“A Country Club Trying to Serve Its Country”

May, 2003

 

May 6 – Board of Directors Meeting – 7:30PM, Library Conference Room

May 7– Regular Meeting – 7PM, Cranbury Station, Dinner: Beef and Mushroom Marsala

                     Speaker: Ray Chase of the New Jersey Antique Radio Club will talk about the history

of radio and radio broadcasting.  He will illustrate his talk with actual examples of early radios

May 21– Regular Meeting – 7PM, Cranbury Station, Dinner: Chicken Parmigiana

                     Speaker: Tim Brennan will speak about the Cranbury Summer Recreation Program

 

June, 2003

 

June 3 – Board of Directors Meeting – 7:30PM, Library Conference Room

June 4 – Regular Meeting – 7PM, Cranbury Station, Dinner: Beef Stroganoff

                     Program: Presentation of Scholarships and Student Awards;

         Speaker – Mike Deering from the BSA Central Jersey Council will speak about

                          Scouting activities for inner city youth

June 20 – Installation Meeting Dinner Dance – Cocktails at 7PM, Good Time Charlie’s, Kingston

Dinner: Choice – Speaker: Installation of Officers; Dancing in lieu of

 

Things To Know

 

As usual, it was a difficult task to select this year’s Lion of the Year. In part, because of his unflagging dedication to keeping our budget in line through newly developed procedures and his process for collection of scholarship loans, and in part due to his service on the Board of Director’s for the last four years, and in part because of his continued service to the Club and his participation in all of our fundraisers and community programs, the Lion of the Year Selection Committee is proud to announce the Lion of the Year for 2003-2003, Dennis Kennedy. Congratulations Lion Dennis!

 

A special laurel, and hardy handshake, to Lion Rick Cusworth for his work on the new Eyeglass Collection Box. The Post Office donated a surplus mailbox, which has been stripped, repaired, and repainted. It will be placed in front of the Library within the next week or two. Thanks, Lion Rick..

 

The Lions’ Coupon Collection Project has begun. This project, started by a South Jersey Lion, benefits military families living overseas by allowing them to use manufacturer coupons – even expired coupons – in their post commissaries. The program is being implemented by the Scouts in Troop 52. Collection boxes are being placed in local supermarkets. Lions may use the boxes or collect the manufacturer coupons (in an envelope) and bring them to meetings for further distribution.

 

Some of you may have noticed that the Beamer Memorial Tree didn’t make it through this harsh winter. Thanks to the efforts of Lion Mike Kaiser, a new tree has been obtained through the generosity of a Cranbury resident (and a non-Lion), and will be planted when it’s again safe to transplant a tree, sometime near the end of May, hopefully, if possible, before Memorial Day.

 

With the Memorial Day Parade coming up, the Board would appreciate every member wearing a Lions hat and/or vest. The Club has a supply of baseball caps and vests available; hats are @$8, vests are @ $38. Please place your order by contacting Lion George Smith.

 

And speaking of George Smith…George is going into “semi-retirement” as Chairperson for the Spring Raffle, turning the reins over to Lion Henry Behnke. This is one of our best fundraisers, so please sell every ticket which you are allotted; Lions Henry and George advise that additional tickets are available for when you sell your first allotment … of course. The winner of the 50/50 will be selected after the Parade, in front of he Firehouse.

 

The Parade will be held on Memorial Day, May 26^th. This year, in response to a request from the Historical Society, our float will reflect Washington’s March to Monmouth, so if you can assist Lions Doug Pearce, Rich Stannard and Jon Goldstein in decorating the float, please call one of  them. Parade Chairman Bob Wood will need starters and other volunteers for the Parade itself. Please volunteer directly to Lion Bob. A sign-up sheet, is, of course circulating at meetings. All Lions that do not have a specific job on Parade Day, are requested to sell 50/50 tickets along the parade route.

 

Due to the reenactment of the March to Monmouth, the Historical Society has been encouraging all Cranbury organizations to enter a decorated float into the parade. As in year’s past, The Cranbury Lions will give a $100 prize to the Organization judged to have the best decorated float, depicting or memorializing Washington’s March. This prize will be awarded at the ceremony after the parade in Memorial Park.

 

A reminder: the State Convention will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Somerset on May 16 & 17, 2003. All lions who are planning on going on Friday and/or Saturday should contact Lion Bob Virgadamo or Lion Tom Reilly for car pooling assignments. As always, the Club will pay for the Convention entrance fee.

 

The Drug Free Fair is on Saturday, May 17^th, and we need a new Chairperson; if anyone is interested in taking this position, please contact 3VP Richard Stannard.

