LIONISM IN THE LARSEN-WINCHESTER AREA

The Larsen-Winchester Lions Club, Inc., formerly the Larsen-Winchester Lions Club, was organized April 30,1974, and received its Charter, June 1,1974, with 38 Charter Members. We have always been a very busy Service Club. During our early years, our Club sponsored the "Lil Britches Rodeo", Sweet Corn & Brat Roasts, the North American Cross Country 250 Snowmobile Races and Barn Dances.  We sponsored Bingo and still sell Community Birthday Calendars.  We host a twice yearly Pancake Breakfast. We have raised over $236,000.00 for our Project Fund. Our Club members are proud of the many benefits and accomplishments the Project Fund has brought to our local, state, and international communities. The list includes scholarships, eye examinations and glasses or contact lenses, cash donations to needy persons, families, and recovering hospitalized persons as well as contributions to organizations who help the less fortunate.  Our four major Lion Projects are the Lions Camp at Rosholt, the Leader Dog and Diabetes Program, as well as the Lions Club International Foundation.

The Larsen-Winchester Lioness Club, the women's branch of Lionism, is sponsored by the Larsen-Winchester Lions Club, Inc. and was chartered May 18,1976. The Lioness have made a huge contribution to community betterment, and have made their presence known. Annually two $500 scholarships are awarded to deserving graduates who are planning to specialize in caring for the handicapped - one for a Winneconne High School graduate and one for a Neenah High School graduate. Financial assistance is given to needy area families. Medical cost assistance is given to numerous families where children have hearing and sight problems, and monetary aid is given to persons recovering from months of hospitalization.

Money for their Project Fund is raised by sponsoring a yearly Chicken BBQ, a Cribbage Tournament, as well as geranium and cookie dough sales. The Larsen-Winchester Lioness Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month, at 6:30 in the Clayton Town Meeting Room in Larsen.

WE RAISE FUNDS

By Selling Community Birthday Calendars
About 500 area families participate in this project.    They fill out a "Family Card" giving the family name, address, the names of the husband, wife, and children living at home, along with their birthday and anniversary (usually wedding) dates. This information is then placed on the Community Birthday Calendar, on the respective month and day. Late in the summer of each year, these families are contacted to see if they want to continue receiving this calendar, at a minimal price, for another year. This calendar has generated much good will, and never ceases to surprise patrons when a friend or neighbor calls to wish them a happy anniversary or birthday.

By Holding Pancake Breakfasts
In the spring and fall of each year, our club holds a Pancake Breakfast at the Winchester Town Hall where we serve pancakes, ham, eggs and all the trimmings.  We have served as many as 1200 people at each breakfast.

By Serving Food at Other Events
We earn money by serving food and beverages at town functions and activities, as well as farm auctions and other events held in the community.

Campaign Sight First
In 1993 Lions Clubs around the world were challenged in a project called " CAMPAIGN SIGHT FIRST" whose goal was to deter the spread of blindness.  At that time there were an estimated 40 million blind people in the world, and 80 % of this blindness could be either reversed or prevented. The goal of the 41,000 Lion Clubs functioning at that time was to raise $130 million dollars to reverse this trend. Each Lions Club was asked to contribute at least $146.00 per member.  We achieved our goal of $4,380.00.

Some of the things that our Lions Club has contributed to through our state and international organizations:

* Established clinics in countries like India, Madagascar, and China where people could come to have cataracts removed for a cost of $5.00.
*  Distributed Vitamin "A" tablets to areas where blindness is caused by a shortage of Vitamin "A", especially in children. Just two Vitamin "A" tablets twice a year is enough to prevent this type of blindness.
*  Dispensed more than four million doses of medicine to control "River Blindness" in Africa.
*  Instituted the treatment of 250,000 children for "Trachoma".
*  Established extensive screening programs for Treatable eye diseases.

