June 2006

This issue of the Canyon State Lion contains my final District Governor’s Column as my official year as governor is set to expire on June 30th. This past year has been a very interesting and at times, hectic and rewarding. I enjoyed the opportunity to visit each and every club and I want to let you know that I will be more than happy to see you again if there is an occasion you would like me to be there to take part.
I will be going to Boston along with Lion Joanne to the International Lions Convention on June 30-July 4th and am looking forward to enjoying some good Boston clam-chowder. The installation of the incoming International President Jimmy Ross should provide a rousing good Texas festival.
Our annual Kick-Off Meeting will be held on August 26th and is a great way to meet the incoming District Officers. Look for the details elsewhere in this publication.
As I wrap up my final article I wish to thank everyone who had extended a welcoming hand to me and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of the leadership of our district. We have so many good Lions in “A”, it is only fitting that we are known as the “Awesome District.”
I offer my congratulations to DGE Margie Tellkamp and VDGE Hallis Anderson upon their election to their new positions and wish them well in their transition into the district leadership.
Many of us will be attending the USA/Canada Forum which takes place at Columbus, OH on September 14-16, 2006. This is the one convention I highly recommend to any Lion who wants to become a more involved and effective leader in Lionism. It will be time well spent and you will have a good time being there!
PASSION to SERVE - PASSION to LEAD - PASSSION to GROW

May 2006

On May 15th, we held a very successful Worldwide Induction Day event at the Peoria Westbrook Village Vistas Recreation Center. The formal induction ceremony was conducted by IPDG Joan Williamson, PDG Ralph Williamson and DG Bill Morrison. There were 21 new members who received their induction certificates and five members who received their pins and certificates as well. We had an overall attendance of 65 people all of whom were treated to coffee, water and lots of doughnuts. The hosting club of Peoria Westbrook deserves our special thanks for a “job well done.”
By the time this issue of the Canyon State Lion reaches you, the MD State Convention will be upon us. Beginning on May 19th through May 21st at the Phoenix/East Mesa Hilton Hotel. I am looking forward to a fun filled weekend at a very nice facility. As you can tell by looking at the agenda there are many activities including electing board members for the state projects, check contributions for the state projects and as usual there will be some awards for some deserving individuals or clubs.
It is during this time many of our members depart for cooler climes and some of our clubs shut down or partially shutdown. For those of us who remain there are many activities for us to take part in such as Lions Camp Tatiyee, Open House June 11th. Please use the Canyon State Lion, Calendar of Events which will give you all of the events throughout the summer.
There is one subject that I wish to bring up which has been bothering me and that is the problem of delayed response to the Cabinet/Secretary’s requests for information or records that are needed to be kept updated. The CST’s job is tough enough, handling 48 clubs without compounding the situation by inaction. The CST will be eternally grateful!

BE A LION, BE A PROUD LION, BE A LION WHO CARES, BE A LION WHO SERVES, BE A LION WHO EXCELS

April 2006

Lions Serve - Lions Perform - Lions Excel
On March 11th we were privileged to greet the Lions International President, Ashok Mehta at Fort Thomas, regarded as the birthplace of Melvin Jones, the founder of Lionism. There was a brief ceremony of about  30 minutes to dedicate the new granite marker indicating the site as a state landmark. As Lions we can all feel very proud of our organization! President Mehta is a true gentleman and is a valuable asset of Lionism around the world. Immediately following the ceremony all of the guests were invited to proceed to Safford for a luncheon. President Mehta left immediately afterwards for a flight from Tucson to San Francisco, then on to international flight. He is truly an International Ambassador of Lionism.

The District 21-A Convention held at Parker was very successful. Our Keynote Speaker ID Bill Crawford truly upheld the finest traditions of his position as a fine orator. ID Bill and his wife Lion Julie were a delight to be around. As an aside, ID Bill and CC Les Blaylock attended the same schools and church in Indianapolis, though a few years apart. And both were in the Marine Corps in “Reconnoiter.” It was an interesting breakfast gathering!

We now have DGE Margie Tellkamp who will be going to Boston in late June for DGE training culminating with her installation on July 4th, fireworks and all! I congratulate DGE Margie and VDGE Hallis for their movement forward into their leadership of the district.

I ask all of you to make every effort to take part in the various work weekends at Camp Tatiyee which are noted in the calendar of events at the back of the Canyon State Lion. Your participation will give you a chance to find out what the camp is all about and the good feeling you will gain from taking part.

