Barbecue at the Braguglia's to start off the New Lions Year!

Lion President Linda Gregory

The first dinner meeting was held at the home of Lions Ray and Kay Braguglia's. The meeting started around 4 p.m. so if anyone wanted to go see fireworks later, it would be fine. Angelo's was closed for the holiday. There were hamburgers and hotdogs cooked on the grill. There was potato chips and salad, sauerkraut, baked beans, chocolate dessert, lots of cupcakes and ice cream. About the time everyone was finished eating, we had to jump up, pick up everything, and head for the house. The thunder and lightning was rolling in. There were about 7 guests, and we had a lovely time.

Lion Ray Duke

We had our Installation of Officers in the house. Lion Ray Duke officiated the proceedings.

Lion Ray Installing Lion Linda
 as our 79th President

Newport News Host Lions Club

New Officers for 2011-2012

Lion Linda Gregory - President

Lion Jimmy Gregory - Secretary

Lion Ray Braguglia - Treasurer

Vacant - Vice President

Lion Eddie Faulkner - 1 Year Director       

Lion Scott Brawley - 2 Year Director

Lion Ralph Simmons - Lion Tamer

Lion Secretary Jimmy Gregory

Lion Ray Duke - Tail Twister

Lion Earl Arrowood - Membership

Lion Barbara Duke - Immediate Past President 

Committees

Lions Linda & Jim Gregory - Lions Ray & Kay Braguglia - Sight & Hearing

Lion Barbara Duke - Newsletter, Blog, Environmental Chair

All Members - Ways and Means

 

Lion Earl Arrowood

Lion Tamer Ralph Simmons

Lion Treasurer Ray Braguglia

Lion Linda presenting Certificate to
Terry & Danny Adkins for donating
Items for our Yard Sale.

Last Board Meeting of Lions Year 2010-2011

The last 2010-2011 Board Meeting was held at the home of Lions Ray and Kay Braguglia. Dinner served was excellent. Rice w/barley, Chicken Cordon-Bleu, and Brocolli. Desert was individual Cherry Pies with vanilla ice cream.

The budget was approved for the coming year.

Since the last Board Meeting, we have been very busy.

• White Cane at Harris Teeter Grocery Store and collected over $400 for our Charity Fund.
• Yard sale at the Duke Home that made $328 for the Charity Fund with $140 in Broom Sales.

We spent a lot of time planning the coming year. Ideas for Membership, projects, and fund raisers.
Lion Ray Duke turned in his Eye Glass Book to Lion Linda. Lions Linda and Jim Gregory, and Lions Ray and Kay Braguglia will be working the Eye and Hearing Program this coming year.

I would like the members of the Newport News Host Lions Club to know it has been a real privilege to be your President this past 2 years. I appreciate all the help I have had from you all. You have gone above and beyond what I ever expected. We made great strides with Pediavision. It was the most important project to come along in our District in a long time that really spurred action and volunteer hours. Lion Ray Braguglia stepped up to become our new Treasurer when Lion Kenny Banton resigned. Lion Ray also stepped up to lead our Pediavision efforts at Patrick Henry Mall and various pre-schools throughout the city. Former Lion Terry Adkins and her husband Danny donated a lot of items for our yard sale. Lion Terry also assisted the Denbigh Lions Club with Pediavision.

One of the most important things that happened this year was the winning of the Traveling Leo Award along with the Lion Trophy that we can keep until next year. Lion Linda Gregory was instrumental in our winning this wonderful Trophy. She attended every one of the Traveling Leo's from Cape Charles to Rappahanock. It was a wonderful year. I hear that other clubs are already planning on taking the trophy from us. We had never won the Trophy and we will try to keep it going through this coming year. Traveling Leo's are really fun.

We enjoyed working with the District and DG Lion Donna Weiler. We were made to feel that we were important even though we are one of the smaller clubs. We are still something a club to be proud of. Our finances are beginning to look better and we will be working hard to gain new members this coming year.

This is my last message as President of the Newport News Host Lions Club. It has been a pleasure. 

Note from Region Chairman - Traveling Leo

With less than 3 weeks remaining in the Traveling Leo year, Newport News Host has moved into first place and is closing in on the coveted Traveling Leo Trophy.

With a bold trip to Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore, Club Secretary Lion Linda was smiling with glee as the April 2011 totals were released. At 345 points and only 22 points ahead of Bayside Lions, Newport News Host has its sight set on putting their name on a trophy that spans over 4 decades.

Williamsburg Host remains in 9th place with 184.5 points, but has yet to qualify for the Traveling Leo patch, needing a visit to a club in Zone D, E, F, or I

Last year's winner, Poquoson Lions, completed 60 visits last year, but must have burned out its engine crawling to its 5th visit, finally qualifying for the Traveling Leo patch, and in 13th place with a mere 121 points.

York is right behind Poquoson in 14th place with 115.5 points, 5 visits, and the Traveling Leo patch.

James City County and Lancaster round out Region I clubs in 17th and 18th place respectfully.

Watch out Newport News Host, with only a 22 point lead on Bayside and a 42.5 point lead on Little Creek, Newport News could lose it in these final weeks.

Ah, so close and yet so far.
Lion Ray Yannello
2010/2011 Region I Chairman

Celebrating 78 Years of Service

The Newport News Host Lions Club is celebrating 78 years of service to the Newport News Community. We have served as Helen Keller's appointed "Knights of the Blind" and aiding the hearing impaired.

When a person in difficult times calls needing glasses or a hearing aid, there we are filling the need. Social Services sends people to us for glasses. Schools contact us when there is a child in need of glasses and no one else can pay for them. Lions always come through. We were trying to figure out how many glasses and how many hearing aids we have purchased in 78 years. Probably somewhere around 7000 pairs of glasses and at least 1000 hearing aids.

We have provided assistance for the blind through Leaderdog. We have aided them with eye surgeries. We collect used glasses to be recycled for use. Can you even imagine how much that costs? How many volunteer hours were put in?

For 55 years we sold Christmas Trees to make money for charity. We sold pecans, mints, etc. Remember when someone knocked on your door selling a broom, a dust mop, hand towels? Or, held a "White Cane" drive on a street corner or in the local market place? The price of gas has risen so high that we cannot pay for the delivery of the trees any longer. Our resourses are becoming depleted. After 75 years, we are getting older, and tired. Some of our members retired and are off riding around the country in RVs. But, most of our members have gone to meet their Maker. It is has been lonely here in our club, but we have inducted 4 new members in the past year. That is not nearly enough. At one time we had a cap of 90 members. Now we have a grand total of about 18 active members.

Our area is from Harpersville Road South to where Interstate 64 goes into the M&M Tunnel. We have one of the neediest sections in our city. The International Association of Lions Clubs grew out of a meeting held by a group of local visionaries June 17, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois. The Lions organization has become truly global with over 1.3 million members in 45,000 Lions Clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas.

Other major concerns of Lions Clubs are: providing services for youth, improving the environment, building homes for the disabled, supporting diabetes education, conducting hearing programs, and providing disaster relief around the world.

Are you interested in aiding a club continue on and achieve it's 100th Anniversary? We would love to have people that are interested in helping their neighbors, in helping the world to be a better place for us all. We want you! We want to spend the next 75 years helping the poor in Newport News. Who knows, with our help and the help of others, maybe there won't be any poor in Newport News then. I just know that now there is such a need in our city.