. Mayor Daniel Spencer attended the celebration and congratulated the club on 75 years of service. Mayor Spencer also presented the club with a proclamation recognizing the many accomplishments and ser-vice to our community. The Gloucester City Lions Club is involved in many projects, including eye screening at the local schools. The Lions provide free eye glasses and exams to people in need. The White Cane fundraiser is always very suc-cessful every year, along with our famous chicken barbeque. The Club supports many local sports teams and activities, and has one of the largest and active Leo Clubs in the district. The club is also a big supporter of the local Food Pantry, which is located at The Church of the Ascension. Members of the club volunteer their time weekly, and especially during the food drives. The club gives scholarships to Gloucester City High School and Gloucester Catholic students every year. The Gloucester City Lions Club is very active in the District, and supports many of the State and District Pro-jects. The club continues to be visible in the community, whether they are collecting glasses, working on envi-ronmental cleanups, or participating in the parades. WE SERVE!
Above picture: Assembly of all the current Gloucester City Lions Club members who attended the October milestone event.
<<<Mayor Daniel Spencer (left) shakes hands with current club President, Howard Creran, Jr., who is holding the proclamation in his hand.
Entertainment was provided by Bryan Woolbert of MAVIS, who celebrated his 21st birthday that evening. >>>>
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<<<The Pennsauken Lions Club has checked the eyes of almost 1000 Pennsauken & Merchantville school chil-dren. That is more than 300 over last year.
Club President, Ely Mateo, is shown screening a child.
The Highlands Lions Club Honored Our Veterans on Veterans Day with the Laying of a Wreath at the Memorial. >>>
Pictured L to R Councilwomen Carolyn Broullon, Lions Robert and Mike Ellis, Councilman/Lion Ken
<<< On Monday, 12/9/19, Lions John Shendock and Anthony Zito delivered all the Cold Weather Clothes from the drive they sponsored. The residents from Jack Sun Manor on Jack-son Road in Atco were very happy and appreciative to pick out their new items. Thank you to all who donated to help make this a successful event. A special thank you goes out to Lions John and Anthony for always volunteering every year for this great cause. (Resident pictured on left.)
On this page and next are some local examples of how some District 16L clubs have “served”. These are pre-sented as food for thought. However, for your club to find your food for thought, visit: www.lionsclubs.org/en/start-our-approach/service-journey where you can get some great ideas. Below, however, is an actual opportunity for service - no research needed - from the Helen L Diller Vacation Home for Blind Children. Lions and family members are invited to visit Friday or Saturday, April 17th or 18th. Folks at that site will be doing some work on the facility and would appreciate your help. Visitors are also welcome just to tour the facilities on those days by appointment only. Please contact the Facilities Manager, Fred Fynan at 609-234-3624 or email [email protected]. Letters of credit for volunteer service hours are available for work performed. The Helen Diller Home is located at 127 26th Street in Avalon, NJ 08202. It operates as the Challenged Children’s Charity Corporation and is a state approved Lions project.
>>>
Over 100 pair of glass-es collected, cleaned, and donated by the Absecon Lions Club.
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Your Highlands Lions Club donated and deliv-ered 389 lbs of turkey to the OLPH Food Pan-try for Thanksgiving distribution. There was no available storage at the Pantry. Twin Lights Marina stepped up to OLPH's situation and not only agreed to store the turkeys in their ice house but unloaded the cars full of tur-keys. OLPH thanks you as does Highlands Li-ons Club Twin Lights Marina for stepping up.
From l to r: Kevin Mullan, Damian Walcott, Danny Mullan, and another angler holding the last three turkeys.
For a Service Project the Atco Club made 100 Snack Bags for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatments. Thank you to all the members that came out to help and thank you to Lion Alexa Zito for typing the 100 different inspirational notes for the bags. Lions An-thony and Carol Zito delivered them to The Unforgotten Haven or-ganization where they will then be transported to the local Chemo Centers.
Vetability Christmas Dinner (below) The Westville Club helped serve Christ-mas dinners on Monday, Dec 23rd to area veterans and their families at Abili-ties Solutions in Westville.
