Posts/Blog

Fellow Lions,

Every outgoing President must face his last day in the leadership role. For me it is not easy.

My son just moved to Florida. I realize now that although I still care for him, I am no longer in charge of him. Even so, I still feel responsible for him in a way, and hope he’ll need my advice and even my help from time to time. That is also exactly how I feel about the Lions. A big difference however: my son has never really taken responsibility before, while our club has been succeeding for most of a century. Also, while my son is brand new at making decisions, our incoming President is eminently qualified to lead us through the next year.

When I was asked by Ted Blevins to become his Vice President, I felt that it was perhaps premature, and that I might not have the time to do it right, and that I might fail the club. I was also honored. I have no reservations about Doug Hutchinson leading us. He has shown himself to be a master of consensus building in his career and even since joining the Lions. He has also willingly stepped up and helped whenever needed. Again, I am honored. This time, honored to leave the club in the able care of a most capable leader.

My vision for the club has mostly come true. I wanted to change the culture of the club to encourage more guests to be invited (to increase membership, of course!) I wanted to expand our volunteer activities in the community. I was eager for the club to provide much more in the way of glasses and exams. And, I wanted another branch of the club. 3 out of 4 ain’t bad! The good news? I will still work on number 4. I hope to get it done this coming year with the blessing and hard work of the club.  I was blessed with the hard work of many people while I was President. You made me look good even when I felt I was struggling. I am so thankful.

Now, about our new President… I am sure he’ll have good ideas and will flavor the club with his way of doing things. I am sure that he will inspire us. I am sure that he will need our support, our hard work, and our encouragement to get things done. I am also sure that he will get it.
God bless,
David Lambertson

MEETING CHANGE

On June 6th the Lions will not meet at noon, but will meet at 6 PM at the Lentz home for a BBQ-potluck dinner. This will provide a unique opportunity to view Bill’s antique car collection.

Contact Lion Alex Chapman for more information and directions.

Shannon Trivona was selected at our club meeting to be our Zone representative at the District Speech Contest. The speech topic was “What opportunities do young people need to be successful in the future?”

 

From our new President …

 

I am humbled and honored to be serving as your president for a year. I know that my father, Paul Hutchinson—an ardent Lion who served as president in 1981—has to be looking down with a smile on his face and thinking “It’s a beautiful day in Fort Collins!”

The Fort Collins Lions is about all of you! It is a superb organization, with very fine people. We serve…. And perhaps our finest tradition is the camaraderie and fun we have as we serve.

You—every single member—are what makes this a great club. I see my role as setting a tone for fun, for friendship, and for helping us to continue the Lions’ rich tradition of service to our community.

I believe that everything falls from that fun and friendship…including growth of membership. Simply put, that is the strong Lions tradition I got from my father. And I believe we should foster that fine tradition. It works. Here’s how one of our new Lions explained his decision to join us: “I sat at a great table, with fine people who had a great sense of humor and were just plain fun. They made me feel comfortable. So I’ve decided that I want to be part of that. I’m joining!”

I think this is a very useful message for us.

I have found that wonderful spirit in the services that we perform for our community. We do have fun, and we have fun getting things done for our community.

Let us carry on that finest of traditions of the Fort Collins Lions. We serve…and we get personal rewards from our cooperative efforts to provide that service. And we have fun and make friends as we do it.

God bless you, our community, and our country.

Doug Hutchinson
President

 

I would like to remind all club members that I am still collecting Campbell Labels for the Lions Camp. If any of you need the list of what products these labels can be found on, just ask me and I will get you one. I turn them in to the camp once or twice a year. It is really very helpful to them in getting sporting equipment, craft supplies and office supplies for the camp. It does save them money but we need a lot of labels to get each item. You can just take the labels off the products or cut out the UPC symbol off products that are not soup or just bring me the whole thing and I will cut what is needed. When taking labels off can, try and be careful not to tear the points on the cans as then we can’t use them. Thanks so much to each and every Lion who helps with this project and if you get a chance go down to Lions Day at the camp in September. It is a great place and you can see how your donations are used.

Lion Faye Lockner

Spotlight on … 

 Faye grew up in the suburbs of Rochester, New York and after she and Ron got married, they bought a house there, as well. They moved to Fort Collins almost 20 years ago. Faye retired from the Larimer County Courts where she worked as a clerk in the civil and juvenile divisions.

 Faye and Ron have been married over 47 years and have four children: Kimberly, Richard, Elizabeth, and David. They also have three lovely granddaughters. Nicole is a student at Front Range and does competitive figure skating. Alice is in the fourth grade and is learning to play the trumpet. Ella is in first grade and enjoys gymnastics and just making herself beautiful in front of the mirror!

