During the business session, the following members of various clubs were elected to district offices: Donald Heldman of East Liverpool, district governor; Jeff Snyder of Magnolia, first vice governor; and David Gauch of Crestwood, second vice governor.

Past International Director Scott Storms from Windsor Locks, Conn., was the speaker at the grand banquet on March 15.

The three-day event included entertainment by Miller South Junior High Choir; by Mike Hemmelgarn, juggler and ventriloquist; and by Carole Starre-Kmieck, who presented a “Famous American Women” program.

Convention co-chairs were Past District Governor Tom Kirkbride and his wife, Nancy, of Lisbon Lions Club.

Our Christmas party chairman, Bob Moffat was the evening’s emcee and had Lion Bud Bourn lead the club in a verse of “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer”.

After dinner the kids all ran to the front pf the club to secure their seats for the entertainment and course arrival of the big man. The evening entertainment was provided by the Wizard of Yo AKA Eric Monroe.

Eric began playing with a classic wooden Yo Yo at the age of twelve and said it was winning a playground competition that gave him the passion to keep throwing and eventually landed him a job with Sports Illustrated and Universal. Eric said one of his inspirations had been the Smothers Brothers who was responsible for at least one of the resurgences of the yo yo.

Eric showed several tricks and had the club joining in laughing and clapping along, even from the back of the room I could her my daughters and niece and nephew howling at various tricks like shoot the moon, which Eric nicknamed the black eye. Monroe finished by having Spot, his imaginary yo yo dog, jump into his pocket. Moffat then led the club in a chorus of Jungle Bells in usher in Santa Claus.

Santa visited with the children on his way up the front of the room and joked about sitting on one child’s lap.  As I looked across the room I saw wide-eyed gazes from all of the children, this was indeed the moment that they had been waiting for. The children waited for their names to be called and then went to the front to visit with Santa.

It was a great night for children and adults alike.

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The direct reason I became involved with this volunteer group is because of its work to help better the lives of people with vision impairment and blindness, and to help them better integrate into the community around them.

Over 125 years ago, Helen Keller, deaf and blind from infancy, played a leading role in many of the significant political, social and cultural movements of the 20th century, working unceasingly to improve the lives of people who were blind and deaf. In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions International Convention, challenging members to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” From that time, Lions clubs have been actively involved in service to the blind and visually impaired.

I found my way to the Lions Club three years ago. Being a member has provided me the opportunity to share my story of being a visually impaired member of the community. It was through the Lions Club and its generous support of the Guide Dog Foundation that I received my guide dog, Fia. Through the Voluntary Service for the Blind, another program supported by the Lions, I am helped weekly by a volunteer to do my grocery shopping.

The Lions Club helps support scientific research efforts at Yale and the University of Connecticut to eradicate blindness in our lifetime by our contributions to the Connecticut Lions Eye Research Foundation. The Lions Low Vision Center at Greenwich Hospital, of which I am a client, helps people with vision loss deal with a visual world by offering adaptive devices like magnifiers and electronic readers.

Through the support of the Lions Club, I am able to lead a fulfilling life. I have a civic involvement in my community, contributing wherever I can help. It has given me great personal satisfaction to look the world straight in the face while holding my head high.

Causes to support this time of year are many. Remembering the Lions Club would assuredly help expand our reach.

Alan Gunzburg, Greenwich Lions
The writer is president of the Greenwich Lions Club.

We will begin on Friday, March 13, 2009 with registration from 3:00 PM till 6:30 PM. The Convention will open at 6:00 PM with the opening ceremonies, a Tailgate Party and Entertainment in the Grand Ball Room. This will allow you the opportunity to meet new friends and renew old acquaintances. The Hospitality rooms will be open after the entertainment.

Saturday will be devoted to Educational Forums, District Business Meeting and Eye Screening. There will be a Model Luncheon for all Lions and Spouses. There will be a separate program on Saturday morning for the spouses that do not want to attend the Forums. Saturday supper will be on your own.

Entertainment and an opportunity to visit the Hospitality Rooms will begin at 8:00 PM. Sunday there will be a Memorial Service, election of Officers and the Grand Banquet with our International speaker Scott Storms  and his lovely wife Lion Dale. International Director Scott and Dale are from Windsor Locks, Connecticut