Lions, I trust all of you had an enjoyable Holiday Season! And my wish for the New Year is that it will be kind to you!

Congratulations to Immediate Past President Eloise upon receiving the Presidents Diamond Award for Membership from International President Al Brandel as well as the President’s Excellence Award for 2008-09 Lions year. Also much Appreciation to all Lions as you helped make it happen for IPP Eloise.

As usual, December was a bustle and hustle time.

My appreciation goes to –

• Lion Sue Suddath for putting on a great Christmas/Birthday Party at the Senior Center. Sue served 4 different homemade cakes along with ice cream at the party. She had the Seniors playing games, doing art work and solving puzzles. All left with a gift bag of goodies as well. Thanks Sue!

• Thanks to Lion Charlie Holpuch for organizing the Christmas Dinner Party for us. The delightful musicians sure gave a festive touch of dinner music while we enjoyed our meal. The gift game was much fun and enjoyed by all. Thanks Charlie and Marcia!

• Thanks to all Lions for their participation in the Christmas Giving Project. It truly was a special time and a special giving project. See the “EXTRAORDINARY” article in this Lions Tale.

I trust all Lions received my New Year mailing. Please note on the Activities Schedule the change of meeting place for the Monthly Board Meetings. Montgomery County is requiring a fee for usage of their public buildings beginning in 2010.

I ask you to keep our Lions who are having health issues in your thoughts and prayers. Most of them would appreciate visitors as well. So if you have a few minutes, why not stop and visit with one of them.

Lions, Happy New Year and may 2010 be kind to you.

King Lion Mary Frances

My Grandmother would say, “As the Ole Fellows said” and she would quote an old saying.  So I say, “Since it is too wet to plow, I think I will talk with the Lions!”

And that is what I enjoy – talking with each of you, keeping up on what is going on and how everyone is doing!

So here we go: My sincere appreciation goes to –

• Lion Bob Snapp for organizing a great 64^th Charter Night for us.  And also, to all of you who attended. I enjoyed it and thought we had a great evening.
• Lions Joy Schwab and Sue Suddath for a great Fall Pancake Dinner.  Also to all the Lions who assisted them on Friday and Saturday.  It was another great time of working together. 
• The Leos who helped with the Pancake Breakfast.  It is always good to have some youthful, smiling faces to keep the momentum going.
• All the Lions who sponsored and filled baskets, who help set up of Thursday and all who helped on Friday.  Was a great evening.
• Lion Gary Rogers for heading up the Papa Johns Fund Raising effort.  He isn’t finished yet!

My Sincere Congratulations to the Charter Night recipients - 

• Lion Ann Davis who was awarded the Emerson Slacum Community Service Award
• Lions Shyue and Su Huang for being Lions of the Year
• Lion Tom Jackson for receiving the Lion of the Years Award
• Lion Ken King  for receiving a Melvin Jones Fellowship
• Lion Jack Peters for receiving a Melvin Jones Fellowship
• Lion Walt Shipley’s spouse, Pat, and his family for accepting posthumously a Melvin Jones Fellowship for Lion Walt.

All of whom are most deserving of being acknowledged for their years of service to Lionism.

I welcome our new member, Alice Denell, to the Damascus Lions Club.  Alice is manager of the Sandy Spring Bank in Damascus.  Please give Alice a warm welcome into our club.

With the Holiday Season fast approaching, we will turn our thoughts to our Holiday Giving Project.  Please look for a Time Table in this newsletter for both the Thanksgiving and Christmas projects

Again, I express a sincere THANK YOU to all of you for your support in our very busy September and October projects.  It takes us all to make it happen and we do it very well!

Enjoy the autumn leaf raking!!!!

WHEE! – September was a nonstop Merry-Go-Round!  Although it was busy days and weeks, the Damascus Lions all came together, took leadership roles and worked in rain and sunny days to tell our community it takes a village to make a good Lions Club.  We are alive and well!

My Thanks and Appreciation goes to –

1. Those involved with the Damascus Community Fair
2. All the Lions who assisted Lion Tess Gladhill with the Community Fair entries
3. Lion Lenora Kish heading up the Popcorn Booth
4. Lion Joy Schwab for the Promotional Display
5.  All the Lions who assisted Lion Eloise Woodfield with Grandparent Day
6. Lion Ann Davis who attended the Hospice Caring Butterfly Release in honor of Hospice Caring 20 years of Service
7. Lion Wayne Marr, his Lion Day Managers and all Lions who stood out on White Cane Days
8. Lion Charlie Hertel, his parents and all Lions who assisted with the Blood Drive.
9. Lion Jerry Mallack who chaired the Damascus Heritage Day Booth and all the Lions who helped man the booth.
10. Lion Gary Rogers for recognizing and executing a Fund Raising effort.
11. Lion Joy Schwab and her Membership Committee for a very informative Prospective Member Night.

There are so many of you Lions who work continually behind the scenes, so silently and relentlessly to keep our club motivated and working throughout the community in the name of Lionism; so many of you whose work goes unnoticed.  My hat and appreciation is extended to you.  You are the backbone of our club.  You are the perfect example of TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More   – District Governor Bill’s motto.