By making additional contributions to our International Organization, our club is able to honor a Lions Club member or a community leader, who clearly demonstrates a life lived with a commitment to our humanitarian ideals, by presenting the highest honor of Lions Clubs International, the Melvin Jones Fellow Award.  The Larsen-Winchester Lions Club first presented this prestigious award to Lion Dannie G. Howman.  Since that time we have recognized nearly twenty other Lions who have met this criteria.

WISCONSIN LIONS CLUBS PROJECTS

Wisconsin Lions Camp
This fine camp located near Rosholt, Wisconsin is for children and adults who have vision or hearing impairments, or who are mentally handicapped. There is no cost to the campers for their stay or for transportation. The Camp was established in 1956, and has grown each year. It now covers 400 acres, and is valued at 2 million dollars. The camp hosts thousands of campers during the summer months, and still more throughout the year in heated cabins. The camp completely surrounds its own private lake, where campers may swim, fish, engage in water sports, or go boating, always under the watchful eye of the camp counselors. Lions Clubs throughout Wisconsin have financed all the projects at the Lions Camp with annual donations to the Wisconsin Lions Foundation, plus endowments from the families of individual Lion members. If you, or someone you know, would like to be a camper for a week or more, contact any Lions Club for a Camp Registration Form.  Our club donates $1,500 each year in support of this camp.

Wisconsin Lions Eye Bank
An eye bank has been in existence in Milwaukee since 1952. The purpose of an eye bank is to provide doctors with healthy tissue for corneal transplants. The cornea transplants made possible by this project give new sight to many persons each year.  The Wisconsin Lions Foundation, Inc., the charitable non-profit arm of the Lions Clubs of Wisconsin, assumed sponsorship and support of the Eye Bank in1964. It became officially known as the Wisconsin Lions Eye Bank.  The Eye Bank's medical headquarters are located at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and at University Hospitals in Madison. Throughout the State of Wisconsin, regional and branch eye banks have been established as collection centers and each is sponsored by local Lions Clubs. Donated eye tissue is transported to the Eye Bank Medical Headquarters at Madison or Milwaukee by members of local Lions Clubs who are on call 24 hours a day.  More than 30,000 Americans have corneal transplants each year and with this continued effort, many more will be treated in the future.

The Wisconsin Lions Foundation, with the support of all the local Lions Clubs, sponsored the Wisconsin Lions Eye Bank Research Laboratories at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Ophthalmology. The focus of the new Wisconsin Lions Club Eye Bank Research Laboratories is problems relating to corneal transplantation, corneal donor tissue, and corneal transplant rejection.  Tissue rejection is the biggest reason why corneal transplants fail to restore vision.  Research at this facility should lead to new methods of storing and treating tissue and thus prevent rejection.

The Larsen-Winchester Lions Club pledged $50.00 per member, or $900.00 toward construction of the Eye bank Research Laboratories.  We were one of the first clubs in the state to meet our obligation.

The Birch-Strum Fellow Award is the highest award given by the 'Wisconsin Lions' organization.  It was named for two Wisconsin Lions who were Lions International Presidents and is presented to a Lion member or a community leader, who clearly demonstrates a life lived with a commitment to our humanitarian ideals. Lester Laedtke was our first recipient.

WE BETTER OUR COMMUNITY - Our Lions Club members have given hundreds of hours to support community programs.  In addition, we have earned and donated more than $225,000 to local, state and international programs.  

Medical Equipment Loan Closet
Over the years, our club has collected over a quarter of a million dollars worth of medical equipment either by donation or purchase - new or 2^nd hand. This equipment is then lent out to persons in need with only a minimal amount of red tape or waiting.  When the equipment is returned, it is repaired, cleaned and reissued.  There is no charge for this equipment but donations are welcome because they can be used to replace worn equipment. Presently we have more than 200 wheelchairs including a half dozen electric ones, 80 electric hospital beds, 115 folding walkers, 70 bath/shower chairs, 38 electric lift-out chairs and a host of other medical equipment. This service is available to people living within 25 miles of Larsen. 

