Winter 2019

Magnolia Lion

Lions of Mississ ippi /Lions Sight Foundat ion

Avery McKinley 2

Lights for Sight 3

District 30-M

News

4&5

District 30-s

News

6&7

Inside this issue: The Council of Governors would like to wish you and yours the very best during the holiday

season, They would also like to remind you that the holiday season is the perfect time to give a

special gift to White Cane by purchasing a Light for Sight to honor someone or an Avery

McKinley Award to demonstrate your personal commitment to White Cane and the many

projects that the Lions Sight Foundation supports.

The Holidays...The Perfect Time for White Cane

Holiday Edition

White Cane Funds:

• MS Lions Eye Bank

• Hearing and Deaf

• Sight Screening

• Diabetes

Awareness

• Sea and Sun

Camp

Mississippi Lions Leadership Institute

Gulf Hills Hotel & Conference Center, Ocean Springs

May 28-30, 2020

We are now accepting nominations for candidates for the Mississippi Lions Leadership Insti-

tute. This event is open to PDGs, Zone & Region Chairmen, Club Presidents, Vice Presidents,

and Secretaries, as well as any Lion that wishes to increase their knowledge of Lions Clubs

and their leadership skills. Please ask your club for support. We would like to ask past MLLI

graduates to identify and nominate at least one Lion who you think would benefit. Please

submit nominations to:

GLT Coordinator PCC Charles Johnson at charles0889@bellsouth.net

Avery McKinley Award Thank you for your participation in the

“Dr. Avery McKinley Award” program.

Your personal contribution of $25 not

only enhances your White Cane Pro-

gram, but also pays tribute to a great

Lion.

Lion McKinley was a man that was

dedicated to his community. He par-

ticipated in Boy Scouts, Little League,

the American Legion, and the

Shriners. He was a Mason and a

member of the Trinity Episcopal

Church of Natchez. He received his

Optometry Degree from the Northern

Illinois College of Optometry, and

served the Medical Corp during World

War II.

Lion Avery McKinley was a member of

the Natchez Lions Club from 1950 to

1996. Lion McKinley had served his

Club in every office except Secretary

and Treasurer. He had also complet-

ed his 46 years of service with a rec-

ord of perfect attendance.

Lion McKinley served as District Gov-

ernor in 1958-59. He served as Coun-

cil Chairman this same year. This was

a period when the Chairman was se-

lected from the sitting Council of Gov-

ernors. In 1960, Lion McKinley re-

ceived the International Presidents

Award and was selected by the

Natchez Lions Club as “Man of the

Year”. In 1989, Lion McKinley was

inducted into the Mississippi Lions

Clubs “Hall of Fame” and was also

honored as a “Melvin Jones Fellow”.

In 1995, Lion McKinley was present-

ed with a Life Membership by the

Natchez Lions Club.

Lion McKinley helped to spearhead

the founding of the Mississippi Eye

Bank. He put many hours of service

and miles of travel into this organiza-

tion while serving as its chairman.

The Mississippi Lions Eye Bank is rec-

ognized as one of the greatest in the

world. The status that it holds is a

tribute to the great leadership provid-

ed by Lion McKinley in its early days.

The 1996 30-I Mid-Winter Conference

is one the Lions of Mississippi will

never forget. Seated directly in front

of the podium, waiting for the speak-

er to begin, “Doc” slumped over in his

chair. All efforts to revive him failed.

At the hospital, his wife, Francis, in-

formed personnel that “Doc” was a

donor. Because of “Doc’s” gift, two

people received sight. Even in death

he continued to serve.

In 1998, the Lions of Mississippi de-

cided to honor Dr. McKinley with the

creation of a pin that embodied his

giving spirit. The pin’s design would

change annually and proceeds from

pin sales would be given to the Lions

Sight Foundation in conjunction with

White Cane, the major fundraising

drive of the Lions Clubs of Mississip-

pi.

The tradition lives on now in the form

of a personal commitment that Lions

are asked to honor each year. By do-

ing so this year, they receive a unique

pin that continues to honor “Doc”

McKinley and help fund the state’s

various service projects. This will be

the first year that the progressive pin

design will be available to those mak-

ing an individual commitment. A new

dangle will be designed and added to

the pin to show the years of commit-

ment made by a Lion. Please see the

application below and start your pro-

gressive Avery McKinley today.

