Lions Lioness, Leos:

Another Lionistic year has passed with the 85th State Convention behind us. As for those that couldn't make the convention, I'm sorry as it was a fun weekend, at least for me. I had the pleasure of talking with ID Steve Sherer and his wife Mary Ellen, who provided us with the news from International. The good news is that District 21-A has passed all other states with our pledges toward Sight First II, thanks to Lion Robin Daviet and her coordinators. This, the district needs to be proud of.
Another area you need to be proud of is, 21-A is one of the very few Districts in the United States with a positive increase in membership, and three new clubs. Pat your self on the back and a great big thanks from your Governor.
On Sunday, District Governor Elect Rand Terwilleger and Vice District Governor Elect Ann Roberts were escorted into the hall, along with their counter members from 21-B and 21-C, to officially announce their title. It was a fun time for all of us. They are now looking forward to traveling to Bankok for their official induction, and then home for the start of a great year.
As DGE Rand takes office and I step down, I wish to thank CST Joetta Downs for all of the hard work she has provided to the district. She has been a great lady to work with. And to all of the cabinet, I would like to say Thanks for all the support. I will continue to work for the MD and District 21-A to improve membership in Arizona.
STB, PDG 21-A
Hallis Anderson

Lions, Lioness, Leo's

On May 16th we will be having our State Convention and it would be exciting to see a great turnout for our guest speaker, ID Steven Shearer (Ohio). I promise that you will be impressed with ID Steven as he is a great speaker and very personable and easy to talk with. Please come out and give him a great Arizona welcome.
We have talked during the year about membership recruitment and we are making headway with our plans to grow. We have successfully chartered three new clubs: Bullhead City, Buckeye Sundance, and Phoenix Adobe Mountain. Also in the works are two clubs in Laveen, a morning club and a mom's club. Lion Mary Michaelis recently informed me that Adobe Mountain is already working on a noon branch club for the Phoenix Metro area. Lions, all this is great news, and falls into our long range 5-year membership plan. Number one is to get our membership up to 1250 members, which is required by LCI to be a district, and number two is to bring our club numbers up. Many thanks to Jim Neilson (Buckeye Sundance), Mary Michaelis (Adobe Mountain), and VDG Rand Tewilleger (Bullhead City) for all of the hard work put into the new chartered clubs.

On April 5th the district had its Officers Training and had a good turnout. Many new members attended for the first time and Leadership/Orientation Chair PDG Ralph Williamson provided a great program for all. Lions PDG Jerry Allen, PDG Dick Sawyer, PDG John Hart and PDG Ralph Williamson provided instruction to all Secretaries, Presidents, and Zone Chairs with related items for the up and coming Officers. Thanks to all instructors for their continuing year after year support.
Lions, I was asked the other day by a person from Identity Theft (who will be having a program at a zone meeting),”What are Lions all about?” I asked him how he heard about my club. The answer was through the Chamber of Commerce, which has a listing of all the charity organizations in the area. Club Presidents, check and see if your club contact name is in their listing, it might help bring in new members.

Lions, if you have an idea on how to recruit new members, please contact me or Membership Chair PID Dave Roberts. We are always interested in your ideas, and I look forward to visiting your club when you are having a special event and programs of interest.

A quote from President Abraham Lincoln, “If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference”.

DG Hallis

APRIL 2008

 Dear Lions, Lioness, and Leos:

At the February Convention in Parker four proposed amendments to the District 21A constitution were made and approved.

The second amendment was to increase the dues by two dollars per capita for a total of five dollars per year per member.  This will provide some funding for out of area members who travel great distances, such as Region, Zone and Committee Chairpersons.

The third amendment changes Article III, District Nominations and Elections, Section 3.  The amendment will be an addition to this Section and will clarify that in the event that no Candidate for the office of Vice District Governor is able to secure a “Yes” vote from the majority of the Delegates present and voting after all election balloting possibilities have been exhausted, then a meeting of the District Cabinet and all Past International Officers, all Past International Directors, and all Past District Governors who are members in good standing of a chartered Club in the District, will be called by the District Governor for the purpose of appointing a qualified Vice District Governor to recommend to Lions Clubs International.