Now that spring training is well underway, I hope many of you are planning on attending the Arizona Lions Day at the Ballpark on May 7th featuring Arizona Diamondbacks vs Cincinnati Reds. We will be recognized on the big screen as attending. Of course we root for the home team!

It bears repeating that we have our MD 21 Convention taking place on May 19-21 at the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa. This is an important convention as we are voting members to the boards of the various state projects. The voting will take place on Sunday morning.

As a reminder, on Sunday morning is the time at which we can present checks to the MD Projects so your club can get recognition for your contribution big or small.

This is a MD Convention with District 21-A as the hosting district, it is my honor to welcome everyone to join in celebration of capping off the year 2005-2006 in anticipation of another year of successful Lionism throughout the world.
TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH

March 2006

By the time you are reading this issue we in D 21-A will have already elected our District Governor and Vice-District Governor for the term of 2006-2007. They will be trained and installed at our International Lions Convention to be held in Boston, MA on June 30-July4. Time is moving very quickly.
Once again I want to bring to your attention the importance for your club to take part in the World Wide Induction Day to be held on April 15th at the Westbrook Village Vistas Recreation Hall beginning at 9:00 a.m. and closing at 11:10 a.m. My wife Lion Joanne took part in it three years and was very impressed with ceremony as was each new member. It is a memorable way to start a new Lion with a sense of pride of being a LION. It will be a well spent two hours of a Saturday morning that will benefit the new Lion, the club and the district. For every club which has at least one new member, that club should take part by having the new Lion and the sponsor, attend. The $20 fee is per club so if you have five new members your fee is still $20. I encourage all clubs with at least one new member to participate as it is a positive step to improving their retention rate. In addition to the new Lion and sponsor I also encourage family and friends of the inductee to attend. There is no charge!!!

It is the time of the year that the Lions elect their club officers for the coming year. PDG Ralph Williamson has organized the officers training to be held at Peoria High School on April 1st. The details will be elsewhere in this issue and on the District web-site for downloading. I strongly encourage all the officers, including the returnees to go through the training. There are so many changes happening daily that a refresher course is virtually required. I doubt there is anyone who knows it all. There might be an exception or two!

I’m looking forward to our State Convention on May 19-21 to be held at the Mesa Hilton. Our Convention Chairperson PDG Ralph Williamson and I have had several trips to the hotel and are very pleased with the facilities and arrangements. The rooms have been updated and the hallways re-carpeted. It is a great facility with an abundance of options available such as shopping, entertainment, etc. If you have not been to a state convention, then by all means give this one a try. You don’t have to be a club officer to attend, but you do need to register. It is a great way to meet Lions outside of your club and outside of your district. Lions meeting Lions is a lot of fun!

PASSION – LEAD – PERFORM – GROW – EXCEL - SERVE

February 2006

The second half of our Lion’s year has just begun with so many activities planned throughout the district, it is imperative that you use the Calendar of Events on the back page to mark down those events you wish to attend. Do your best to support the activities in your zone, region and district. I encourage Lions to venture out to the many various events that may interest you. As is the norm you will have a good time among your fellow Lions. The support you give will become the support you receive.

This edition of the Canyon State Lion will have arrived just before our District 21-A Convention to be held at Parker, AZ at the Blue Water Resort and Casino. It is during this convention that we will be electing our next year’s District and Vice-District Governors. In addition we have a very special guest speaker, International Director Bill Crawford who will be accompanied by his wife Lion Julie. They reside in Encinitas, CA. Director Bill is an attorney.
April 15th should trigger some response from you, except this time it is for a reason other than taxes. District 21-A is holding its World Wide Induction Day at the Westbrook Village Vistas Recreation Hall. There are forms in the mail and via E-mail to all the clubs. It is an event that is very meaningful to the new members as well as providing orientation to all.

This year the State Convention will be hosted by D21-A at the Mesa Hilton, located at Rte 60 & Alma School. It is one of our finest facilities and is ideal for a Lions convention. All the guest rooms have been renovated and on my recent visit I was very pleased with its condition and appearance. There are many events of interest, plus fun and entertainment. Awards to be presented. Speeches to be given (brief) by the outgoing and incoming DGs. It will be a fully packed weekend filled with a lot of fun and good humor. The highlight will be our keynote speaker, International Director Richard Chaffin, VA.

