CONGRATULATIONS
Our club finished first in the team division at the Heal-n-Wheel fundraiser for the Hearing and Service Dogs held on Sept. 13th at Long Lake Regional Park in New Brighton.  We regained the traveling trophy that the Coon Rapids Lions took from us last year.  In addition to the trophy, the members who did the walking also received vouchers good for two Minnesota Twins tickets.

Congratulations to the following Lion members who participated in the walk: Darrell Main, Steve Weber, Duane Hass, and Catherine Stenberg (along with son Alex and dog , Pugsley).  Also participating was Trina Hass (Lion Duane’s wife) and daughter Mallory.

MEETINGS
Our next meeting will be on Thursday, October 2nd at our meeting place.  Lion Catherine Stenberg will be cooking and serving the meal that night which will be at 7:00 P.M.  Our business meeting will be at 7:30 P.M. Also that night, PDG Clay Storley and Lion Mike Main will be speaking about MERLO.  Also, Mary Ellen Storley (Clay’s wife) will be speaking about the Youth Outreach.

Our second meeting will be on Thursday, October 16th also at our meeting place.  No one has volunteered to cook for this meeting.  If interested, please let Lion Steve know by the first meeting in October so it can be put in the Herald.   There will be a Board of Directors meeting at 6:30 P.M.  At 7:00 P.M., there will be a business meeting if there is no meal and 7:30 P.M. if there is a meal.  Please check the Herald that week for any changes.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
On Sunday, September 28th, our club will be holding a pancake breakfast at the Howard Lake Legion from 7:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M.  Lion Mike Main is the chair for this function.  His committee includes Lions Duane Hass, Dan Judd, Tom Fiecke, and Paul Schmitz.  Any help that day will be greatly appreciated.

Any Lion interested in helping repairing bikes should contact Lion Tom Sullivan at 543-2662.

Our club made a donation to the HLWW chapter of the FFA towards expenses for their upcoming trip to the FFA National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky.  In turn, the FFA will be doing the labor at our Lions Park.

Our meat raffle started on September 20th.  Lion Tim Oberpriller is once again the chairperson.

The Lions and Lens Crafters have put together a kit that contains information on having kids collect used eyeglasses while trick or treating on Halloween.  Lion Cathy Rufer is the chairperson of this function.

Lion President Darrell did get his gavel back (PDG Larry Kounkle auctioned it off!) at a cost of $3.00.  However, he did not have the money to pay for it and Lion Karen Fiecke is holding it until he has the money.

LION MELMER LAHR
As you all know, Lion Melmer Lahr was killed in a one-car accident near his home on the night of August 27th.  Six members of our club served as honorary pallbearers at Lion Mel”s funeral on August 30th.  There was also a large turnout of our club members who attended the funeral.

Lion Mel was very active member in our club.  He became a member (along with his wife, Renee) of the Howard Lake Lions on March 7, 1996.  Lion Mel’s sponsor was Lion Stan Holm.  Over his years as a member, he has helped out with installing a handicap ramp for needy families, served on the Appreciation Dinner committee in the summer of 2000, worked at a Legion Baseball tournament, has served as Lion Tamer (along with his wife, Renee) since July, 2002, and many other functions too many to mention.  Our condolences go out to Lion Renee and her family.

In honor of Lion Mel, the Montrose Lions made a contribution to Hearing and Service Dogs.  Also, our club donated a brick to Leader Dog in Lion Mel’s honor.

Lion Mel will be missed by all!

BIRTHDAYS
Happy birthday to the following Howard Lake Lion members who will be celebrating a birthday in October: Elwood Engel (8); Jason Mapes (14); Mardell Lemke (18); Susan Grangroth (20); and Chris Bickmann (23).