Tag Archives: learning

Wisconsin’s Gone Fishin’

02 Thursday May 2019

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Pack your fishing rod, tackle box and bait because the fishing season has nearly arrived!

landscape photo of riverand pine trees

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Pexels.com

This Saturday, May 4, is opening day for Wisconsin fishing.

Fishing is one of the most popular recreational activities in the United States. According to the 2018 Outdoor Industry Special Report, more than 49 million Americans enjoyed recreational fishing in 2017. During that year, approximately 16.5 percent of the US population went fishing at least once.

The sport’s popularity has not come by accident. In addition to just being an enjoyable pastime, fishing also brings several important health benefits. If you’re looking for an excellent reason to get out on the water this weekend, we’ll give you five:

  1. Reduce your blood pressure

    Studies have shown that spending time in nature helps to lower blood pressure, but the exact reason is not yet known. Additionally, you don’t have to spend all day outdoors to enjoy these benefits, 30 minutes per week is enough to improve blood pressure and overall health. But remember, the more time outside, the better!

  2. Unplug and unwind

    We live in a noisy world. Let us set the scene to see if you can relate. You start the day with a cup of coffee in front of the morning news, drive to work with the radio blaring, spend the day in front of a computer and constant interruptions before finally heading home to spend the evening watching digital screens. We all need some time away from the modern world and fishing poses as the perfect solution, a time to unplug and appreciate only the sounds of nature.

  3. Stand up

    Too many Americans spend the day sitting. Research has shown that the average person sits about 12 hours each day. This inactivity, which has become known as “the sitting disease,” is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. Fortunately, fishing gives anglers an opportunity to stand up.

  4. Keep your brain sharp

    As people age, cognitive abilities will typically decline, and memory problems can take place. The best way to keep your brain healthy is to challenge it with mentally stimulating activities. According to Harvard Health Publications, to stay sharp, people should continue learning, use all of their senses and have confidence in oneself – all of which would fall in line with fishing.

  5. Spend time with family and friends

    Most would agree that there’s no better way to spend time, then with friends and family. Fishing is a great way to pass the morning or spend the day. Of course, you may need to make a few adjustments when fishing with others, especially those who wouldn’t consider themselves to be experienced anglers.

As you may already know, hook and line fishing for many fish species on several Wisconsin waterways begins on opening day, but season dates are often specific to fish species as well as the body of water. The best way to start planning your fishing trip is to download the DNR 2019-2020 fishing season dates.

Before heading out on the water, be sure to purchase your fishing license. Registration is available online, in various sales locations and at one of the DNR Service Centers.

The staff at Lions Pride would like to wish you luck out on the water this season. Happy Fishing!

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National Trivia Day: Lions Pride Edition

03 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by in Lions Camp, Special Events

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Are you interested in sharing and exchanging little-known facts? If so, then you’ll love tomorrow’s unofficial holiday, National Trivia Day.458432_10150689723660999_1376996678_o.jpg

Although the exact origin of Trivia Day is unknown, many people credit the game, Trivial Pursuit as the start. The creators of the game, Chris Haney and Scott Abbott, wanted to play Scrabble but were disappointed to learn several of their board games’ pieces had gone missing. Rather than dwell on their misfortune, they decided to create their own game. The concept of Trivial Pursuit was conceived in a matter of hours.

In honor of National Trivia Day, we’d thought we’d celebrate with fun facts inspired by our favorite WLF service projects:

  • The Wisconsin Lions Camp was the dream of which well-known Lion? Ray Hempel.
  • How large is the camp in acreage? 440.
  • What is the ratio of staff to campers? 1:6
  • How tall is the famous Totem Pole Na-Wak-Wa? 38 feet.
  • Louie the Lion, the guardian of the Wisconsin Lions Camp, is made out of what materials? Concrete and old gun barrels.
  • The Eyeglass Recycling Center in Rosholt is one of how many worldwide facilities? 18.
  • At any given point, how many pairs of eyeglasses are available at the ERC? 125,000.
  • How many Americans are affected by hearing loss? An estimated 48 million.
  • What percentage of a child’s learning is related to sight? 80%.
  • Vision problems affect one ins how many school-aged children? 4.
  • How many children are adequately screened for vision problems in the US? Less than 20%.

Finally, did you know that your donation to Lions Pride helps us to preserve, protect and provide for all of these projects and more? What’s more, you have the ability to designate your gift to the project of your choice.

Together, we have the opportunity to reach, touch and improve lives all over the state; and we are so appreciative of your continued support.

Happy National Trivia Day!

More Enjoyable Back to School Shopping

02 Thursday Aug 2018

Posted by in Holidays, News, Special Events

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Ahh… sweet summertime.

frame of office supplies on white background .photo with copy space

The sun is out, the birds are signing and children all acrossthe state are loving their time away from the classroom. Although September seems like a lifetime away, it will be here before the blink of an eye, which mean it’s time to start thinking about school supplies.

Presumably, no parent looks forward to back to school shopping; it’s time-consuming, groan-inducing and expensive. In 2015, the estimated cost to send a child back to school was approximately $630. Shopping is a necessary part of the annual routine for parents. Fortunately, however, the process will be a bit easier this summer – thanks to the Wisconsin Sales Tax Holiday.

