Month: April 2011

Lions Tales

 Volume 2, Number 3                                          March, 2011

 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE                                 Aida Raider

     Every so often a real life story goes unnoticed.  The following is the true story of one woman who truly cares.

     I received this from my former missionary roommate who now lives in Singapore.   I am happy to share it with you.

 A Garbage Collector with a Heart of Gold!

     Sixty-four year-old sanitary worker and garbage collector Li Yukun has long passed her retirement age of 50 in China but she begged the Wendeng environmental protection department to let her keep her job because she has more than 10 students to support. Since 1998, Li has helped 15 students from poor families…

     Kang Yujing, a senior at Qufu Normal University in East China’s Shandong Province, is one of the 15 students helped by Li. She had been receiving 1,000 yuan yearly over the past four years from the kindhearted grandmother.  But she never imagined her “Rich Uncle Li” would turn out to be a sanitary worker and garbage collector, or even a 64- year-old woman, before meeting her in April.  After finding out the identity of her “angel”, the year four undergraduate of Qufu Normal University decided to visit her.  When she saw Li sweeping the Wendeng Street, Kang ran towards her and held her tightly.   At their meeting on April 19, 2010, Kang burst into tears in Li Yukun’s arms after learning it is this 64-year old grandmother who has been giving her 1,000 yuan each year.   She had never imagined that the money given to her was from such a humble old woman doing such hard work.  “I had always thought that the philanthropist was a rich man called ‘Uncle Li’.”

Before their meeting on April 19, in her thank-you letters Kang addressed her as “Uncle Li”.  Li, whose colleagues call her “Iron Feet Li”, has always spent all her money helping the poor and the underprivileged. She leads a very simple life and lives in a crude home with an old donated TV set as the only appliance.  Wendeng’s construction bureau has given Li 50,000 yuan for living expenses, but she has donated all of the money, against the advice of her colleagues.   She also decided, after discussing it with her two married daughters, to donate her organs after her death.

     Li has also donated 100,000 yuan to victims of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and to other charitable causes.  Li may be just a poor garbage collector but she has a heart of gold!

      It is people like her that make our world a much better place.

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God, it seems that there is so much to be done and so little time to do it.  Let me step back and decide what I really need to do.    Amen

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 BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND FOUNDATION TRUSTEES MEETING

 A  Meeting of the Fort Collins Board of Directors and the Foundation Trustees was held on March 17, 2011 after the Regular Club Meeting at Café Columbine.

 PURPOSE:  The purpose of the meeting was to allocate funds to the Japan Disaster.

 A Motion was made by Carole Kitchell to donate $5000 to the Japan Disaster with $2000 ear marked for Japan and $3000 going to the General Fund.  It was seconded by Aida Raider.  The Motion passed.

 Irene Toliver, Secretary

April Programs

4/7  –  Fred Kaehler       Mary Beth Solano- “The Many Ways To Learn English in the Poudre School District”

4/14 – Ted Blevins         John Hafnor, Author “Strange But True, Colorado”
 
4/21 – Bob Kitchell         TBA—Either a CSU fish biologist or a forest service Specialist

4/28 – Lois Atwood        Tanya Thyfault-“First Person Report on the Kidney Transplant Program

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Lions Tales

Volume 2, Number 2                                      February, 2011

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE                                 Aida Raider

    Every once in a while something I read impacts my life enough, to not only put it into practice, but share it proudly.  Following is a gem from one of my favorite writers.

 ATTITUDE

By Charles Swindoll

    The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think of me or say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  It will make or break a company…a church…a home.

    The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

    And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.

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   Thanks to Doug Max and his committee members for a most enjoyable Valentine’s Day celebration.

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DISTRICT CONVENTION

    The Lions of District 6NE will be gathering in Estes Park on May 13 – 14, 2011, for the annual District Convention. The festivities will begin Friday at 3:30 PM with Lion District Governor Ron Lockner’s last cabinet meeting. Dinner will follow. The theme of the evening is “Working on the Railroad.” All who attend are encouraged to dress appropriate to the theme.

     On Saturday, May 14th, the day’s events will begin at 8:30 AM. The full agenda for the day will be published in the March District Newsletter. Time has been planned in the afternoon’s schedule to allow you to shop or visit the sights of Estes Park. A reception for Guest Speaker International Director Richard Sawyer and his wife, Fay, is planned beginning at 5:30 PM. Our own Funke Trio will provide the music for this event. The District Banquet follows at 6:30 PM.  Dress for the banquet is Formal/semi-formal.

     Lions Tobey Yadon, Irene Toliver and DG Ron Lockner have the Registration forms. As in past years the Fort Collins Lions plan to supplement its member’s convention cost by paying $40. Please submit your completed registration forms to Lion Tobey Yadon who will forward them to the convention chairman and bill you in the next billing cycle.

     Register now and plan to come to Estes Park and celebrate Lion Ron Lockner’s year as our District Governor.

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      Nothing will have a greater impact on your future than the choices you make today…not the state of society, the condition of the government, the health of the economy, or anything else.  Those things are outside of your control.  What is under your control is what you choose to do…or not to do.  Each time you make a choice, you move a little farther in a particular direction, for good or for ill.  Choose wisely, and the bridge you build will take you to the future you desire.

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 EDITOR’S NOTE

    Currently we’re thinking of including photos of such things as new members, presentation of awards, projects such as pancake breakfasts, etc. in future Lions Tales.  I’d very much appreciate hearing your ideas regarding other “copy” for “your” newsletter! 

    If you have anything you’d like to see in the Lions Tales, please contact me.