Due to timing constraints and scheduling conflicts, the last full cabine meeting will be held on April 27, 2008 at the Wadhams Lions Club Hall.

When you receive this Newsletter, there is a good chance the district convention will be in progress at the Okemos Convention Center. This is a great time for all clubs to intermingle, renew old friendships, and find out what other clubs are doing.

As we go to press with this issue, each club in the district should be holding or have had club officer elections for the year 2008-2009. Immediately following the election, the results are recorded on the PU-101 including Name, address (including zip), complete phone number and e-mail if you have one. The PU-101 is a two part form. The top (white) copy goes to Lions International and the yellow copy goes to VDG Chuck Belesky. It would be very helpful if each Recording secretary were to read the top of the PU-101 form.

Our convention this year will have the pleasure of a visit from International Director Harold “Otter” Ott and his wife Barbara. They come to us from Baolsburg, Pennsylvania. Director Ott is a retired University Administrator. He and his wife have one son, one daughter, and two grand daughters.  Director Ott and Barbara are members of the Harris Township Lions Club. Both are Melvin Jones recipients.

As we start on the home stretch of our Lion year, I challenge each club to sponsor a membership drive before the end of June 2008. Our membership is aging and some are showing the results of “burn out” – we need to keep the spirit and mission of Lionism in the forefront and moving forward.

April is National Donate Life Month

In Partnership with the Department of State, Gift of Life Michigan and the Michigan Eye Bank join supporters of Organ, Tissue and Eye Donations across the country in celebrating this life saving event. April 2nd is heralded as “Buddy Day” at each Secretary of State Office throughout Michigan. “Buddy volunteers” across Michigan will staff donor registry tables at their local branch offices. They will provide information to patrons on how they can ask the clerk to sign them up on the Michigan Organ Registry and receive a red heart sticker for their driver license or state id card. This is the 11th year for this event. It is a wonderful opportunity to educate Michigan residents about the importance of the Organ Donor Registry to help save and enhance lives. Last year more than 300 “buddies” helped sign up more than 8,000 new donors to the registry. I will be at the Secretary of State Office in the Court of Flags Mall on Krafft Road, Port Huron on April 2nd.