1. (Click here to go to our website) Call to Order – President Weldon Garrelts called the meeting to order and led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

2. Invocation – David Hunter: Great, good and gracious God, we thank Thee for this food, and for those who raise our spirits with quick wit and gentle humor. Amen. Vittles – Chopped steak roll-up, wedge potatoes, mixed vegetables, salad and toppings, rolls and butter, Angel Food-Pineapple-Coconut Cake, tea and coffee.

3. Attendance – 22 members, 5 visitors. Guests – Debra Hart (speaker). Birthdays – Dr. Frank Kresca, who still wears his Lions pin. Lions Report – If you are ill or know a fellow Lion that is under the weather, please call Pat Bryan (above) at 586-4535.

4. Announcements – Weldon Garrelts announced that Omer Benn got a birthday cup cake last week with one candle, which he split 8 ways.

5. The next Board Meeting will be March 4th and the business meeting will be delayed until March 12. Friday, April 4th is our lunch relay for Lions International. Weldon challenged us to bring a friend. Our Wednesday meeting will be moved to April 4 and we will meet at the Regent. We should all bring a guest.

6. Lottery – Paul Kunkel won the $11 lottery.

7. Rich King gave an update on the District’s activities. At the state convention in May we will be voting on some mergers. Yesterday was the Low Vision Clinic in Urbana, attended by Marvin Paulsen and Rich King. Marvin emailed that he would be on a plane to India today.

8. Paul Kunkel announced our Calendar fund is a District fund and it was voted to help with funding for a young lady needing a leader dog.

9. Program – Sam McGrew introduced our speaker, Debra Joy Hart. Her name suggests joy in the middle of her heart and yes, this is her real married name, which is why she needs her husband, as he provides her with a great name and funny material. She is a registered nurse with over 25 years, a teacher, a clown, a minister, a published humorist and constantly on a diet. Debra loves her work, her vegetables and all that she does. Exploring humanity, humor and the divine is the main theme in Debra’s professional and personal life. She has learned that humor, laughter, mirth and wit (and a small helping of sarcasm) prevent hardening of the attitudes. Debra leads laughter clubs around East Central Illinois and frequently speaks on the mind, body and spirit connection through humor, laughter, wit and mirth. One of her major programs is group laughter events.

10. Debra told us to be careful with laughing,

11. if you have had surgery,

12. or have a glass eye, or a hernia. Ha, ha, ha.

13. She started us out with some simple exercises, “giggle your jiggle, and make your bottom laugh.”

14. Then she brought out a bag of leis and sponge balls.

15. And Sam McGrew began distributing them.

16. everybody put them on…

17. How’s that, Dr. Smith Kamalemba?

18. The cocktail party laugh was demonstrated

19. and several other cute jiggles.

20. The health benefits of laughing were also pointed out, such as increasing the large blood vessels of the heart and decreasing your cortisol level.

21. She led the club in numerous examples of group laugh and ways to receive positive feedback.

22. She did the 45-minute program in 20 minutes.

23. and concluded with a group photo of everyone wearing a red nose.

24. Tail Twister – Omer Benn started off with a funny story,

25. then asked Paul Hendren to carry the bucket.

26. He fined Paul Kunkel

27. for having won

28. the lottery;

29. Ted Gonsiorowski’s table

30. for not wearing their Lions pins.

31. Sam McGrew bragged about his Scottish ancestry,

32. because he picked up the pennies left on the tables last week;

33. Pat Bryan bragged that she received a $10 check for calendars;

34. David Lin bragged that his daughter just got accepted in the University of Illinois.

35. Mar 5 – District Governor Greeter: Ben Turpin Mar 12 – Business Meeting, Gordy Hulten – Elections Mar 19 – Marne Fauser - Cebrim Goodwin Teen Institute Click here sammcgrew@att.net to email Sam McGrew and let him know what you would like to see in a Lions Club program some time.sammcgrew@att.net Coming up

36. Thank you for watching Editor Rex Hess Publisher David Hunter To email Dave with your suggestions, click here → hunter4000@comcast.nethunter4000@comcast.net To go to our website, click here → http://www.champaignlions.org/http://www.champaignlions.org/