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President's Message – April 2010

April 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Welcome to Spring Hope that your Easter Celebration was a joyous one!  My Easter festivities included 22 for dinner followed by 267 filled eggs being hid by the adults and hunted by the children and a Birthday celebration for my 92 year old Uncle.  Was a great family time! Hope yours was also!

My Thanks and vote of appreciation goes to –

  • Lion Joy Schwab, Membership Chairman for a very informative yet fun Prospective Member Night.  PDG Lion Gary Burdette shared a great program on Lions.
  • Lion Gary Rogers for his leadership in the Papa Johns Fund Raiser.  Thanks for a great job of selling, maintaining and boosting our revenues.
  • Thanks to Lion Charlie Hertel and all his helpers for another successful Blood Drive.  Also for organizing the blood drives in the various churches.  In all your efforts for our club and community, many lives have been saved.
  • Thanks to Lions Joy Schwab and Sue Suddath for another successful Pancake Breakfast.  A lot of good comments about the food as well as the atmosphere.  We reached out to many in our community. Thanks for all – Lions, Leos, Partners-In-Service and family and friends who helped in any way.
  • Auctioneer Holpuch will go on record as to knowing how to pull those dollars out of our pockets.  Thanks to Lions Marcia and Charlie for a great In-House Auction.  And thanks to all of you who donated items, large and small. And to all who carried different things back out – Thank you for opening your purse strings for the benefit of the Club Administrative Costs.  A real fun night!
  • Thanks to Lions Marcia Holpuch and Charlie and Carol Stone for representing the Club at the Advisory Meeting on Saturday, the 27th.  Seems as though, several of us overbooked for the date.  I really appreciate your stepping and taking the time to represent us. Thanks
  • Lion Cindee Rogers has got the Damascus Lions Web Site up and running and it is better than ever. She has already received some compliments on it from others that have visited the site.  She has also linked it to Twitter and Facebook.  So join up Lions!  Visit our web site, it is fabulous!

The Big Band Dance is April 17.  Have purchased your ticket?  It is ok if you don’t dance – you can watch and enjoy the music.  We need you participation.  Check it out with Lion Carol Stone before it is too late!
Enjoy this spring weather – It is a wonderful time of the year!

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Help Needed for White Cane Days May 5-8

April 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Damascus Lions!  Our next Damascus White Cane fundraiser is the week of May 5-8.

I will push the signup sheet around during this meeting and I’ll pick up the stragglers at the mid-April meeting. Folks: this fundraiser needs the participation of every able-bodied Damascus Lion for at least one two-hour shift. When the sign-up sheet reaches you, please contribute at least one shift; two, if you can. Every two shifts bring us enough funds to provide an eye appointment and new glasses for some needy Damascus-area child or adult. We will have shifts at both doors of Safeway this time, in the hopes that this will help us increase our collections there.

Thank you, all Damascus Lions, for your help with this fundraiser over the years.

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Scholarships – Due April 10

April 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Damascus Lions Foundation, Damascus, Maryland announces the Vernon R. Simpson Scholarship program for the school year 2010-2011.   Scholarships in the amount of $ 1,000 each will be awarded in the Spring 2010.

To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must:

  • be a citizen of the United States
  • be a graduating senior in the upper 50% of the class who will attend full-time an accredited postsecondary academic institution, accredited vocational, trade or business school
  • not have accepted an appointment to a service academy or have received any other grants or scholarships (including ROTC awards) exceeding $5,000 (does not include Guaranteed Student Loans)

Applicants will be judged on scholastic achievement, leadership, character, citizenship, school activities, work experience, community activities.

The decision of the scholarship committee will be final.

The following information must be submitted by April 10, 2010 to:

Student Loan and Scholarship Committee, Damascus Lions Club
Lion Mary Frances Gosnell, Scholarship Chairman
1674 Florence Road,
Mount Airy, MD 21771

or to:
Ms. Barbara Barry, Leo Advisor,
Damascus High School.

  1. A completed Application for Scholarship Grant (attached)  [Download Application as a Word Doc  , Open Document Format or as a PDF .  Download  General Information and Instructions (PDF)]
  2. A High School Academic Transcript, including SAT and other test score results, certified by school registrar
  3. Three (3) letters of reference by adults (not relatives)
  4. A brief original essay by the applicant indicating their career objectives and why they need further education

The successful recipients of the scholarships will be announced at the Damascus Lions Youth Night and the School Awards Ceremony.