Yesterday was the start of a five-day temporary exemption period. From now until Sunday, sales of certain items will be tax-exempt, including the following:

  • Clothing – each item must have a sales price less than $75
  • Computers for personal use – each item must have a sales price less than $750
  • School computer supplies for personal use – each item must have a sales price less than $250
  • School supplies – each item must have a sales price less than $75

For a full list of tax-exempt items, please follow this link.

If our school supply estimate is correct, parents could see nearly $35 in savings, which means that now is the perfect time to stock up. After all, back-to-school shopping + no sales tax = happy shoppers.

This week, as you are planning your back-to-school shopping, consider making an impact with your extra savings. Think about buying a few extra boxes of tissues for the hard-working teachers or purchasing additional school supplies for a family in need. Together, we can help prepare our children for another successful school year with all of the necessary tools they need to learn. Remember, that even a little help can make a world of difference.

Happy Shopping from Lions Pride!

 

 

Donate Your Deer Hide to Wisconsin Lions Camp

10 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by in Giving Tips, Lions Camp, News, Special Events

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The countdown is on! T-9 days until the official start of Wisconsin deer gun hunting deer-in-sunlightseason.

If you’re like more than 600,000 hunters all over the state, you are likely anxiously awaiting the arrival of next Friday morning. You’ve been diligently studying your trail cam images, already cleared your travel path and prepared your stand for a weekend in the great outdoors. You’ve been dreaming about hanging a set of beautiful antlers and a fridge full of venison to get you through the long winter, but have you thought about what you’ll do with your hide?

Again, like many other Wisconsin hunters, we hope you’ll consider donating your hide to Wisconsin Lions to help send a child to camp. Each deer-hunting season since 1991, Lions Club volunteers have set up collection sites all over the state. What started as a relatively small operation has grown immensely over the past couple decades. Today, there are over 175 collection sites from Ashland all the way down to Beloit. In recent years, the deer hide collection has raised anywhere from $75,000 to $95,000 for the Wisconsin Lions Camp.

Donating is simple! Just bring your hide to a drop-off location near you. The hide will then be salted, preserved and eventually sold. Every hide donated will help send a child with special needs to camp.

Each year, we are proud to help send over one hundred children to camp, where they get the opportunity for learning, hiking, swimming, boating, crafting and so much more. With 440 acres of land and a 45-acre private lake, there is no shortage of fun. The goals of Lions Camp are to assist each child in the development of self-confidence, interdependence, social skills, outdoor recreational skills and environmental awareness; but most importantly, for the child to have a fun, safe, memorable experience.

Give back this hunting season by donating your hide to Wisconsin Lions Camp. From all of us at Lions Pride, thank you for continued support over the years, and good luck to all hunters!

 

The 2016 USA/Canada Leadership Forum

15 Thursday Sep 2016

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It’s that time again; time for the USA/Canada Leadership Forum. lions-100th-anniversaryLast fall, we were fortunate to attend the 2015 Forum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and, we are attending again this year, in Omaha, Nebraska.

For the past 39 years, Lions from all over North America come together to participate in the largest and greatest Lions Club Leadership Training Event. Over the course of the next three days, Lions will have the opportunity to take part in dozens of leadership seminars, browse the expansive exhibitor hall, listen to inspiring speakers and (re)connect with friends.

The 2016 Forum will be slightly different than the past conferences because there will be a primary focus on preparing for the Lions Club 100th Anniversary. If you recall, to celebrate our milestone anniversary, we, as Lions, have been challenged in accomplishing 100 million acts of service. In addition to participating in several of the 60+ seminars, Forum Participants are invited to partake in three service projects representing four service campaigns:

Engaging Our Youth

Sharing the Vision

Relieving the Hunger

Protecting the Environment

We can’t wait to participate in another weekend of learning and fun with the arguably the greatest company – thousands of Lions!

On behalf of Lions Pride, we’d like to wish all of our traveling friends, safe travels, and we’re looking forward to seeing you at the forum.

E1 Convention and What Your Favorite Hat Says About You

31 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by in Conventions, Special Events

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It may be hard to believe, but our 2015-2016 Convention Season is coming to a close. We’reLions Pride Cowboy Hat wrapping up our tour of Wisconsin Lions districts in Chippewa Falls for the E1 District Convention. That will leave only the C2 and State Convention.

The 32nd Annual Convention starts on Friday night at the Avalon Hotel and Conference Center. We are so excited to participate in the Friday Evening Social where attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite hat.

The fun and education starts bright and early on Saturday morning as we hear from the mayor of Chippewa Falls, International Director Don Shove and various members of the Chippewa Falls Lions Club.

During our breakout seasons, we’ll all have the opportunity to hear from multiple organizations and learn about important topics such as identity theft, the Lions Club Centennial and Wisconsin missions. We’re also looking forward to hearing from guest speaker, Jason Church, during the luncheon. It’s sure to be another fun weekend full of laughs and learning. If you are attending please plan to attend the WLF/Pride breakout session on Saturday afternoon. See the full convention schedule here.