District 30-M District Governor

News Mike Dowd

Mid-Winter Convention time is nearing. Here are the important things you need to know. We elect our District Governor for the next Lions year at Mid-Winter. We also elect the First and Second Vice District Governors. There are requirements for these offices. Mid-Winter is when we nominate Lions to serve on Multiple District (or state) com-mittees. Their election takes place at the state convention in May. Our District has 20 com-mittee vacancies. The main eligibility requirement for any com-mittee is a willingness to serve. Ask your club for a written recommendation. Are you now serving on a state committee and your term is ending? You can seek re-nomination. All we need is your club’s recommendation. A Lion can serve on more than one committee. The Lions Sight Foundation has four vacancies for a 3-year term. There are also two 1-year vacancies on the LSF. Six other committees and each has two 3-year term openings. These committees are Diabetes Awareness, Hearing and Deaf, Sight Screening, All-State Band, Boys Leadership Conference and Girls Leadership Conference. One unique committee needs two Lions. A member of the Activities Corporation cannot serve on another committee. I ask each club president to encourage your members to volunteer for a state committee. I am also asking each club president to consider being a zone chair in your geographic area next year. The District Governor-Elect will be calling many of you after Mid-Winter. Speaking of Mid-Winter, let’s discuss the cost of hotel and meals. Please reproduce the reg-istration form. Convention registration is $20. That’s the same as last year. It’s okay to attend just the business meeting. Please remember the social aspect of Lionism. Lake Tiak O’Khata reserved a limited number of rooms at a special Lions rate ($89). To get that rate, call the hotel (888-845-6151) before December 10th. There is another event at the Lake that weekend. Saturday night’s formal banquet is the only meal needing advanced reservations. The cost is $35 – same as last year. We’ll have a cash bar an hour before banquet time. The Louis-ville Lions Club has a hospitality suite Friday and Saturday nights. Our banquet speaker is International Director Shea Nickell and his wife Lion Carolyn from the Paducah, Kentucky Lions Club. Director Nickell serves as the Chief Judge Pro Tempore of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. He’s been a Lion

for more than 30 years. All other meals are “on your own.” There are many great eater-ies in Louisville. Tiak O’Khata is the most famous. Their Friday seafood buffet is $18.95. A blue-grass and country gospel group begins entertain-ing us at 6:30. You don’t want to miss that. The breakfast buffet is $10.50. The lunch buffet on Satur-day is $13.50. Hosting a convention means expenses for the District. Please ask your club to sponsor an ad in our conven-tion program. Recog-nize faithful club mem-bers, club milestone events or “officially” welcome your new Lions with a conven-tion ad. We also accept individual and busi-ness ads. Please call VDG Andy K (662.549.3421) for more information. The cost of a black and white ad is $100 (full page), $50 (half page) or $25 (quarter page). Ad content is due by January 10. Mid-Winter is the District’s primary fund-raising event for the Lions Sight Foundation. We will have a 50/50 raffle and a silent auc-tion. The 50/50 raffle winner receives half of the proceeds and the LSF receives the other half. We need silent auction donations from clubs and individuals. Let VDG Tommy Ragan (662.663.1391) know if you or your club has a donation but can’t attend Mid-Winter. He’ll find someone nearby to bring that donation to Mid-Winter. All we need to know is who made the contribution, suggest an opening bid and the actual value of the silent auction item. Gift cards, household items, tools, or one-of-a-kind things make for a great silent auction. Please bid high on silent auction items. Pur-chase plenty of raffle tickets. Be very generous to the tail twister. District 30-M donates 100% of all that money to the LSF. Serving requires money. Our motto is “We Serve.” See you in Louisville on January 24-25.

District 30-M

Mid-Winter

Convention Lake Tiak O’ Khata

January 24-25, 2020

Please Mark Your

Calendar...

Lions in the News...

Lion Harvey Nixon (right) announced to the Council of Governors

at their last regularly scheduled meeting that the Diabetes

Camp will be named in memory of Lion Destiny Dickson. Pre-

sent for the announcement were CC Charlotte & CC Richie Dick-

son. The camp was the brainchild of Lion Destiny while she was

serving on the Diabetes Awareness Committee.

District 30-S District Governor

News Larry DeLeon

To My Fellow Lions … I would like to personally thank all of you for the service projects that you have provided to your communities throughout the district. As Lions, you all serve your communities, giving thousands of hours to make the lives of the people in your community better. Alt-hough I cannot mention all the service pro-jects that have been performed in the district up to this point, I would like to report on a few things that have been brought to my attention. First, the Clinton Lions Club has taken on a major project in their community. This pro-ject has been partially funded by a grant from Lions Club International Foundation, LCIF. LCIF has awarded a $100,000 matching grant to the Clinton Lions Club which the city of Clinton matched, in order to construct a new all-accessible playground. As a result of the Clinton Lions Club and the Lions Clubs International Foundation’s matching grant, enthusiasm in the community has snow-balled. Other organizations and business have gotten involved and the playground has grown into a million-dollar project. The groundbreaking was held in August with Clin-ton Lions Club President Scott Vernon thank-ing the community for their support. Specta-tors gathered around the site that was pre-pared for the future pavilion. The park will be located across from Leake Street, in close proximity to the former Lions Club Park. As you can tell there was a lot of interest in this project by the community and those that would be affected by this project. One of the attendees was quoted as saying, “When I was young, it was really hard to get on the playground because there would be gravel and rocks and everything, so a lot of times I would have to sit on the sidelines and watch them play, so I think it’s really good that chil-dren and even adults will be able to play on the playground.” Another unidentified guest was heard to say that this park will make a difference in the lives of the children in the metro. Once completed, the park will feature an amphitheater, walking trail, restrooms and inclusive play structures designed for use by children of all abilities. According to officials the project is scheduled to be complete in December. As we all know, Lions projects do