The specific language for all four amendments will be published in the Canyon State Lion.

Lions, some of our problems we Lions face with membership are that we bring in new members and lose two.  Why, you ask?  Yes, you know, because you have told me the answers in the past when I asked for your opinion.  Some members left with ill feeling for the club they joined.  They did not know what they were getting into.  They were not asked to make a commitment of any kind before the meeting.  The sponsor did not properly orient the member to all that Lions stand for.  First comes your family, second your work, and hopefully Lions third.  When I talked to prospective members of the new Buckeye Sundance Lions Club, I heard that their interest was to serve the community they live in, and I applaud them.  They, the new members, really don’t know how well we serve our home towns, but they soon will learn about the State projects.  For now their sponsor should be telling them about visiting other clubs, going to State Conventions, etc.

The Guiding Lions must take a very active roll in the training of new members. They have the greatest responsibility to see that the club grows and has fun doing so. They must work with the club president to assure the members have a job and are on a committee, that’s a great way to get Lions interested.

We are in the final stages of chartering three new clubs.  One is in Bullhead City (no name as of yet), one in Phoenix Metro area called Adobe Mountain, and one in Buckeye called Buckeye Sundance Lions Club.  I am very proud of Vice District Governor Rand for all of his hard work in Bullhead, Lion Mary Michaelis for Metro, and Jim Nelson with Buckeye Lions.  A fourth new club is in the works in Laveen according to Lion President Art Downs and a kickoff meeting was held on the 18^th of March.

I also want to thank our Extension Chair CC Ron Brown for all of his hard work, and MERL Chair Leader Ralph Williamson and Member Retention Chair Dave Roberts. All of these members take a special interest in our District to assure that we grow in the right direction.

Thanks for all the support.

District Governor Hallis

March 2008

Lions, Lioness, Leos:

The election has taken place by now, so every one should know who the next Governor and Vice Governor from 21-A are going to be.  I would like to thank every one who voted and attended the convention in Parker.  I hope you enjoyed the duck race and had a good time.

We are going into the 2^nd half of the year and need to focus on where we are going with district 21-A.  I look at our Lions pin and I see two heads; one is looking at the past, and the other is looking towards the future.  Lions, don’t forget the past and where we came from, but we must look to the future.  The future is where we’re headed and we need to focus on what we can accomplish.  Our purpose in Lionism is to serve, but with declining membership in our district and all around the world, the job will only get harder.  When we joined the Lions, we pledged to serve and to bring one new member into our Lions Clubs.  Think back as to when that happened, or DID IT?  The future is going to be exciting and rewarding with all the new technology and medical breakthroughs.  We will see more eye implants then ever before, along with improved hearing aids for children, and also operations that replace damaged ear drums.  That is our future.

The Director of the Lions Vision Center, Jeannette Russell, along with several members from 21-C are heading to the Philippines very soon to provide eye glasses and cataract operations to those in remote villages.  We wish them well on their journey.

Lions, remember the power of 30 by personally committing $180.00 to Sight First II.  You can save the sight of thirty children throughout the world.  Do so by sending a check to LCI.  These funds can be designated to a Melvin Jones Fellowship fund for someone in your club.  Consider if each Lion was dedicated to saving the sight of 30 people in the next six months, CSFII would surpass its minimum goal and millions of individuals would have their vision restored or saved.

I need to apologize by announcing that the date of Officers Training in the previous Canyon State Lion is incorrect, please contact PDG Ralph Williamson, Leadership Chair, for the correct date and location.

There are many Lions Club projects coming up, so be sure to attend and support the clubs.  Please refer to the Canyon State Lion for all activity announcements, dates and times.