Thank you to the Deptford Lions for visiting the early childhood stu-dents and assisting them with vision screening - just one of the many schools where this club goes. >>>
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Last MD-16 State
Council of Governor’s Meeting
The Station Bar & Grill 2625 US-130
Cranbury, NJ 08512
March 28, 2020
Peace Poster Contest Results At the March 21st Breakfast District Meeting, you will have the opportunity to meet the first place winner of the District 16L Peace Poster contest. Ja-mie Shpak, 13 years old, made this statement: “If everyone went on a journey together united as one, the journey would lead to peace.” Jamie attends the C.W. Goetz Middle School in the eighth grade and his school’s contest was sponsored by the Toms River Club. He also won second place in the MD-16 contest!!! The Cherry Hill Pennsauken Korean Club sponsored the 16L second place winner, Alexander Kang, also 13 years old. He is a student at the Henry C. Beck Middle School. His quote: “Peace is the key to truly acquiring happiness in our global community.” Christ the King Regional School, sponsored by the Haddonfield Club, claimed the third place winner in the 16L competition. Abigail Persinger, again 13 years old, has said: “Journey of Peace is difficult - you need to work as a team - your background and race do not matter - you need the right mindset and attitude to reach peace.” Out of the mouths of babes, as they say! DG Dave Skrivanek thanks each of the 623 children from 11 clubs who participated in this year’s contest with the theme, “Journey of Peace.” Congratulations to every child who submitted an entry this year!!! We hope to see some of those entries on March 21st!!!
Multi Purpose Visitations
GLT Donna Freidel made an official Zone Chair visit with the Haddonfield Lions Club and also discussed diabetes awareness. She was grateful for the chance to visit and see all they have going on, their great Leo Club representatives and new member induc-tion. Also great to spend time with newer Had-donfield Lions transfer, PDG Cliff Kehley! Wonderful to see Dr. Ragone induct the new member! ZC Don-na has continued to make additional visitations which affords her the opportunities to spread awareness about diabetes. Donna is also the 16L Chair on the MD16 Diabetes Committee, among the other hats that she wears.
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The speaker for the evening was Keith Adams, Execu-
tive Director for the New Jersey Voluntary Organiza-
tions Active in Disaster (NJVOAD), a 501C3 organiza-
tion formed in 1986. From 2014 through 2018, Keith
served as the organization’s Chairperson. Since May
of 2017, Keith has served as a member of the Board
of Directors for the National Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disaster. From 2013 to 2018, Keith also
served as Coordinator for The Episcopal Church in the
Superstorm Sandy Recovery Pro-
gram, a partnership with Episcopal
Relief and Development and the
Episcopal Dioceses of NJ and New-
ark. He had retired in December of
2011 from a longtime career in
Emergency Services with the U.S.
Dept of Defense, during which time
he had much experience to prepare
him for his roles in VOAD.
NJ is not safe from disasters.
When a disaster strikes, our friends and neighbors
respond, the food pantries help, not for profit clubs
(like the Lions) & government agencies can together
form a network, called NJVOAD. It helps people pre-
pare in advance for, as well as responding to, and
mitigating disasters. Six counties in NJ rate among
the most vulnerable in the entire United States:
Ocean, Monmouth, Cape May, Burlington, Atlantic &
Camden in that order. Most NJ disasters do not qual-
ify for Federal assistance. So, local agencies must
step up to the plate. Key words in the NJVOAD are:
Cooperation; Communication; Coordination; and
Collaboration.
The NJ affiliate (of the National VOAD) was very ac-
tive in responding to Superstorm Sandy. At that
time, not every county in NJ had a VOAD. Specifical-
ly, Ocean and Monmouth Counties, which were most
affected by Sandy, had no VOAD’s. But today, every
NJ County has one – 18 County Voluntary Organiza-
tions Active in Disaster cover all 21 NJ Counties.
Over 1000 people are still not fully recovered from
the effects of Sandy. There are probably multiple
reasons for this delay: the National Flood Insurance
Program in which many people were shorted on
settlements; less than efficient handling of re-
building in NJ on a state level, contractor fraud,
evolving flood maps, and availability of contractors
licensed to perform home lifts. Sandy, like all disas-
ters, happened in a particular con-
text. Disaster recovery is also depend-
ent on community resilience. An ex-
ample: New Jersey was number two
nationwide for home foreclosure prior
to the disaster; post disaster we be-
came number one. Poverty, homeless-
ness, hunger, and unemployment al-
ways increase in the aftermath of dis-
aster, and create significant barriers to
recovery.
Lions can help by joining NJVOAD at a district cost of
$50 per year or a CVOAD with no dues. In every dis-
aster, cash/gift cards are best as donations – instead
of clothing, food, etc. It is universally most easily
used for displaced disaster victims.
