Reaching, Touching, Improving Lives
You can get a sense of the Lake Wisconsin Lions Club by looking at how we are structured to accomplish things: with teamwork through committees. [For a list of some of the organizations we contribute to financially, please click on Support.]
The vitality—the heart and soul of the Club—comes from enthusiastic member participation and leadership on various Committees.
Here’s a representative list of ours.
Community Service Committees
Club Event Committees
Fund Raiser Committees
Club Committees
Special Club Services
Beyond Club Service
As Lions, “We Serve.” And these Committees are where it all happens. In essence, these committees identify community needs and develop programs we can undertake to fill those needs or serve as a model others can follow. As members identify additional community needs and service program ideas, new Committees can be readily formed.
Vision Screening—Each year we conduct vision screening sessions for pre-school children. The goal is to do our part to screen all pre-school children in Wisconsin so that problems can be identified while correctable or more manageable.
Eyeglass Recycling—We continually promote and place collection containers in public places to encourage donation of used eyeglasses, collect them and convey them to the Wisconsin Lions Foundation Eyeglass Recycling Center.
Vision-Hearing—We provide Vision/Hearing Assistance (new eyeglasses or hearing aids) for those in financial need.
Eye Transport—We work with the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin by serving as transporters of donated eye tissue for cornea transplants. Our “runs” usually are to or from Portage, Madison, or Tomah and often take place at odd hours of the night/day. It’s a great feeling to actually be helping give someone new sight.
Environment—Regular activities include seasonal monthly waste pick-up along Whalen’s Grade, periodic refinishing of the handicap fishing dock there and serving other needs as identified with labor or money or both, e.g., Sand Prairie project, Rowan Creek Clean-up.
Youth and Scholarship—We find ways to help kids and young adults. We offer and administer college scholarships to both area high schools, help at school fairs and more. We support youth baseball, provide playground labor and money, and Wisconsin Lions Foundation Camp attendance by local children with visual, hearing or cognitive disabilities.
Park Projects—It seems as though there’s always something we can do to help out with our local parks, most often refurbishing shelters or playgrounds or installing new equipment. Roll up your sleeves.
Diabetes—An epidemic in Wisconsin. Many are undiagnosed or poorly controlled which can lead to debilitating and life-threatening complications. Logistic support for medical professionals, increased community awareness, screening and education are all Club goals.
Program—Meetings are sometimes scheduled to be short on business and longer on matters of local and state interest. They might feature a noteworthy community speaker, a report concerning service activities/needs, or a special event such as the District Governor’s Dinner. Program volunteers recruit presenters and arrange their visit.
Golf Outing, Bowling, Curling—You don’t have to be particularly good at any of these annual Club outings to be a participant—you just have to be ready to have some fun and lots of laughs. The Chair’s job is to get us planned and organized.
Social Events—This is more fun stuff, especially for couples. Special events include things like the Summer Sandblast and Winter Progressive Dinner.
Dekorra Midsummer Fireworks—We run the food (and beer) concession at this outstanding annual afternoon/evening event. It’s been said that this has become the greatest fireworks display this side of Chicago. Some of the displays are custom made and occupy acres upon acres of sky. This is a growing event: games for kids, exhibits, and more. Some of our members were original organizers of the event and we have a hand in some of the preparation mechanics.
Eskimo Open—This is our uniquely Lake Wisconsin one-day event: two Christmas tree lined 9-hole golf courses played with tennis balls on the ice. Help needed—yes indeed: selling tickets, collecting Christmas trees, freezing the flag poles, setting up the course, registering golfers, conducting a raffle, selling souvenir sweat shirts, cleaning it all up. Some good old fashioned work, a lot of fun and fellowship, and, as with all our fund raisers, a great source of money for us to give back to worthy community causes.
Super Raffle—Our Club is blessed to have a small cadre of “Gamers” who not only run our money wheel at our other events, but do their own wonderful thing—with a big assist from a lot of other members—every Spring. Ticket sales are key to a successful Super Raffle and many help prepare for (we make appetizers, too), and host this one-evening event.
*We also do special dedicated fundraisers as needed, e.g., Poynette High School Press Box.
These are the committees that help our Club help itself.
Board of Directors—Comprised of current officers and Directors-at-large elected to two year terms, their task is to serve as sort of a general committee to consider issues, opportunities or committee reports, and make recommendations to the Membership for consideration. Board meetings typically take place an hour before the regular meeting. Minutes are kept and distributed to all members. Budgets require Membership approval at a regular meeting. As with all Lion meetings, any member is welcome to attend Board meetings.
Membership—This is critical to growth, continual renewal and fresh ideas. The Committee’s job is a big one: to lead recruiting, orientation and retention of members. Obviously Membership needs a Chairperson, but this role also requires Assistant Chairs. Service is throughout the year.
E-Mail/Newsletter—We use e-mail to keep all members in touch--agendas, minutes, important information and announcements, plus a monthly e-mail newsletter.
Public Relations—This responsibility is also a critical communication effort: it’s how the community learns about what we do and when we’re having a fund raiser—and it always feels good to see our members and Club in print. If you’re interested, you can help take pictures, write, or just plain help generate ideas (including how to accomplish your ideas!). Service is throughout the year, in spurts.
Finance & Community Requests—Our Club has two separate budgets. “Activity” budgets include all funds raised from the public and go to community support. “Administrative” budgets are based on funds raised from Lions themselves (a portion of dues, internal raffles, golf outing, etc.) and are used to run the Club. This committee sees to it that real community needs for funds are identified and understood. Then they are translated into a working annual budget based on a forecast of fund raiser success. The Committee is also responsible for determining when disbursements can be, and are, made. And, of course for tracking administrative needs and expenses. Service is once a year.
Information Technology—This is the where responsibility lies for developing, enhancing, maintaining, and updating our web site.
Long Range Planning—What do our members think now? What do we want to be in the future? And how do we get there? These are the kinds of questions that this group works to develop answers for. We can always use help: new ideas, fresh thinking, and an organized way of thinking are especially valued. Service is for several weeks, then just monitor progress.
Awards—Special member efforts on behalf of the Club, Lions and/or our community deserve to be recognized. This Committee is charged with identifying and seeing to appropriate recognition and presentation of awards. Service is typically once a year.
Nominations—This Committee develops and recommends a slate of candidates for elective Club positions. Service is once a year.
These are usually one-person jobs that help enable the Club to function well. They are positions that have usually been volunteered for and are most gratefully accepted by an incoming President.
Tail Twister—Serves to promote harmony, good fellowship and enthusiasm at Club meetings through the judicious imposition of fines on members.
Parliamentarian—Specialized knowledge required to assure proper business meeting procedures.
Calendar—Prepared once a year, this is a Member’s guide to the Club year; it also includes names, birthdays, contact information, as well as Committee and Board Rosters.
Historian—Every organization needs a sense of its own history; this is who keeps ours.
At least nine of our members have chosen to participate in Lionism at the District Cabinet, District Governor (State) and Wisconsin Lions Foundation (State) levels. The Club has also hosted the Wisconsin Lions State Convention (in Wisconsin Dells) and District Convention, as well as providing support at several District and State Conventions.