a weekly newsletter

We meet every Thursday at the D&W

Business Center, 1434 Hawn Avenue

Yellow Rag Editor

Mike Middleton

“Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation’s Safety”

September 11, 2003

!!! NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN !!!

The tragedies of September 11, 2001

GOD, please continue to Bless this wonderful country,

our President and our military and public servants.

Opening: Presiding: President Lion Ed Ball; Prayer: Lion Bob Allen; Pledge: Lion PDG Craig Kennedy; Leading the song was Lion Patricia Schwartz – accompanied by Lion Robbie Raiford on the piano and Lion PDG Jimmie Giles sounding the cymbals.

Special Prayers: Lions Gabby Garbarino and Gloria Kennedy.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS: Next week (9/18^th) Lion Jimmie Giles will be our program and it is promised to be one which will cause you concern. September 25^th Lion Robert Schwartz will feature Shreveport Police Department Chief Mike Campbell.

PLEASE – FULFILL YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR CLUB AND

LIONISM -- ATTEND YOUR MEETINGS!

Visitors: Ms. Elena Corley was visiting with Lion Hubert Gleason. Elena is a prospective new NSLC member. She is the manager of Regions Bank on North Market – WELCOME!

NOTES/Remarks:

September’s Board Meeting was held yesterday (9/10/2003)–

Discussion was held as to whether to have an extra fundraiser for this year for additional contributions to the Eye Foundation and the Camp. Members decided to not have any additional fundraisers – just to work harder on the ones we already have. Please sell as many items as you can for the Chicken Charbroil, Candy & Nut Sale and Rose Day. Please always be on the lookout for items for the March Irish Auction. Again – let us all fulfill our personal commitments to Lionism.
Invoices were mailed out for 2003-2004 dues reflecting $114.00 per member. As previously reported, International is requiring an additional $2.50 per member for the next 6-6 month periods (current year and the next 2 years following the current year). NSLC’s Administrative Fund will cover the additional money per member needed for 2003-2004. This is possible because of the reduced expenditures on The Yellow Rag. So, here is the pending fee structure:

2003-2004 = $119.00
2004-2005 = $124.00
2005-2006 = $129.00

Lion Hubert Gleason was appointed to head-up an Audit Committee. This will place us in compliance with our By-Laws – there is really no need to pay an outside auditor several thousand dollars to conduct such an audit. In no way is suspicion upon our Treasurer or books, it is just important for all such clubs to have some type of review.
Lion Gleason will be heading up our annual Nut and Candy Sale… Please, make your orders in case lots only.

Prez Ball again acknowledged the club’s appreciation to Lions Steve and Rubye Davitt for the contribution of a refrigerator to the North Shreveport Lions Club. It is prominently displayed in the clubroom until we can get rid of the old one…

Big Bass Rodeo… Sell tickets and the Rodeo is September 27^th.
The Chicken Charbroil will be on October 9^th and distribution of the birds will occur on Friday, October 10^th. Lions Mike Middleton and PDG Bryan Self will chair. Also, the next week Lion Mike is asking for any volunteers to help on another project October 15^th thru 18^th. This will be to cook pork ribs to help benefit, the Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of the Special Olympics – Louisiana.
October 25^th 8-L Fall Conference, Ramada on Monkhouse Drive. 8-L Governor Bonnie Pharr is asking for us to have as many people as possible for the Conference.
Lions Patricia and Robert Schwartz will be working to have a social for the NSLC at their new home sometime in the near future.
Lion Larry LaBorde noted that SAIA Freight has donated services to the club. They have picked up 2 large pallets with eyeglasses collected by the club for forwarding to a processing center. Thanks to Lion Larry and SAIA.

Tailtwisting: Lion TT Bill Archambeau had Lion Paul Little carrying the potty. It stormed while the meeting was in session – and GUESS who rode the storm in??? – Lion Charles (Chuck) Smith. It had been a good while since he was able to attend a meeting and it was great having him—particularly for the Tailtwisting Session (which was a little weak before his arrival). The TT demanded that we award Chuck with a special singing of Happy Birthday even though this is not his B.D. month – he accepted in the fun of the day and it is great having him back in attendance. Otherwise, just the normal trivia questions and a few latecomers. It was a great session.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Since Lion Strickland has been absent for a while, Lion PDG Hubert Gleason presented him his plaque and inducted him into the Melvin Jones Fellowship. Congrats, Chuck.

Program: Lion Kevin Anderson (adorned in a sports jacket and tie) introduced Lion Todd Buffington. Todd is a Past President of the Minden Evening Club. His presentation today was on Electrofishing, which he gets to do everyday – as he is a Biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Todd has a beard, hence, he is not an Enforcement Agent as Agents cannot have facial hair and this sets Todd off from the agents.

Electrofishing is the art of fishing with an electrical stimuli-pole, which is a very humane method so as to minimize the mortality rate of the fish. They determine probable areas of habitation of mostly Large Mouth Bass, Crappie and forage fish (serves as prey for other fish). The shocking apparatus causes the fish to surface and they are netted, weighed & measured, and then returned to the water. These operations are usually conducted after dark because the fish normally get closer to the top of the water during the dark. Todd’s crew does this in most of the major lakes in Northwest Louisiana and the Red River. The process gives an idea as to the fish population and how they are growing – if they are not growing at a good rate, then the possible reasons are investigated. Todd’s crew is usually early in detecting possible water problems, however, the problems are noted and forwarded to Department of Environment Quality for action.

For the tekies – the current sent through the 10-foot (non-conductive) fiberglass pole is 750 volts, 4 amps at 60 pulses; the process is conducted for 15 minutes. Their hazards operating at night include unseen logs and other obstacles.

Lion Libby Gleason inquired if the water was better in the Red since the building of the Lock and Dam. Todd noted it is better but not necessarily from the Dam. It is because of better management of the River through commercial and agricultural discharges.

It is too bad more members were not in attendance, because this was a great and informational meeting – could have used more outdoors people in the audience.

Ticket Drawings: The red ticket winners were: Lions Russ Peterson and Bill Archambeau.

BLUE TICKET: Lion Jimmie Giles failed to draw the correct Queen. Next week’s pot is over $170.

Attendance Prize: Lion Harold Wright was present to collect $20.00. It pays to attend!!!

Have a safe, god-filled week and remember, your next scheduled meeting for nslc is thursday, september 18, 2003 at 12:00 noon. KEEP THE COMMITMENT ALIVE!!!

MAJOR PROJECTS: Louisiana Lions Childrens’ Camp, LSU Lions’ Eye Foundation, Northwest Louisiana Eye Bank, Louisiana Association for the Blind, Northwood High School Leo Club, Scholarships for Northwood and Green Oaks High Schools

FUNDRAISERS: Chicken Charbroil – October; Candy & Nuts – November;

Irish Auction – March; Rose Sale – April

Return to Yellow Rag