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The Illinois Lion, Lioness, Leo

New Leader for MD1

Mark Williams With His Wife Maggie

Council Chairperson, State of Illinois, Multiple District 1

MD1 e-Magazine (Lite) Vol. 4 - Issue 1, July 2016

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WHO IS MARK WILLIAMS?

Getting to Know the Council Chair, Lion Mark Williams

Lion Mark (a member of the Princeton Lions Club) has

completed the year as the Immediate Past District

Governor of the District 1-BK after having served as its

first Governor.

A Lion since the early 1990’s he has served Lions in

many capacities of Club, District and State levels.

He is Graduate of Lions Clubs International’s Advanced

Lions Leadership Institute as well as the Faculty

Development Institute.

Using the skills learned from Lions he as held programs

and classes in various District and Multiple District

events including District Officer Training (Club and

Cabinet level) the MD-1 Forum and Vice-District

Governor School (VGETS). Lion Mark will be teaching at

RLLI this fall and at GETS/VGETS next year as well.

Teaching Lions is his passion.

Public Service also extends to serving with the Bi-

County (Bureau and Putnam Counties) Emergency

Management Agency volunteer as well as a registered

National Weather Service “Storm Spotter”.

Lion Mark and his wife Maggie have lived in Princeton

since 1990.

They built and opened a small Dry-Cleaning Shop

(Cannon Cleaners) which they have operated since

1993. In addition to general cleaning and laundered

shirts they specialize in the care of old garments and

articles requiring delicate care.

Being avid collectors they both like to look for

interesting things when traveling on vacations and

weekends. These largely Historical 18th and 19th century

articles range from clothing, books, newspapers,

photographs, china dolls, artworks, dishware, and other

items large and small, fill their home to “almost

bursting” as Maggie likes to say!

Antique shops and flea markets occupy a lot of their

free time, historical sites and parks the rest. Reading,

watching movies are but a few of the home activities

(when they are home)

They live with a cat, Mr. Spottlenose, loosely named

after a Charles Dickens character family name from the

novel Martin Chuzzlewit. Mr. Spottlenose being a

previously abandoned sole, who made his home with

Lion Mark and Maggie, insists they also donate to the

local animal shelter to “help the less fortunate”! And

they do…………………

From Centennial Council Chair 2016-2017:

Lions of Illinois,

Well, here I go. When this

is read, I will be back from

Japan along with the

newly installed 2016-2017

MD-1 District Governors.

It is well to reach out and

thank the 2015-2016

Council of Governors and

Lion CC Steve Anton and

his “Partner in Service” Lion Gail for their year of

service. They are all “Past” officers now but very much

a part of our Illinois Lions Team! We will still rely on

their assistance and experience for years to come!!

As for OUR new Council, what can I say? This will be an

historic occasion…we will be THE Centennial Council.

Yes, back in 1917, it all started here! Right here in

Illinois! And THIS will be the year leading up to the

Century Celebration of Lions Clubs International. I am

honored and proud to be a part of that. And this group

will be ready for leading both their Districts and the

State in this “Year of Celebration”. We have elected an

“Executive Committee” (Lion DG Jerry Eiffert is Vice

Council Chair, Lion DG Pam Graney is Council Secretary

and Lion DG Barb Lahtinen is Council Treasurer) that has

already started their work for the Council and Illinois

Lions. Yes, there is still work to be done in the Districts

and the State, with goals to achieve for all, but working

together as a team, WE can, and WE will, get it done!

As for me, when my Lions journey started back in the

early 1990’s little did I think it would lead to this

culmination of my Lions career, the Council Chair of the

Centennial Council, and the honor it entails to be a part

of our Celebration Year in such a capacity.

All I can say is WOW! There is a quote of Lincoln’s I

rather like to use as it really signifies our place in time

and in many ways our Lions Emblem, the one with the

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Lion facing in each direction. One direction represents

the Past, the other represents the Future. The L in the

middle, well that represents where we are now, in the

Present. Here is the quote, can you see the like

symbolism. ……..

