GENERAL INFORMATION
Thank you for visiting the Lions Clubs of Iowa official web site. We hope you find these pages both interesting and informative. We will do our best to keep the information updated as much as possible.
If this is your first visit to our web site, there are links at the left of this page that will lead you to different areas of Lions involvement in the State of Iowa.
Also, if you are not currently a member of a Lions, Lioness, or Leo club in Iowa, please consider becoming a part of the world’s largest service organization. More information on being a member is under the “Membership” link at the left of this page.
Our Lion’s motto is “We Serve”.
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
This year we are trying something new at the Lions' booth at the Iowa State Fair. We are seeking volunteers to man the booth from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM daily. Each shift would be for three hours 3-6 and 6-9. We are still in need of Lions for the following shifts: August 12 6-9 (1); August 13 3-6 (1); August 14 3-6 (1) and 6-9 (1); August 15 6-9 (2); August 17 6-9 (2); August 19 3-6 (1) and 6-9 (1); August 20 3-6 (1); August 21 6-9 (1) and August 22 3-6 (1). If you can help out at any of these times please let the State Office know at 515-232-2215 or iowalions@aol.com. The job entails handing out materials about lions and answering questions.
HELP!!!
HELP! As Lions we hear this often enough but on September 25 &26, 2010 we really do need some help. The Lions of Iowa will be doing a pancake breakfast both mornings and we need experts at flipping pancakes, passing out sausages and handling the business of a pancake breakfast. We also need some help from clubs in the way of donations, equipment or supplies. The proceeds for this venture will go to KidSight. The breakfast will be at the Isaac Walton League of Des Moines’ Outdoor Expo (at Water Works Park), a free event for all ages.
Every year the two day event grows and the “Ikes” are expecting 6- to 10,000 to attend this year!
Lions will have a booth that will create awareness of our programs, including Iowa KidSight.
Help with the pancakes and find out how to paddle a canoe or see the latest outdoor gear at the many exhibits.
To donate or volunteer contact CC Jerry R. Roland at 515-266-4521.
Come out and help us raise funds for Iowa KidSight, raise awareness of Lions and have fun!!!
Congratulations to the Iowa Lions who particpated at the Great Plains Lions Leadership Institute in Storm Lake. Those attending from Iowa were Jeanne Fricke; Judy Isley; Pat Parker; Stefan Sandberg; Mark Songer; Dr. John Tyrrell; Zane Vokes and Garry Vokes. Rachel Nicola and Stve Halstead served as faculty members. Ardie Klemish, Dave Stoufer and Gary Fry served on the staff. Next year's Institute will be in the middle of July. Watch for dates and make plans to attend. Iowa will need to provide two new instructors for next year. Interested applicants should contact one of the Iowa PIDs, Dave Stoufer, Del Brown, Gary Fry or Norm Dean before October 1, 2010.
The 2010 State Convention was a huge success. Congratulations go out to PDG Gene Braddock and his committee. 239 attendees were registered for the Convention with 153 voting dlegates. The four proposed changes to the By Laws all passed by a large majority. The Karaoke program on Friday night generated $1960 for the Iowa KidSight program. ID Beverly Stebbins and her Partner in Service PDG Ed were our special guests and were well received by the attendees. Outstanding presentations were made at the meal functions by PDG Rachel Nicola, Dan Peterson and Natalie Schira. PCC Duane Eldred was elected to be the President of the Iowa Lions Foundation for 2010-2011. PCC Jerry Inman was selected to be the new Project Director for the Iowa KidSight program. A much larger report and pictures from the convention will be in your June issue of the "Iowa Lion".
The 2010 Klise Leadership honoree was PID Dave Stoufer of the Washington Lions Club. The 2010 Whitten Service Award winner was PDG Dennis Crabtree from the Altoona Lions Club.
We are in need of more tissue transporter drivers in the Ames and Eastern Iowa routes. If you would like to be a driver in this vital program of helping peoplewith vision problems, please let eh STate Office or the Iowa Lions Eye Bank know.
