lions clubs international australia papua new guinea...

AUSTRALIA PAPUA NEW GUINEA EDITION $1

Regi

ster

ed b

y Au

stra

lia P

ost

Pub

licat

ion

No. p

p255

003/

0162

4

A CALL FORA CALL FORPEACEPEACE

Lions Clubs International Australia Papua New Guinea Edition $1 APRIL - MAY 2012

LION

Lion-April-May-1-7 Sect 1 _template Lion 4/3/12 9:45 AM

MDA5 $10.50

Car Sunshade

MDA10 $8.00 Visor

MDA2 $10.00

Key ring

MDA1 $10.00

Tie

MDA7 $17.00 Scarf

MDA8$11.50

Umbrella

MORE GREAT SPECIALS ONLNE AT WWW.LIONSCLUBSSHOP.COM.AU

Treasurer’s Plaque G2025T

Was $38 Now $18 (example photo only)

*Only 2 le�

TR258 Series Includes

President’s Apprecia�on, Secretary, Treasurer

Was $65 Now $49 Limited Stock

TR334 Series Includes

Lion of the Year, President, Secretary &

President’s Apprecia�on

Was $135 Now $78 Limited Stock

www.lionsclubsshop.com.au


3

C O N T E N T S

4 International President’s report

5 $300,000 grant for researcher

6 Lions action

8 Year of Dragon celebrations

10 Best little op shop in town

11 Quest for spinal injury cure

12 Council Chairman’s report

15 Surf’s up for Tannia

16 Leo numbers jump 10%

19 ANZI-Pacific Forum, New Zealand

24 Around the Nation

26 Official announcements

28 LCIF annual report

“To create and foster a spirit of understandingamong all people for humanitarian needs byproviding voluntary services throughcommunity involvement and internationalcooperation”

Page 8 - Peace Poster winner

Page 28 - LCIF annual report

Page 8 - A Lions hero

Our c

over

COVER: CALL FOR PEACE ... Brightand packed with meaningfulimpact is the grand prize-winningentry in the 2011-12 Lions ClubsInternational Peace PosterContest. It’s by 13-year-old TrishaCo Reyes. For more on thecontest, turn to page 8.

Cover Photo: Michael Candee

‘We serve’

Connections, influence, friendship, philanthropyApril - May 2012 Volume 99 No. 2

ContributionsContributions for the June - July 2012 issue

should be submitted by May 1 to The Editor,

Lion magazine, Fawcett Media, 20 Millett

Rd, Gisborne South, Victoria 3437 or emailed

to [email protected].

Lion – Australia and PNGLion - Australia and Papua New Guinea edition ispublished bi-monthly for the Multiple District 201Council of Lions Clubs International and circulated toall members.Published by MD201 Council of Governors and printed byPMP Print, 37-49 Browns Road, Clayton Victoria 3168.An official publication of Lions Clubs International, the Lionmagazine is published by authority of Board of Directors in21 languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, French,Swedish, Italian, German, Finnish, Korean, Portuguese,Dutch, Danish, Chinese, Norwegian, Icelandic, Turkish,Greek, Hindi, Polish, Indonesian and Thai.Editor: Tony Fawcett, Fawcett Media20 Millett Road Gisborne South VIC 3437Phone: (03) 9744 1368Email: [email protected] Enquiries: Lions National Office31-33 Denison St, Newcastle West, NSWPhone: (02) 4940-8033Lions Australia website: www.lionsclubs.org.auDeadlines: 1st day of month before cover date.MD201 Council of Governors: Lyn Shoemark C1, TrevorJacobs C2, Peter Blom OAM JP N1, Geoff Hobart N2, BobFindley N3, Michelle Bentley N4, Stephan Coleman N5,Lorraine McKenzie Q1, Barry Brockbank Q2, ArthurWitheyman Q3, John Lindsay Q4, Toby Crawford T1, PhillipSheriff V1-4, David Lowing V2, Kenneth H Blay V3, LouOnley V5, Brenda Henderson V6, Stuart MacFadyen W1,Peter Lamb W2. Council Chairman: Peter ClarkeDistribution of Magazine: Clubs and MembersAdditions to distribution list, deletions, changes of addressand of club will be made only when advised through theClub Membership and Activities report. Non-Lions, librariesand other organisations who wish to advise changes shouldcontact Lions National Office, Locked Bag 2000NEWCASTLE NSW 2300, Tel: 02 4940 8033 email:[email protected] Executive Director - Peter LynchManaging Editor - Dane La Joye, Lions Clubs International300 W 22nd Street, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523-8842 USAExecutive Officers President Wing-Kun Tam, Unit 1901-2,19/F, Far East Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Road, HongKong, China; Immediate Past President Sid L. Scruggs III,698 Azalea Drive, Vass, North Carolina, 28394, USA; FirstVice President Wayne A. Madden, PO Box 208, Auburn,Indiana 46706, USA; Second Vice President Barry J. Palmer,PO Box 200, Berowra, NSW 2081, Australia.

Directors First year: Joaquim Cardoso Borralho,Linda-a-Velha, Portugal; Marvin Chambers, Saskatchewan,Canada; Bob Corlew, Tennessee, United States; ClaudetteCornet, Pau, France; Jagdish Gulati, Allahabad, India;Dave Hajny, Montana, United States; Tsugumichi Hata,Miyagi, Japan; Mark Hintzmann, Wisconsin, United States;Pongsak “PK” Kedsawadevong, Muang District, Thailand;Carolyn A. Messier, Connecticut, United States; Joe AlPicone, Texas, United States; Alan Theodore “Ted” Reiver,Delaware, United States; Brian E. Sheehan, Minnesota,United States; Junichi Takata, Toyama, Japan; Klaus Tang,Wied, Germany; Carlos A. Valencia, Miranda, Venezuela;Sunil Watawala, Negombo, Sri Lanka.Second Year: Yamandu P. Acosta, Alabama, United States;Douglas X. Alexander, New York, United States;Dr. Gary A. Anderson, Michigan, United States; NarendraBhandari, Pune, India; Janez Bohori , Kranj, Slovenia;James Cavallaro, Pennsylvania, United States;Ta-Lung Chiang, Taichung, MD 300 Taiwan;Per K. Christensen, Aalborg, Denmark; Edisson Karnopp,Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil; Sang-Do Lee, Daejeon, Korea;Sonja Pulley, Oregon, United States; Krishna Reddy,Bangalore, India; Robert G. Smith, California, United States;Eugene M. Spiess, South Carolina, United States;Eddy Widjanarko, Surabaya, Indonesia; Seiki Yamaura,Tokyo, Japan; Gudrun Yngvadottir, Gardabaer, Iceland.

