District 5M6

January 2019 District Governor Eileen Schirer www.lions5m-6.org

As this Vision Newsletter goes live, New Year’s celebrations welcoming in

2019 will be nearly complete. I wish everyone a successful new year. Does

your new year resolutions includes asking others to join you in service to

your community?

I appreciate the hospitality from all the clubs I have been out to visit in this

last six months. Including listening to clubs tell about what they are doing

here are some highlights of December visits: I awarded chevrons for a total of

180 years of service to Stillwater Lions, helped present many awards to

deserving members with the East Parks Lions, tied knots with the

Maplewood Oakdale Lions, sat on Santa’s lap and sang Christmas songs with

the Rosemount Lions, passed white elephants to the right and left with the

Burnsville Lions, and broke bread with the Downtown and Roseville Lions.

The District has others who would like to visit your club. Consider inviting a

trustee or committee chair to your meetings to hear about the organizations

we support. Or talk with a district GAT Chairperson to work with your club

on Membership, Leadership, or Service ideas. Hearing about clubs’ service to

communities this time of year is heartwarming. Let’s keep those in need in

mind as the winter months have just begun.

Come in Out of the MN Cold and join in the Fun at the 2019 “Convenzione Italiana con Festa”!

Thanks to All the Lions who are helping create a convention we can all enjoy. We have Service projects

ready for willing hands, a variety of sessions where you can learn something new. You can add to the

Fellowship by greeting old friends and meeting new ones. I look forward to seeing you there soon. Don’t

forget to register with or without meals we want to know you’re coming.

Happy New Year,

DG Eileen

Connecting Through Service

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Club Anniversaries ................. 2

1VDG - Tracy’s Tidbits ............ 2

Memorials ............................... 2

Awards .................................... 2

Mid-Winter Convention ......... 3

Mid-Winter Convention ......... 4

GMT Family & Women ........... 5

LITCP Scholarship .................. 5

RLLI ........................................ 6

Service Recognitions............... 6

Youth Camps & Exchange ...... 7

It’s All About Our Clubs .......... 8

New Members ......................... 8

Upcoming Events.................... 9

Membership YTD Gainers ...... 10

Important Links ...................... 10

Newsletter Deadline ............... 10

A Word from our District Governor, Lion Eileen Schirer

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I just want to take this time to say THANK YOU! I know how hard it is

coordinate and work at service projects and fundraiser’s during the

holidays! I have been going around the district helping deliver holiday

cheer. It has been amazing seeing all of your creativity and thoughtfulness

while helping your community! I can’t tell you how many people have tears

in their eyes from our services! They would not have any holidays without

us!

2018 has been a good year. I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store for all

of us! I hope it will be a terrific year for each and every one of you! May

your cups run over with Happiness and Health!

We need to celebrate each other and the good things we do. We are a

family. We can ring in the New Year together at Midwinter! There we can

have fun and show others what it means to be a Lion.

We are Lions because We Serve! For most of us

that is not a brand. That is just who we are!

Happy New Year!

1VDG Tracy Braaten

JANUARY’S

CLUB ANNIVERSARIES

52 yrs. - Hastings Lions

50 yrs. - St. Paul North

Ramsey 500 Lions

42 yrs. - Woodbury Lions

None to Report

December

Memorials

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Al Jensen Leadership Award

Al Jensen applications must be submitted to the MD5M Council Chair

by February 28, 2019. Allow plenty of time to guarantee that this

application meets the timeline criteria. For information on this please go

to www.lionsmd5m.org and see the MD5M Policy Manual, Links and

Forms, Appendixes 15 and 16.

2018-2019 Club Excellence Award

The club must be chartered prior to January 1 of the fiscal year to

qualify. Applications are due by August 31, 2019. For information and/

or for the form please visit HERE.

Awards

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LIONS DISTRICT 5M-6

41st Annual Mid-Winter Convention

“Convenzione Italiana con Festa”

January 11th

, 12th

, and 13th

, 2019

Have you?

Reserved your hotel room (if staying overnight)

Registered to attend Friday’s hospitality room and Evening of Remembrance

events, all attendees must register!! (either online or that evening)

Submitted deceased Lions or Lioness bios & pictures, due by Jan. 4, 2019

Submitted your meal registrations, final deadline due no later than Jan. 7, 2019

Created your club poster for the contest

Planned your “Fashion Runway” attire for Friday evening

Also, Don’t Forget to…

Bring your club banner (hotel staff will hang it)

Bring your ‘Parade of Green’ donations

Bring your service project items - hearing aids, glasses, mittens & hats, socks, and

hygiene items

Bring a club gift for Sunday’s breakfast drawing

Encourage all club members to join in the Festa!!!