Footnote:
helpnjnow.org is a website designed to connect re-
sources with up to date community needs in order to
best respond to disasters. This site was built and is
maintained by a partnership between New Jersey
Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NJVOAD),
the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management
(NJOEM) and the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism.
Our Speaker at the December 2nd District Cabinet Meeting
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District Governor’s Corner (continued from page 2)
I became aware of a potential problem that occurred in another Club and it brought to light a situation I
am positive exists in all too many of our Clubs, especially in Clubs with smaller memberships. When it
comes time to select new officers for the coming Lionistic year, many of our clubs tend to reelect the same
individuals for Secretary and Treasurer. These positions are often retained for many years. The job of the
position of Secretary is easily observed through the distribution of the Secretary’s reports issued to all
members. The position of Treasurer is one that requires oversite. This is not always true in all clubs.
The By-Laws of The International Association of Lions Clubs stipulates that along with the Treasurer
there is a Finance Committee. Said Finance Committee will be comprised of the Treasurer plus two mem-
bers. This committee, overseeing the Administrative and Activities funds and ensuring the funds are
properly distributed, will dispel potential discrepancies in the future. Please be sure that your Club has a
functioning Finance committee.
I have nineteen more visitations to complete to finish my visitation obligations. I am pleased to have
many more Chevrons to award. I do expect the balance to be very productive, hopefully seeing a further
expansion of membership in District 16L. Thank you all for you service.
YIL
David A Skrivanek
Governor District 16L
Sadly, Lion Mary Anne passed away within the past few days. Her memorial service will be on Saturday, February 8th, at Grace
Episcopal Church in Merchantville. Contact the Pennsauken Lions Club for additional details.
The Camden County Freeholders just pre-sented the Doctor Mar-tin Luther king Free-dom Medal to 13 coun-ty residents including Mary Anne McFarland from the Pennsauken Lions Club. Mary Anne was unable to attend due to health reasons.
~Article from program of that event.
Singapore, Anyone?
The Lions of Singapore are eager to show you the marvelous warmth and hospitality that all have experi-enced at every prior International Convention. Singapore is a clean and green island-city set in the heart of Southeast Asia, home to 6 million people of various ethnicities. English, Mandarin, Bahasa Melayu and Tamil are the four official languages with English being the most commonly used language. Fellow Lions will find it easy as English is widely spoken and used on public signage, allowing you to easily navigate the city. Singa-pore has a well-developed tourism industry with guides and translators fluent in a variety of languages e.g. Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French and German. It is this diversity that defines Singapore, and has created a most unique melting pot of cultures that permeates the arts, music, literature and most importantly the food. Visit: [email protected] for more info. Registration fee is currently $225 until April 1st.
17
News from the Clubs of District 16L
KL Kim Colgan presented a check for $1,000 to Abilities Solutions for their Vetability pro-gram which aids veterans with various pro-grams and finding jobs. Their annual dona-tion is in mem-ory of PDG Don Gill who was part of the program at its inception and was their first Veterans Advocate. Pictured (L to R) are Jen Segers-Veterans Advocate, Lions Bryan Miller, Bill Fox, Tom Donnelly, Lory Gill, KL Kim Colgan, Susan Perron-Abilities President/CEO and Steve
Westville Club’s KL Kim Colgan and Chris Krutzler attended the annual Trail-a-Thon event at Shadow Equestrian and cheered on their spon-sor child. >>>
<<<Annual Halloween Parade at Parkview Elementary School where members attended & gave out candy to the Westville School children.
On Friday, Dec 6th Westville held their annual Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting, where they served hot chocolate and cookies to everyone!!
Nine members plus fami-ly members attended Gloucester City's Pancake Breakfast and sang Happy 80th Birthday to Lion Ed Eimer!!
Westville
Club
All pictures and text contributed by Chris Krutzler.