The scholarship grants will be sent to the recipient in July 2010 and the check will be made payable to the college or institution the recipient will be attending.

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President’s Message – March 2010

March 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

While you are dreaming of planting seeds, fertilizing the lawn, watching the first crocuses bloom, just remember as of this newsletter, Spring is not far away – just 18 days.  THINK SPRING!

While at our last meeting I said that the groundhog didn’t see his shadow, I think I must have had my hood over my head too far!   In my lifetime in the Plateau of Maryland, I have seen the likes of this winter before but certainly not recently.  But I do know that I have seen the wind cause more problems than it did this time. Snow drifts up to the telephone poles!  The good thing is that we have all survived!  Hope you had time for some good ole homemade soup, a good book and time with the family.

At the February 2nd meeting, we acknowledged and honored Charter First Lady Ruby Hyatt and our first lady member, Lion Helen Boyer for their support and work with the Damascus Lions. A donation in honor of First Lady Ruby was sent to the Laytonsville Elementary School for a project that “Miss” Ruby will help select.  A donation in honor of Lion Helen Boyer was sent to the Women’s Board of Montgomery General Hospital.  Lion Helen is a Charter Member of the Board and instrumental in leading many of their projects.

Although our Board Meeting and second Dinner Meeting were cancelled and our activities were limited, we continued on in support of our members and community.

Associate Member Lion Rodney Duvall died on February 10.  Our Lions participated in a Memorial Service for Lion Rodney. Thanks to all 18 of the Lions who came and stood in honor of our deceased member.  The Damascus and Zephyrhills Lions supported the Damascus Vol. Fire Dept. in serving meals to the Duvall Family on Monday night and at the Tuesday Reception. 

Partner-In-Service Martha Slacum died Feb 19.  Martha was the widow of Charter Member Emerson Slacum.   

Please keep both the Duvall and the Slacum families in your thoughts and prayers.

Welcome to new members, Cheryl Wyatt and Cindee Rogers!  We look forward to working with these new Lions. Also, Welcome to new member, Lauren McCormick, Leo Advisor at Damascus High School

We have many great projects and fundraising events coming up.   I trust all of you will lend your support to help these events be successful ones.
Thank you for being a Lion, a Damascus Lion!

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Pancake Breakfast – March 20

March 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Damascus Lions Spring  Pancake, Sausage & Scrambled Egg Breakfast will be held on Saturday, March 20, 2010, from 7 am to 11 am at the Damascus United Methodist Church.

Tickets – Adults – $8.00, Children 8 to 4 – $3.00,  Under 4 years old – free

For Tickets, to Volunteer or for more information -    contact Lion Joy Schwab 301-253-3294

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Big Band Dance – April 17

March 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Damascus Lions Club’s 2010 Big Band Dance is just around the corner. Be sure to mark Saturday, April 17th on your calendar. Dinner and dance (on wood floor) will be held at the Damascus American Legion Post 171 on Lewis Drive in Damascus, MD. Music will be provided by Roland Cumberland and his outstanding Orchestra, featuring “The Swing Set” vocalists trio.   

Social hour including full setups will start at 6:00 PM, with dinner at 6:45 PM, followed by dancing from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Dinner also included, will be prepared and served by Paul Black of Tom & Ray’s in Damascus.  The cost is $80 per couple; $40 for singles. [Read more...]

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White Cane Days – May 5-8

March 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Damascus White Cane fundraiser runs from Wednesday May 5 through Saturday, May 8.  Look for us around Damascus!  

Monies collected are used to support programs and services for people who are blind or visually impaired as well as for sight conservation.

History of the White Cane [Read more...]

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Clarksburg Corner

March 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Snow, snow, and more snow for the lions at Clarksburg Branch.  In February phones were ringing and many hours were spent to discuss Lion activities.

White Cane weekend is planned for the spring at Germantown Giant and two local businesses in the Clarksburg Historic District. All money collected adds to the White Cane total of the Parent club, Damascus lions. Sign up to help collect

Many eyeglasses were collected once again by lions Shyue and Su Huang. Eye boxes are located at local areas. Thanks to both of these lions for picking up and chairing this project: “Super Job!”

