“A Country Club Trying to Serve Its Country”

·         Shall attempt to promote harmony, good fellowship, life and enthusiasm in the meetings through appropriate stunts, games and the judicious imposition of fines on Club Members.

·         There shall be no ruling against his/her decision in imposing the appropriate fine. The minimum fine shall be twenty-five cents.

·         All fines imposed must be paid; change will not be given for a fine; if a Member does not have a quarter, the next denomination up must be paid: 50-cent piece, one dollar bill, and so on.

·         No member shall be fined more than twice at any one meeting.

·         The Tail Twister may not be fined except by the unanimous vote of all members present.

·         All monies collected by the Tail Twister, shall be immediately turned over to the Treasurer, who will place same in the administrative account.

 

Beginning with our next meeting, October 16, the Cranbury Lions will try to bring back this honored tradition – having fun at our meetings. To that end, please give a hand to our new Tail Twister…Lion Joe Carroll. A word of advice…Bring quarters.

 

A laurel and hearty handshake to Cranbury Day Chair Don Herr and all the Lions who participated to make our Cranbury Day Fundraisers such a success. This year’s net profit from the food booth, the ice cream cart and the 50/50 was $2,187.50 – over $500 more than last year!

 

Lion Mahlon Thompson advises that the Golden Agers Luncheon was an enjoyable afternoon, in spite of a few “minor” problems, which he and the attending Lions were able to correct. A giant Attaboy to Lion Mahlon, his Co-Chair Joe Addonizio, and their entire Committee for making another Annual Golden Agers Luncheon a success.

 

The dedication of the Cranbury Lions’ Todd Beamer Memorial was a well attended, solemn, and well planned event.. The Beamers were moved by this act of kind acknowledgement by our Club. In the end, it was both moving and satisfying to see the Beamer children playing on and around the boulder. Thanks go out to all the Lions who attended, but especially to the Todd Beamer Memorial Committee: Lions Mike Kaiser, Dave Stout, Bob Virgadamo, and Howard Zogott. Please remember that this memorial is ongoing in the form of a scholarship, so donations will always be accepted. As a point of information, the Forum attendees were quite impressed with how we handled the memorial. In fact, the International 1^st Vice President, Dr. Tae-Sup Lee, donated $100 to the Scholarship Fund, and many Lions took our PO box address in order to forward club donations.

 

Once, when the Club was young, everyone’s birthday, wedding anniversary and/or Lions Anniversary was acknowledged by the members of Club. It was attempted to bring back this pleasant custom a few years ago, but for some reason it was not met with any enthusiasm.  We’d like to try “something old”, but with a twist. We would like every Member to check the Directory, then notify either Lion Dave Shaffer at daves@cranbury.org or Lion Bob Virgadamo, if one of those dates is incorrect or missing.

 

On Thursday, October 31^st, The Cranbury Lions will, once again, hold and host the Annual Children’s Halloween Party at the Cranbury School. Anyone who can lend a hand – or tote a bale – should contact Lions Rich Stannard, Roy Reinhardt or Bob Wood.

 

The Cranbury Arts Council has asked us to make a “Public Service Announcement”, and since it is for the good of the Community, the Board has approved the following. The Art Council’s “World Dialogue for Community Education” Program will occur in the Gourgaud Gallery on Sunday, November 10, from 3:00PM to 4:30PM. While the speaker is an incumbent congressman, the discussion will be on world affairs, not local politics.

 

And, a quick “Thanks” to Lion Frank Marlowe for filling in for the absent speaker at the October 2 meeting.

A Message From The President

While at the Forum, I discussed our Club’s programs with other club presidents and International Officers, and I am pleased to report that some of our programs will be brought back to clubs all over the U.S. and Canada for their Board’s approvals and implementation.

 

While some clubs have begun a website, and quite a few more are “in process”, we are looked upon as “pioneers” since we began our site in 1995, thanks to the foresight of former Lion Nick Altieri. But, just as important, some Clubs are using the Cranbury Lions site as a model, and for that we can thank our own Information & Technology Chairman, Lion Dave Shaffer. Not so amazingly, there was a great deal of excitement about the fact that the website can be used as a fundraiser. We ask each of our own Members to bring in just one advertiser to the website; one advertiser from each member will raise $8000.

 

Other projects that were admired were our Beamer Memorial Scholarship and Student Loan Program, our Parade Program, the Holiday Decorating Contest, our Senior Luncheon (Golden Agers), and our work with children (Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, liaison to the school, Halloween Party, Drug Free Fair/Quest, etc.).

 

As President of this Club, I was both honored and proud that the Cranbury Lions were looked upon so favorably by other clubs in the U.S and Canada. I would like to add my personal thanks and that of the Board of Directors, to the innovators of each of these programs and the many other programs that we run and/or sponsor, either as a fundraiser or as a community service. More importantly, I would like to thank all the Lions who come out and work these Club Projects – from our oldest, like the Pancake Breakfast and White Cane, to our newest, like the Golf Outing and the Thunder 50/50, and everything in between.

 

While I’m sure there is more we can do that we mightn’t of thought of yet, I experienced a certain amount of satisfaction in knowing there was not one single community service example heard at the Forum, that we could implement in Cranbury. Congratulations, Fellow Lions. It would appear that “We Serve” well!

 

On the other hand, we have room for another fundraiser or two, especially from January through April, just so long as they appeal to the community as worthwhile enough to give yet more dollars to the Lions. Some examples I heard, at the Forum, that we can’t, shouldn’t, or may not be able to do are: Entertainment books, a Bowl-a-thon, a taco trailer, and cow pattie bingo (cow pattie bingo?!). However, we might be able to interest the community in an Fine Art Auction (which could ‘replace’ our clock auction), a Silent Auction, Chinese Auction, or a themed or unthemed dinner dance, any of which could take place during those bleak winter months when everyone is looking for an escape from the doldrums.  I will bring these suggestions to the Board of Directors, and report back to the membership on their decision.

 

It is a tribute to the members of our Club that our community, and Lions everywhere, look at us and recognize that we are a group who are ready, willing, and able to help whenever there is a need. “We Serve”

 

Reminders

Lion Frank Marlowe has been our Program Chair for a few years now, and has done quite an excellent job lining up speakers for our bi-monthly meetings. You can all imagine how difficult it can be, finding 20 speakers per year that will be of relative interest to all our Members!  We all come in contact with someone interesting on a regular basis. When you do, or if you have any suggestions for speakers, please give Frank a call, or e-mail him at marlowe@cranburynj.com .

 

Any member who learns of the sickness or death of another member, or in a member’s family, or any other similar incident or emergency, should contact Lion Bob Virgadamo to activate the “phone tree”, so that all members may be notified.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Our regular meeting schedule will be interrupted, temporarily, in January 2003. January 1^st  is the First Wednesday. For the month of January 2003, ONLY, our Meeting Schedule will be the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesdays – January 8^th and 22^nd. The Board will meet on January 7^th.

Member Pick-Up

Bob Perrine (Cranbury Elms) and Ed Lawson (5 S. Main)

10/2, Bob Wood – 10/16, Greg Overstreet – 11/6, Mahlon Thompson – 11/20, Dave Shaffer

If you cannot make your pick-up, and/or if you switch (or need to switch) with someone else, please notify Bob Virgadamo as soon as possible. Riders: please notify the assigned driver if you’re not going to make a meeting.