18
News from the Clubs of District 16L
The Stafford Township Lions Club Christmas Party com-prised of several celebrations and recognition awards to members. Special guests and friends from the Toms River Lions Club attended the reception held at Calloways Res-taurant. Lion Peter Casamento received his 50th year Member Chevron posthumously which was presented to Lion Gladys Casamento, his wife. District Governor, David Skrivanek was greeted with “Happy Birthday” sung to him by the members at the reception. Toms River Lions Club President Ed Townsend presented Skrivanek with a gift to celebrate his 78th Birthday. Chevron 10 years’ service pins were awarded to Gladys Casamento, Ken Welsh and Susan Mueller. President of the Stafford Lions, Tom Rex was presented with International President Choi’s Banner for the club’s 70th Charter Anniversary by DG Dave Skrivanek. >>>>
In conjunction with the Southern Re-gional Leo Club, the Stafford Township Lions Club provided $100 worth of pa-jamas to the National Pajama Program, a nonprofit organization, promoting and supporting a comforting bedtime rou-tine for children affected by instability to help them thrive. Their website is: pajamaprogram.org/. For each pair of pajamas donated; Scholastic Book Clubs donated a brand new book to Pajama Program to be distributed to kids in need. <<<< Special thanks to Stafford Lions members (L to R) Susan Mueller, Nancy Welsh, Alice Schovanec and Gladys Casamento who launched this project.
Stafford Township Club Stafford Township Lions Club’s 2019 WHITE CANE FUNDRAISER, under the direction of Ken Welsh, was a huge success. The club will continue its 2020 fundraiser at the following lo-cations: Walmart, Rt. 72 Manahawkin, and at Bageleddies, Long Beach Blvd, Ship Bottom. 100% of all money donated will be distrib-uted to approved charities, elimi-nating all administrative costs. The Stafford Lions would like to thank all the patrons who have donated! Dates and times TBD for the 2020 fundraiser during the beginning of the summer!
<<<(L to R) White Cane organizer, Ken Welsh, STLC President, Tom Rex and Lion Bob Skrable.
All text & pictures contributed by Rosalinda Armentano.
19
News from the Clubs of District 16L
Middletown Township Club
Lions and friends cook at Bayshore Lunch Program With Judy Hands — with Kathy Smith-Logan and John
Giordano at Bayshore Lunch Program.
Brigantine Club
On October 8, 2019, 14 members of the Brigantine Lions Club traveled to The Seeing Eye, Inc. campus in Mor-ristown, N.J. to present a $5,000 do-nation to the non-profit organiza-tion. Since 2005, the Brigantine Li-ons have donated more than $30,000 to The Seeing Eye mission. Seeing Eye President Glenn Hoa-gland, along with Seeing Eye Pen-nies for Puppies volunteers Don MacGowan and Kathy Murray, wel-comed the group and accepted the check on behalf of The Seeing Eye. The donation was made in loving memory of past Brigantine Lion President Tom Milhous. >>>>
Above: L to R: Lion Secretary Carole Mooney, Seeing Eye Presi-dent & CEO Glenn Hoagland, Brigantine Lion Annamaria
Milhous, Brigantine Lion President Louis Marchesani.
Hammonton Club
<<<<The Hammonton Lions and family members volun-teered at the refreshment stand at Field of Dreams during the last game of the fall season. Field of Dreams, located in Absecon, NJ, serves disabled children who participate on baseball teams to play the sport during the fall and spring seasons. Helping the Lions (in front row) are Lion Cubs Colin(l) and Ryan(r) whose parents are Lions Mike and Becky Villani.
20
News from the Clubs of District 16L
News from the Clubs of District 16L
Paying It Forward - Clubs Supporting Each Other
Back in the Lion year of 2014-2015, Lion Nancy Sapper, of the Berlin Club, discovered that a married couple - work colleagues of hers, as well as friends - were going through some very tough times with their son. At that time, he was about nine years old, autistic and experi-encing a number of seizures daily, including during his sleep. The parents alternated staying awake at nights in order to keep watch over their son and it was taking a tremendous toll on all of their lives. Lion Nancy decided to somehow raise money to pur-chase & train a service dog for that young man. She ap-pealed to all the Lions of the newly reorganized District 16L at a District Meeting. Her passionate appeal had a great response and just happened to occur at a fortui-tous time, as both Districts 16C & B had to dispose of their Charitable Foundations’ funds in an appropriate manner. (in order to create a new 16L Charitable Foun-dation) Each Foundation contributed money towards the appeal, in addition to various clubs and individuals. The Berlin Club kept the money in a separate account and over a period of time, paid for the purchase of the dog and all the accompanying needed items, such as veterinarian visits, training, supplies, etc.. Eventually, the family legally declared that any remaining balance of the funds could be used for someone or something else related to autism, as their child was now doing well with his constant four legged companion.