For more information, visit:

District 5M-6, Mid-Winter Convention 2019

Or download the complete booklet at:

District 5M-6, 41st Annual Mid-Winter Convention

Saturday Session 9:00 – 9:45

“Ending The Opioid Crisis”

Over 50,000 Americans die every year from opioids. Dr. Chris Johnson is an Emergency Physician and

has seen this epidemic evolve from the front lines. He brings an urgent message of reform to an industry

that has prioritized business interests over patient safety. He currently serves as Chair of the Minnesota

Dept. of Human Services Opioid Prescribing Work Group and is a Board Member of Physicians for

Responsible Opioid Prescribing and the Steve Rummler Hope Network.

Saturday Lunch Speaker – Bob Schlichte “The Art of Ship Building”

A self-proclaimed introvert, Bob Schlichte learned to push outside his comfort zone to refine the

art of ship building: Friendships, relationships, partnerships and sponsorships. He will share how

to develop and grow a solid foundation that encourages your ships to push you in the direction

you want to go in life.

Banquet on Saturday Evening

International Director Mark Lyon and Lion Lyn

ID Mark and Lion Lyn are coming from Brookfield, Connecticut. As a member of the Brookfield Lions

Club since 1996 ID Mark has held many offices at the club, district and multiple district levels. He has a

passion for Service and believes in leading by example. ID Mark has worked in corporate legal

administration and finance services for 36 years. Currently he is board administrator manager of

Synchrony Financial.

41st Annual Mid-Winter Convention

“Convenzione Italiana con Festa”

Meet and Greet Our Guests

Throughout the Weekend & and Speaking at the:

Celebrating Lives of Service

This year I have the honor of being the chairperson of our Evening of Remembrance Service on

Friday Jan 11th

, 2019 at our 5M6 Midwinter Convention. I would request that each Club send a

digital photo and short bio of your deceased Lion(s) or Lioness(s) from this past year. Our theme

this year is Celebrating Lives of Service. Any pictures of our deceased Lions or Lioness

working on club projects would be greatly appreciated.

I will need ALL PHOTOS and BIOS NO LATER than January 4th, 2019!! This is the deadline if photo’s

are to be included in the Power Point presentation.

Please email photos (digital photos preferred) and bios to me at: lionjennbierma@gmail.com

Or mail at: Jenn Bierma, 445 Broadway Ave., St. Paul Park, MN 55071 (if submitting by paper, form can be found here)

Thank you, Lion Jenn

4

5

The Lions International Trading Pin Club (LITPC) has

announced for the 2018-2019 school year that there will be

3 US $2,500 scholarships awarded. Graduating Leos OR

graduating sons/daughters, grandsons/granddaughters of

Lions or Lioness are eligible to apply for the LITPC Youth

Scholarship. The most important aspect of the Youth

Scholarship Program is to help a young person pursue his/

her education and follow their dreams. The 2019 recipients

will be announced at the Pin Traders Annual Breakfast in

June, 2019.

Selection of the scholarship recipients will be based on

academic achievement, an essay stating the student’s goals,

a statement of reason(s) for applying and an overview of

work, community and school service, and letters of

recommendation.

The current forms for the scholarships are available on line

at www.litpc.org. In the right column, click on LITPC

Scholarship Information. Then click on Scholarship

Application Form. Please follow the instructions, fill out

ALL the forms neatly and correctly which includes the

4 essay questions (in 350 words or less) and the question

about scholarships that you have been offered along with

submitting a certified copy of your high school transcript

including activities. Plus you also need to attach

recommendations from 2 persons (i.e. teacher, coach,

clergy, employer, etc.) AND attach a recommendation

letter from a Lions Club member indicating the name of the

Club and state/province and country in which the Club is

located.

ALL forms and letters are to be submitted via email to me at

bmguthrie9@q.com by MARCH 1, 2019. If you have any

questions, please feel free to email me or contact me at

763-232-9357.

Lion Bill Guthrie, Scholarship Chairman

The LITPC takes great pride in fulfilling the motto of Lions

Clubs International,

“WE SERVE”

Greetings and Happy Holiday Season!

I can’t believe I am writing this and it’s

almost Christmas, and when you read

this, it will be the new year! Happy

New Year!

Continuing my focus on Women and

Families. I like to continue to bring to your attention the

different ways your clubs may be able to help those in need in

different ways. For some, it may give you a great idea for a

service project.

This month I would like to introduce you all to Home Free.

