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

Invocation – David Hunter – For this food, oh Lord, we thank Thee, for friends and family, and for life in a peaceful, prosperous community. Toward those less fortunate, guide us in service we pray. Amen. Vittles – Salad and Toppings, Cubed Beef with Onions, Peppers, Rice, Broccoli with cheese sauce, Rolls and Butter, Dutch Apple Pie or Sugar free Cherry Pie.

Birthdays – Lew Laymon (Absent). Attendance – 17 members. Guests –Fonda Bowden’s husband Larry. Lions Report – No report today. If you are ill or know a fellow Lion who is under the weather, please call Pat Bryan at

Lottery – Omer Ben won today.

The prize was $8.

Announcements and Reports – President Gonsiorowski reminded us that the international focus is literacy. A thank you note was received from the Unit 4 School District for socks collection.

A Certificate of Appreciation was received from the Prairie Center for contributions to the 2012 Red Ribbon Campaign, and a card from the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary. We need someone to work with Herb Bail on the eyeglass collections.

The Wesley Food Kitchen distributes food on the 3 rd Thursday each month. To get trained to help with the distribution you can attend sessions on January 16 th (see from Ted with this information). A Board Meeting was held yesterday but the business meeting will be January 23.

Program – Charlie Osborne introduced today’s speaker, Lauren Smith, Champaign District Coordinator of "CU One to One Mentoring Program" a school-based mentoring program of the Champaign and Urbana school districts, for students at risk of not succeeding, grade school through high school graduation.

Coordinators are at each school to help provide activity suggestions, training and support. Fingerprint background checks are done on the mentors. A mentor is asked to commit to at least one year and many stay with the same mentee through high school graduation.

Scholarships are funded by the Mentoring Scholarship Foundation and various fundraisers. There is a waiting list for male mentors. Mentors receive training as do the students about what to expect.

Mentors are matched one-on-one with a student of their own gender. Mentors meet with mentees at the school for one hour a week during the school day to read together, play games, go for a walk, work on school projects or just talk.

Those students receive a $5,000 scholarship (paid to the school the student attends - $500 the first semester, $1,000 the next two semesters, $1,500 the third semester, and $2,000 the fourth semester) for continuing education – in college, trade school, or technical school.

Their budget is small. They do not allow gifting by mentors directly to mentees, but the program will accept supplies, paper, and balls. Business partners of the program allow their employees the hour off with payfor mentoring and some businesses have several employees who participate.

Fred Mastny, a coordinator in the program who has been a mentor, told us about his experience as a mentor and how you can see your mentee improve socially, academically and their attendance at school also improves.

They begin to thrive. Relationships with their teachers and other kids improve. A mentor may make suggestions and is someone the mentee can talk to and not be judged or told what they must do.

Mentors consistently come to the sessions so the mentee can trust them. “One hour a week can change a kid’s life.” See: for more information.

Lauren showed slides of kids and their mentors in the program.

Tailtwister – Omer Benn fined himself for having won the lottery and asked Jay Hoeflinger to carry the bucket today.

Gordie donated two tickets and a parking pass to the Illinois - Minnesota basketball game, which were auctioned to Rich King.

He took $2 from Pedro Heller because he could.

Charlie Osborne bragged that his son is going to be 4 on his birthday and he is taking him to the Globetrotter’s game tomorrow.

Rich King reported that he and Paul Kunkel attended the service last Tuesday for District 1E Governor Rodney Ryan’s wife, Marjorie. Many Lions of District 1E attended.

Jan 16 - Rob Kanter – Jay’s Friend Greeter: Paul Peter Jan 23 - Business Meeting: Know your Lion Jan 30 - John Hove – Lion’s Foundation and its Health Click here to Charlie Osborne and let him know what you would like to see in a Lions Club program some Coming up

Thank you for watching Editor Fonda Bowden Publisher David Hunter