Category Archives: Lions Camp

How to Observe International Day of Friendship

26 Thursday Jul 2018

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If you’re lucky, you get to see your close friends often. You may get coffee, go out toFriendships dinner just an enjoy an evening together catching up on life, but do you remember the last time you told them how much you value their friendship? If it’s been a while, you’ll have the perfect opportunity on Monday – International Day of Friendship.

The origin behind the first day of friendship came from Hallmark in the 1930’s. The holiday was not viewed favorably by the public because many believed it was nothing more than a money-making exercise. By the 1940’s, the holiday had faded into obscurity in the United States.

In 1958, the World Friendship Crusade, an international civil organization, proposed the first World Friendship Day to take place on July 30, in an attempt to foster a culture of peace through friendship. Over 50 years later in 2011, the 30th of July was declared as the International Day of Friendship by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

How will you celebrate World Friendship Day? If you are struggling to find the best way to say, “I appreciate your friendship,” you’re in luck because we’ve compiled a few ways to celebrate the holiday:

  • Get back to the root of the first day of friendship by sending a card. Write a heartfelt message on why you feel fortunate to be his or her friend.
  • Send a small gift of flowers, chocolates, or cookies to let a friend know that you are thinking about him or her.
  • Put together a photo collage of special memories of you and your friend, then frame to give an extra special gift.
  • Call your local radio station and dedicate a song to International Friendship Day and your friends.
  • Make new friends by becoming a doer of Random Acts of Kindness. Follow this link to find ideas to get started.
  • Write a post on one of your social networks to brag about your best friends. It could be as in depth as how you first met or as simple as saying, “thanks for being my friend!”
  • Honor a friend with a donation to their favorite nonprofit organization. Might we suggest designating to the Lions Pride Endowment Fund and designate your gift for Lions Camp, the place where hundreds of friendships are made each year?
  • Make it a point to call or text your friends to let you know that you’re thinking about them and feel so lucky to call them friends.

Friendships are one of life’s greatest blessings. How empty would life feel without the camaraderie of great friends? Be sure to tell your friends how much you care about them and how thankful you are to have them in your inner circle.

Happy International Day of Friendship from Lions Pride!

The History of Father’s Day

14 Thursday Jun 2018

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Fathers Day GiftsThink about the last show you watched on TV. Do you remember any of the commercials? More than likely, it was something related to home improvements, gadgets or men’s clothing, which can only mean Father’s Day is near. This week, we thought we’d celebrate dear old dad with a short history lesson and a few popular gift ideas, so let’s get started!

Believe it or not, the inspiration for the Father’s Day was Mother’s Day. A common story recounts that the creator of the event was named Sonora Smart Dodd. One Sunday morning, the young woman was listening to a church sermon about Mother’s Day when we thought that her father was equally deserving of a day filled with praise.

Her father, William Smart was a Civil War veteran and widower. Sadly, his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. William went on to raise his children on a small family farm in Washington. Sonora wanted to show her appreciation for William love and support with a day dedicated for him and other dads around the world. The first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910.

For the next half-century, Father’s Day was celebrated at a local level in communities around the United States. In 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as the official Father’s Day, but it was officially recognized as a national holiday until the Nixon administration in 1972.

Today, children all around the world celebrate their dad with fun gift ideas. The most common presents are as follows (courtesy of MarketWatch):

  1. A special outing such as dinner or a sporting event
  2. An electronic gadget
  3. Clothing
  4. A gift card or gift certificate
  5. Home improvement and gardening tools

With Father’s Day only three days away, there isn’t much time to find the perfect gift! If you are still searching for a thoughtful, meaningful gift, consider donating to Lions Pride in honor or memory of your father. Your gift will work to help preserve, protect and provide for Wisconsin Lions Camp and all WLF statewide projects.

Happy Father’s Day!

The 11th Annual Lions Pride Shoot

07 Thursday Jun 2018

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Ready, aim, fire! We know it’s hard to believe, but we are only days away from thisTichigan Lions week’s 11th Annual Pride Shoot, happening once again at Milford Hills Hunt Club in Johnson Creek.

Sporting clays shooting is often called “golf with a shotgun,” but unlike golf, shooting sporting clays is as fun for beginners as it is for seasoned experts (we’re sure golfers would agree!)