Home Free is a Women’s Shelter and is under the umbrella of

Missions Inc. You can visit their website to see all of the many

ways they help: https://www.missionsinc.org/

Taken from their website: Home Free opened in 1980

providing battered women with immediate safety and the

opportunity to explore alternatives to living with a violent

partner. Emergency housing, advocacy and support services

are available at the shelter for up to 30 women and their

children. Women’s and children’s advocates provide

information and resources, supporting the decisions each

woman makes and providing specific programming for

children. Advocacy and support services are available to

women living in the community through the Home Free

Community Program.

There is always an ongoing “in-kind donation” list of items in

need throughout the year. I encourage you to come up with

some ideas for an easy service project by gathering donations.

Perhaps our Mid-winter Convention service project could

benefit this organization. Food for thought. I am including the

link to the in-kind donations page here:

https://www.missionsinc.org/support-us/in-kind-donations/

home-free

Again, I encourage you to check it out and brainstorm some

ways your club and/or our district may be able to help. If I can

help facilitate any ideas, do not hesitate to contact me!

Yours in Service,

Lion Kelli Mickelson

GMT - Family & Women Specialist LITPC YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

JANUARY’S

SERVICE RECOGNITIONS

55 yrs - Ralph Nardini St. Paul Midway Lions

50 yrs - Donald Raleigh Lake Elmo Lions

45 yrs - George Kinney Jr. Woodbury Lions

40 yrs - William Macklin Lakeville Lions

30 yrs - Albert Nienaber St. Paul East Side Lions

15 yrs - Tim Donnelly Farmington Lions

15 yrs - Marilyn Koppen St. Paul East Parks Lions

15 yrs - Matt Dean Wildwood Lions

10 yrs - Mary Kay Mickelson Burnsville Lions

10 yrs - Jane Wardle-Kimmel Burnsville Lions

10 yrs. - Ross Brunfelt Scandia Marine Lions

Leadership Learning Opportunities

REGIONAL LIONS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (RLLI)

March 28, 2019 in Mahnomen, MN

Regional Lions Leadership Institute helps Lions in their multiple/single district achieve

leadership excellence in their volunteer and personal lives. This programs is one of LCI’s

fastest growing leadership development initiatives, and as a GLT Coordinator, we highly

encourage you to take advantage of this great opportunity!

Why Attend?

Gain valuable Life skills while growing personally and professionally

Energize you life and have fun!

Network, network, NETWORK!

You don’t just meet other Lions and make friendships, you are guaranteed to take home

long lasting “Lion-ships” with Lions from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota,

Manitoba-Canada, and NW Ontario-Canada.

From Lion Gina Detviler and Lion Marcos Gonzalez, Inver Grove Heights Lions

“We would highly recommend attending RLLI. The course content is great in that it is wide-

ranging. While most definitely relevant to Lions, it could be applicable and beneficial to im-

proving organizational leadership anywhere in a person’s life.

Another great thing about RLLI would be the people you meet from all over Minnesota and

Canada. The networking was amazing.

Finally, we would like to mention that the faculty really went out of their way to make the

learning interesting and fun. This was truly a great experience for both of us.”

Contact Global Leadership Team Chairman, PDG Paul Kowitz, for additional and/or

application information. Brochure and registration form can be found HERE.

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Now more than ever, there’s a need:

To create and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world –

Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion.

Youth applications for outgoing exchanges should be submitted to Lions District Youth Camps & Exchange Chairs by

January 1, 2019:

http://members.lionsclubs.org/EN/serve/other-ways-to-serve/youth/youth-camps-exchange/yce-directory.php

Lions District Youth Camps & Exchange Chairs are also currently accepting applications for host families for July 2019.

The international youth coming into Minnesota for the month of July will need host/co-host families during the three

weeks they are not at Camp Spicer.

http://members.lionsclubs.org/EN/serve/other-ways-to-serve/youth/youth-camp-and-exchange/host-families.php

Celebrate 100 years of service by bringing the world closer together with our youth!

Lion Laurie Pittman

Lions District 5M-6 Youth Camps & Exchange Chair

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Applications are starting to come in from youth for this summer’s Camp Spicer and host family experience:

Brazil – female, male

Germany – female

Mexico – female

We are currently accepting host family applications for July 2019.

The youth will spend time with their host families during the three

weeks in July that they are not at Camp Spicer.

December’s

New Members (Reported as of December 30, 2018)

Mark VanDuyn

Farmington Lions

Sandra VanDuyn

Farmington Lions

June Hessler

Mounds View Lions

Kathy Neuman

Roseville Lions

Joanna Welsch

Scandia Marine Lions

Nicholas Welsch

Scandia Marine Lions

On Monday, December 10th, the

Scandia-Marine Lions Club hosted

a blood drive with the American

Red Cross. There were 45 blood

donors and 11 Lions who

volunteered. We are grateful to the

blood donors whose generosity and

compassion will save up to 135

lives.