“There are no accidents in my philosophy. Every effect

must have its cause. The past is the cause of the

present, and the present will be the cause of the future.

All these are links in the endless chain stretching from

the finite to the infinite.” – Abraham Lincoln (attributed

to Lincoln by William H. Herdnand)

Anyway, I do wish to thank the 2016-2017 Council for

electing me, and thank all the Lions who have pushed

me along the trail. In each step forward, I really never

thought of the next, but for the LION friends and

mentors who have pushed me along the path, to the

Present where we are now, it is them who are

responsible for any success I achieve.

Lastly, my wife Maggie more than deserves a nod for

her support in all of my (our) Lions activities and Life in

general.

Thank you for the opportunity to SERVE!

Lion Mark Williams, Centennial Council Chair

Lions of Illinois

md1lionsmark@gmail.com

Editorial:

We just finished our Association’s 99th International Convention in the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It was one

of the best conventions of recent years. We really climbed the mountains and showed Japanese people what Lions do worldwide. The best thing I liked the most is – Volunteers. Going out of the way to help and guide. No matter they understand the language or not, they will remove their iPhone from their pocket and google information to help Lions to reach their destiny. Can our volunteers in Chicago repeat this behavior and enthusiasm to help our worldwide guests of LCI? It is a challenge we the lions in Illinois have to take and train our volunteers to do the right thing. International Parade was wonderful; even though it

was not that great as the parade in Hawaii last year.

Last year’s parade was more joyful, cheerful and

enjoyed by all. This time may be the rain ruined the

spirit of parade as many participants were wearing

raincoats, carrying an umbrella which was

distraction to live parade.

Many Lions who visited Fukuoka entire week’s

rainy showers completely disappointed their spirit

of tourism. Couldn’t go our too much and explore

Japan after spending so much money for airfare and

hotel stay.

My wife liked her brand new electric scooter which

helped her to move around at the dome and other

facilities. Centennial Host Committee Lions were

busy canvassing next year’s 100th

convention in

Chicago and giving away buttons, pins and helping

Lions to fill out reservation forms for the

convention. We saw lots of enthusiasm from world

lions to visit next year to Chicago to attend Lions

100 Years Celebration.

Those who did not attend 99th International Convention in Japan, you have an opportunity to see 2016 pictures and 30 video clips which I placed on my facebook page. If you see all of this, you may experience more than some of those lions went to attend convention in Japan in person. Most of all highlights captured by my lens are here for you to see.

As we are heading to Chicago to celebrate our 100

th

convention, we the Lions of MD1take a active role

in making this convention in Chicago the greatest

one of all time of the history of World Lionism. We

witnessed various uniforms, colorful dresses,

costumes, we the Lions of MD1 must come up with

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a uniform which will attract world lions like above

logo with multi colors and enthuse us who take part

in our parade entry. We must do something serious

now so that all Lions in MD1 who want to take part

can purchase this uniform and wear it proudly

during the parade. This responsibility falls on

Centennial Council of Governors under the

leadership of Council Chair Mark Williams. Let us

have one heck of a procession to attract world lions

with our sparkling uniform from MD1.

-PDG Austin D’Souza,

Your Editor

ILStateEditor@gmail.com

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP CORNER: Jama Wahl

This is the first in a series or

articles on the Lions

Mentoring Program offered

by Lions Clubs International.

This article will provide a brief

overview. The following articles will consider each

of the components.

So, what is the Lions Mentoring Program and how

can it impact you as a Lion, your club, and service

to your community?

The ultimate goal of the Lions Mentoring Program

is providing high quality and meaningful service to

our communities. By assisting Lions to develop

their personal skills and knowledge base, the Lions

Mentoring Program prepares Lions to be leaders

within their clubs that bring projects that are well

organized and significant to those served. There

are two parts to the program.