Wheelchair Ramp Construction Program
The Larsen-Winchester Lions club has constructed over 331 wheelchair ramps in the area in the past 17 years for persons of limited mobility.  We ask that the person pay for 1/2 the materials needed for construction if they can and try to get assistance from the local Lions club or another organizations such as the Easter Seals Foundation if they can't.  There is no charge for qualified persons in the towns of Clayton and Winchester.  This program is available within the same 25-mile radius mentioned earlier, but because of local building codes, we are not allowed to build ramps in the city of Oshkosh.  Our club has purchased all of the equipment needed to construct the ramps.
 
Four years ago we built a 40 X 80 ft building to house ramp construction materials and the Medical Equipment Loan Closet.  Generous donations of money, site preparation, material and equipment made this project possible.  Prior to that time, we stored some medical or ramp materials at the Larsen Coop and various members stored the remainder in their sheds, garages and barns.

Eye Glasses For Those In Need

We provide for an eye examination and glasses or contact lenses, for those who cannot afford to pay for them.   In cooperation with the Larsen-Winchester Lioness Club, we have made arrangements with local optometrists to provide this service.

Used Eye Glass Collection
The Larsen-Winchester Lions Club, along with most other Lions Clubs, collect used eye glasses.  These eyeglasses are cleaned and placed on a "Lensometer" which reads the prescription of each lens.  The glasses are then placed in a plastic envelope with the prescription attached. The eye doctor will be able to select the proper pair of glasses, when distributed to the needy in less fortunate countries.

The Lions and Lioness Clubs within our district, including the Larsen-Winchester Lions Club, purchased a used ambulance that was loaded with used eyeglasses, medical equipment, medical supplies, and fire fighting equipment.  The ambulance was driven to Tula, Mexico, accompanied by Lion members, including some from our club, and an eye doctor who assisted in distributing the supplies, and fitting as many eye glasses as time allowed.  The ambulance was given to the village for their use after the Lions returned home.  Few people in the village had ever seen an ambulance.

WE SUPPORT OUR YOUTH

Larsen-Winchester Lions Club Scholarship
Two years ago, our club donated $10,000 to the Winneconne Foundation. We are in the process of donating another $10,000 to this worthy cause as the basis of a perpetual fund, the interest of which is used to fund a yearly scholarship to a Winneconne High School student who is planning to go into a health related field.  Over the years this special fund was developed to included memorials from the families of past members and other persons.  In addition, all the money that has been raised from the Mini-raffle in the tent at the BI-annual pancake breakfasts has been added to this fund. 

Other Youth Projects
We purchased and assembled playground equipment for the Winchester school and the Clayton town parks.  We built a concession shelter at Winchester's Earl Nelson Park baseball field.  We donate money each year in support of the Winchester Youth Baseball League.  We supported "Beat the Heat", a program where high school students build high performance cars and then drag race with police officers in an off-road location.

WE ARE THE LARSEN-WINCHESTER LIONS!

WE ARE VOLUNTEER MEMBERS from all walks of life living up to the Lions International motto "We Serve".  By serving together we share our time, talents and goodwill with those in need and for the betterment of the community.  We are optimistic about our future with leadership provided by our fellow club members.  Our organization is open to both men and women without competing with the Lioness Club.

WE MEET on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at the "Century Elm" Supper Club in Larsen with a dinner meeting starting at 6 p.m.. Our meetings include an interesting program.

WE PARTICIPATE in Zone, District, State, and International meetings as we can in support of our larger International Lions organization, the "Largest Service Club in the World".

WE KEEP INFORMED semi-monthly with meeting announcements and committee reports and monthly with publications of the 'Wisconsin Lion' and 'The Lion' Magazines.

WE HAVE FUN at our summer golf/picnic outing where we share good fellowship and food. We also enjoy special social events with our spouses such as our Installation Night, Ladies Night and our Christmas meeting.

WE ARE ONE of 46,020 Lions Clubs in the World. We think we are the best!