‘We serve’

LION


Green Machine

Lion4

A Chinese proverb advises us to keep a greentree in our hearts and perhaps a singing birdwill come.

As we reach the last few months of this Lionsyear, I can say with certainty that we Lions haveplanted millions of green trees, our hearts andminds are full of belief and goodwill towardothers, and “singing birds” in the form ofbeautiful landscapes, purer air and protection ofsoil and wildlife will descend on all corners of theglobe. The trees we have planted are the result ofthe power of “We Believe”.

We have planted 6,786,015 trees this Lions’year as of March 1. In many instances, ourplantings were especially meaningful andpoignant to our communities. For instance,Prattville Lions in Alabama planted 250 seedlingsat a mobile home park where four people werekilled by a tornado, and San Bruno Lions inCalifornia replanted California black oak trees ina canyon where a fire destroyed nearly 40homes. Lions are not planting trees to merelymeet a goal or compile an impressive statisticbut we are responding to the needs of ourcommunities. We are planting seeds of healing aswell as health and wellbeing.

April is the time of Earth Day, and in theNorthern Hemisphere the earth reawakens andbrings us the glory of spring. Now is the time tokeep picking up our shovels and beautifying andhealing the planet. How much can we do? Theanswer is in your hearts, and neverunderestimate the heart of a Lion. Our belief inour service mission and one another haspropelled us into action. “I Believe” has become“We Believe”. Our target rests in the hearts of all

Lions. Let’s see how high we can go!We have been able to plant as many trees as

we have because of our numerous partnerships.Lions in Kenya are partnering with the Aga KhanDevelopment Network to plant 1.5 million trees,Lions in southern India planted 3.4 million treeswith the help of several groups, and Lions insmall towns and big cities in many nations aresimilarly working with others to beautify theirneighbourhoods. Lions roar loudest when we roarwith others. That holds true not only with treesbut also with our sight projects, disaster reliefand youth programs. “We Believe” is so strongand powerful that it sweeps up others andchannels their energies and resources to ourgoals. Let us continue to reach out to others andplant seeds of partnerships among goodheartednon-Lions.

By Wing-Kun Tam,Lions Clubs InternationalPresident

Go green in AprilThis month, Lions are encouraged tocomplete an environmental project as thelast of the four Global Service ActionCampaigns.

Clean rivers or roadsides. Recycle cellphones, properly discard prescriptionmedications or sponsor an environmentalcontest for schoolchildren. Resolve to treat ourprecious earth with utmost care.

Or plant a tree. This can be done in three easysteps: identify the sapling, plant it in the rightplace and then care and nourish it. Do youbelieve steps one, two and three are achievable?I know I heard you say, “Yes!” Then we can alsoeasily achieve step four: care and nurture ourmembers.

My point is that planting trees is not onlygreat for the environment but the project alsooffers us a model for successful membershipgrowth. To help clubs grow, we must identify aprospect, someone willing to serve. Step two:plant the prospect in the right place. In otherwords, find a club suitable for him or her. Then,most importantly, take the final steps of caringand nurturing the member. Make the member apart of the family. Give them a place at the tableand a role they can relish and show them youcare about them.

This year I have emphasised the importanceof believing in our service mission and theimportance of Lions to be family-like. These twoconcepts are central to any environmentalproject. Preserving our resources represents abelief in the future. We take action now so thatour children and grandchildren may benefit. Webelieve in their future.

We also believe in the human family: ouractions to protect the environment show a lovingconcern for all who inhabit our planet. So be atrue Lion in April by serving our earth. Your beliefin the power of service and everyone’s futurewill result in immeasurable good for millions ofpeople worldwide.

International President Tam digs in one of the6,786,015 trees planted to March 1.

Lions at full throttle

One of my goals as International President isto meet club presidents.

To date, I’ve been privileged to meet with7,000 of them from dozens of nations. Are youimpressed? Well, as I like to joke, I have only38,000 more to go!

Those numbers attest to the size and scopeof our association. But numbers can’t matchwhat is in the heart. The heart of a Lion is whatmakes us special. We believe we can make adifference in people’s lives. Our belief in “WeServe” is enabling us to bring happiness andopportunity to others.

The power of our belief is why I decidedagainst revising my goal to plant 1 million trees.

Since we smashed that goal long ago, good-hearted Lions ask me, “Should a new target beset?” I’ve been telling Lions they’ve not onlyplanted trees but planted a seed in their heart.Lions believe as never before, and the newtarget is hidden in their hearts. Lions will decidehow far we go with the tree planting. Let’scontinue to plant trees and demonstrate to oneanother and the entire world the power of beliefand the power of we.

In these next few months until the end of thisLions year, please also continue to invite peopleto be Lions, to partner with Leos on projects andto nurture young people, our most preciousresource. Most of all, resolve to care for fellowLions like family members. At club meetings askthem how they and their family are. Visit or call

when they are sick. Look for job leads if theyare unemployed. The strength of our associationis a result of the warm relationships amongLions. The more we care for one another themore we will retain our members and servetogether effectively. If Lions can help others, wedefinitely can help Lions, too. That’s what beinga family is all about.

I invite you to witness and enjoy the Lions’family when we gather in great numbers in Juneat the international convention in Busan, Korea.We will reveal the final tally of trees planted aswell as engage in all the wonderful traditionalevents such as the flag ceremony, the paradeand the swearing-in of the new president. Lionswill show one another the power of belief andthe power of “we”.

Lions demonstrate power of belief


5April - May 2012

A young Brisbane researcher has become thelatest recipient of a Lions Medical ResearchFoundation grant.

Dr Nadeeka Dissanayaka joins an illustriousline-up of recipients, including Professor IanFrazer who gained his start into his research forcervical cancer from the foundation.

The $300,000, three-year grant will go towardDr Dissanayaka’s research into anxiety anddepression in Parkinson’s Disease patients,something she has been fiercely passionate aboutand worked on since completing her PhD in2008.

Her first interest was sparked while workingwithin an aged care facility as a student.

Dr Dissanayaka believes mental problems canoften become greater simply because peopledon’t like talking about them. “I wanted to workwith people to try to understand the disease anddevelop a strategy for dealing with it,” sherecently told an interviewer.

Sri Lankan-born Dr Dissanayaka, who migratedto Australia with her parents in 1998, is based atthe University of Queensland Centre for ClinicalResearch within the precinct of the RoyalBrisbane & Women’s Hospital.