Recently, the Hammonton Club was asking for support in raising $25,000 to purchase a similar type service dog for a family with not one, but two autistic children - ages 3 and 5 years old. The idea to pass along this money was presented at a Berlin Club business meeting where it was unanimously and enthusiastically approved. Lion Nancy and fellow Berlin member, Jane Lloyd, attended the November 19th meeting of the Hammon-ton Club. It was a very emotional happening, as Nancy decided to make a presentation, not only of the signifi-cant size check, but to also explain the background be-hind the donation. She did not know that the father and grandmother of the two children were present at the meeting. Apparently, there was not a dry eye in the house, as they say. It came together that evening - the donations from the two prior Charitable Foundations, money from various donors at that prior District Meeting, and other sources, including the Berlin Lions Club. The Hammonton Club is still in need of more funds however to support this fami-ly and will very much appreciate your consideration. Donations can be mailed to the Hammonton Lions Club; c/o Lori Orsi, Treasurer; 345 E Pleasant Street, Hammon-ton, NJ 08037. Another great example of “We Serve.”
Pictured L to R: Father & grandmother of two autistic toddlers, Nancy Sapper & Jane Lloyd of Berlin Club, and Matthew Zuccarello, President of Hammonton Li-ons Club at a November Hammonton Meeting.
21
News from the Clubs of District 16L
Medford Lakes Club
Boxes of food packed and stacked, with helping hands of Shaw-nee swim team, ready to be distributed at Christmas time. Note the special printing on each box!!
Great turnout at the Medford Lakes Lions for their annual turkey raffle. They raffled off twenty turkeys. This fundraiser raised $3600 to offset the cost of their holiday programs. They gave out 90 holiday meals and gifts for the chil-dren. They also gave out gift certificates for shoes.
The Medford Lakes Lions also gave gifts to the children. Some lucky kids received bikes as well from the Lions.
What a wonderful night at the Medford Halloween Parade with a timely reminder at the front of the float. (above and below)
Children enjoy decorating of cookies the eve of Christmas tree lighting & parade.
22
News from the Clubs of District 16L
Avalon Club
Thanks to the work of volunteers and donations from the Cape May County area, hundreds of needy individuals and families are fed by the Holy Redeemer Food Pantry located on Route 9 in Swainton. The cold and slow winter months take an especially harsh toll on the homeless, the sick and the elderly. The Avalon Lions Club, that also has several of its members volunteer at the pantry, donated $12,000 to the non-profit operation, during January, when the need is the most.
On December 12th the Avalon Lions held their annual Holiday General Dinner Meeting. They gave a check in the amount of $2,000 and lots of toys donated by gen-erous members to Toys for Tots!
Winter hits hard at communities near the Jersey Shore. Economic problems lurk in the cold for the unemployed, the homeless, the sick and the elderly. The Branches Out-reach Center in Rio Grande provides a warm, inviting safe-ty net for individuals and families in need. The Avalon Li-ons Club recognized the work of the non-profit agency by donating $6,000 to lend a helping hand. The Branches feeds, clothes and provides shelter at its Rio Grande loca-tion year round.
During their November General Membership meeting, the Avalon Lions Club presented a check for $6,000 to Habitat for Humanity, Cape May County. Habitat is currently building its nineteenth house that will be matched with a family who pitch in to work on it, then take on all the responsibilities of home ownership.
The check is presented to Sarah Matthews, (left) Executive Director of Habitat for Human-ity, Cape May County by Avalon Lions Club members and Habitat volunteers Tom Burns, Carmen Scarpa and Nina Ansel.
23
News from the Clubs of District 16L
Gloucester City Club
Lion William Dilks, Sr. was honored for his many years of service as a Lion. He has been a Lion since 1963. Family members gathered for this pose.
L to R in back row are: Paul Dilks, Jack Dilks, Conrad Dilks, William Dilks Jr., Jaunice Dilks, and Ria Dilks. Seated are: William Dilks Sr. and Jaunice Dilks.
Congratulations to Pastor William Dilks Jr , of the Gloucester City Lions Club, who was honored by the Gloucester City Counsel and Mayor Daniel Spencer for his overall contribution to the city. Mrs. Dilks is on the right.
These four members in particular have been the most faithful in this arena and are so proud to offer this ser-vice to the community schools. The Stone Harbor/Greater Wildwood eye screenings for the 2019 calendar year were held on 1/19, 6/5, 10/8, 10/23, 11/13, 11/14, 12/10, 12/11, and 12/12. Seven different schools, seven volunteers, for a total of 1,893 students screened. They already have schools scheduled for next school year and know they will add two new schools. >>>>>
Greater Wildwoods Club
Left: Ann & Buddy Bertram; Right: Carol & Phil Fiore - all formerly of the Stone Harbor Club.