All of these events are in the Canyon State Lion which should be your source of information about everything in the MD 21 and specifically D21-A. In my visits to all my clubs, too often I find some of the members are uninformed about something that has been published in the CSL. There is much good information relevant to all the clubs throughout the state. It does become frustrating when some of the members don't take the time to scan through the CSL completely to be more informed. This is not a new situation, I realize, but as the DG I must keep at it in hopes it will help make a difference!

READ THE CANYON STATE LION --------BE INFORMED-------

January 2006

I am writing this column in the midst of the turmoil of Christmas parties, shopping and sending out holiday cards. Every once in a while I would like to be able to hit the slow motion button so that I could relax and enjoy the many moments of the season, being thankful for all our blessings.
I have truly enjoyed my District Governor visits with all the clubs who have been so gracious to me and were quite receptive to my message which I attempted to make it meaningful to their club. The welcome mat is out for all Lions at all Lions clubs everywhere!
We are in our final planning process for our District 21A Convention to be held on February 17th & 18th at the Blue Water Casino & Resort at Parker, AZ. We are very fortunate to have as our keynote speaker International Director Bill Crawford, Encinitas, CA. It will be a pleasure to hear his message which will be of benefit to our district.
During the convention there will be a nomination and election process of the 2006-2007 District Governor and Vice-District Governor. For those who have never been to a convention before, there is a ballot vote that can be cast only by those eligible according to club secretary. This is the democratic process by which you can choose your district officers for the coming year. I encourage every club to send at a minimum enough members to cast all the votes their club is authorized.
SightFirst II, Chairperson Dr. Tae-Sup Lee, IPIP is heading the efforts of LCI to promote the three part strategy to prevent a catastrophic increase in world blindness. These goals will be spelled out in the Lion Magazine and other Lion publications further amplifying the details. The overwhelming success of the first SightFirst fifteen years ago to eradicate river blindness has led to the SightFirst II today. It is a program that all of us need to support worldwide.
Once again I encourage everyone to read all eight pages of the canyon state lion because it is there where you will find what is important for you to know what is happening now and in the future so that you can schedule yourself to participate whenever possible. An informed Lion benefits not only himself/herself but also the club as well. The interest shown will be seen as leadership, and anything that will encourage leadership, I’m all for it!
As we begin the year of 2006 I am hopeful the prayer of so many people of the world brings the Peace On Earth we so fervently pray for.

December 2005

I have just returned from a most enjoyable and effective Mid-year Leadership Forum that was held in Prescott, AZ on November 11-13.
We were very fortunate to have as our keynote speaker, Past International Director Dennis Tichenor of Oregon. He is a candidate for the position of Second Vice-President, Lions Clubs International-2006. His nomination and possible election will take place at our next International Convention to be held at Boston on June 30th through July 4th. Lion Dennis was very active throughout the conference and was a most enjoyable and humorous speaker. I believe he made many friends and won support for his candidacy to be a leader on the International Board, and eventually to become the President. Dennis was accompanied by his wife, Lion Judy and they were welcomed by all those in attendance. We were indeed fortunate to have them among us.
By now most of you are aware of the change of location of our next International Convention from New Orleans to Boston as I had noted above. I urge you to try to attend even if it is only for a day or two. There will be about 18,000 Lions attending from all around the world. The experience will impress upon you the meaning of INTERNATIONAL Lions Clubs. Plus Boston is a fun place to explore and enjoy.
Our next District 21-A convention will take place in Parker, AZ at the Blue Water Casino on February 17th through the 19th. We will have as our special guest, International Director Bill Crawford of California. There will be more details in the coming Canyon State Lion editions. Please note the dates on your calendars now so there won’t be any forgetting about when and where. We want a good number of 21-A Lions to be there. I am urging the Lions who have never attended a Lions convention, especially a 21-A event, to make every effort to join us at Parker. The intent of most conventions is to educate, to illuminate and to inspire all members, not just the leaders. I encourage all members to plan to be there with us and share in our efforts to make our district even better.
During our Parker Convention we will be electing next year’s district governor and vice district governor for the 2006-2007. DG candidate is Margie Tellkamp of the Lake Havasu London Bridge Lions Club. The VDG candidate is Hallis Anderson of the Glendale Evening Lions Club. Both deserve our support at the polling place which will be at the hotel.