The LionsMedical ResearchFoundation hasoperated since1963 and been anoutstandingsupporter ofmedical research.Its first researcherwas Dr John Healywho in the 1960sbecame theforerunner in tissuetyping, which led togroundbreakingkidney and livertransplants.

Later ProfessorLawrie Hirst enabled many to see the sun riseand set through his pioneering optical research.

Others include Professor Paul Colditz with hisresearch into cot deaths, Dr Gethin Thomas whois making great strides in research into thecrippling disease of osteoporosis, and Dr ChristineStaatz and her research into organ donorrejection.

The Lions Medical Research Foundation issupported by Lions throughout Australia and lastyear funded Dr Katrina Campbell’s research intothe connection between diet and chronic kidneyand heart disease.

For more information, contact Lion WinstonFraser, Deputy Chairman of the Lions MedicalResearch Foundation – 07 38494596.

THREE-YEAR, $300,000 GRANT ... Dr Nadeeka Dissanayaka with Winston Fraser,Deputy Chairman of the Lions Medical Research Foundation.

$300,000 grant for Parkinson’s Disease researcher

A leading Lion has been made a ‘People ofAustralia’ Ambassador.

Earlier this year Prime Minister Julia Gillard onbehalf of the Multicultural Council of Australiaappointed Lion Jenny Tew to this important position.

Jenny is one of 40nationalambassadorsrecognised for theiroutstanding work inbuilding strong andcohesive localcommunities. Theselocal championshave beenindependentlyselected as the newPeople of AustraliaAmbassadorsfollowing publicnominations.

In 1981 Jenny SivPhan Tew moved to

Australia with her mother and two siblings and intwo months secured a job as a healthcare

interpreter. She was 26. Her decision to come toAustralia was made after her father’s death inCambodia. Fortunately he had encouraged her tolearn English and to embrace the best education hecould provide.

“Life was very different,” she recalls. “I camehere in September and it was cold compared toCambodia and the sky was cloudy. I somehow feltsad and lonely and I had no friends at the time.”

Jenny worked hard to change that byestablishing two successful businesses and

becoming an integral member of the WesternSydney multicultural community, helped by herfluency in six languages.

In 2006 Jenny became President of theCabramatta/Cabra-Vale Lions Club and hostednumerous charitable initiatives and fundraisingevents and organised and formed two Leo Clubs,for which she has remained an advisor and mentor.

Through her passion and ongoing commitmentand support in promoting cultural diversity withinWestern Sydney and beyond, Jenny has beensuccessful in integrating a harmonious, enterprisingand friendly atmosphere in the local community.

The Government’s multicultural policy, The Peopleof Australia, recognises the breadth of our diversityand builds on our strong commitment tomulticulturalism in Australia.

As a new People of Australia Ambassador, Jennyhas a platform to share ideas and initiatives toinspire others. She will also be able to provideadvice to government and the AustralianMulticultural Council which will assist andstrengthen the government’s multicultural policy.

The 2012 ambassadors’ term started on January18 and ends on December 30.

Lion named People of Australia Ambassador

‘It was coldcompared toCambodia andthe sky wascloudy. Isomehow feltsad and lonelyand I had nofriends at thetime’

JENNY TEW ... promoting cultural diversity.


Lion6

LIONS ACTIONBooks on tap

As if by magic

Kitchen caperN3 Lions have purchasedeight walkers for childrenwith cerebral palsy in recentmonths.

The latest walkers went to athree-year-old girl, Abbie, onthe Central Coast and to a six-year-old boy, Jake, inMuswellbrook.

The walkers will give themmobility and encourage fullweight bearing and good jointalignment and walking patterns.

They will gain self esteem,and social contact with theirpeers will be easier. Plus, theirmobility will improve.

LEFT: N3 Child MobilityChairperson Karen Pierpoint withone of the latest recipients, Jake.

Once a year Sydney’s Lions Club of Bondi holds a magicshow to raise money for charity.

One of the main benefactors is the Sydney Children’s HospitalFoundation, specifically the Lions Paediatric Eye Clinic atRandwick Hospital.

In February three members of the club visited a young patient,Jemima, in a ward of the hospital and also handed over a chequefor $25,000.

Over the past three years Bondi Lions have raised $85,000 forthis project.

Well done, Bondi!

When Harrington LionsClub in NSW heard thelocal Crowdy HeadPublic School waslaunching life skills andhealthy eatingprograms for its 30pupils, it acted quickly.

Members and LionRick Kent in particularspent many hoursconstructing a newlearning kitchen.

The club has alsodonated a new fridge/freezer for the kitchen. Now the learningfacility plus garden are ready for students and communitymembers.

ABOVE: Lions Darryl Steere and Rick Kent with school captains DanikaFarrell and David Sinclair and some of the produce grown in thegarden.

What do you do if you want library books but are housebound due to age ordisability?

If you’re in Port Macquarie, you turn to Lions.For more than 35 years Port Macquarie Lions have delivered library books to

those physically unableto visit the library.

Every Saturday a Lionpicks up a car boot loadof books, magazinesand audio CDs thathave been carefullyselected by the PortMacquarie Hastingslibrary assistant, DeniseSwaysland. With a list ofnames and addresses,the Lion delivers thebooks.

Recipients are alwaysready with a smile ofappreciation.

Port Macquarie Lionsrate the program one ofthe most rewarding.

DELIVERY: Lion PaulO’Neill delivers books to90-year-old recipient.

Bondi Lions David Levy (centre) and Dr David Roxenwax AM(President of the club) hand over the $25,000 cheque to KristyTurnbull of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Walking tall


7April - May 2012

Showing good cents

On the road againQueensland’s Peregian Lions Club hasbeen singled out for its local road-cleaning endeavours.

Members were recently pictured in thelocal Sunshine Coast Daily as they wentabout their job of cleaning up the stretch ofroad called David Low Way, between the EmuMountain Road roundabout and PeregianBeach shopping centre.

The club has been cleaning up the vergesof the road for the past year as part of theAdopt A Road project on the Sunshine Coast.

“It’s been a labour of love,” President RossPaine told the local paper.

Ross says his club is upset at just howmuch rubbish members pick up at every visit.

“It’s just stuff thrown out of car windowsand dumped in the bush. It’s verydisappointing to see.”

Ross thanks those involved in the project,particularly co-ordinator Grahame Bligh andregulars who have assisted.