24
News from the Clubs of District 16L
Your Highlands Lions Club with the Town Council approved and dedicated a refurbished mail box into a beau-tiful Lions Eyeglass, Hearing Aid, Cell Phone Collection Box. Project Chaired by Lion James Guerrieri, Box Do-nated by Craig Finnegan (of Middletown Lions) and refurbished by Lentz Auto Body of Belford, NJ, Lettering by Robert Gamache.
L. to R. Ken Braswell Council/Lion, James Guerrieri Sr. Lion(Zone 1 Chair), Shelia Weinstock Lion, Carolyn Broullon Council, Nina Flannery Lion, Kim Gonzales Administrator, Rick O'Neil Mayor, Steve Denis Lentz Auto Body Belford, NJ, Craig Finnegan Past District Governor/ Middletown Lion, Frank McGarry Highlands Lions Club President. Matthew Conlon Clerk (not Pictured)
Your Highlands Lions Club donated Hams to OLPH food pantry to help round out Holiday meals. Pictured here Lions Frank McGarry and Russel Card but the whole club makes it possible.
Highlands Club
Your Highlands Lions Club had a Holiday Party at Bahrs with the Atlantic Highlands Lions and Atlantic Highlands LEO'S. The spir-it of the Holidays was very much present at the party. They are looking forward to being present all year through with service projects.
25
Southern Regional Leo Club Sponsored by the
Stafford Township Lions Club
News from the Leo Clubs of District 16L
Photo: Tom Rex, Stafford Township Lions President and SRLC students
The Southern Regional Leo Club, Stafford Township Lions Club and local radio station WOBM 92.7 spon-sored “Stuff the Bus” school supply donation drive, collaborated to collect, package and ship 11 cartons of school supplies to Lion Matt Samuel of the Ft. Pierce Lions Club, Ft. Pierce, Florida. Samuel, Disas-ter Chairman, of Florida, Bahamas, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao received a request from Lion Celeste Bent of the Freeport, Bahamas Lions Club and school-teacher requesting school supplies to help her re-open two schools due to weather disaster. Katie Cherney, Leo Advisor and Social Studies teacher at Southern Regional Middle School, organized the school supply donations with the SRLC students. Two schools in Freeport, Bahamas will be the recipients of the folders, lined paper, binders, markers, pencils, crayons, and other school essentials.
On Thursday, December 18th, the Southern Regional Leo Club installed 18 new middle school members. New Leo member, Sean Carney, was recognized for his participation in the Lions Clubs’ annual Peace Poster contest. The theme this year was “Journey of Peace”. Katie Cherney, Leo Club advisor, also re-ceived a recognition award for her creativity in iden-tifying needs that can be addressed and successfully completed by the Leos. The Leos are fortunate to have a caring leader that instills in them the im-portance of giving back. This club has so far this year collected 27 pairs of new pajamas for “Pajamas Pro-
gram”, donated funds from pencil sales to David’s Dream and Believe Cancer Foundation, and collected gloves, hats and scarfs on the “warming tree” for those in need. The Southern Regional Leo Club has several projects slated for the start of the 2020 year. The club will be collecting manufacturer's coupons for military fami-lies as part of the 7th grade “Southern Serves” Day in February. The club is involved with Troopons a pro-gram that helps military stationed around the world. https://supportourtroops.org/troopons Southern Regional Leos are going to pair up with Da-vid’s Dream and Believe and make cancer treatment bags and collecting various of items for this cause such as blankets, socks, books, Chapstick, crayons, just to mention a few. Souper Bowl, - not a spelling error: Leos will be col-lecting canned soup for donation to Ken's Kitchen at St. Mary’s Church in Manahawkin. Stafford Township Lions will be helping SRLC reach their goal.
All SRLC text and pictures contributed by Rosalinda Armentano.
This Leo Club was acknowledged by their High School for their assistance with the Gloucester City
Lions pancake breakfast on November 17th.
Gloucester City Leo Club Sponsored
by the Gloucester City Lions Club
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News from the Leo Clubs of District 16L
Deptford Pride Leo Club Sponsored by the Deptford Lions Club
Visit www.leosforum.org for information.
Clockwise starting upper left corner: MaryAnn Sullivan of the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation visited the Deptford Leo’s & received a donation; the Leo’s visited an assisted living home & created crafts with the resi-dents; they participated in the Helping Hands Outreach Program by gathering used coats, blankets, hats and gloves.