The Basic Mentoring Program is divided into two

parts. The first level considers the responsibility of

being a Lion. Clubs are encouraged to have all new

members complete level one within three months

of becoming a member. The focus is on

-who Lions are

-our vision of humanitarian services

-the organizational structure

-the responsibilities that come with being a Lion

The second level, which should be completed

within six months of membership, focuses on

-developing relationships at the club level

-enhancing organizational skills at the club level

The Advanced Mentoring Program also has two

levels. Level one considers results with the

emphasis on

-developing humanitarian service projects that

meet community needs

-completing such projects with efficiency and

effectiveness

The second level focuses on replication. The intent

is to

-develop others for leadership

-encourage long range growth and participation at

the club and district level

To participate in the Lions Mentoring Program

takes four steps:

1. Contact your club president who will connect you with a mentor/mentee

2. Download the Basic or Advanced Mentoring Guides www.lionsclubs.org or order the guides through the Membership and New Clubs Department

3. Complete the program 4. Submit documentation to LCI and receive a

lapel pin

Opportunities exist by completing the Lions

Mentoring Program for individual Lions, club, and

communities. Are you ready to take the challenge?

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The next article in the series will take a closer look

at the components of the Basic Mentoring

Program.

-Jama Wahl, MD1 Global Leadership Chair

jamawahl@yahoo.com

GLOBAL MEMBERSHIP CORNER:

July 1st is just about here, if not already past. That means one thing for most Lions: Happy New Year! I suspect that almost every Lion that reads this article knows that July 1st is the start of a new Lion Year.

Many of the 2015-2016 Lions Club Presidents look upon July 1st with a sense of relief and a smile on their face. They have passed the gavel on to their successor and are now PAST President. July 1st is also a time for a new beginning. Every club should take a look at what they did this past year. They should consider the number of fundraisers conducted and the number of individuals and organizations that were helped. They should also consider the number of service projects that were performed. Further, they should consider the community events that they hosted or in which they were involved. Under fundraisers: Were they able to help individuals and groups as much as they would have liked? If they raised a few more dollars, might they have reached their goals? Most clubs have their “favorites” when it comes to writing checks. Has your club considered sending a donation to an organization that is new to them? When considering a new beneficiary, contact that organization to request a guest speaker for a future meeting. They can tell your members what they do and answer your questions. After that, your Board can decide if they want to recommend making a donation. Under service projects: Did they actually roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty while helping someone or some entity in their community? (This does not include writing checks.) Some of the usual service projects include

sprucing up the exterior of a senior citizen’s home and yard, constructing a wheelchair ramp for someone who needs one, beautifying a local park and more. Don’t forget that such projects are photo-ops. Send those photos, with an accompanying article or caption, to your local newspapers (if they still exist). Post them on your website and on Facebook. Under community events: Did they experience the level of member involvement that they had hoped while planning the event(s)? Did their community support their event(s)? Some clubs hold events where the club is the sole organization involved. Others participate in an event with other organizations. Regardless, make sure you have sufficient publicity BEFORE the event. Remember the line in the movie Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come”. People will not plan on attending an event if they don’t know about it. Take photos of this year’s event to be used in publicity for next year’s event.

There is something

that could help your club do a little better than last year: a few extra members. If you had a few

extra members your club could raise a few more dollars than last year.

You could also have some additional hands helping with service projects. Those community events should be easier with increased manpower. Start recruiting those potential members now. There is absolutely no reason to wait until Fall. Lion Paul Gergolla, PDG MD-1 GMT Coordinator Phone: 630-858-8073 Email: lionpg1@aol.com

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Lions of Illinois Foundation - 2016 Sight & Sound Sweepstakes Winners

Prize Winner Sold by / Club District $5,000 Galena Lions Club Galena Lions Club D $1,000 (1) Jani Robinson Mendenhall Kevin Mendenhall - Robinson Lions Club M