Our sporting clays fundraiser is our most popular event that takes place on the second weekend in June. Both Lions and non-Lions come together to enjoy a day on the course in the beautiful rolling hills of Southern Wisconsin to support Lions Pride.

The day consists of an early breakfast followed by a challenging 22-round course with games and door prizes. After shooters have finished the course, they celebrate with beer, auction and delicious supper. The Pride Shoot is one of the most, unique and successful fundraisers that takes place for our organization.

Although we still have a lot of work ahead of us, we are eagerly anticipating Saturday’s arrival. We are always reminded of Dewey’s spirit, but it’s even more present this time of year as he so looked forward to the annual shoot. We feel we have a personal responsibility to make the upcoming event even more rewarding than the last.

We’d like to thank all of our donors, sponsors and volunteers for all of your support – both leading up to, during and after the shoot. We know firsthand that it takes a village to create and implement a successful event, and the Pride Shoot would not be what it is without all of your help.

See you Saturday!

 

The Start of the 2018 Camping Season

31 Thursday May 2018

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Pack your bags, grab the sunscreen and let’s get ready to camp! We are officially less lions-pride_sunset-at-campthan ten days away from the start of the 2018 camping season at Wisconsin Lions Camp, and we couldn’t be more excited. For the past 60+ years, nearly 1300 campers with vision, hearing, mild cognitive disabilities and Type 1 and 2 diabetes travel to Rosholt for the adventure of a lifetime.

Below you will find the 2018 schedule:

Block One

June 10-15                       Adults who are Blind or Visually Impaired

June 17-22                       Children with Type I & II Diabetes

June 24-29                       Children with Type I & II Diabetes

July 1-6                             Children with Intellectual Disabilities or Educational Autism

July 8-13                           Children with Intellectual Disabilities or Educational Autism

July 15-20                         Staff Transition Week

 

Block Two

July 22-27                          Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

July 29-August 3               Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

August 5-10                       Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired

August 12-17                     Adults 18-25 with Intellectual Disabilities or Educational Autism (by invitation only)

August 20-24                     Adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (July 20)

During their week away, campers have the chance to create a comprehensive program built around their interests. Overnight camping, canoeing, hiking, swimming, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, archery and crafts make up the daily activities that take place at camp.

The goals of camp are to assist each child in the areas of self-confidence, interdependence, environmental awareness, but above all, to have a fun, safe experience combined with camaraderie and friendship.

What do our campers and Lions Pride have in common? We both look forward to the camping season all year long. Did you know that when the Wisconsin Lions Camp was first opened, it was funded primarily by Lions Club donations? In the last decade or so, however, expenses for camp and all other WLF statewide projects have increased drastically.

Many might be surprised to learn that combatting rising costs was the primary reason for the birth of our organization. Read the whole story here. Today, the Wisconsin Lions Camp is one of the statewide WLF projects that receive financial support from the Lions Pride Endowment Fund. We’re proud to work alongside both donors to help create lifetime camp experiences for both now and future generations.  We sincerely appreciate your support as we continue on to preserve, protect and provide.

 

Graduation Fun Facts

17 Thursday May 2018

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With these bouts of 80+ degree temperatures, we’re getting a first-hand experience of

accomplishment ceremony education graduation

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

what’s to come. Summer is finally on its way. It won’t be long until Lions Camp is filled with the sound of campers’ laughter (our favorite time of the year!) As for the rest of us, our calendars will be filled with weekend barbecues, wedding celebrations and, of course, graduation parties.

This weekend, thousands of students will walk across the stage and out into the world as graduates. Let’s celebrate their educational success with a fun more fun facts about graduation.

  • The first known diplomas were made of sheepskin and tied with ribbons. As paper-making became easier, they were replaced with parchment. Ribbons were eventually removed from the process altogether because the diplomas were too difficult to frame.
  • 16th Century Church Dignitaries were the first people to wear the famous commencement hat. The caps were called “mortarboards” because of their similarity to the masonry tool called the “mortarboard.” The tassel wasn’t added until the 19th
  • Everyone is familiar with the tradition of graduates throwing their caps in the air, but did you know the practice can be dangerous? In 2008, Anglia Ruskin University in England tried to ban cap-tossing after a student received stitches when a mortarboard came down on his head a few years prior, but the practice has since been reinstated. Remember, to be aware of your surroundings.