Lions Club of Peregian members (from left) BarryMcPhee, Frank Gava, Len Steele and Ross Paineon the job. Photo: Geoff Potter, Sunshine Coast Daily

It was one of 2011’s most novel fundraising efforts and it has paid off bigtime.The project was the Port Sorell Lions Club of Tasmania’s Triple 5 campaign (outlined in the Dec-Jan

2011-12 issue of the Lion magazine).Thousands of five cent pieces were donated to local Lions and $3,000 was raised over 16 weeks.People donated via collection bins placed around businesses in Shearwater, Port Sorell and at the Mersey

Community Hospital .Although it might have been only a five cent donation, donors felt they were a part of fundraising for

worthwhile projects in their local community. Many $5 and $10 notes were also donated.Cheques for $1500 were later presented to the Surf Life Saving Club of Port Sorell and the Mersey

Community Hospital Children’s Ward. The project was so successful it is likely to be repeated this year.

Lions Jeanette Manson (left) and Kris Crawford present a cheque to Surf Club members Ellie Coatesand Aiden Matthewson.

Victoria’s Heathcote club is furtheringthe cause of art with its annual HaroldBaigent Memorial Art Exhibition fromMay 4 to 6.

The late Harold Baigent (known as“Baige”) was respected locally as a devotedartist, actor, producer and director.

The opening is at 7pm on May 4 and theexhibition is in the Heathcote SeniorCitizens’ Hall. Entry is by gold coin donation.

Art and soul


8 Lion

She might only be 13 but Filipino girl TrishaCo Reyes has a good handle on what peace isall about.

From Manila, Trisha has been named the grandprize winner in the 24th annual Lions InternationalPeace Poster Contest.

“In my painting, the hidden child is me,” sheexplains of her winning entry. “Exhibited arechildren from all over the world who have love,freedom, unity and peace.”

Her poster was chosen for its originality, artisticmerit and portrayal of this year’s theme, “ChildrenKnow Peace.”

It was was selected from 126 others from 60countries. She receives US$5,000 and a trip to anawards ceremony at Lions Day with the UnitedNations in New York City.

This year’s Australian winner, David, came fromSydney’s Hornsby Club.

Students who will be 11, 12 or 13 years of ageon November 15 this year are eligible to participatein the next contest..

Since 1988 more than 3.6 million children haveparticipated.

For all the details and rules, visitwww.lionsclubs.org.au/pposter.

In the Year of the Dragon, it was fitting thatthe first Chinese appointed to the position ofInternational President of Lions, Dr Wing-KunTam, was on hand to celebrate theinauguration of our newest club, SydneySelective Inc.

President Tam had been invited to the gala dinnerat the NSW Parliament House earlier this year byAustralia’s Barry Palmer AM, International SecondVice President.

This new club has been established by PatrickChok, Pearl Lin and John Chate.

A highlight of the charter night was the awarding

of Melvin Jones Fellowships to Ruth Chong andJonathan Yee, recognising their contributions to thecommunity and Lions Clubs International. It wascoincidental that this was also the 98th birthday ofthe inspirational Ruth Chong, the oldest member ofLions Australia.

Ruth, a third-generation ABC (Australian BornChinese), grew up in Gunnedah, leaving school towork in her father’s business. As a young child, herfather sent Ruth and her sister to China for twoyears “to learn about the Chinese culture”. She isproud of both her Chinese ancestral homeland andthe country her forebears adopted.

In a varied career, Ruth worked as a freelancepress photographer and social editor for a numberof publications.

With husband, Ray Chong, she worked ineverything from a milk bar and a wholesale seafoodbusiness to clothing and real estate businesses. AsRuth tells it, “I’ve been in everything but funeralparlours and butchers’ shops!”

In 1979, Ruth was asked to assist Chineseimmigrants. She became the font of knowledge, anda backstop for struggling families. Al Grassbynicknamed her “the Chinese Hurricane” for her non-stop work as a foundation member of the EthnicCommunities Council. In 1979, Ruth was awardedan MBE – the first Australian woman of Chineseorigin so recognised.

In 1987, she was awarded the Medal of theOrder of Australia for her charitable activities andpromoting multiculturalism.

Ruth is also the oldest marriage celebrant inAustralia (“make sure you always talk things over –there’s no point in marriage unless youcommunicate”) and has more awards than can belisted. Along the way she and Ray raised a family oftwo, a boy and a girl.

Ruth is proud she helped form the first ChineseAustralian Lions Club in 1994-1995 – and evenprouder that many multicultural clubs now exist inAustralia.

How one person can fit so much service into onelifetime, as well as working for a living, is puzzling.But Ruth is still full of energy and her commitmenthas never been stronger. She says she is slowingdown a bit (she no longer travels to Shanghai toperform marriages). Maybe she is not now going ata gallop, but definitely at a fast trot!

In the Chinese community, Ruth is known as “KaiMa” (Benevolent Godmother). Adapted from an article by PDG Ray Cook (N5)

Year of Dragon celebrations

Giving peace a good chance


April - May 20129

Since my last article International Second VicePresident Barry Palmer AM and Lion Anne havehad little time to spend time at home.They have been constantly travelling to fulfillthe duties of their international role, as can beseen by Barry’s report that follows:

“Since Christmas Anne and I have had theprivilege to representthe Lions of Australia– and the world – inmany places and tosee many projects.

We went to PortDouglas to check outthe facilities for theAustralian Boardmeeting in October2013.

From there wewent to San Diego tocheck out thefacilities for thesecond Boardmeeting in April2014.

Then on to Mexicofor the South

American Forum.From Mexico we went to Chicago for the

executive meeting and on to Nairobi throughLondon for a visit. We inspected many projects that

the Lions of Kenya carry out. What an inspirationthey are and a credit to our organisation! I inductedthe mayor and one of his councillors during a visitto his office. He agreed to join after hearing aboutthe measles initiative we are doing in Kenya.

We then proceeded to the Congo for the AllAfrica Conference. That was an experience.

We returned home with the President to Sydneyand Melbourne. Packed houses on two nights sawfour new clubs chartered with a Leo Club as well.Three new clubs in Melbourne and one in Sydneywere a credit to the organisers. All were young andkeen about Lions. Just backs up what I have beensaying – “give them the club they want and theywill join”.

In addition, 12 new members were inducted intothe Sydney Chinese club at a luncheon.

President Tam was very impressed with theexcitement that was evident at all functions fromnot only the new Lions but the older ones inattendance as well.

From here we leave for India for three weeks andthen New York for UN Day.

We look forward to catching up with you all atsome stage.”

As I write this report Barry and Anne were still inIndia and due to travel from there to New York forUnited Nations Day.

PDG Carlene King OAMMember

Campaign Committee

Our 2ndVP takesLions tothe world

‘ Weinspectedmanyprojects thatthe Lions ofKenya carryout. What aninspirationthey are’

Our Second International Vice President Barry Palmer meets a Masaiwarrior who came for breakfast during a Lions visit to Kenya!