 Faye likes to travel to just about anywhere and then likes to learn about the area she is in. One of the best vacations she had was on a houseboat in Lake Powell for five days. They just cruised around the lake all day, took in the sights, and then beached the boat in a quiet area every night.

She enjoys doing crafts, reading, and working outside in her yard. She does some sewing, but not as much as she used to.

Faye has been in the Lions Club since 2008. She is on the camp committee and promotes the saving of Campbell soup labels for the camp. She is now the head of the Sight Committee and busy learning how this committee helps those in need of glasses. One of Faye’s favorite memories is attending the International Convention in Sydney, Australia, where Ron became District Governor.

Hello fellow Lions,

I am writing this message about commitment the day after my 4th wedding anniversary; quite a milestone for me, and one that reminded me of our service as Lions.

Recently, we gave out the awards from LCIF for some of our members who had served for more years than I have been alive. That is commitment. Many of our members have, in recent years, taken on additional responsibilities in the club. That is commitment. Some of our members served the club, literally, until they passed away. That is commitment.

I am asking that the club take on a new commitment. Yes, another one.

We already take care of children (KidSight, Read Aloud), and disabled children (Lions camp), the deaf (Hearing Committee), the sight impaired (Sight Program, Eyeglass recycling), the poor with Diabetes (Diabetes Program), the poor with eye problems needing surgery (Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank), those who are beyond medical help and losing vision (Ensight) and all manner of other needy people through donations to other charities and pancake breakfasts and individual effort in building ramps and just saying yes when others might say no. Oh, and let’s not forget out relief efforts during the High Park Fire, and hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Whew…that’s a mouthful. That doesn’t even count what we do for each other!

We also cover for each other in our club responsibilities, support each other through hard times, donate money, make phone calls, do paperwork, show up, take care of our Foundation, and generally help each other as we help seemingly everyone else! That’s a lot!

Those who read this, who don’t know us, might think that we are overwhelmed. Hopefully, what they read is that what we do is so important and fulfilling that we are willing to keep doing it. Willing to commit to keep doing it for our whole lives. Voluntarily, even if the press doesn’t recognize it. Just because it is good, and because being around others so inclined, satisfies us on a deep level, and because, very simply, our community needs us.

If you are a member, this is all what you have heard before and what you do. Nothing new here. If you were reading this for the first time though…..wouldn’t you be curious? Wouldn’t you want to know more? Might you want to meet the people who do this? Might you want to be a part of it?

I was invited to our club only a few short years ago by Alan Beatty, who told me that it was a great group of people that I should meet. I believed him, and am so grateful for that invitation. I did meet the group, and they were (and still are) great people that I admire and respect. I also saw an interesting speaker and ate lunch, both good.

Back to the commitment.

I am asking each one of you to invite two people to our club before April 15. When you do, tell them that they will see an interesting program and have lunch on the club. Tell them that they will enjoy meeting your friends there, and even drop the big names, the famous and somewhat famous members that we have.

When they ask about the club, refer to the long-winded paragraph above about all of the good we do, or just say, “Come see for yourself, and have lunch, it will be fun!” After they agree to come “sometime,” call them the next Wednesday to remind them. If they need a ride, call me, or anyone else in the club who drives.

The people we know in the community, our churches, our neighborhoods, and at other clubs and groups…these are the people to invite. They will enjoy themselves, and some may come back. Some will think it over. Some will decide to help out. Some will commit.

Let’s give them the opportunity.

–David Lambertson, President

Youth Exchange Program

Consider hosting an international student this summer. Carole Kitchell, District chair for this program, has a list of available students who are anxious to spend a few weeks in Colorado. Students arrive between July 27- 30 and spend a few weeks with you and your family before they go to camp August 11-17. They will be with you a few more days after their camp experience and return home between August 18 – 21. You can obtain more information about hosting an international student from Carole at 484-9012 or online at:

http://www.lionsdistrict6ne.org/doku.php?id=youth_exchange

BIG THANKS
to Carrie Graves for organizing our entry in the St. Patrick’s Parade on March 16. Lions Wayne Crownhart, Vic Meline, Tobey Yadon, Alan Beatty, David Lambertson, and Carrie Graves, along with Carrie’s son, Mitch Graves, and his friend, Patrick, walked the route, juggling, giving out candy and cards promoting Lions Club. Thanks also to all the Lions who donated candy for the cause! Way to go!

New Members

Please add these members to your directory. Check your email or contact Lions Irene Toliver for phone numbers, addresses and emails.

 The 9 Health Fair will be Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27 from 7AM until 12:00. Put it on your calendar to volunteer! Contact Lion Carole (484-9012) for more information.

 

The Project Smile luncheon will be held Friday, 4/19, 11:30-1:00 at the Prospect St. Hilton. The luncheon is free but it IS a fund raiser. (Donations) If you can attend, please let Lion Carole (484-9012) know so she can make reservations.