Here at Lions Pride, we’d like to wish all of our state graduates best wishes. We know that the road wasn’t always easy, but the payoff is great. We hope you have a chance to reflect on your accomplishment and know there is a bright future ahead. Congratulations!

 

“Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” – Nora Ephron

Annual Nonprofit Audits

01 Thursday Mar 2018

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We are officially 48 days away from Tax Day. If you haven’t done so already, you have Nonprofit Auditlikely gathered all of your W-2s, 1099-MISCs and other taxes documents, and have made plans to meet with your accountant or sit down and file your 2017 taxes. Everyone seems to have Uncle Sam and their finances on their mind. Lions Pride is no exception – but we’re not filing taxes; instead, we’re completing our annual audit.

For some reason, the word ‘audit’ has an amazing way of sparking apprehension or fear in people. While an audit may seem like a punishment for individuals, they are actually a standard procedure for nonprofit organizations. An audit simply refers to an independent review of an organization’s financial books.

An independent audit is an examination of the financial records, accounts, business transactions, accounting practices, and internal controls of a charitable nonprofit by an independent auditor. “Independent” refers to the fact that the auditor/CPA is not an employee of the organization but rather is retained through a contract for services. For the last five years, we have contracted with Schenk SC to conduct our audit.

For the next two days, the auditors will examine our bank reconciliations, selected restricted donations and grant letters. They will also review physical assets, journals, ledgers and board minutes. After the review, the auditors will then issue a formal opinion about the accuracy of all financial reports, and provide recommendations to continue improving our financial management.

Here at Lions Pride, we know that an annual audit is an essential part of a check-and-balance system to guarantee all finances are in order and allows the LPEF Board of Directors to be confident LPEF staff is following proper accounting practices. The audit also demonstrates our commitment to financial transparency, which donors have come to expect from our organization.

Trust is one of the most critical components of a nonprofit-donor relationship. The annual audit is just one more way Lions Pride works to build that trust by ensuring all donations are properly managed and secured so we can continue to preserve, protect and provide for Wisconsin Lions Camp and all WLF projects. We thank you for your continued support.

It’s Girl Scout Cookie Season!

22 Thursday Feb 2018

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We have to be honest. The winter weather has gotten us down this week. Although the temperatures have remained fair, the icy roads are making us feel as though the warm, summer months will arrive. That’s when we were to see a timely announcement – the return of Girl Scout Cookie Weekend.

Last month, Girl Scouts of the USA kicked off their 101st year of selling cookies. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is one of the most successful programs in any organization. Over 1 million Girls Scouts participate in selling cookies to benefit their troop. Scouts can show off their G.I.R.L. (Go-Getter, Innovator, Risk-Taker, Leader) Spirit by selling cookies to help power amazing experiences all year-round. All of the net revenue stays within the local area to benefit the girls and their councils.

This year, troops were happy to welcome the return of the Girl Scout S’mores Cookie, the most popular flavor to launch in the past century. In 2017, GSUSA debuted two versions of the cookie – a crème covered crispy graham cracker cookie dipped in chocolate, and a chocolate marshmallow filled graham cracker sandwich cookie decorated with designs honoring Girl Scouts’ Outdoor Badges.

With the new cookie arrival, bakers have gotten creative in the kitchen by whipping up new delicious recipes. We’re excited to try the S’more Campfire Cupcakes, created by Little Brownie Bakers, which will help put us in the camping spirit – even if there is still snow on the ground. Of course, we’ve also craving old favorites like Thin Mints and Tagalongs.

Now to answer a question that is often asked this time of year, “How I can purchase Girl Scout Cookies if I don’t know any Girl Scouts?” This year, it’s easier than ever to stock up on your favorite do-good cookie. Simply visit the Cookie Locator to find a location near you. As we mentioned, this weekend (February 23 – 25) is National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, so troops all over the country are hosting exciting events. If you’d rather than stay in, there is also an online portal available.

No matter how you choose to enjoy your cookies, dipping them in a glass of milk or using them as a key ingredient in a new recipe, you can rest easy knowing that your purchase is helping young girls develop lifetime, leadership skills.