not become a reality without your support. We need more Lions to step up and become involved. That’s why I’m happy to Welcome the Metro Leo Club to the “Pride”. Recently, 41 students from the surrounding area came together to become our newest Leo Club. Students from NW Rankin HS, Pearl HS, Jack-son Academy, Madison Central HS and Ger-mantown HS are represented in the Metro Club. The club is sponsored by the Madison Lions Club and the excitement this group has generated is continuing to grow throughout the Hinds, Madison and Rankin public and private school systems. A large percentage of the club are former members of the Lions of Mississippi All-State Band. Those students encouraged their fellow students to join the club and as a result, on the 9th of November, Lion Betsy Landers, President of the Madison Lions Club, inducted the new members into the Metro Leo Club. Family and friends gath-ered to show their support for their commit-ment to serve. The following Leos were elect-ed by their club members to serve in the fol-lowing offices: Sarah Ross, President, Ann Carraway Caruthers, Vice-President, J J Salo-ni, Secretary, Hannah Lando, Treasurer, Kim-brell Hinds, Membership Chair, Kathleen Pierce, Social Media Chair, Brooke Molen, Service Chair and Kathryn Jarjoura, Director. These Leos will serve for a year at the admin-istrative level. During their second meeting 21 new members signed up to become the charter membership of the Metro Leos Club. While Lions Clubs International requires a minimum of ten members to charter, this Club far exceeded what was required to earn their Charter. They have already participated in two service projects: 1. Volunteering at Batson Children’s Hospital and 2. A Pearl River clean up project. I Look for-ward to seeing what this Leo Club does in our district in the future. I would like to ask clubs to make a contribution the Metro Club’s gen-eral and/or activity ac-counts to help establish

a solid foundation from which to work and ensure a strong presence in their communi-ty. Please contact the Madison Lions Club if your club is able to assist. A note on the upcoming District Midwinter Convention. Current plans are to have a training session utilizing the Plusoptix vision screening device. Your club does not have to currently own one or have access to the ma-chines in order for you to participate. Our long term goal is to purchase two of these machines for the district and to allow clubs to borrow the devices to conduct visual screenings in their local community. In order for these machines to be available for your club’s use, a member of the club must re-ceive adequate training prior to its usage. WE SERVE!

At the recent groundbreaking for the new all-

accessible park, Clinton Lions Club President,

Scott Vernon thanks everyone for their support.

Thanks largely in part to the Clinton Lions Club and a grant received by LCIF, the

groundbreaking for an all accessible playground was held in Clinton in August.

DISTRICT 30-S Mid-Winter Convention

Friday & Saturday January 10 & 11, 2020

(Early Registration Ends December 20, 2020) Doubletree by Hilton Hattiesburg Group name: Lions Club District 30-S 10 Gateway Drive (Early Reg $95* / Late Reg $115*) + Tax Hattiesburg, MS 39402 *Breakfast included in price of room Registration begins at 3 pm Friday and Early Registration puts you in for a 8 am Saturday – Main Entrance a drawing to have your room comped

Name___________________________________________ Phone ________________________

Spouse/Guest ___________________________________ Club _________________________

Mailing Address_________________________________________________________________

City _____________________________________________ Zip ______________________

Hilton Honors #_________________ 2000 Pts will be added to account after stay. Website for enrollment in Hilton Honors: https://www.hilton.com/en/hilton-hounors/join/ Package Deal: Registration and 2 meals # ______@ $130 ea = $_________ Friday night only, Registration and Dinner# ______@ $50 ea = $__________ Registration, only attending Saturday # ______@ $20 ea = $__________ District Governor’s Banquet, Registration and Dinner # ______@ $60 ea = $__________ Saturday Box Lunch #______@ $15 ea = $__________ Total amount enclosed = $___________ Friday Dinner Buffet (Pick top two): ___Fried Fish ___Pulled Pork ___Hamburgers ___Hotdogs Fries / Kettle Chips / Coleslaw / Bake Beans / Sweet Potato Pie / Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake Saturday Box Lunch: ___ Roast Beef ___ Chicken Wrap ___ Club Sandwich ___ Veggie Wrap Saturday Dinner Buffet (Pick top two): ___Baked Chicken Breast ____Steak ____Salmon Mixed Greens / Potato Salad / Fruit Salad / Chocolate Mudslide Cake / (NY/Sea Salt Caramel Cheesecake) Babysitting will be available Friday and Saturday Night from 5-9pm. Provided by Hattiesburg Girl Scouts, asking $5 dollars per child. Snacks & entertainment will be provided. Please pay direct. Friday Night Babysitting # ___ @ $5 per Hr = $______ Saturday Night Babysitting # ___ @ $5 per Hr = $______

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: LIONS OF MS DIST 30-S PLEASE MAIL FORM AND CHECK TO: Lion Greg Palmer 206 Greenfield Pl

Brandon, MS 39047

Lions o f Miss i ss ippi /

Lions Sight Foundation 431 Katherine Drive

Flowood MS 39232

Phone: 601-420-5752

Fax: 601-420-5743

E-mail: Lionsofms@aol.com

Website: lionsofms.org

We Serve!