Yours in Lionism,   DG  Hallis

February 2008

Lions Lioness and Leos:

We have received a newsletter from LCI with regards to changes in the reporting submission dates for clubs to report their monthly (MMR’s) for the year 2008/2009. With that in mind, we need to be thinking about our club election and who our next officers will be.  The officers training date is scheduled for the16th of April, so please get your reservation in ASAP, and  also send your club delegates form to CST Joetta for her records. You must be on record to vote for your up and coming District and Vice District Governor.  Lion VDG Rand Terwilleger is running for Governor and Lion Zone Chairperson Ann Roberts is running for Vice District Governor, so let’s have a great turn out and support our candidates.

At Fridays council meeting there will be some important information regarding district dues changes and also International uniform changes.  Please attend if you can.           

On Friday afternoon for those that can make it, there will be duck races where we will buy chances on our duck coming in first place as it slips down the slide into the pool area.  There are others that will slide down also but I’m not allowed to say.  There will be prizes for the winners. There will be eight races.  The winner of each race will race for the grand prize. The grand prize winner will be reimbursed for registration and meals.

On Saturday, our guest speaker will be International Director Leland Kolkmeyer from Milwaukee, Missouri, who will speak at the opening ceremony.  We also have Dr. Steven Atwood, Hypnotist, who will entertain us with his fun and games, so we are planning on having a great time.

Lions, we are still short on our pledges for CFSII, so if you can please send in your pledges very soon as we’re coming down to the wire.

See you in Parker.  DG  Hallis

Lions, Lioness, and Leos:

It has happened again. Another year has passed and we all think we're getting younger, and maybe we are. We don't look a day older and we still have that get-up-and- go, so what are our goals for the coming year? Have you made plans for your clubs membership recruitment and retention? I do hope so as we are again in the red as far as membership goes. I'm on my bandwagon again harping about retention, and I do hope we can hold tight to what we have in the district.
This year we want to ask all clubs to become more active in serving their community through both service activities and media relations, thus making recruitment efforts easier. Quoting our President of Lions International, “Our membership must more accurately reflect the communities we serve”.
Remember our vision statement “To empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace, and promote international understanding through Lions clubs”.
As the New Year begins, evaluate your club location, maybe the change will encourage members to come to the meetings, also if you have a new member just coming in, give them a position in the club, not a job. Make them feel important. Look to what we can do to improve our clubs meetings, having more fun is good, great programs and guest speakers from the community, etc.
I want express my sincere thanks to all of the membership for allowing me to serve as Governor, and I will continue to work hard promoting membership and good will in the District. DG Hallis Anderson

Lions, Lionesses, Leos:

The Holiday Season is approaching and I want to remind everyone of the needs of the homeless and food banks around the state. Please help where and whenever you can.

I was so sorry that I was unable to attend the Mid Year Convention at the Prescott Resort, but I understand it was a successful event. I would like to thank PDG and Convention Chair Ralph Williamson for all of his great work in putting this event together.

I have looked at the membership roster in 21A and it shows we have a small increase, but we also have had many drops in the district. With that in mind, I look at retention as our greatest challenge ahead for the rest of the year. Remember Lions, people don’t join Lions Clubs to go to meetings. They join to do the things that Lions do best, which is to serve our community and those in need of eye and hearing care. Children in Third World countries benefit from your support to LCI and Sight First II. When doing your end of the year taxes, Remember, you can get a tax benefit by donating to LCI in the name of a Melvin Jones recipient, or in your club’s name for future recognition.
Lions, when recruiting new members, Remember the Family Initiative Plan. In fact, more then 18,000 new members have joined our ranks as a direct result of this program. Many of these new members are women and many are under the age of 40.

Jimmy Ross, International Past President, has shared some information with us regarding the California wild fires. A total of $45,000 in emergency grant and relief funding has been approved to date. An LCIF designated account has been established for those wishing to donate to the relief efforts. Visit the Lion’s web site for more information.