Three years after the devastating BlackSaturday bushfires, Lions in Victoria are stillworking tirelessly to help the forgottenvictims get their lives back together.

“It’s not all over,” assures Lions communityworker Alan Hayward. “Some people are stillliving in caravans and sheds, some we knowhave committed suicide and many others aresuffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.”

Alan, the Lions Bushfire Recovery CommitteeTrust chairman and a member of the Whittleseaclub, has been a key worker in the recovery inthe Kinglake/Marysville/Flowerdale area sincethe Black Saturday fires claimed 173 lives.

With his wife Tricia, he has become the localcontact for many recovery efforts.

“When something needs doing, it’s always,‘Can Lions help?’ – we work with the Salvos,Pathways, Catholic Care, Habitats for Humanity;we’ve even had inmates from CorrectiveServices here every Friday for more than twoyears doing physical work,” he says.

While some people have been able to rebuildor have relocated, there are many still facinguncertainty and frustration, struggling to evenget building permits approved. Some suffer fromdepression, some have had ongoing problemswith insurance companies and others withbanks. There is also resentment that with somuch money spent on parks, memorials andbuilding paths and gardens within townships, itwas people who missed out.

Lions is proud of the work done by Alan andhis fellow Lions. He reminds us that there is stilla powerful message from these communities.

“They shouldn’t be forgotten now that threeyears has passed,” he says. “Many are stilldisplaced and many still need help. We need tocontinue our support and efforts.”

Forgotten bushfirevictims still suffer

‘They shouldn’t beforgotten ... many aredisplaced and manystill need help’


10 Lion

Customers of the Berowra Lions Club’s opshop declare that it’s the best op shop inSydney.

And most Lions who know about it think it’spretty good, too.

In the past five years it’s generated more than$300,000 for Lions foundations,development programs andcommunity groups.

The shop servicesBerowra/Berowra Heights, acommunity of about 10,000people on the northern edge ofSydney suburbia

The shop is the club’s mainfundraising effort and is totally runon a volunteer basis, with regularsAnne Cosier and Rhonda Engert(shop directors), Les Brown, Judyand John McQuillan and firstreserve Derek Hurdman, alongwith rostered members onSaturday mornings.

It sells quality used clothing,

bric-a-brac, kitchen ware, manchester, children’sand baby items, books and toys, at veryreasonable prices. Most books are only 50 centseach, and the children’s books are even cheaper.All items are donated by the local community.

The shop is open 10am till 1pm from Mondayto Saturday and is at 16 Kita Rd in BerowraHeights.

In an attempt to diversify activities, lastSeptember the club launched the inauguralNorthern Sydney Antiques and Collectables Fair

in the Berowra CommunityCentre.

It was so successful andattracted so many dealers itwill be held again this year onthe first weekend in September.

The fair was put together bya committee headed by PastPresident and current ZoneChairman Brian Engert, whowith his wife and fellow LionRhonda visited similar events tolearn some of the tricks.

Proceeds went to six localRural Fire Brigades.

The best little op shop in town?

BIG BUSINESS: The Berowra opshop has come a long waysince the then local State MPJudy Hopwood cut the ribbon.


April - May 201211

The worldwide search to find a cure for spinalcord injury will move a little quicker followingthe handover of $150,000 by LionsInternational President Wing-Kun Tam.

In presenting a cheque to researchers atMelbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, President Tamsaid he was proud Lions could make such asignificant contribution.

“The opportunity to make this donation is theopportunity to create miracles,” he said. “Thisresearch is beneficial to millions of people.”

The donation has enabled St Vincent’s topurchase a state-of-the-art digital virtualmicroscope, which will dramatically reduce the timeresearchers spend analysing slides.

“It will save us hundreds of hours of valuableresearch time,” St Vincent’s senior researcher DrKathy Traianedes said. “The microscopeautomatically takes sequential images of the slides.We used to spend two hours setting up each slide,now it takes about 20 seconds.”

Dr Traianedes and colleague Dr Stephen Liveseyfrom the Department of Clinical Neurosciences arecurrently working on a cure for chronic spinal injuryby testing whether biological grafts can besuccessfully used to repair the spinal cord.

The grafts are used as a scaffold on which thespinal cord can regenerate itself and the results sofar have been promising.

“We are seeing some movement, especially inour longer-term animal models,” Dr Traianedes said.

The donation was made possible through theLions Spinal Cord Fellowship, established to supportresearch being conducted by StepAhead Australia,which is the major collaborator in Dr. Traianedes’research.

The Gippsland-based research organisation wasfounded by Barbara and George Owen after theirson Sam suffered a diving accident, breaking hisneck in 1995. Their aim is to find a cure for spinalcord injury.

Mr Owen, an orthopaedic surgeon at LatrobeRegional Hospital in Traralgon, said the donation is abig step toward finding a cure and turning theresearch into reality.

“One day our grandchildren will look back and beaghast that there was once a time when a spinally-injured person was told that medicine had nothing

to offer them,” he said.Lions Clubs from all over Australia donated

$75,000 and Lions Clubs International Foundationmatched this funding through their Standard Grantprocess to reach the total of $150,000.

Continued success in Dr Traianedes’ experimentsover the next two years is expected to lead intohuman clinical trials.

ABOVE: International President Tam with Dr KathyTriainedes and Dr Stephen Livesey in the laboratory atSt Vincent’s.

BELOW: The cheque handover with (from left) DrKathy Traianedes, Prof. Stephen Livesey, MD201Council Chairman Peter Clarke, DG V5 Lou Onley,International President Dr Wing-Kun Tam, PCC TonyBenbow, Lion Barbara Owen, Sam Long (veterinaryneurologist), Prof. Mark Cook (neurologist), SecondVice President Barry Palmer and Lion Anne Palmer.

Lions aid speeds up the quest for a cure

‘One day ourgrandchildrenwill look backand be aghastthere was oncea time when aspinally-injuredperson wastold thatmedicine hadnothing to offerthem’


12The Lion

PATRICK theLion Namers

Patrick makes it easy to trackdown Lions and their wives(not to mention Lionesses

and Leos!)We’ve been making approvedbadges for Lions Clubs Internationalfor over 20 years.In all the right shapes, sizes andcolours.Talk to us about your requirements,and you’ll see how we’ve gained thelion’s share of the business.

84-88 Leveson Street, North Melbourne, Vic, 3051Tel: (03) 9329 9200 Fax: (03) 9326 5010

From Council Chairperson Peter

We are now headingtowards theconclusion of thisLions year and it isappropriate for allLions to reflect uponthe achievements ofthe year.

