Reston Lions to Direct Parking for Brewfest - Proceeds to Charity

The Reston Lions Club is organized to provide valuable traffic and parking assistance at the bi-annual Northern Virginia Brewfest at Bull Run Park in Centreville, VA to raise money for charity this weekend, Nov 20-21st.  (Bull Run Regional Park · 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville, VA 20121) for more information on the NOVA Brewfest, visit  http://novabrewfest.com/fall/
The Lions Club will also hand out information about it's work in the community and be available to answer questions that attendees may have about the work of our wonderful organization.

Planting event this Saturday!

Fairfax Releaf is holding a Tree Planting event in south Reston this weekend.
Date: Saturday, October 13th
Time : 1:00-3:00pm
Place: Please use street parking along Steeplechase Drive adjacent to
2401 Old Trace Lane, Reston, VA.
What: Help the Reston Association reforest a steep slope that has been
mowed for years. Volunteers will help plant trees and shrubs. Volunteers
should be well-bodied and have good balance on uneven ground since the
site is a steep slope.

Volunteers who plan to attend should contact Jenn Truong at
jtruong@reston.org. Contact for event (only use on day of planting):
Claudia Thompson-Deahl at 571-233-9938.

Fall Conference for 24A This Weekend!

Reston Lions Club

Fall District 24A Conference This Weekend!!!
Hyatt at Dulles Airport, 2300 Dulles Corner Boulevard, Herndon, VA

http://www.valions.org/

October 5- 6, 2012
Hyatt Dulles
Hyatt Dulles. 2300 Dulles Corner Blvd.,
Herndon, Virginia, USA 20171.
Tel: +1 703 713 1234

Roadside Cleanup this Saturday

We maintain a stretch of Sunset Hills Drive in Reston, VA from Wiehle Ave to Hunter Mill Road.  This weekend is the Roadside Cleanup as part of the VDOT Adopt a Highway program.  If interested, we will be meeting at 8am on Saturday at the Reston Presbyterian Church.  All are welcome.  Work should only take about 2 hours.

rpcconnected.org
10610 Sunset Hills Road
Reston, VA

Roadside Cleanup October 2010

Local Fellowship House Gets 'Carded'

Reston Lions Club distributed 240 Giant Food Gift cards to victims of the "derecho" storms on Friday, August 31st. Residents of the Lake Anne Fellowship House were able to replenish food lost during a five day power outage that occurred during one of the hottest weeks in June-July 2012.

 The local service club  received a $2,000 grant from the Lions of Virginia Foundation, which funds emergency relief in the State. The club partially matched the grant so that they could provide $15 Giant Cards to 240 residents to help restock spoiled food supplies. 

Reston Lions Club President, Sue Beffel, and members Jim Ryan and Jack Gazlay, assisted Fellowship House Administrator, by handing out the cards.  After the gathered residents eagerly received their cards.  Resident, Buzz Carter,  thanked the Lions on behalf of all the others, as many of them did not speak much English. "That's a lot of money to me, said one man, while another resident said, "It is so sweet. I'm so proud to be an American."

The Reston Lions Club has over 30 members and meets on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 7:00 PM at Mama Lucia's at the North Pointe Shopping Center. Lions Clubs are groups of men and women who identify needs within their community and work together to fulfill those needs. For more information or to get involved with the Reston Lions Club, please visit our web site at www.restonlions.org.

Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with more than 1.3 million members in approximately 45,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service and serving youth throughout the world. For more information about Lions Clubs International, visit the Web site at www.lionsclubs.org.

iPhone Fulfills an Accessibility Role

 There is no denying that Smart Phones have brought enjoyment to their users since their invention.  These devices have changed the lives of a growing number of the blind in remarkable ways, as the LION Magazine has outlined in the attached link.  Imagine that you are blind and have needed assistance to do simple things like make phone calls, select beverages from a vending machine, count money...  All these tasks can make everyday living challenging.  "There's an app for that" goes well beyond Angry Birds to a realm of accessibility that has previously been impossible.  See the article for more details.
http://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?i=122435&p=32

Habitat Dining Event is Coming to Stone's Cove Kitbar in Herndon

We do hope that you will consider visiting the Stone's Cove Kitbar in Herndon, VA on Sept 9th, 2012 in support of Habitat For Humanity.  See the Announcement below and make sure to tell your server you are there to support Habitat for Humantiy.  20% of your check will be donated to Habitat.

White Cane Fundraiser a Success!