November 2005

In light of the many natural tragedies, namely earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, avian flu, I expect that the Lions throughout the world will be asked to participate in the efforts to give aid to so many who have lost so much. We will truly exemplify the motto “WE SERVE. The “Passion to Serve Humanity” will give pride to all the Lions worldwide. I believe all Lions will do their part in the months ahead.
I had the pleasure of attending the annual USA/Canada Leadership Forum and as usual it was most enjoyable. The many seminars were designed to provide information for the leadership of the districts and the clubs. The presenters were excellent and I felt I gained some ideas that I intend to use in the year ahead. The Keynote Speakers were most entertaining as well as inspiring. I encourage anyone who is able to attend next years forum at Columbus, Ohio to plan for it as I know you will gain from it as a Lion who can pass it on to their club and district. It is a win-win for everyone.
I am hopeful that as you read this you have already made plans to join us for the Annual Mid-Year Conference and Leadership Forum to be held at the Prescott Resort on November 11-13, 2005. Since it is a MD function, you will be able to renew friendships among the D21-B & C clubs. It is a fun gathering and I know you will benefit from some of the instructional seminars. I urge you to make every effort to be with us in Prescott.
We do have a net loss in the District which is normal at this time of year. During my DG visits, I have been presenting the goal of International President Ashok Mehta’s concept of “Plus One.” It is our goal to achieve the “Plus One” by the end of the Lion year on June 30, 2006. The effort to achieve this goal must be taken up by every member throughout the year.
Please keep in mind that the MERL Committee is there to assist any club that asks for their help.
M: membership
E: extension
R: retention
L: leadership
Whatever your club’s concerns are, please contact VDG Margie Tellkamp, the MERL Chairperson. The MERL Committee is there to help you!
Passion to Grow
Passion to Perform
Passion to Serve
Passion to Lead:

October 2005

The Lions of Arizona can take pride in our participation in offering our services to the evacuees of the Katrina disaster. Through the efforts of many Lions throughout the state, we were able to treat and examine the victims of the hurricane for vision related problems at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix shortly after their arrival from Louisiana and Mississippi. The Lions worked alongside the Arizona Optometric Association, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Also participating were groups such as the Lions Vision Center, the Sight & Hearing Foundation and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Safari Health van. Everyone worked well together in a cooperative effort that was a joy to see.
We were able to exam and treat 105 patients, with those requiring prescriptions, received them and were to be fitted with new glasses three days later. There were no charges. Time and time again I heard the gratefulness expressed by these people who had lost so much. We were all identifiable as Lions since most of us were wearing items with the Lions logos.
I’m hopeful that all the people who were taking part will be properly recognized for their efforts, possibly in time for our Mid-Year Leadership Forum. There were many pictures taken by a number of individuals, which might lead to a very impressive montage. You should expect to see some articles in The Lion magazine as well as the Canyon State Lion. The Lions of MD 21 truly exemplified the Passion to Serve. The Lions can stand tall and proud!
There were so many Lions who offered to help and yet we had limit the number so as to not have volunteers arrive and be turned away. To those who were able to serve, thank you, thank you, thank you!
I do want to acknowledge a couple of Lions who were so vital to the success of our efforts: ZC Lion Robin Daviet and Lion Jeannette Anderson (Russell). As I had already mentioned, there will be appropriate recognition of all the people who had participated.
Since I last wrote, I have attended all three district conventions, all of which were truly enjoyable. All three of the DGs desire to have fun as a part of the clubs activities and meetings. We do want all the membership to want attend the meetings and to enjoy the fun and camaraderie. Fun, fun and fun!
I will be leaving for Peoria, IL on September 22 for the USA/Canada Forum. It is a most enjoyable forum that I always look forward to attending.
Our next meeting will take place at Prescott on November 11-13. Known as the Mid-Year Convention and Leadership Forum. It will be a most informative and enjoyable time for all. Plan to be there!
Keep the Passion, the Passion to Serve!!!

