Next Meeting - Tuesday, March 2. The peripatetic MICHELLE VETTERKIND is the Program Host for that day, but she will be in the Washington wonderland (wonder what it's like to be the only competent, honest person in an entire city?), so LINDA BERGREN will introduce Ted Ballweg, Assistant Center Manager for Sales and Marketing, Alliant Energy Center. Most of us know it as the Fairgrounds, or the Coliseum, or the Expo Center, and Mr. Ballweg will tell us what goes on in all those venues, what that means to Madison's economics and community life, and how the Alliant Center relates and compares to other city venues like the Kohl Center, Monona Terrace and the Overture Center. They have everything from the Service Club lunch to the County Fair (with livestock) to rock concerts to model railroad shows, and it will be interesting to hear how they manage all that.

At our last meeting Pres. JODI led the Pledge first, LINDA BERGREN led the song in a nice bass pitch which she promised to alter next time for the sake of the tenors (if any) and sopranos. ROSS ROYSTER gave the invocation. JODI started a new feature, the Lion Spotlight, for our meetings. Members get to tell us all some things about themselves, and of course the first victim, ah, participant was LINDA BERGREN. We knew she could do anything, and probably has done everything, but we didn't all know that she was born in Kenosha and taught Phys Ed/Health at Madison Memorial. Probably should have gotten a medal for that one, unless she had that infernal battleball in her gym class. She then sold computers and is now an "independent woman" (we knew that!) and an independent stockbroker representing Raymond James and associated with Home Savings Bank. Sounds like her goals have been to make people healthy and wealthy - you still have to do "wise" on your own.

The Global Membership Team (GMT) is coming, with trained recruiters to try to assemble enough Lion prospects to form a Breakfast Club on Madison's East Side, and also to look for prospects for our Club. They will need participants from our club, and the event will be March 15 and 16. March will be busy - it is our month to be Transporters for the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin, and we are told there will be more local trips. There's also a training session for vision screeners scheduled at Mazomanie on March 20 from 9 AM to 3 PM.

JACK HEIM is off getting a new service dog. However, we can keep up with him online on our web site. Walker is retired, but will stay with the family.

We were reminded of the USA-Canada Forum, to be in Milwaukee on Sept. 23-25. If you can go, you should - there are many good presentations that will give you information which is valuable in all that you do. There will also be opportunities to assist with the work involved - see PHIL INGWELL or JOHN JENSON if you'd like to participate. Registration for all sessions is $250 before June. That includes four meals and all the presentations. When he went, your editor learned, among a lot of other things, that people do not attain Lions International leadership positions without reason - International Directors and officers give many of the presentations, and they are very good at what they do.

Our Flower Sale is coming. JERRY HODDINOTT reminds everyone to talk support for our projects and service (Lions Camp, Vision Screening, Eye Bank) as well as the beautiful flowers, when making your sales pitch. Committee's still working on getting Lion information on the packaging. Get your sales estimate and completed orders in to JERRY forthwith, or no later than fifthwith.

We are expecting a visit from 7 Italian Lions. They are coming on Easter weekend, which is April 3-4.

We have a service project in the works - we are going to operate a "water stand" for the Madison Marathon on Sunday, May 30. Ex-marathoner MICHELLE VETTERKIND is planning this one. Sort of like the UW Concession stands, only no popcorn and no cash register.

Pun jab of the week: The roundest knight at King Arthur's Round Table was Sir Cumference. He got his size from too much pie.