$1,000 (2) Anthony Mayer Elmer Ragland - Waterloo Lions Club CN

$1,000 (3) Rick McElmurry Rick McElmurry M

$1,000 (4) Carolyn Hrabusicky Joseph Hrabusicky - St. Jacob Lions Club CN

$1,000 (5) Susan Hastings Susan Hastings --

$500 (1) Jill Farrell Edmond Farrell - Chicago Central Lions Club A

$500 (2) Bill Baskin Randy Ferguson - Johnston City Lions Club CS

$500 (3) Jim Rischar Timewell Lions Club G

$500 (4) Michael Krys No seller listed --

$500 (5) Paul Doane Walt Powell - Monticello Lions Club M

$500 (6) Chicago Beverly Ridge Lions Club Chicago Beverly Ridge Lions Club A

$500 (7) Margarita Carrillo Margarita Carrillo - Chicago Southeast Lions Club A

$500 (8) John Wartinbee John Wartinbee - Elmhurst Lions Club J

$500 (9) Carol McCann-Kojima Lydia Ellis - Swansea Belleville Midtown Lions Club CN

$500 (10) Christopher Lions Club Christopher Lions Club CS

$250 (1) Mark Vanhecke Christian Cooper - Rockford Noon Lions Club D

$250 (2) McHenry Lions Club McHenry Lions Club J

$250 (3) Lanark Lions Club Lanark Lions Club D

$250 (4) Richard Kraft Richard Kraft --

$250 (5) Ted Dinkelman Wendy Erickson - Algonquin Lioness Club J

$250 (6) Jean and Roman Luck Patricia Bennett --

$250 (7) Ann Breier Pat Malinowski - Gardner Lions Club BK

$250 (8) Char Genta Martha Young G

$250 (9) Lansing Lions Club No seller listed A

$250 (10) Tim and Viv Mahaney Tim Mahaney - Libertyville Lions Club F

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MD1 State Monthly e-Magazine Edited & Published by PDG Austin D’Souza, Ph.D. for Lions, Lionesses and Leos of Illinois. e-Mail Address: ILStateEditor@gmail.com

Mail your articles, pictures and news items to above e-mail address.

LETTER TO PDG’S OF ILLINOIS

As your MD1 State of Illinois President for the year 2014-2016, I have a humble request to all PDG’s of Illinois. Our Annual Meeting will be held on October 22nd,

2016 to hold our Annual Elections to elect new officers – President, Vice President and Secretary- Treasurer. This year we have a golden opportunity to welcome our sitting International President Chancellor Bob Corlew and his lovely wife Dianne. It never happened in the history of our PDG organization of MD1. Let us come in big numbers to show our unity of PDG’s in Illinois. This meeting will take place at 4:00 p.m. and will end at 5:00 p.m. Then we can attend MD1 2017 Kick-off Party with our Centennial International President. Let us give a MD1 Lions welcome to our president. This day, October 22nd we are also going to have MD1 Fall Rally with various seminars of your choice to attend and gain extra knowledge and wisdom in Lionism worldwide. This session includes a lunch. Registration and lunch cost is $25. If you register for seminar, lunch and dinner, cost is only $50. If you want to register Kick-off Reception and Dinner, cost is $30. You do the math and see where you can save more money. I will register for the entire day’s events and pay only $50. You can’t beat this price for seminars, lunch, kick-off party and dinner. Page #6 of this magazine has the registration form

to be filled out and mailed. Please make a copy of this form and send with your check to: Lions of Illinois, Inc., Post Office Box 127, Hopedale, IL 61747-0127. Thank you in advance and see you on October 22, 2016 at the Embassy Suites, 100 Conference Drive, East Peoria, IL. Yours in Service,

PDG Austin D’Souza, Ph.D., Your President. Lions from Multiple District 1 – Lions of Illinois getting ready to step-in to the parade at the 99th LCI Convention in Fukuoka, Japan.

Some MD1 Lions at the International Officers Reception held at Hilton SeaHawks, Fukuoka, Japan