A wheelchair was on loan to a person at Cedarbrook community church from the Branch closet for two months. Thanks to Lion Joann Woodson

Relay for Life at Clarksburg is new this year. Call  Lion Dale Ryan for details about  helping with this event.
Think Spring………

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Cleaning out the Medical Closet

February 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Friday morning, January 29, started out at a chilly 15 degrees. But still six of our hardy and well bundled up Lions showed up around 9 o’clock to help me clear out and clean up the medical loan closet of its overflowing contents. Within a little over an hour we had 2 full size pick-up trucks and two trailers loaded – Thanks Lion Warren and Lion Tony for bringing them.

We also had two smaller pick up trucks – Thanks to Lions Tuck and Eloise Woodfield and Lion Tom Jackson. All except for Lion Tom’s truck (loaded with only crutches) headed out to the BRETHERN CENTER in New Windsor, MD, to be distributed throughout the world as needed. Lion Tom’s truck went to Hopkins Children Center in Baltimore to be sent to Haiti which became quite an adventure as told here by Lion Tom.  (Tom”s Story).  Thanks to Lions Tom, Tony, Warren, Eloise, Tuck and Mary Francis. Your time and help is very much appreciated by me and you have helped to make a difference in someone’s life.

Tom’s Story: I got to the Children’s Center without any difficulty.  There was even a place to park right in front of the main door.   I should have known that was too easy.  The stock room they were storing the crutches in was overflowing.  So they sent me to the main hospital.   When I got there, first the officers out front didn’t know anything about crutches being delivered there.  After I explained the Children’s Center said they couldn’t take any more, they sent me inside to talk to the chief of security.   The chief said, yep, they had been taking the overflow, but now they were overflowing and had no more room.  So she called the lady who was coordinating the whole thing.  The lady was still at home, but about to leave for work.  But she wanted me to deliver them to her home if I would.   I said fine.  So I traipse off to somewhere in NE Baltimore (I saw parts of Baltimore I didn’t know existed, plus I went by Pimlico) to find this lady’s townhouse.   I got there just as she was leaving.  She wanted to keep track of how many pairs we delivered (67 it turns out) and she wanted me to tape the pairs together so they don’t get separated.  Her garage was already overflowing.  She had collected nearly 1200 pairs, counting ours.  Anyhow, trying to match up the pairs got to be an adventure because some didn’t seem to match any of the others, plus the tape used to hold them together froze so it wouldn’t unwrap.   Anyhow, they all got delivered, and I am now familiar with parts of Baltimore that few of us have seen.

If you need to borrow or want to donate items to our medical closet – click here.

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President’s Message February 2010

February 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Fellow Lions - 

January is the month to reflect on what we, jointly and individually, plan to do for the rest of the year. Or at least we think about it!   We dream of great happenings, doing laborious work, repairing and cleaning out, traveling and being with family and friends.  We think of all the things we should or could do but never get around to it.  And then we just sit and watch a football game or read a good book!  We need a January in our lives at least once a year, don’t you think?

Congratulations to Lion Ken Phillips for being voted the Damascus Lions “Most Valuable Player”. Lion Ken will be honored at 22-C Night for his continued efforts with the Damascus Lions and Lionism.

My appreciation goes to –

  • Lion Jerry Mallack for coordinating the NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo at the DC Convention Center. We certainly made a difference that day along with other Lions of District 22-C.  There were referrals in the testing of eyes, the Glaucoma Testing, the hearing Tests and the Preschool Vision Testing.  We touched many lives that day!  Thanks for all the Lions who journeyed to the Expo.
  • Lion Charlie Hertel for great Blood Drives.  He had them at two churches and the large one on the ML King Holiday.  See his article elsewhere in this newsletter – Thanks to all that helped including Charlie’s family and all who came and gave blood.  Again we have touched many lives – we have saved lives with our efforts.
  • Lions Tess Gladhill and Jack Peters for coordinating the effort of cleaning out the Medical Loan Closet.  Excess or obsolete equipment was taken to the New Windsor Outreach Service Center for distribution to Third World Countries while the crutches were taken to Johns Hopkins Children Center for the Haitians.  Thanks to all that helped and those who provided trucks and delivered the equipment to New Windsor.

Our Membership Committee could use a bit of assistance.  Have you asked your family members, your friends, your neighbors or that special cashier in the grocery store if they would like to know more about the Lions and their work in our community? Why not try it – it can take a couple of years after planting the seed for it to grow!

We have several Fund Raisers coming up – the In-House Auction, Spring Pancake Breakfast, Big Band Dance and the Golf Tournament.  Mark your calendars now so that you can support them. 
Thank you, Damascus Lions, for all you do for our club, our community and our world!

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