21A DG Hallis Anderson

Lions, Lioness, Leo:

I have been visiting clubs around the district and have found Lions doing what Lion do best. They have been busy testing eyes at schools, having their annual October Fests, spaghetti dinners, and several other projects. Many of their project proceeds are going to Sight First II To Eradicate Preventable Blindness. What a great way to go.

To all Zones Chairpersons, Zone Chair Bill Risen will be having a Zone meeting in Parker on the 3rd of November and his program will be on Clubs Working Together. What an appropriate subject because “Clubs supporting each other” is what Lion President Mahendra Amarasuriya is talking about. Working together, building greater leadership and a commitment to change the way we have been doing things in the past. Look for the needs in your community where you can make a difference. Try having a health clinic, there’s a chance to pick up a new member or two. Invite your neighbors to help out, that’s an opportunity for them to find out what Lions do best.

Lions, we are still lacking in membership. If your club would like support in enlisting new members, call PID Dave Roberts. Lion Dave is the 21-A Membership Chair, and will come to your club for a presentation. CC Ron Brown is also 21-A Extension Chair and will assist in forming a branch club or a new club. Either way, you will have support in building your membership.

Lions, remember the Mid Year Convention on November 10th in Prescott. I’m looking forward to seeing you there.

21-A DG Hallis

Lions, Lionesses, Leos:
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District 21-A held its official Kick off on August 18th, and I was very pleased with the turnout. We had close to a 100 members registered.
Zone Chair Evelyn Connolly received a small gift from the Governor for traveling the greatest distance. Evelyn is from Needles, CA and we thank her and her spouse for attending.
The luncheon speaker was Mr. Paul Maryniak, Southwest Valley General Manager for the Arizona Republic. Mr. Maryniak provided several pieces of information on how to get your club information into the paper, and who to contact. This is very important to all Lions clubs in the valley. When having a club project such as a Pancake breakfast, or any other function, contact the paper and your city council members, and send out E-mails to every club in your area. “Lions”, come out and support each others club and have some fun doing so.
The Ahwatukee Lions Club hosted the event and did an excellent job. PDG Gene and Rosemary Hardin, along with Lion Jim Champlin, manager of the Grace Inn, and Jim’s staff provided very comfortable, professional accommodations along with an outstanding luncheon. We thank you all.
Lions, if you have a project coming up, please contact Lion Al Coir, 21–A Webmaster, so he can publish it in the Lions web site. You get a lot of advertising using the web site and it’s free. He can be reached at acoir@cox.net or 623-846-7402.
The dog track night is coming up and it is a lot of fun, plus you get back a portion of the cost that is donated to your clubs favorite charity. I hope to see you there. I’m looking forward to seeing you all during my official visit.

DG Hallis

Have you accepted the challenge yet? The challenge to change. I’m sure many have not and wonder, what’s to change? There are many areas that need to be improved on if we are to grow. One is to increase our membership by bringing a new member into the club the minute we lose one, and one more. We have so much talent in families where only one member is a Lion, so ask your spouse to join, we can use the help.
Lion CC Ron Brown has been communicating with the Mayor of Avondale, The Honorable Mary Rogers, and received a warm welcome to start a club. Lion Ron’s next step is to locate a meeting place and begin talking to prospective members.
Lion members, when having a meeting, please give some thought as to where your club is headed. Every member must have a hand in the direction you travel, whether it’s in existing projects or a new idea such as planting a tree in a park with a sign that says “Lions Care”. As we all come back from our summer vacations and take on our everyday activities, you may be surprised to learn of our many losses since the end of June. Our membership losses are sad for many reasons and it’s now time to rebuild.
Last year we did not have a World Wide Induction Day, but with new members joining clubs, this spring in 2008 will be a great time to have one. There will be more to come about this.
My visitation schedule is still under construction, but I will continue to contact clubs for dates, and I look forward to meeting with all the clubs in the fall and spring.

DG Hallis