The Reston Lions Club completed their first White Cane fundraiser over the Aug 4th weekend at the Franklin Farms Rd Giant.  The Club with the help of 6 volunteer members was able to raise close to Four Hundred dollars for Vision research, one of the primary causes supported by Lions Club worldwide.  Congratulations and thanks for making this event such a success!

Pictured Above left to right are Vice President Don Leas, Bob Meissner, and Past President Steven Reber.

Lions Club Installs New Officers, Celebrates their 45th Year

The Reston Lions Club just celebrated their 45th year serving the Reston community by electing their first woman President, Susan Beffel on June 20th, 2012. Pictured below are all the recently sworn in officers of the club. Each has promised to perform the duties of their office to the best of their abilities, safegaurding and encouraging the growth and continued success of the club.
As we enter our 45th year, we also honored the new President of the successfully chartered a Leo Club in the Herndon community. Jessica Horting has been instrumental in the creation and growth of the Herndon Leo Club by planning their increasing activity in the community, logging hundreds of hours of service.
We already have plans to continue our recruitment and fundraising efforts at the Lake Anne Farmers Market, to sponsor a classic car show together with the Sterling Lions Club, and to participate in an Alzheimer Walk in September. We'd like to thank all the members for their efforts in the community and we encourage anyone who would like to get involved to contact us at RestonLionsClub@gmail.com or find us on Meetup.com and come join us at any of these events.

Pictured Left to Right: (Back) Gerry Washburn, Jonathan Ingman, Joe Hart, Joe Rohrbaugh, Mike Moseley, Larry Dilworth, Jack Gazley, Don Leas.  (Front) Lydia Brown, Steven Reber, Susan Beffel, and Andy Goodman.

 

 

Election to Bring out Area Leadership

The Lions of Virginia held their State convention over the weekend, electing District Governors and Vice District Governors.  Emily Carnes, the new District 24-A Governor, is from the Arlington South Lions Club.  She poses with her vice governors,  Mike Ryan, of the Sterling Lions Club and Jim Ryan, of the Reston Lions Club. 

District 24-A new officers (Jim Ryan (2nd Vice District Gov. ),
the new District Governor Emily Carnes and her father, and Mike Ryan (1st vice district governor))

The district governor is the chief administrative officer of the district and serves as the district governor team leader. The by-laws of the District Constitution and By-laws state a district governor’s responsibilities are to:

• Oversee the Global Membership Team at the district level and administer and promote membership growth and new club development.

• Oversee the Global Leadership Team at the district level and administer and promote leadership development at the club and district levels.

•  Promote the Lions Clubs International Foundation and all service activities of the association.

• Preside, when present, over cabinet, convention and other district meetings. During any period he/she is unable to so preside, the presiding officer at any such meeting shall be the first or second vice district governor, but if he/she is not available, the district officer chosen by the attending members shall preside.

• Promote harmony among the chartered Lions clubs.

• Exercise such supervision and authority over cabinet officers and district committee appointees as is provided in this district constitution.

• Ensure that each Lions club in the district be visited by the district governor or other district officer once every year to facilitate successful administration of the club, andthat the visiting officer submit a visitation report to the International Headquarters for each visit.

• Submit a current itemized statement of total district receipts and expenditures tohis/her district convention or annual meeting of his/her district at a multiple district convention.

• Deliver, in a timely manner, at the conclusion of his/her term in office, the general and/or financial accounts, funds and records of the district to his/her successor in office.

• Report to Lions Clubs International all known violations of the use of the association’s name and emblem.

• Perform such other functions and acts as shall be required of him/her by the International Board

GIFT Dinner at Herndon Methodist Church Planned

The Reston Lions Club is partnering with the Sterling Lions Club to host a Pasta Dinner at the United Methodist Church - Doe Hall located at 701 Bennett Street in Herndon on May 23rd at 6pm.  All proceeds will go to purchase and set-up a PediaVision machine for use at Vision Screening events throughout the community.  All are welcome!  Cost is $5 per person or $15 per family, pay at the door.
PediaVision is a machine that provides the Lions Club an advanced means by which to test for vision problems, especially in young people. 

45th Anniversary of Reston Lions Club



Lions Gather at Reston…District Governor Ted Rosenthal of McLean, right, discuses latest club plans at area zone meeting held at Reston Golf Course Clubhouse with David Conlon, President of Reston Lions, Jack Neiswander of Herndon, zone Chairman, and Donald M. Ralph, President of Pender-Navy Club.”

