EL CAJON VALLEY HOST LION’S NEWSLETTER
March 4, 2024, Members: 31 Guests: 8
Facebook: El Cajon Valley Host Lions Club
OPENING:
Pres. Carl Ruiz
Song Masters: IPP Rob Ransweiler Song: God Bless America
Pledge of Allegiance: 2nd Veep Ron Nevels Invocation: PP Phil Smith
GUESTS:
| Maxine (Nasif), | Rita Cloud (Dolores), | Dayna & Kevin Jones (her 3rd visit), | Lisa & Kayleena Morund with Norm, puppy in training | Rob Maher, Guide Dogs of the Desert |
Great to see: a room of happy Lions.
HELEN KELLER QUOTE BY: Carter Short
“What I’m looking for is not out there, it is in me.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS/GOOD OF THE ORDER:
PDG Len’s Celebration of Life will be held March 15, 2024, 2 PM at Steele Canyon Golf Club 3199 Stonefield Dr, Jamul. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to son Jon, at 619-843-4039 – text would be preferable.
.Sec Paul W reported we received a thank you letter from Guide Dogs of the Desert for our recent $10,000 donation.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
Christian Wille 3/3
GOOD CHEER:
If you know of any members who are in distress, sick, or in the hospital, PLEASE notify PP Yvonne so our good wishes can be conveyed to him/her. Paris4L6@cox.net 619/838-4262
March 14th – ECVH LC Board Meeting 6 PM at Elks Lodge Conference Room. All are Welcome.
March 16th – 9:30 AM 3rd District Cabinet Meeting at the Imperial Valley Food Bank at 486 W. Aten Rd, Imperial, CA. Breakfast and lunch will be provided by Lions in the Imperial Region. See PP Yvonne for food reservations.
APRIL 20TH – ECVH LC Gunsmoke at Elks Lodge 6 PM Elks Lodge
VICE PRESIDENT REPORTS:
1ST VEEP Keith MacArthur: MIA
Gunsmoke Committee meetings will be held weekly after our regular meetings.
2ND VEEP Ron Nevels: No Report
3rd Veep Bob Sanchez: No Report
Membership Chair Cathy Bailes: MIA
LCIF Coordinator Yvonne Paris: No Report
MARCH EXEMPT BADGE: None yet
HAPPY DOLLARS: TT Bob “Hatchet Man” Acker
.Yvonne $5 won silent auction items, and paid too much, at La Mesa Lions Anniversary Party.
.Paul W $5 Guide Dogs of the Desert guests
.Tom N $40 for he and Malone’s 40th Wedding Anniversary
.Dolores $10 for Rita as her guest today
.Carol $20 she knew Dolores’ hubby and knows Rita’s hubby.
.Carter $5 having a good business meeting at his table.
.Rob Maher $10 Thanks for having GDD at the meeting today.
.Gary S $10 went to a great concert at Sycuan with Bob Acker and his daughter.
.Carl $20 for all the happy faces today
.Dayna $10 loves our meetings and all the great people.
PROGRAM:
Guide Dogs of the Desert– Rob Maher
GDD, now 50+ years old is located in Whitewater, CA which is near Palm Springs.
Rob gave a BIG thanks for our recent donation of $10,000 as GDD is a community-based organization and relies on donations from the public. They are a nonprofit 501(c) (3).
GDD provides mobility, companionship, and independence for the blind with custom-trained Guide Dogs. All services and training programs are provided at no cost to the student, and they serve students from all parts of the United States.
Their programs involve breeding, puppy raising, custom guide dog and student training, and lifetime support of the team.
Training begins at 6-9 weeks and extensive training at 6-9 months. The next 18-24 months are with a puppy raiser who does the actual training. When a student-recipient is chosen, they receive a 28-day, in-residence training program at the GDD facility and they are custom-trained to their personal needs and home environment.
The birth to placement-timeline is approximately 2 ½ years and costs about $80,000.
Our Pres. Carl had two Guide Dogs from GDD, one in 2008 and the other in 2014.
May 16th is the next graduation, and we are all invited to attend.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
March 18th – Van Willsey, winner of 2/12 Opportunity Drawing
WINNER OF ATTENDANCE DRAWING: Roger Stebleton MIA so next week $50
WINNER OF OPPORTUNITY DRAWING: Carl Ruiz $30
TODAY’S RIB-TICKLER: I really think it’s time to take the warning labels off of everything and let stupidity work itself out of the gene pool.
ATTENDANCE IS THE PRICE OF MEMBERSHIP
“WE SERVE”
Motto of LCI President Dr. Patti Hill “Changing the World”