September 2005

International President Ashok Mehta has made his theme for 2005-2006, the five passions he has placed before us are: PASSION TO LEAD; PASSION TO GROW; PASSION TO PROMOTE; PASSION TO SERVE; PASSION TO PERFORM. Throughout the coming year there will be publicity via The Lion Magazine as well as our own Canyon State Lion publication. I expect to talk about the meaning of the five passions during my club visits. In addition to the Passions concept, there will be an ongoing discussion about the Plus One program. The President’s goal of having every district, charter one new Lions club. As well as having every club experience a net increase of at least one new member. These are reasonable and realistic goals which when attained will enable us to truly fulfill the cause of WE SERVE.
The Lion Magazine provides a wealth of information about all the programs available to us. The scope is truly international!
I am looking forward to the USA/Canada Leadership Forum which will be held in Peoria, IL on September 22-24. For those who have never attended a Forum, you are missing out on a good time as well as having a chance to learn more about Lionism. The more you learn, the more you become involved. After all this is exactly the purpose of a USA/Canada Forum. We need an informed and enthusiastic leadership to counter the negative factors such as: attrition; lethargy; poor leadership. It is an ongoing struggle for all service groups, but is one we can win by having a leadership who is responsive and effective. I urge you to attend the Forum and become an informed leader for your club. You will not find it a waste of your time. Be there!!!
Lion Joanne and I had the delightful experience of attending the Leader Dog Open House in Rochester, MI on July 22-24. It was held for some of the new governors including the DGs of B & C plus their spouses. It is a great facility and is worthy of the support of MD 21.
Several days before leaving for the Leader Dog facility, I received the sad news of the passing of PDG Wayne Adams. Regrettably I missed the services, which was to be held while I was in Rochester. I had a bond with Wayne since we were Marines and we always had a simple greeting “Semper Fidelis.” We have lost a good Lion. His genuineness and good humor will be sorely missed. Semper Fi, Wayne, Semper Fi!!!

AUGUST 2005

The city of Hong Kong along with the Hong Kong Lions Clubs provided the International Convention with a most successful event. There were smiles all around attesting to the friendly and warm hospitality shown throughout our ten days stay. The Hong Kong motto is: Hong Kong—Live it, Love it! For the ten days we were there, the motto was well deserved.
The five days of our District Governors schooling was intense and most worthwhile. Hopefully this will prove to be of good benefit for our entire district. During this phase we were fortunate to meet our new International President Ashok Mehta. I look forward to his term as IP. It should not be a surprise to anyone that his theme of ‘PASSION TO EXCEL includes membership, retention, extension, leadership and programs. However he has a special interest in energizing the “Women’s Development and Participation program. Throughout the coming year IP Mehta will stress his program and he will want all of us to do what we can to ensure its success.
The “Campaign SightFirst II was announced at the convention. It will be chaired by PIP Dr. Tae-Sup Lee. Expect to be provided further information through the Lion Magazine and the International web-site.
Plan to be with us at our annual 21-A Kick-Off which will be held on August 20th. We need you there to meet those of you who have accepted the opportunity to serve as an officer in our district. This one day event is to present to the membership the plans and goals of the DG and the Cabinet Officers. It is our goal to inform and entertain you, as we begin our new year of Lionism.
I encourage you to read the Canyon State Lion throughout in order to plan your activities. It is my desire to have Lions taking part in other club activities as well as their own. It can only help the clubs to be aware of activities which might be of value to their own club.
I look forward to visiting your club in the coming year. We need to look at the “Plus One” of our membership to be a very doable goal Accentuate the Positive! Think Positive! Be Positive!

JULY 2005

I will be going to Hong Kong on June 21st to attend the 2005 Lions Clubs International Convention. There will be four days of intensive training in the “art” of being a District Governor. This will be followed by four days of activities involving seminars and guest speakers.
The three DGs of Arizona will be paired up with DGs from Australia, Arkansas, South Africa, Colorado, Lagos, Alaska and China (Guangdong). We are truly international!
The International President, Ashok Mehta has chosen for his theme, Passion to Excel. This 2005-2006 International program invites Lions to revitalize their passion for excellence in five key areas: service, growth, leadership, promotion, and performance.
DG21-B John Hart and DG21-C Dick Sawyer and I will be working together to create a synergy that will enable the Lions of Arizona to benefit from the many programs and resources available to all of us. The three of us are going to do everything we can to make MD21 successful. Hopefully in the coming year we will experience growth by following the “plus one” idea. It is so simple, yet so effective. We must redouble our efforts and persist in carrying out the message, Passion to Grow. With growth there are opportunities available to perform in humanitarian services.
I look forward to the many challenges ahead and with your help we can achieve so much.