Reston Lions: A Charter Dream

The Reston chapter of the Lions Club was first proposed in mid-1966[i] and was

formerly established May 12, 1967, making it the first service club to be organized in the newly established community[ii].  Reston was conceived as a planned community by Robert E. Simon. Founded on April 10, 1964 (Simon's 50th birthday) and named for his initials, it was the first modern, post-war planned community in America, sparking a revival of the planned community concept.

Don Frutchey, one of the earliest members of the Reston Lions Club who is still a current member, shared with us insight into what motivated the creation of the Reston Lions Club.  At the time the growth and development of Reston was being monitored by newspaper articles, national magazines, and scholarly journals on architecture and land use. The story goes that Robert Simon, and later some of the leadership of Gulf Reston, (which took over development interests in 1967) realized that their new town needed clubs and service organizations if it was going to be a fully-functional community.  They directed some of their employees and friends to found chapters of existing organizations, specifically Lions.  By creating this organization, they would provide Reston’s residents with an opportunity to serve in the place where they already “lived, worked, and played.”  

The sponsorship of the new club came from the nearby Herndon Lions Club.  The founding club President was David Conlon, with Paul Frick as Vice-President, Richard Jaegle as secretary-treasurer, Richard Jessup as Lion tamer ad Don Mundy as tail twister[iii].  It shouldn’t escape notice that Reston Lions Club was formed exactly 50 years after the creation of Lions Club by Melvin Jones in 1927.

Reston Lions: The Early years

The early Reston Lions club held dinner meetings twice a month at a local Methodist church. Almost immediately they began holding service events focused on Lions core mission of serving the community and answering Helen Keller’s 1925 charge to Lions to become the “Knights of the Blind” by focusing their mission on sight and hearing.  One of their earliest events was a free glaucoma screening clinic at the Lake Anne Community Center with the goal of “acquainting the public with the fact that glaucoma can usually be arrested and remaining sight saved if found and treated early.” The club also had a playful side and was known throughout the late 60s and most of the 70s for their very popular Las Vegas Night fundraisers, pancake breakfasts, and yearly holiday decoration contest.  There was even a large effort put into a Carnival to be held in Brown’s Chapel Park.

The club held regular membership drives in the late 60s and their numbers continued to grow. In 1979 some members of the club endeavored to create a second Reston Lions chapter which persisted for a few years but was eventually folded back into the original chapter (talk to member Joe Rohrbaugh for more information)[iv].  In the mid-80s, Lions Club International changed their charter to allow women to join the club as full-fledged Lions for the first time instead of being relegated to “Lioness” clubs. Reston Lions Club was at the forefront of the battle to allow women to join the Club and welcomed their membership even before it was officially sanctioned.

Reston Lions: Today and Beyond

                The club today has grown to over 38 members combining the areas of Reston, Herndon, and Great Falls.  It is now entering its 45^th year as a Lions Club serving the community.  We meet twice a month at Mama Lucia’s Italian Restaurant in Reston. The overriding mission of the club is still to provide service to the community with particular emphasis on sight and hearing.  Each year, the club collects thousands of pairs of Eyeglasses for recycling and re-issuing to people in need.  The club runs free sight and hearing screenings several times a year and holds a number of fundraisers to support these causes.  We also focus a large amount of attention on filling the Lions motto “We Serve.”

They will now mark another day in the history of the club as Susan Beffel takes over as our President.  She is bringing with her some new proposed activities, a whole cabinet of new officers, and a promise that the Reston Lions Club will continue to be there to serve the community long into the future.               

Photo from the Reston Times, April 5, 1968, Page 12

Photo caption:  “Lions Gather at Reston…District Governor Ted Rosenthal of McLean, right, discuses latest club plans at area zone meeting held at Reston Golf Course Clubhouse with David Conlon, President of Reston Lions, Jack Neiswander of Herndon, zone Chairman, and Donald M. Ralph, President of Pender-Navy Club.”

References:

---

[i] The Reston Times; May 15, 1966; Page 15

[ii] The Reston Times; May 19, 1967; Page 5

[iii] The Reston Times; May 19, 1967; Page 5

[iv] The Reston Times; July 5, 1979, Page C3

VisionWalk 2012 Sets it Sights on a Cure!