Have you or will you purchase Girl Scouts some time in 2018? What cookie is your favorite? The Pride Staff favors the Thin Mints.

Happy Girl Scout Cookie Weekend!

Our Role as Santa

21 Thursday Dec 2017

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Let’s play a game. Imagine you are six years old and it is December 21, 19XX (you fill in Magic Santathe blank), can you remember how you felt this time of year? Let’s see if our description matches your imagination: you knew that Christmas was only days away, so you were on your best behavior because Santa was watching. As December 25 crept closer and closer, you could hardly contain your excitement. Soon enough, Christmas Eve would arrive. You would put out some milk and cookies, brush your teeth and get to bed quickly – only to spend the night watching the clock. You just couldn’t wait for Christmas Day.

Sadly, as adults, the magic of Christmas seems to fade a little more each year. Santa no longer represents a symbol of joy and the celebration just becomes a season of more obligations. Fortunately, the magic does begin to reappear as we have children of our own, but then our roles change from excited child to excited parent. We also spend December 24 making preparations and barely sleeping because we are too anxious to watch our children eagerly open their gifts. We have come to discover a different kind of magic – the magic of giving. But again the cycle continues as our children grow, and the sense of wonder begins to disappear.

Luckily, as supporters of Lions Pride, we are in somewhat of a unique position. All supporters of Lions Pride get to play the part of Santa all year round. How? By giving children from all over the state of Wisconsin the gift of experience. In 2017, over 150 special children were given the opportunity to have the week of their lives out in the woods with kids just like them. They were able to sleep in cabins, roast marshmallows, learn archery, swim laps in Lions Lake and enjoy everything nature has to offer. Of course, they were also able to develop self-confidence, interdependence, social skills and outdoor recreational skills – all at no cost to their families.

The gift may not be beautifully wrapped under a bright, full tree, but we know in our hearts that it’s a gift that keeps on giving all year long. And none of these accomplishments would be possible without the help of you. Our donors are the lifeblood of our organization and we never tire of saying thank you for your support. Although our biological children may be grown, we look forward to playing Santa for many years to come. Thank you for helping us carry out our mission to preserve, provide and protect Lions Camp and all other WLF statewide projects.

The Lions Pride office will be closed the week of December 25, to celebrate Christmas with our families. Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas!

Celebrate the Season of Giving with St. Nick

07 Thursday Dec 2017

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While we may not have any white, fluffy snow on the ground (as ofStockings Were Hung writing), there is no question that the holiday season has arrived. Yesterday was the celebration of St. Nicholas. Although the holiday is a popular one in Europe, the day isn’t widely celebrated here in the United States, and we think it’s time to change that!

The story of St. Nick goes back to 4th century Greece. Nicholas of Myra officiated as a bishop after dedicating his life to giving to others. Sadly, his parents died in an epidemic when he was young. With his extensive inheritance, Nicholas decided to use his wealth to help the less fortunate. His signature act was leaving gold coins in people’s shoes around the city. Today, children leave out stockings or shoes on the eve of St. Nicholas and awake to find them filled with small gifts and trinkets. Of course, there is always the possibility that those who have been naughty will find nothing more than a lump of coal.

We may have missed the official holiday, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate the true meaning behind the season – focusing on giving more than receiving. Sometime in December, consider surprising your loved one by filling his or her stocking with fun, little gifts. There are endless possibilities for stocking stuffers – candy, jewelry, small toys, soap, notebooks, key chains and more. You can also include other intangible gifts such as a donation to their favorite charity in their honor.

By choosing to make a gift to Lions Pride, you can help us work to continue improving the lives of people all around Wisconsin. Your donation can help preserve, protect and provide for Lions Camp and all other WLF statewide projects – including eyeglass recycling, adult and children’s vision screening, diabetes education and more. If there is a project that is especially important to you or your loved one, simply designate the gift, and you can rest assured knowing that you’re helping the cause. Print the certificate and add it a stocking for a powerful gift that also gives back.

Together, we can all embody the spirit of St. Nicholas by remembering to include compassion and charity in our daily lives. After all, isn’t that the reason behind the season?

Happy Holidays from Lions Pride!