Any weekend away requires a little preparation. You probably already know what essentials need to be packed, but may be struggling which hat to show off at the Friday Evening Social. We thought we could be of assistance by reviewing what your favorite hat may say about you:

Baseball Hat – you love to stay active and appreciate the functionality in products.

Beret – you are a confident and artistic person with a nurturing personality.

Cowboy Hat – you live for adventure and enjoy walking on the wild side.

Feather Hat – you have a fun sense of style and like being the center of attention.

Fedora – you have a strong personality and don’t like to take ‘no’ for an answer.

Sombrero – you’re the life of every party and are always up for a good time.

Straw Hat – you have a carefree attitude and love the outdoors.

We hope these descriptions made your decision process a little easier. Do any of these narratives sound like you?

From all of us at Lions Pride, we hope you have a great weekend. See you at the E1 Convention!

The 2016 A2 District Convention

18 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by in Conventions, News, Special Events, Uncategorized

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A2 ConventionWelcome to the third week of February. If you are an active Lions Pride blog reader, you know that we are smack dabbed in the middle of our convention season. This weekend, we will continue our trek across the state in Oconomowoc for the Broadway-themed 27-A2 District Convention at the Olympia Resort and Spa.

The conference will kick-off with a Friday night fish, raffle drawings and a fun social where all attendees are to dress as their favorite Broadway musical character.

Saturday will start off on a high note with meetings and gatherings as well as presentations from a few Wisconsin Lions partners. We’ll hear from the Hope House, Leader Dogs, our very own Executive Director Geri Schlender, sharing information on the Lions Pride Endowment Fund and more. Throughout the day, participants will be able to visit the Lions Hall of Awareness and Pin Traders.

Saturday night, everyone is in for a great treat as we have the opportunity to enjoy the “Broadway Musical Review” courtesy of the Hartford Union High School Concert Choir, during the banquet awards.

We’re excited to see all of our friends at the upcoming District 27-A2 Convention and looking forward to another exciting weekend full of learning and fun. Are you planning on attending the conference?

From all of us here at Lions Pride, we hope you enjoy your weekend, no matter how you plan to spend it!

 

 

 

 

 

August is National Eye Exam Month

20 Thursday Aug 2015

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Kids National Eye Exam MonthParents of school-aged children have a huge laundry list of items that they need to get through before the new the school year begins. They need to go-back-to-school shopping, get their children registered and see the primary doctor, but there is an important task that doesn’t often make the cut – scheduling an appointment with the optometrist.

August is National Eye Exam Month so there’s no better time to give everyone a refresher on the importance of eye health. Did you know that nearly 50 percent of parents with children under the age of 12 have never taken their children to see an eye care professional? As Lions and Lionesses, we understand that vision problems are an incredibly common issue, but now is the time for us to spread the word about the many benefits of scheduling an eye exam for children:

  1. Perform well in school

Eighty percent of a child’s learning is related to sight; however, vision problems affect one in twenty preschoolers and one in four school-aged children. The biggest issue is that children sometime don’t know or can’t tell when they aren’t seeing correctly. After visiting the eye care professional, there is no question.

  1. Detect eye conditions early on

Without early detection and treatment, some vision problems can lead to more serious complications such as permanent vision loss, learning disabilities and delayed development. Checking for these conditions is part of a routine eye exam.

  1. Determine correct prescription

Eyes are continuously changing over time. By visiting your eye care professional annually, parents can be sure that their children always have the right prescription.

For the rest of the month, Lions Pride is encouraging your loved ones to schedule an eye exam for their children as well as themselves. Let’s work together to be sure everyone is seeing clearly!

The 2015 LCI Convention

25 Thursday Jun 2015

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LCI Hawaiian Shirt Challenge

The countdown is on! We are only about 24 hours away from the state of the 2015 LCI Convention in Hawaii. Year after, Lions all over the world look forward to the international convention, but this year, the committee appears to have outdone themselves.

The theme of this year’s event is “Strengthening the Pride.” (Do we have to tell you that we love the name?)

The event kicks off tomorrow – Friday, June 26, at the Hawaii Convention Center. Participating Lions, Lionnesses and Leos will be able to spend five beautiful days in Honolulu, networking and learning with other members.

Emerging technology appears to a center topic for many of the convention seminars. Members will be able to attend presentations such “ViridiSTOR Training”, “MYLCI Tips & Tricks” and “Social Media – A Practical Guide for Lions (Beginners)”.

We are also excited to see that the committee has picked out a phenomenal keynote speaker, Tim Shriver, the chairman of Special Olympics. He will be discussing the advantages of partnering with Special Olympics as well as other organizations with similar missions.

Of course, attendees will see annual favorites like the Parade of Nations and the International Show starring Kenny Loggins with Steve Augeri and Mickey Thomas backed by the Yacht Rock Revue.

Don’t worry if you aren’t able to make the trip down, many of the events will be live-streamed. The links to the events will appear on Twitter.

All of us here at Lions Pride are excited to hear what our fellow Wisconsin Lions and Lioness learn at the international convention. Together, we can continue to keep building our Pride.