New Clubs have been formed in Oskaloosa and Nora Springs. Congratulations to all involved. Charter Night for Oskaloosa is set for June 19, 2010 at William Penn College. see the "Iowa Lion" for more details. Nora Springs information available shortly. efforts are moving along very well on the club in Bellevue. In the next couple of weeks Extension teams will be working on a club for Eagle Grove and also an evening club in Sioux City. If you can help on theses efforts or have names of people to contact please let the State Office know. Efforts are now being aimed at starting clubs in Epworth,Polk City, Colfax, Goldfield and the Davenport area.
It has been determined that Iowa could send forward and International Director candidate as early as the Seattle Convention in 2011. Any Iowa Lion who might be interested in running for the Iowa endorsement should study pages 110-112 in the current Iowa "Who's Who". Time lines are involved and must be met if Iowa is to have a candidate for 2011.
Great Plains Lions Leadership Institute!!!
The 2010 Great Plains Lions Leadership Institute will again be held at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake July 16-18. Applications are now available from this web site under Misc. Forms or from the State Office. Multiple District 26 Missouri has joined the Great Plains and will be sending attendees and faculty this year. Most of our Districts offer scholarships, so contact your District Governor for details. Any questions please contact PID Dave Stoufer, PID Del Brown or the State Office. Come enjoy an outstanding training session for life skills and Lionism.
Promoting Healthy Children Conference
The 2010 Promoting Health Children Conference will be held October 2, 2010 at Family Directions of Iowa, 1211 Vine Street in West Des Moines. The cost to attend is $20 which covers lunch and CEC credits. Registration deadline is September 29, 2010. Topics to be covered at this year's conference are: Speech Development; Sensory Integration, Early Signs of Autism; and Early Hearing Issues.This conference is a joint effort of the Lions Clubs of Iowa, Family Directions of Iowa and Blank Children's Hospital. Make plans now to attend this outstanding conference.
HELP YOUR IOWA LIONS FOUNDATION
We as Iowa Lions have an opportunity to help meet the needs of our Iowa Lions Foundation by making an individual donation. For a donation of $20 or more you receive an "I Gave" pin. This year's pin is gold and purple. A new pin is issued each year with this being the fifth year. Pins from previous four years are available from the State Office or your Iowa Lions Foundation Trustee. Contact your Iowa Lions Foundation Trustee or the State Office to become a donor to support the Foundation. A clock raffle is also being held this year as well. Tickets available through your Trustee.
As we end the year and if you are looking for a non-profit charity to donate money, have you thought about donating to the Iowa Lions Foundation? The Iowa Lions Foundation is a 501c3 tax exempt non for profit corporation. Donations are tax deductible. For donations amounting to $1000 in a three year period, Warren Coleman Honorary Awards, can be awarded. If you are already a Warren Coleman recipient a progressive program now exists. For additional donations in $1000 increments pins showing your level can be obtained. For more information contact us at the State Office.
MEMBERSHIP TOTALS for 2009-2010
Membership Totals for 2009-2010, show the following numbers; 9EC -84; 9MC -7; 9NC +11; 9NE +29; 9NW -53; 9SE -13; and 9SW -11. Our total decline for the months of July through June was 128, which is down considerably from previous years. We had 102 Charter Members in four new clubs last year. With all of us working together this year, we can show a positive number for the first time in years. "Everyone get One" is our goal.
EXTENSION NEWS:
Teams are available to come and work in any area to start new clubs. This is an exciting and rewarding part of sharing what we do in Lionism. If you would like to help start new clubs, let State Extension Chairperson PCC Roger Bublitz or SA Gary Fry know. We started 4 new clubs in 2009-2010. How many this year?
NEW WEB SITE!
Thank you for your patience as we completed the new design for the state and district web sites. The task is now complete and you can begin updating your club and/or district web sites effective immediately.
The procedures to do these tasks have changed, please contact the state office to get your club and district login information, userids and passwords to accomplish your task.