We have to startplanning for the nextyear and see if we cando things a little better.Look at the Club Excellence Process and see if youcan revitalise what your club is doing within yourcommunity. Service to your community is a vitalpart of Lions’ function.

I know that some clubs have decided to supporta new Leo Club and to them, thank you. Therewards to the club will be great. As I said at thebeginning of the year, Leos will be the project thatwill ensure the future of Lions. The youth are ourfuture. We have to recruit members in the 30-45year bracket – and if we cannot get theminterested in our existing clubs, we need to formnew clubs with ages of around 30-45. These arethe people who have large networks in schools,churches, businesses, sporting bodies andchambers of commerce. We need to tap into thesenetworks.

During February it was my privilege toaccompany the International President Dr Wing-Kun Tam and the 2nd International Vice President,Barry Palmer, on visits to Sydney and Melbourne.During Dr Tam’s visit four new Lions Clubs werepresented with their Charters and a Leo Club wasformed. What stood out was that all the newmembers were young (well, compared to meanyhow). The point I make is that there are youngpeople within the communities who do want to joinLions; we have to find them.

With the year coming to a conclusion there arethree MD Conventions within our Constitutionalarea that will take place during April/May –MD202, 27th-29th April, New Plymouth NZ;

MD201, 4th-7th May; and MD307, 16th-18th Mayin Medan, North Sumatra – and Denise and I havebeen invited to attend the Conventions in MD202and MD307. We will also attend the InternationalConvention in Busan and witness Barry Palmer’selection to International 1st Vice President – andwe will take our position in the Parade of Nationsas Number 3. I know that a lot of Lions fromMD201 are planning to go to Hamburg whereBarry will be elected as International President andagain we will be in the early numbers of theParade of Nations. The next year, with theInternational Convention in Toronto, Canada, will beBarry’s Convention and MD201 will lead theParade of Nations. This will be a once-in-a-lifetimechance to lead the parade so consider taking partand showing support for our InternationalPresident. You need to start planning now.

It is unfortunate that once again Australia isfaced with natural disasters and many peoplewithin the community will be hurting bothfinancially and emotionally. We have had bushfiresin W.A. and floods in QLD, NSW and VIC and asthe water moves down the river system parts ofS.A. are likely to be affected. Cyclones at the timeof writing this article are threatening the north ofthe country. ALF has agreed to launch a DisasterRelief Fund and by now clubs should have receivedcommunications from ALF. Please give yoursupport.

ANZI-Pacific Forum is again approaching andthis year it will be held in Queenstown, NewZealand (see picture below and story on page 19)from 31st August to 2nd September.

It would be good to see a big contingent fromMD201 in attendance. The preliminary programhas been started and can be viewed atwww.lionsanzpacificforum.com (hotel bookingdetails can be found on this site). There is noexcuse to delay any longer.

Our own Multiple District Convention in Perth is4th-7th May (see details on page 14) and theprogram is full and it should be a great Conventionin a beautiful city. Hope you have registered.

Remember “The Youth are our Future” – Peter Clarke

Lake Wakatipuseen from top ofthe Queenstowngondola.Wikimedia Commons/Avenue


13April - May 2012

Planting trees isn’t just about reducing airpollution. Around Noosa in Queensland thekoalas will also benefit.

At the local Tewantin Noosa golf course,members and Tewantin Noosa Lions have combinedto extend an existing koala corridor between theclub grounds and surrounding bushland.

Here koalasare regularlyseen by golfers.

LocalLandcaremanager PhilMoran said itwas a win-winsituation.

“Such aworthy projectportrays thegood, localcommunity workthat the twoclubs areundertaking.”

The projectgot off theground whenLions, led by member Peter Schofield, approachedthe golf club .

The golf club welcomed the opportunity to beinvolved, especially as the Lions offered to plantand maintain the trees for the first three months.

Further consultation set the placement of the

trees near the 14th green and, in conjunction withthe local council, 120 young, koala-friendly treeswere donated by Landcare.

Being involved in this planting was the secondtime around for Geoff and Carolanne Bowden.Members of both clubs, they were involved in theinitial planting of the golf club in the 1980s.

They wereespecially pleasedand satisfied to beinvolved in thecurrent plantings.

This planting,along with the club’songoing tree plantingat Noosa Hospital, isone of the positivecontributions beingmade towardsNoosa’s biosphereproject.

In 2007, Noosawas declared aUNESCO biospherereserve. Overseen bya board of mainlyvolunteers, the aim

is to promote harmony in the environment througheducation, conservation and sustainable activities.

It will be a while before the trees give shelter andfood for koalas, or even shade for players, but theywere given the best start with holes especiallyprepared by golf club groundsmen.

Getting mobile intech revolution

If as Australians and Lions you arestaggered by the progress ofcommunications, consider this. By the endof this year mobile phones will outnumberhumans.

Last year there were seven billion mobile-connected devices worldwide, accounting for0.9 devices per capita. By the end of this yearthat figure will be 1.4 mobile devices percapita.

US technology company Cisco predicts therewill be 10 billion-plus mobiles by 2016 – morethan the likely global population of 7.3 billion.

Most of the increase will be in the MiddleEast, Africa and the Asia Pacific region (84 percent growth expected).

And it’s not just mobiles. Wireless internetuse is expected to grow dramatically(increasing 18 times by 2016).

As Lions, we need to be keeping up with thiscommunications revolution, using it where itcan further our aims and locking into aspects ofits social networking tools.

Indeed, many clubs are doing just this withfree Oz-clubhouse websites and facebookpages. Typical is Victoria’s Rye club thatrecently started a Facebook page. “It is hopedthat by using the social network we willintroduce more members to join our club,” saysRye’s media & publicity officer, Helen Turner.

Lions are featuring everywhere these days ...even on the Townsville White and YellowPages phone books.

Lion John Muller OAM got the nod for the localcovers because of his work as Lions responsecoordinator in Cyclone Yasi recovery efforts.

The covers have the theme “A Helping Hand, TheAussie Way”.

PDG John, who lives in Mystic Sands, devised aprogram called Feet on the Streets that sentvolunteers into cyclone-affected areas to helpresidents clean up and oversaw the distribution ofmore than $350,000 of donations to affectedresidents.

For two months he pounded the streets withgroups of volunteers.

The phone books are distributed throughoutTownsville, Mount Isa, Ayr, Charters Towers, Bowen

and Ingham.John’s dedication to the Townsville

community is extensive. He is credited withestablishing the annual RollingstonePineapple Festival, restarting theRollingstone Lions Club after a 10-yearhiatus and helping raise $70,000 for alocal palliative care centre.

A prostate cancer survivor, he alsofundraises for cancer charities and is acoordinater for Lions Recycle for SightAustralia.

“I am passionate about mycommunity and get a lot ofsatisfaction from helping others,” saidJohn. “To be recognised for such work isan honour, and a surprise.”

A Lions cover boy!

COVER BOY: PDG JohnMullens OAM as he appears onthe cover of the Townsville phone book.

READY FOR PLANTING: Lions Peter Schofield, Geoff andCarolanne Bowden and David Watts with golf club groundsmenRoy Cairns and Peter Gordon.

Lifeline for Noosa koalas


Lion14

Things areprogressing wellwith the planning ofthe Convention.

As those of youwho have looked atthe latest version ofthe Registration Formwill know, we areconducting a raffleduring the conventionwhich will be drawn atthe Banquet on theMonday night.

Prizes are $4,000first prize, $1,000second prize and athird prize of a $300wine pack.

In addition to theraffle we can now givedetails of one of ourKeynote Speakers – Graham Mabury. A profile of Graham can be found athttp://www.6pr.com.au/graham-mabury-profile/20080825-41y8.html

Graham pioneered rehabilitation courses for homeless young people inPerth and has received numerous awards for similar humanitarian work in hishome town. He is an excellent speaker and his presentation will give youmuch to think about.

There will also be the finals of the Leo of the Year and Youth of the YearQuests which will once again showcase the exceptional achievements of theyouth in our society.

For those of you flying into Perth, please make sure you print out a traveldiscount voucher from the Convention website for transport from the airportto your city hotel and return.

We recommend that all Convention attendees join Club Burswood toreceive discounts on parking and meals. You also receive complimentary teaand coffee in the casino. Details can be found athttp://www.burswood.com.au/Club-Burswood/About.

For those Conventioneers who are also thinking of attending the LionsClub International Convention in Hamburg to celebrate second InternationalPresident Barry Palmer’s election as International President, there will be abooth at the Convention manned by representatives from the HamburgInternational Convention committee who will be able to give advice onattending.

The theme for the convention is Gold and Diamond to signify the 50thanniversary of Lionism in Western Australia and the 60th Multiple DistrictConvention.

Yours in Lionism,

Perth awaits you!UPDATE: 2012 “GOLD & DIAMOND”Multiple District CONVENTION

ChairmanPDG Bill Robertson (08) 9332 1867(M) 0409 294 [email protected]

Convention SecretaryPDG Pamela Baird(08) 9246 12010427 082 [email protected]

Tourism Western Australia

REMEMBER WHEN ...

PERTH LIONS TURNED 25While Perth’s MD Convention in May will mark the 50th anniversary ofLions in Western Australia, many still remember the 25th celebrationsback in May 1972.

That event was also marked by an MD Convention in the Western Australiancapital.

The MD201 Council Chairman of the day, Charles “Chic” Wilson, recalls therewere about 1100 in attendance and it was held at Ascot Racecourse with a barthat was open under the mainauditorium.

“We had a rule that the bar had tobe closed 15 minutes before thesessions commenced and was notallowed to reopen until one hourafter the session had beenrunning,” he says.

“The Lord Mayor of Perth, SirThomas Wardle, himself a Lion,hosted the welcome of theofficial party in his chambersin Perth Town Hall. He wasknown as ‘Tom the Cheap’,a reference to the chain ofgrocery supermarkets heowned and operatedmost successfully.”

Lions’ support for farmersAt a time when Australian farmers have been hit hard nation-widewith floods and fire, Lions Australia is proud to be a supporter ofthe Australian Year of the Farmer.

The year-long program of events showcases and reinforces in the mindsof the Australian community the significance of the rural sector of Australia,and the depth of the farmers’ contribution to our national interests.

Farming is part of Australia’s heritage.As research shows, the majority of Australians (71%) believe agribusiness

contributes to the Australian way of life and plays a significant role in what itmeans to be Australian (69%). It’s hoped that by the end of 2012 evenmore Australians will recognise the importance of farming to our nationalidentity.

“For a country that was said to be built upon the sheep’s back, it’s great toknow that the majority of Australians still recognise the importance of therural sector in defining who we are, where we’ve come from, and where weare headed as a country – but there are many who don’t see the connection,”says Australian Year of the Farmer co-founder and MD Geoff Bell.

“The research tells us that nearly a third of all Australians do notappreciate the significance of agriculture to our national identity. As a proudAustralian who feels passionately about the bush, I find this personallydisappointing.

“That’s why, six years ago, we began planning a Year of the Farmercelebration. By the end of 2012, we would be thrilled to know that we’vehelped all Australians fall back in love with rural Australia.

For more details, visit www.yearofthefarmer.com.au

LIONS HISTORY: Theprogram from the 20thNational Convention inPerth that marked the silver jubileeof Lions in Western Australia.


April - May 201215

Tannia Smith, Secretary of the Sydney SeasideLions Club, loves being a Lion and helpingothers. And she also loves a challenge. Sowhen Tannia, who is disabled, learnt of aprogram for the disabled to experiencesurfing, she was raring to go. This is Tannia’sstory.

After discovering surfing for people withdisabilities at a ‘Day of People With disAbility’event, I recently attended my first surfing day.

Disabled Surfers Australia was holding its annualevent at Collaroy Beach where over 100participants turned up to surf, many of them fortheir first time (me included), along with more thandouble that number of volunteers.

Well, I had absolutely no idea what I was in forbut I thought I can’t chicken out now! I’ve justtravelled all the way from Matraville by publictransport.

The day started with a brief safety lecture from ateam leader, and then we headed towards the rockpool for a paddle and some fun competition.

The water was fresh but felt lovely as I was beingsubmerged up to my waist, but sitting on asurfboard felt really weird and very unstable. I keptthinking ‘what am I doing this for?’

One of my volunteers kept splashing water overme, saying it was part of being climatised (I felt likesplashing her to see how she liked it).

Anyway, a little later they took me out of the pooland placed me back into my power chair. It feltgood to be back on firm land.

Everyone then headed toward the huge marqueeon the beach to wait their turn for a real surf.

A fair while passed and I was still waiting,becoming famished as I could smell the barbecuelunch! Keeping a close watch on the surf I noticedthe size of the waves was increasing and peoplewere commenting on how rough it was becoming.

Well that was enough forme, with my stomachrumbling and my fear factortaking over, I askedsomeone to take me back tomy power chair and off Iwent to satisfy my hunger.