"As I stand here before you today, I truly believe that a "Cure is In Sight!""  These few words summed up the massive upwelling of support that was seen at the Foundation Fighting Blindness VisionWalk on May 5th.  With the support of the Reston and other area Lions Clubs, the Foundation was able to raise over $123,000 for vision research.
There were several Reston Lions Club members present to hand out information to walk participants regarding the work that Lions Clubs across America are doing every day to support vision health.  The Sight an Hearing Van was on site to perform Vision and hearing screenings freely to anyone who showed up.
Over 400 people showed their support by walking 3.2 miles on the route through Reston.  Big and tall, short, small.  All were welcome. 
Thank you to our donors, our walkers, our Club members who turned out and to Foundation Foundation Blindness for organizing a wonderful event!

Tree Protection Project This Saturday

This Saturday, the 28th, RA and Reston Lions Club will be teaming up for a Weed Warriors - Tree Protection event.  10am to Noon, Meeting right by 1565 Old Eaton Lane,, Reston, VA, Reston Association is sponsoring a project to pull invasive English Ivy off of trees and save them.  They're trying to get a head-count of how many folks will be there so if you could email ha@reston.org and give her your name/ affiliation with Lions, that would be great. 
These really are very fun, active events.  You get to meet other active members of the community and spread the word on lionism.  This event is kind-of akin to what we did last fall, planting trees except the trees are fully grown and being choked out by the ivy.  They Provide the tools, snacks, water, and even poison ivy cream if you are susceptible to it.  Below are the details.  Even though I won't be able to attend, I do hope that some of you will and wear your Lions Club colors.

NOVA VisionWalk is Coming! Become A Sponsor Today!

The Reston Lions Club has put together a Team to raise money for Foundation Fighting Blindness' VisionWalk 2012. Sponsor us today at  http://www.fightblindness.org/site/TR/VISIONWALK/VisionWalktr?team_id=61910&pg=team&fr_id=4502

What is a VisionWalk?  It’s a walkathon fundraiser to raise money for Foundation Fighting Blindness, Inc., a non-profit organization that is supporting research into the preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

More online at http://www.blindness.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65&Itemid=147

We're looking for Donations and/or additional Team members for the Reston Lions Club Team that would be interested in joining out team to raise money for Foundation Fighting Blindness.  This is the foundation's Biggest fundraising method so we're really hoping to help them out through this fundraiser.

About Foundation Fighting Blindness:

The urgent mission of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Inc. is to drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

VisionWalk Information:

Register or Donate to the Reston Lions Club Team at http://www.fightblindness.org/site/TR/VISIONWALK/VisionWalktr?team_id=61910&pg=team&fr_id=4502

What:  "Northern Virginia VisionWalk"

When:  May 5th, 2012

Where:  Browns Chapel Park, Reston, VA

A.    Logistics:       Saturday, May 5, 2012

8:45 A.M. Registration  //  10:00 A.M. Walk

Lake Newport Swim Club - Browns Chapel Park

11601 Lake Newport Road
Reston, VA 20194

Area Lions Aid the Blind Thru Mulch Sale

The Reston Lions Club successfully completes the delivery of 2,520 bags of mulch to over 85 supporters across the local area on March 24th to raise money for their vision and hearing charity initiatives.  Thanks go out to our loyal customers for supporting us this year through this massive fundraising effort.  100% of their profits will go to their charity work in the community.

Mulch order Deadline Extended to March 16th

To maximize the amount of fundraising dollars we earn, the Reston Lions Club has extended their Order Deadline for their Annual Mulch Fundraiser to March 16th.  Go to http://www.restonlions.org/mulch_order.htm to place your orders.  Mulch will still be delivered for FREE  on March 24th to the areas of Reston, Herndon, Oak Hill, and Great Falls.  Thank you for your support!

Mulch Orders Deadline Approaches

March 9th is fast approaching.  This means that you only have a few days until the deadline to submit your orders for the annual Mulch Sale Fundraiser for the Reston Lions Club.  Go to http://www.restonlions.org/mulch_order.htm to place your orders.  Mulch will be delivered for FREE  on March 24th.  Thank you for your support!

Winter Service Conference - Dist 24-A

Hey All!
We had a wonderful time at the conference.  As you can see, from the pictures below, a lot happened.  For full picture selection, you can go to Lions of District 24A Winter Service Conference.  More information from the conference is on it's way.

Huge Competition Seen at Local Music Contest

Heart-felt congratulations go out to Ryan Sill and Alexander Pauken for taking 1st place vocal and instrumental respectively amid stiff competition at the Local Reston "James A. Bland" Contest held on February 7th, 2012.  They will go on in the coming weeks to compete at a District level Contest for even larger awards and compete to reach the Region and State level competitions. 