Again, due to the many complaints of privacy concern, almost all member information beyond your first and last name have been removed from the site. There are no email addresses, mailing addresses or phone numbers in the site.
Thank you again for your patience, we hope you enjoy our new look. If you have ideas or comments, please contact your district IT representative to present to the advisory committee.
CONDENSED HISTORY OF LIONS OF IOWA
Current designation for Lions Clubs of Iowa is Multiple District 9, or MD9. The original District 9 included Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Eastern Wisconsin.
The first Lions Club in Iowa was the Sioux City Host Club, organized June 6, 1918. The Des Moines Host Club was formed in 1920, and is the oldest continuous club in Iowa.
Lions State Conventions are held each year, and the first was in Cedar Rapids in 1921.
Also in 1921, William Westfall of Mason City was elected District Governor, and in 1926 Lion Westfall was elected Lions International President. He is the only President ever elected from Iowa.
In 1927, Iowa and Nebraska were split into two Districts.
In 1928, the Lions International Convention was held in Des Moines, Iowa.
1942 was the first Key Breakfast ever held.
A Leader Dog representative attended the State Convention for the first time in 1950, and the delegates adopted the program as one to donate money to.
Through the years, there have been several Lions who have served as Lions Clubs of Iowa State Secretary. Art White was selected as the first State Secretary in 1953, followed by Art Fogarty in 1958. In 1964, his replacement was Dean Moore, and Bernie Zinsli became State Secretary/Field Rep Extension in 1972. Lion Bernie traveled Iowa, Nebraska, and part of Illinois helping establish new Lions Clubs. 1982 brought PDG Dale Anderson to the Lions State office as Secretary, and in 1991 PDG Matteo Cardella became Secretary. PID Gary Fry became State Secretary/Field Representative in 2003. As with Lion Bernie, PID Gary is also involved in chartering new clubs in the State of Iowa, plus his duties as Secretary.
In 1954, the Iowa Lions Sight Conservation Foundation (ILSCF) was started in Des Moines. This is the fund and grant making arm of Lions Clubs of Iowa. In 1978, with hearing as a new project, the name was changed to Iowa Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation. In 1994 the name was shortened to “Iowa Lions Foundation”, the current title.
As part of Foundation services, a Mobile Screening unit for detecting Glaucoma was approved in 1963 and placed in service in the fall of 1965. Iowa Lions were pioneers in the nation for providing this type of service through Lions Clubs. In 2005, after 40 years of continuous service, this screening service was discontinued.
Another segment of the Iowa Lions Foundation is the Iowa Lions Eye Bank. Established in 1955, and a part of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa, the Eye Bank collects and disperses corneal tissue for corneal transplants and for research. The Iowa Lions Eye Bank became a charter member of the Eye Bank Association of America in 1962. for over 54 years eye tissue was transported by the Iowa State Patrol. Today most of the tissue is trasnported by Lion volunteers.
In 1994, Lions of Iowa were hosts to the USA/Canada Leadership Forum held in Des Moines.
“Coming to Your Senses”, a screening program to detect vision problems in youngsters age six months to four years, was established in 1999, and continues to be an excellent service. On July 1, 2007, this prgram's name was changed to the current "IOWA KIDSIGHT". To date over 200,000 children have been screened in Iowa alone with over a million being screened across the United States.
Redistricting from 9 Districts in the state to 7 took effect July 1, 2007. The new district designations are: 9NW, 9NC, 9NE, 9EC, 9SE, 9MC, and 9SW.
The Lions of Iowa are comprised of 384 individual clubs with a combined membership of just over 10,000 Lions. Iowa is one multiple district (MD9) of Lions Clubs International , which has 45,000 clubs in 205 countries or geograph-ical areas. There are 1.3+ million Lions worldwide who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world.
Known for working to end preventable blindness, Lions participate in a vast variety of projects important to their communities. These projects range from cleaning up local parks to providing supplies to victims of natural disasters.
The state office is located in Ames and is overseen by Council Chairman PDG Jerry R Roland.
mission statement:
To empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs
