Morrison Lions, once again, sold and delivered many pounds of delicious ham to community members and the surrounding area. Your support helps us continue to fulfill our motto “We Serve.”
Invited guests to our last meeting in December 2017 included Roger Smith from Shambaugh Construction and Jim Strating, representing the City’s Parks and Recreation Board. Both men assisted the club in the installation of the new metal roof for the pavilion at French Creek Park. Two other volunteers gave assistance, Rick Smith and Ken Burn, but were unable to be lunch guests. The Club recognized and greatly appreciated their volunteer efforts.
President Tracy Muur, left, inducted Lion Sue Costello, right, and members welcomed her into the fellowship and service of the club. Lion Darlene Smith, center, was Costello’s sponsor.
Annual donations to Leader Dogs for the Blind and Odell Public Library were approved. The donation to the library is designated for large print books for the visually impaired. Approval was also made for one eyeglass assistance request. Collection of caps, scarves, gloves, and mittens was completed for the Helping Hand group prior to Christmas. There were several large bags delivered to the group, for distribution to those in need. Left-to-right are Smith, Muur, and Lion Flora Stralow.
Lions Club members welcomed A. J. Danielson from Morrison Institute of Technology as the program speaker at their meeting on Tuesday, December 5. The speaker presented a very informative and enthusiastic report from its origin started as the Institute of Drafting and Technology in 1961, to the founding of MIT in 1973. The campus has grown since that time and is located at the southern edge of the City of Morrison. Students earn a two-year Associate in Applied Science Degree in Engineering Technology (building and highway construction), a computer-aided drafting program, or Network Administration (networking computers.) Some book work is involved, but approximately 80% of the course work is hands-on and project based. Concentration is on the academic major with a few offerings of humanities classes. The college offers lab facilities and includes the latest technology, such as 3-D printers, computer assisted drawing (CAD) equipment, CNC router, and limited capabilities to work with robotics. The enrollment presently is just over 100, but MIT is capable of having about 200 students. There is a great deal of one-on-one help; placement rate for employment is at 97 percent. MIT is the only two-year school to be accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology. Graduates are in high demand by major companies such as Honeywell, various State Departments of Transportation, and Sandia National Laboratories. The next big happening at the campus will be breaking ground in January 2018 for an 8000 square foot Innovation Center, to be completed in time for the Fall 2018 semester. This center will provide many areas of interest, including cutting-edge manufacturing equipment, wood and metal working equipment, welding equipment, and hot and cold casing space. MIT provides a great opportunity for students to receive an education and get great jobs.
We welcome anyone interested in knowing more about Lions to attend any of our meetings, held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at noon at Happy Joe’s, 109 W. Main Street, Morrison, IL. Visit our website to learn about the many projects and service projects of the club at www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/morrisonil.