 

On May 31, 2003, the South Brunswick Lions Club will celebrate their 50^th Anniversary with a dinner dance held at the East Brunswick Chateau. All Cranbury Lions are strongly encouraged to attend this milestone event. Music will be provided by the Gladys Bryant Orchestra; those of you who went to PDG Debbie Hackworth’s Testimonial last year, will remember this orchestra as very much worth “the price of admission”. [This will be one of the orchestras we will consider for our 75^th Anniversary celebration, so this is a good opportunity for the general membership to “audition” this group.] This event will also feature a seafood cocktail hour, choice of entrée (chicken, salmon, or prime rib), and a Viennese Table. Price per person is $45. A sign-up sheet is being circulated, or contact Lion Bob Virgadamo.

 

The 5^th Annual Golf Outing will be held on Monday, June 2, 2003, at the Cranbury Golf Course in West Windsor. All lions are encouraged to try and obtain a hole sponsor, and non-playing members are also encouraged to attend the dinner. The cost to play is $125, a hole sponsor is $100 (and up), and the cost of Dinner, only, is $25, per person. Applications/reservations for play, hole sponsor or dinner can be obtained from any of the following Lions on the Golf Committee: Doug Pearce, Walt Caldwell, Jeff Caldwell, Day Dickey, Jon Goldstein, Don Herr, Andy Jost, Dave Stout, or Bob Virgadamo

 

We have, once again, been awarded a spot on the Trenton Thunder 50/50 Lineup for Non-Profit organizations. This has become one of our best fundraisers, in both dollars and fun! We need volunteers to sell 50/50 tickets at the Stadium on Saturday, June 14, 2003. The game, between The Thunder and Norwich Navigators (SF Giants), is already sold out, so we should be able to sell quite a few tickets. Admission is free and the Club will buy a hot dog and beverage for each ticket seller. Ticket sellers don’t have to be a Lion, but must wear a lion cap or vest, and must be over 18. A sign-up sheet will begin circulating at the May 21^st meeting, or contact Lion Bob Virgadamo.

 

We have obtained a game date for our 4^th Annual Trenton Thunder Baseball Outing. The Double A League has undergone a few changes, and the Trenton Thunder is now the AA Affiliate of the New York Yankees. This year, on August 23, at 7:05 PM the Thunder will play the Binghamton Mets. Tickets are $10 each and are available to all Cranbury residents and guests. We have recently been advised that the game is almost completely sold out. It is NOT too early to reserve tickets. At this writing, we have 15 tickets left; seating is limited, so reserve your tickets now!

 

The USA/Canada Forum is being held in Portland, OR from September 18-20, 2003. Now is the time to book the better room choices and still get an early bird discount on the Forum fee. Any member with interest attending the Forum and in visiting Portland (the microbrewery capital of the world) should see Lion Bob Virgadamo.

 

The nominations for the 2003-04 Board of Directors was read at both the April 2^nd  and April 16^th meetings, and with no objections at the April 16^th meeting the nominations carried. The Cranbury Lions Board of Directors for 2003-2004 are:

       President – Andy Jost; 1^st Vice President – Walton Caldwell; 2^nd Vice President – Richard

       Stannard; 3^rd Vice President – Dave Stout; Secretary – George Smith; Treasurer – Dennis

       Kennedy; Co-Treasurer – Charley Devany; Immediate Past President – Bob Virgadamo       

 

       1-Year Directors – Ray Dickey, Don Herr, Alex Johnson, Mike Kaiser

       2-Year Directors – Joe Addonizio, Dave Cook, Andre Mento, Peter Turner    

       Tail Twister – Joe Carroll; Lion Tamer –Jeff Caldwell; Info. & Tech. Chair – Dave Shaffer

       Publicity – Ray Dickey; Jargon Editor – Bob Virgadamo; Membership Chair – Greg Overstreet

 

Reminders

 

Frank Marlowe has been our Program Chair for a few years now, and has done quite an excellent job lining up speakers for our bi-monthly meetings. You can all imagine how difficult it can be, finding 20 speakers per year that will be of relative interest to all our Members!  We all come in contact with someone interesting on a regular basis. When you do, or if you have any suggestions for speakers, please give Frank a call, or e-mail him at marlowe@cranburynj.com .

 

It is important that we increase our fundraising capability without requesting money from our small community over and over again. With over 300 commercial locations in our immediate area, the website is one of the easiest and best fundraisers we have. We ask every member to please try to bring in at least one advertiser per year. Refer all advertising leads to Lions Gene Buckley, Dave Shaffer or Bob Virgadamo.

 

Any member who learns of the sickness or death of another member, or in a member’s family, or any other similar incident or emergency, should contact Lion Dave Cook to activate the “phone tree”, so that all members may be notified.

 

Member Pick-Up

Ed Lawson (5 S. Main) – Max Mesner (Rossmoor)

5/7 – Greg Overstreet; 5/21 – Bob Wood; 6/4 – Charlie Devany

 

If you cannot make your pick-up, and/or if you switch (or need to switch) with someone else, please notify Rick Cusworth (655-2426 ) as soon as possible. Riders: please notify the assigned driver if you’re not going to make a meeting.