THE LION GRANNY GRUNT CHALLENGE

This morning was typical until we entered the Florida Lions Camp. The camp was radiating life, love and laughter the minute we came into the main hall to witness the End-of-the-Week Camp Show, put on by the campers who attended this past week.

Lion Don and I are from the Dade City-Heritage Park Lions Club and we made the trip to deliver a van full of wish list items requested in an e-mail from the camp. I myself have been to the camp several times in the past, but had not had the opportunity to visit when campers was in session. This was Lion Don's first experience.

We sat in awe and watched as very special children performed acts of song, dance, etc, better than we could do at any age.
They were full of life, and it was emanating through-out the building. The audience of staff members, family members, guests, and their fellow campers filled the hall with applause, cheers and standing ovations.

My fellow lions, this is something you have to witness for yourselves in order to get the idea that this camp is a valuable asset to all physically and mentally challenged children who have a golden opportunity to participate in a week of joy, love, and most of all… play like they have never played before!

Challenged children? The only challenges we witnessed was competition for the best cabin of the week. Each cabin full of campers received stars on their cabin chart for cleanliness, neatness, overall performances, and a whole lot more. They eagerly work hard at making their cabin the best. But I say work hard, maybe I should say, they play hard at this competition. They also swim in a beautiful pool, fish in the lake, go boating, hiking, etc.Just like any camper should do.

They have the finest of staff members from all over the world who come for the summer, (some repeatedly) to attach themselves to these beautiful children from Sunday afternoons, to Friday afternoons, 24-7, and make sure they are well cared for medically, physically and emotionally.

We watched councilors receive hugs and kisses from their campers, tears flowed as they said their good-bys. Campers waved and hugged other campers, promising they would return next year and renew their friendship they had formed during the week. (unlike we Lions who come back to our Conferences and Conventions year after year and renew old friendships we made and form new ones each time.)

Parents smile gratefully and also thank the staff for giving their child an opportunity to have this wonderful week of fun.

One parent told me that she never receives a phone call about her child when at camp. (Phone calls are made only if an emergency arises.) She told me when at home, attending school, the school may call her several time a week about her child's behavior. Florida Lions Camp Staff are equipped to handle any all behaviors of their special children, and usually never have a problem solving it quickly . You see…the children are too busy, and having too much fun to act out inappropriately. Sometimes the acting out is interpreted wrong, and the child is excited about what is happening around him. The staff join in the excitement and easily lead this to another level where the child is calm and ready to move on. She went on to say that the Florida Lions Camp has given her child who was shy and sad most of the time, a new outlook on life.

She now enjoys outings with her family and is not shy when people talk to her.

I could go on forever with the boasting of this wonderful camp, But I digress…

We as Lions have an obligation to keep this camp up and running, the staff, run by Administrator Barb Cage, have the running of the camp down to an A-one system.

What is needed is the funds to pay the bills. Lights, air conditioning, (campers & staff need A.C. just like we do at home, imagine going home tonight with the temperature at 99 as we saw on a sign today, and finding you're A.C. died.) food, taxes, maintenance, and oh, did I mention payroll?

Yes my fellow Lions, some of these people are paid to run this camp. Not a whole lot, but it helps their budgets too. Some staff members have gone without pay for a period to meet other needs of the camp. (Would you go without your salary at your place of employment so they could pay their electric bill? I think not.)

Someone said to me, "I thought this was a volunteer organization! Why are we paying people to run it?"

Well my friend, it's like this, the military is a volunteer organization too. But in order to make it run, they need to pay them. Some more than others,
Some of our other entities are run by paid employees and are only Lions Supported. The Camp is Ours!

But.. I digress again.

The volunteer part is from the Lions Clubs and Leo Clubs in Florida who come and help make repairs, help factor in the new campers on a Sunday,

And may even come and spend a week helping with the campers themselves. Then there's the holiday fun. Halloween and the Haunted Trails. the annual walk-a-thon, Camp challenge. All these events and much more our Florida Lions Clubs come and help with. And…I might add…we have a blast when we do come and help. The staff work on their own time on these occasions too.

Let me put this in a nutshell…
Florida Lions Camp is run by a great staff…
Florida Lions Camp needs to run for the campers who depend on them to be there every year. (Can you imagine a camper being told he can not go anymore because the camp is closed?)
Florida Lions Camp needs to know they have the support of the Florida Lions.
Florida Lions listen…the camp is called Florida Lions Camp!
That means it is run by the Florida Lions. That's us! We own it!
Some of the clubs have it right when it comes to the staff…
Many clubs have it right when it come to the budget and their support. BUT…
Many clubs have no clue that the camp even exists.
If every club who has not donated to the camp this year would come up with
$100.00 (Yes, I said only $100.00, just a drop in the bucket in what we give to others.) anyway, this would meet the camps needs for budget. Dade City-Heritage Park Lions Club was one of those clubs who did not donate any money to the Camp. We did now! How about you?
Take a look at the chart.

**These totals relate to the Lionistic year July 1 - June 30

Lions, let's step up to the plate. Dade City-Heritage Park Lions Challenges all the clubs in Florida who did not donate to the Florida Lions Camp this year or any year, to reach into their coffers and send a check to the Florida Lions Camp of $100.00. (you can send more if you like…)

I know, it's Granny, but believe me when I say, if you live to be a hundred and have all the wealth you need, nothing compares to making a difference in a person's life. Especially a child. Isn't that what Lionism is all about?

I'm not a rocket scientist, and figures are not my forte' but as a Lion, I can clearly see one of the biggest entities we as Lions have in Florida, is our own Florida Lions Camp, and not to at least send them $100.00 a year if your budget is like ours at Dade City-Heritage Park, then we are not honoring our Mission or our Motto, "We Serve!"

Please think about this and do the right thing….Dade City-Heritage Park Lions did.
Yours in Lionism,
Lion Granny Grunt