The Lions’ Tale
New Braunfels Noon Lions
P.O. Box 310194
1577
FEBRUARY
2016
New Braunfels, Texas 78131
XVIII
Jim, Dan
Dave, Ronnie
Jack
Chartered March 18, 1924
Happy Vallenine’s Day
White Cane Day
“We Serve”
O
screening, eyeglasses for the those who can’t afford
them, our spiffy new SPOT machine — especially for
testing the kids who are just too young to understand
what the heck is going on — and more. [Editor’s aside: I
ur annual White Cane Day solicitation event is
scheduled for Saturday, April 2nd, and you are
cordially invited to attend.
If it seems like your editor is beating this horse to room
temperature, he has what he considers a valid motive.
He captained the pharmacy door of Wal-Mart last year
and interacted with lots and lots of folks coming and going through those portals, handed out a few Tootsie Rolls
and collected a fistful of Cash American to fund some
very good causes. But he’ll be MIA this year, and Third
Veep Ronnie Thompson is looking for a Day Captain
replacement for the Wal-Mart venue. This could be your
big Noon Lions breakout opportunity — carpe diem!.
attended the SPOT training session, and that machine’s analysis of my vision, both with and without my trusty spectacles,
was spot on (ooh!). It’s a fabulous machine and we will do
much good with it in this community.]
Filling 30 two-hour slots from a roster of a hundred-and
-some-odd patriots who embraced the “We Serve”
pledge at their inductions should be a slam dunk, but seldom is. Thanks in advance to those who participate.
One of the great things about White Cane Day is that
all of the revenue, 100 per cent, goes to vision programs.
A third goes to the Lone Star Eye Bank, and the balance
is used for our charitable vision activities — student
Pretty much our only expenses are water and ice for
the workers and, of course, the Tootsie Roll bait with
which to slow down the munchkins and also, not by accident, the ones with the money. And that, fellow Lions,
is all money well spent.
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Business Meeting - 7 January
P
resident Mike Smetanka presents a Noon
Lions donation of $250 to Pete Lavonte of Boy
Scout Troop 381 as a couple of squared away
members of the troop observe the proceedings.
The Boy Scouts of America gives us one reason for
hope in a quality next generation.
L
ion Nancy Shugart, president of the South Austin Lions
Club and blind since age 8, gave an inspiring benediction
on willpower. The long and short of it was “regardless of your
handicaps, you can do what you put your mind to.”
One great turning point in her life was the discovery in college, just when she contemplated dropping out, of the new
electronic magnifier in the school library. This bit of technology allowed Nancy to read more like sighted folks, relieving her
of the burden of poring over texts word by word with a magnifying glass. The machine was a recent donation by the local
Lions Club, and Nancy was transformed. Lions won a place in
her heart that day that we have never relinquished. ROAR!
T
he Fifty-Fifty drawing was won by Rich
Carse
—
pastoremeritus, Chapter 1577
co-chaplain and all
around good-guy.
Interestingly, the winning number, at least the
last three digits of it, were
“666”. [Hmmm.]
Her bio and more are available at provethemwrong.com and
numerous other places on the Internet.
Business Meeting - 21 January
A
major disappointment, photographically speaking, is the lack
of a digipic of 50+ grown Lions waving sticks of spaghetti around like it
was perfectly normal. Tail Twister
Cameron Bradfute came up the
gambit as an icebreaker, and it was
surely a unique approach — easily
beating making wedding gowns from
“bath tissue”. Gad!
L
eah Ortega, coordinator of the
Two Rivers District of the Boy
Scouts of America, encompassing
six troops strung out from Canyon
Lake through New Braunfels to Universal City, accepts a check in the
amount of $600 from President Mike
Smetanka.
P
lease welcome to our ranks Freddy Garza, owner of Freddy’s Pawn
& Jewelry on south Seguin Avenue opposite the post office. Freddy was initiated by Prez Mike Smetanka and sponsored by your editor.
Welcome aboard, Freddy.
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Duly noted is Ralph Koch’s abdication of the Vsion Czar post after
many years of service. Ralph’s record of achievement will be difficult to
match or best, but stepping up to
accept the mantle is Skip “Lefty”
Stem. Skip has long been a cheerleader of our vision screening program, recruiting many to the call.
Much luck in your new post, Lefty.
Coming Attractions
F
ebruary 4th: Your Leo Coordinator David Simmons, and Leo Campus Coordinators John Creswell and Tom Call, will
give up all the details
of our Leo commitment.