As we move into October, we will have had Basket Bingo and will be celebrating 63 years of service at our 64^th Charter Night.

I encourage all of you to take the initiative to get Pancake Breakfast Tickets from Lions Joy Schwab and Sue Suddath to sell, tell them that you can help with the Pancake Breakfast and what time and offer your help in preparation of the breakfast on October 17.  Oh, those pancakes and sausage!

A beautiful autumn is promised – Enjoy it!
And remember – ask your relatives and friend if they would like to know more about Lions, especially Damascus Lions! 

The President’s Message
Despite it being vacation time, our club has had a busy month.
My thanks and appreciation goes to -
•    Lion Sue Suddath for the enjoyable Senior Center Birthday Party and all the Lions that supported Sue.
•    All the Lions and Leos who participated in the Celebrate Damascus Parade
•    Lions Jerry Mallack and Tuck and Eloise Woodfield for a great Flea Market Day
•    All the Lions who enjoyed a Lions Night Out at the Keys Game.
All this flourish of activity brings to mind the theme of our new International President, Eberhard Wirfs.  MOVE TO GROW.  He says that anything needs momentum/movement to grow.  And he emphasizes growth in all area of Lionism. He is using the Gingko tree and leaf as his symbol.  The Gingko tree has longevity, adaptability, sustainability and abundance.   We need to plant seedlings frequently to retain this incredible life of the Gingko tree. Thereby the Lions must continue to plant seeds of understanding and enduring community service, and cultivate a clean and consistent message of purpose.  This involves effort, momentum, action and the NEED TO MOVE.
So as we go forward, we should be looking for opportunities, new and old, no matter how small or large, to serve our community.  MOVE TO GROW!
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Lion Walter Shipley who passed away July 15. Lion Walter was a 49 year member of the Damascus Lions and served the club in many capacities.
Also our memories of Lion George Connell who passed away on July 24 are ones of dedicated Lion and to the Damascus Lions.  He was Editor of the Lions Tale for a period of time.
Both Lions have served the community well!  God Bless them both!
Safe traveling to all as we grasp the last month of summer and vacation time.
Lion Mary Frances, President

June wraps up the year for me as your President, King Lion of the Damascus Lions Club. It’s been a special year for me and I have enjoyed the challenges that I have experienced.

In the month of May on Tuesday the 5th we held our annual Lions Youth Night at the Damascus UM church.  We provided cash awards to many youth organizations. This will help them to do projects and activities in the local communities. My thanks go to Lion Ray Molesworth for doing the program for the meeting.
May was also a time to do our spring White Cane fundraiser. Lions participated by collecting in the community and raised a total of $1,645.62. This includes $139.96 from the Clarksburg Branch. Citizens in both Damascus and Clarksburg surrounding areas were very generous helping us with supporting this worthy fundraiser. Thanks to all that collected and to Lions Wayne Marr and Mike Bowersox for making arrangements for setting up at the different locations. On May 17th-20th six people from the Club of Damascus attended the Multiple 22-C Convention, Lions Secty. Tuck Woodfield, PDG Jim and Mary Belcher, VP Mary Frances Gosnell, Asst. Lion Tamer Martin Carr and myself, President KL. Eloise Woodfield. all headed for Dover Delaware. What a treat.
I had a chance to meet and greet the International President Lion Al Brandel and his spouse, Dr. Maureen Murphy as they arrived at the Dover Downs Hotel.  Both spoke at meetings and were with us at other activities during their time at the convention. They are exceptional individuals and a pleasure to know {a real down to earth couple} doing a job well done, “WE SERVE”
Our club received two awards, the Five Star award, for 100% achievements and 3rd in collection of eye glasses, a total of 4,568 pairs and 24 hearing aids.
Memorial Day at the American Legion on Sunday May 24th was a beautiful afternoon where we remembered our heroic fellows. Lions attended and Lion Tuck and I presented a basket of Red, White and Blue flowers from the Damascus Lions Club remembering the beloved fellows from the area. The Lions Memorial Day Parade was held in the Nations Capital on Monday May 25th. Lions carried club banners making a sea of purple, thanks to Lions Marcia and John Holpuch, Damascus Lions were represented by their club banner in the parade. It was wonderful to see everyone coming together to celebrate our American Heroes.
 Don’t forget the annual lions Golf tournament on June 8th. Thanks to Lions John, Bobbie Warfield, and Mike Thornett. It will be another successful day. Come join us.
 We had a very good year, I will tell you more at the Installation Night to be held on June 16th. This will take place at the American Legion building with dinner and new officers being inducted by PDG Mike Bleything.
June 2nd, tonight as we enjoy our Lions picnic meeting at the home of lions Charlie and Tammy Hertel, Lion Gary Bellison will be cooking and side dishes will be provided by Lions and partners in service for us to enjoy. Thanks to everyone. The Program for the evening is, “Eat Plenty/ Fellowship” and Remember, Lions “together we can make it happen…. and “WE DID”

Thanks for a GREAT year!
President, King Lion Eloise Woodfield