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Scandia Marine Lions

The Scandia-Marine Lions Club held its annual

Breakfast with Santa at the Scandia Community

Center on Saturday, December 8th. The tables were

packed with 379 community members and Lions who

enjoyed a hearty holiday

breakfast. At the event,

$2,045 was donated to the Scandia-Marine Lions.

There were 37 Lions and 5 Leos who volunteered at

the event.

On Thursday,

December 13th,

the Scandia-Marine

Lions Club held its

annual holiday

dinner for Lions Club members and

guests. The event was well-attended and

enjoyed by all. After a social hour, a multi-

course dinner and dessert were served, a

short business meeting and entertainment

followed. The Scandia Quilters donated a

beautiful quilt that was raffled with the

proceeds being

used for college

scholarships for high

school seniors that

the Scandia-Marine

Lions award each

year.

Upcoming events and volunteer

opportunities hosted by the

Scandia-Marine Lions Club:

There are many opportunities to

volunteer during January-April 2019

with the Scandia-Marine Lions Club.

In particular, the Club is hosting

weekly Bingo games at Meisters

and the Brookside in Scandia and

Marine on St. Croix respectively.

Take a look at the Scandia-Marine

Lions Club's new website for the

links to sign up to volunteer: https://

www.scandiamarinelions.org/

volunteer/ . Lions and community

members are all welcome to

volunteer and/or play Bingo. All

proceeds support the Lions' local

and global service projects.

UPCOMING EVENTS

(Click on the “colored” event link for additional event details)

January 11-13, 2019 - District 5M6, Mid-Winter Convention, at the

Minneapolis Airport Marriott Hotel

February 28, 2019 - Maplewood North Lions, Chili Feed, at Gulden’s

February 28 - March 3, 2019 - White Bear Lake Lions, Princesses Ever

After, at the White Bear Lake Community Theater (Central Auditorium)

April 10, 2019 - District 5M6, Region Meeting - All Clubs!!, at the Field

House: Evolve Workplace

April 15, 2019 - District 5M6, Lions Day 2019, at Feed My Starving Children

April 26-28, 2019 - MD5M, 100th Annual Multiple Convention, in

Mahnomen, MN

*We want to promote your club’s events! Don’t see your event here?

Please submit details to to get your event listed.

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MAPLEWOOD NORTH LIONS CLUB

13TH ANNUAL

CHILI FEED Unlimited Chili, Bread, Crackers, Coffee, Milk & Dessert

$9.00 per person

**NATIONAL CHILI DAY**

THURSDAY - FEBRUARY 28, 2019 4:00 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.

GULDENS RESTAURANT

HWY 61 & BEAM AVE

PHONE # 651-482-0384

Take out Chili only - $ 8.00/quart

DISTRICT 5M6

Lions Clubs International

extends our mission of service

every day – in local communities,

in all corners of the globe. The

needs are great and our services

broad, including sight, health,

youth, elderly, the environment

and disaster relief.

11,ooo Individuals served by 5M-6 Lions Activities

700+ Lions Hours

Almost 1500 Members Serving In Our District

Over 1.4 Million Lions Members

Worldwide

IMPORTANT LINKS District 5M6 Website: https://www.lions5m-6.org

Lions Magazine, January 2019 (Digital Edition)

District 5M6 Youth Exchange

Lions MD5M Hearing Foundation

Lions Multiple MD5M

Lions International

New Voices Initiative

Minnesota Lion Diabetes Foundation

Minnesota Lions Vision Foundation

LCI Lions KidSight USA

Can Do Canines

Camp Confidence

Camp True Friends

Leader Dogs for the Blind

Project New Hope

Special Olympics Minnesota

Newsletter Deadline: 20th of each month…

(For the next month’s edition)

Submit your club events, club awards, and

Lions program articles to:

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MEMBERSHIP

GAINERS (YTD NET GROWTH,

ENDING NOVEMBER 30, 2018)

+4 - White Bear Lake

+3 - Cottage Grove

+3 - Hastings Rivertown

+1 - Eagan

+1 - Woodbury

TOTAL MEMBERSHIP

FOR THE 36 LION

CLUBS

*Links in blue are to a secured website. Links in red are to an unsecured website. District 5M6 is not responsible for any website referenced that is not secured.

November 30, 2017 = 1,471

November 30, 2018 = 1,387