Everything
you have always
wanted
to
know
about the Leos program — what it is,
what they do, how
we interface with
them, what do we get out of it — will be
made known to you this day.
A reprise of a primer of this depth and
magnitude may not be available again in Editor’s random thought: anyone not absolutely thrilled with his official “mug shot”
should let the editor know. Perhaps a remedy is available.
your lifetime.
F
ebruary 18th: Comal County Habitat for
Humanity Executive Director Nathan Weir
will bring magic markers and “two-bys” for us
to sign (that is “sponsor”, i.e., purchase) as a
preliminary step in their becoming studs in a
house to be built for a family in need here in our
community. In addition to the awesome lumber
medley, Director Weir will take home a nice
check from your club in support of the cause.
Director Weir does not take plastic — bring
cash or your checkbook if you want your name
inside somebody’s wall.
arch 4th: SPOT Camera Program —
Skip “Lefty” Stem and qualified assistants will demonstrate the awesome capabilities of our new shared camera, and explain
how it is used. Having been through the
training, your editor laudes this extraordinary
bit of new technology.
M
Free lollipops to all Lions who will participate. Wear your safety glasses and steeltoed boots. [Kidding, of course — but a welder’s hood
could come in handy.]
M
arch 5th: Wurstfest Craft Beer Festival
parking — in an inspired bit of scheduling the Wurstfest Assn. inked in this day of
fun and frolic close enough on the heels of
their Ten-Day Salute to Sausage that your
Noon Lions should have not forgotten all they
learned parking cars for that event. Soon
Sign Up Genius will issue an invitation for
you to join David Berger and David Smith in
the parking lot on that Saturday to raise a bit
more cash for our charitable works.
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Coming Attractions
M
Part Two
arch 5th: Texas Lions Camp — if you’re not planning to park cars for the Wurstfest Craft Beer Festival, another
worthwhile option is to venture up I-10 a few miles and do a day’s work at the Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville.
[Editor’s note: if you’re new to the neighborhood and have never been to Kerrville, Fredericksburg and surrounding environs, permit
me to assure you that there is a bona fide reason that almost all of the Texas summer camps for boys
and girls are located within a 20-mile radius. The Guadalupe is pristine up there, and the limestone
hills are beautiful. Do yourself a favor, saddle up and go.]
The laborer deserves his wages. You will be fed a sumptuous breakfast and lunch, and
in between you will have the opportunity to recondition saddles or rebuild corrals or perform
any of the myriad chores that need doing before the first crop of campers shows up after
the spring school semester ends. The Leos will be out in force, as well — you will not be
the Lone Ranger. Your editor went last year and, depending on his sked this spring, will
definitely go again. If you’re really gung-ho, you can carpool up Friday and spend the night
Even old fudds can find
in the dorms. Otherwise, carpools will be forming for an early Saturday departure from
a way to be useful
Seekatz or somewhere.
You’re a Lion, and this is our most precious gift to kids who have a lifetime of uphills in store for them between now and
the moment they grasp the brass ring. Considering giving up a Saturday and reaping the benefits.
FEBRuary Birthdays
TLC Work Day
March 2015
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Kevin Wersterfer
8th
Jerome Friesenhahn
8th
Henry Spindle
9th
Melvin Jochec
16th
Skip “Lefty” Stem
17th
Lee Ambrosino
18th
Glenn Avriett
21st
John Creswell
21st
Ralph Koch
23rd
Ken Lowery
23rd
Delaine (Daly) Heimer
24th
Mark Reynolds
25th
THIS SPACE
FOR RENT
$50 PER YEAR, BILLABLE QUARTERLY
[Where else can you get such bang for the buck?)
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hese are the guys who watch the door so your Lion Tamer/Lions’ Tale
Editor can stand in your way taking high quality digipix like the one above
for the newsletter.
T
The Lion Tamer is truly beholding to these loyal guys who watch his six and
keep him from tripping offline at times during the ebb and flow of our bimonthly business meetings. There is always more to do than one person can
possibly manage. Volunteers are encouraged to lend a hand, learn a trade.
Sincere thanks to Jim Tiller, Dan Krueger, Dave Schreier, Ronnie Thompson and Jack Morgan. Way overdue, fellas.
New Braunfels Noon Lions Club
PO Box 310194
New Braunfels, Texas 78131-0194
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