2012 Reston Bland Music Concert

The Reston Bland Contest will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 7:30 pm in the Reston Community Center Theater at the Hunter Woods Shopping Center sponsored by the Reston Lions Club. The deadline for entries is January 31st.  Don't let the name fool you though.  This free to enter, and free to attend concert brings together some of the most talented musical Youth of all ages to compete.  Attend and see have a chance to see an example of what Lions Club does for the community.

James A Bland Music Contest 2012

The Local-level Music Concert for the Reston area will take place Tuesday Night at the Reston Community Center.  Don't miss it.  (Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 7:30 pm in the Reston Community Center Theater at the Hunter Woods Shopping Center sponsored by the Reston Lions Club.)

Leo Club Sponsorship Complete

Charter Members of the Herndon Leo Club

   

Jessica Horting, Club President

A new Leo Club, an offshoot of the Reston Lions Club, was created  at the Herndon Neighborhood Resource Center on Friday January 27th, 2012.  The Reston Lions Club is sponsoring the new club for young people of the Herndon Schools and community that will focus on the Lions motto of "We Serve" while developing leadership skills and experience teamwork in action.
Club President Jessica Horting of Herndon has been elected to serve as the first president, and Emily Evans of Herndon will serve as the first club secretary.
This energetic Leo Club plans to become involved with eyeglass recycling, vision and hearing screenings, local food drives, Vision Walk, and Lion of Virginia Youth Camp.
The Herndon Leo Club will meet on the first  and third Friday of the month at 4:30 p.m. at The Herndon Neighborhood Resource Center.
Lion Jim Ryan is the current Leo club advisor. High schoolers who would like more information about the Herndon Leo Club can contact the Herndon Community Leo Club through Facebook or email HerndonLeo@gmail.com.
Lions clubs sponsor approximately 5,800 Leo clubs in 140 countries. While helping others in their community, Leos develop leadership skills and experience teamwork in action.
For more information about the Leo Club Program, visit the Youth Programs section of the Lions Web site at www.lionsclubs.org.

Join us in the Walk to Cure Diabetes - May 20th, 2012

Participate in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes on May 20, 2012.

Taking part in the Walk is a great experience. Not only do you get the satisfaction of helping JDRF make a difference in the lives of people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) – you'll also have FUN and get a good workout too!

The money we raise will go to cure, treat and prevent T1D. I need your support, so please do whatever you can – join our team  "Lions Strides" , fundraise, or make a donation on our behalf. Visit my Team Page for more information.

Thank you so much for your support. I hope to see you at the Walk!

Sincerely,
Jonathan Ingman

If you no longer wish to receive email messages sent from your friends on behalf of this organization, please click here or paste this URL into your browser: http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TellFriendOpt?action=optout&toe=ca9f5daffaaa643fbbfdeb35e81e046f0612ff6397fe351052869c15ef04f318

Reston Lions Mulch Sale Coming March, 24th!

The Annual Mulch Sale! is Coming.  Order information below but, most importantly, we will be needing Volunteers to help with the Deliveries scheduled for March 24th, starting early and going as long as it takes to deliver all of the mulch.  This may be the biggest Mulch Sale yet so we want everyone that would like to assist us with deliveries to let us know.  Contact RestonLionsMulch@gmail.com
The Mulch Sale is the largest fundraiser that the Lions Club does to support it's work in the community.  Even if you don't need mulch, feel free to volunteer your help with deliveries.

Orders can be filled out online at http://www.restonlions.org/mulch_order.htm

Fw: Notes from the Club Meeting 1/18

Here are some key points from the Club Meeting on Wednesday:

·         Upcoming Events:

-Leo Club Meeting on January 27.  This is a key meeting for them and is important for us to attend.  Please go if possible.

-Club Meeting February 1

-Bland Competition February 7.  We need people to sign up and will do signups again at the February 1 meeting.

Reston Lions Aids Local Scout's Eagle Project to Benefit Shelter

Alec Powell led Oak Hill Boy Scout Troop 20 in three construction efforts to benefit the Artemis House for victims of domestic violence and the Katherine Hanley homeless shelter, last fall as part of his Eagle Scout project.  Both sites are located in Fairfax County.  Funds and materials were donated in part by Reston Lions Club, Duron Paint, The King's Chapel, and Lowe's...