You thought I was goingto tell you of my fabuloussurfing experience, didn’tyou? Well, that was tohappen on another day buton this occasion I shamedmyself and piked out.

A few months later atGerroa Beach near Kiama, Itook another opportunity toface my fears. This time Isucceeded! See, here’s

proof on this page! Me on a surfboard, scared stiffbut exhilarated, all at the same time! Is thispossible?

So there I was, wearing a lifesaving vest, with mynose clip on (water wasn’t getting up my nose).Onto a surfboard I went, with a group of volunteerstaking me out to sea.

When we were far enough out in the surf we justwaited and waited for the appropriate wave tocatch. Lying on my back, all I could see was bluesky and people around me. They were givingheaps of encouragement and assuring me I wassafe.

Then that wave came along and one of the teamleaders jumped on with me and we rode that wavein! Water was splashing over me and I could hearmy name being called.

Everyone was telling me how great I was andbefore I knew it we’d finished that wave.

They asked me if was ready to go out again, Ihesitated for a moment and then said ‘yeah’! So weall went out to do it again. On that particular day Ionly rode those two waves but my personal best sofar is five in one session.

I’m not out to break any records but those surfdays are truly fabulous. The atmosphere and thecompany of everyone involved is very special.

Surf’s up for TanniaDisabled Lion Tannia Smith beats her fear to ride the waves


16 Lion

With the ongoing support of all Lions,Lionesses and Leos, there are currently 104active Leo Clubs with about 2,300 membersserving their communities across our MultipleDistrict.

This represents an increase of more than 10%since the beginning of the current Lions year.

In the world today there are 5,987 active LeoClubs with more than 155,000 Leos workingalongside Lions to make our world a better place!

Congratulations to Q3 Leo Chairman Jan Evanson the successful formation of the newest Leo Clubin Australia, Golden Valley Keperra.

Our newest Leos were welcomed at asuccessful formation meeting in February.

Also, congratulations to the Leo Club of CentralQueensland in Q4 which received its Charter fromDistrict Governor John Lindsay at a ceremony inFebruary.

A new club has also been formed at Smithton inT1.

Through their unselfish acts of kindness, Leosqualify for Lions Young Leaders in Service Awardsand I congratulate Leos Maria Sawiris, AliciaJeffree, Andrew Nichol and Lisa Phanthavady onreceiving 50 Hour Silver Seal Awards from N2District Governor, Geoff Hobart, on his recent visit toAmbarvale High School Leo Club.

Congratulations to the Lions Club ofCampbelltown City Inc. for their ongoing support ofthe Ambarvale High School Leo Club and theirsupport of our future Lions leaders.

During the 2011/12 Lions year we have createdfurther opportunities for Leos across Australia todevelop their leadership skills by creating initiativesand incentives through the Outward Bound LeoLeadership Development Program.

This three-day program in partnership withOutward Bound Australia has been speciallydesigned for Leos by Outward Bound Australia tohelp develop practical skills in leadership.

The first course is from 9-11 June at theOutward Bound facility in Namadgi National ParkACT. Full details and an application form areavailable from State Leo Coordinator NSW GailHart – [email protected].

National Leo project to provide all Leo Clubsacross Australia with a purpose

Leo Clubs across Australia will be encouraged toadopt a national project each year and participate inLions Clubs International’s Global Service ActionCampaign for Youth. This year Leo Clubs will beencouraged to do a fundraising project orparticipate in the World’s Biggest barbecue withfunds raised assisting the Australian LionsChildhood Cancer Research Foundation.

Creation of Leo zones in MD201The Creation of Leo Zones in Australia will

provide further opportunities for leadershipdevelopment for Leos. Once formed this will be aworld first!

Creation of MD201 Leo Club program advisorypanel

The panel made up of Leos will work with theLeo and Youth Outreach Committee to discuss theirfeedback and suggestions on the Leo movement ina similar way to the LCI Leo Club Program AdvisoryPanel. Once established this will be a world first!

In May this year, Leos from across Australia willassemble in Perth to attend the MD201 LionsConvention and participate in special events whichwill culminate in the 2012 Leo of the Year Final on

Saturday 5th May from 10.05am to 12 noon, whenthe 2012 MD201 Leo of the Year will be named.

Our 2011 International and MD201 Leo of theYear, Leo/Lion Tom Porter from Twin Cities Leo Clubin Q2, will co-host the event, a highlight of a Leo’syear. Tom will give an inspirational report on his yearwhile the judges retire to choose the Overall Winnerand Public Speaking Winner.

I encourage all conventioneers to attend andsupport our inspirational Leos!

With an ageing Lions membership, we mustensure the future of our great organisation byencouraging more young people to join our Lionsfamily as Leos, to develop into the leaders oftomorrow!

If your Lions Club is considering sponsoring aLeo Club, stop considering – DO IT!

Further details on the International and MD201Leo program are available on the Leo website atwww.lionsclubs.org.au/leos, or obtain them fromyour District or State Leo Coordinator or myself.

With your continued encouragement, we willsupport our International President, Wing-Kun Tam,when he says, “Leos are the future of our family,and therefore they form a vital branch of our familytree. It is time to elevate the significance of Leoswithin our family of service”.

For our organisation to grow, we must see Leosas future Lions and encourage them to join ourgreat organisation after their Leos service throughthe Leo to Lion Program.

Say G’Day to a Leo today.Youth are our future – but they are also our

today.Martin Peebles

Leo and Youth Outreach Committee Chairman

Leo numbers jump 10%District 201Q3 Leo Chairman Jan Evans with our newest Leos at the formation night of the Leo Club of Golden Valley Keperra.

Meet our newest Leos


April - May 2012 17

While Australians are champions at dryhumour we don’t have a monopoly on it, asLions Youth Exchange student HannahMatthews found during a six-week exchangein Windsor, Colorado in the U.S.

On one excursion, Hannah noticed a rabbit, verysimilar to rabbits in Australia.

She asked if there were any other species inAmerica and was told there were.

There was one called a Jack rabbit, she wastold, and another called a Jackaloop which hadantlers and was carnivorous.

Not until she was told that Jackaloops had a

penchant for eating young Australian girls did shetwig what was going on.

On her return to Australia, Hannah gave talks onher exchange to her sponsoring club,Beachport/Rivoli Bay Lions, as well as the nearbyLions Club of Millicent and her old school, KangarooInn Area school.

Highlights, she said, were the host families shestayed with, experiencing a white Christmas,sledding, an ice hockey game, shopping and, duringa stopover in Los Angeles, visits to Disneyland andUniversal Studios.

Despite a bout of altitude sickness caused by thearea’s high location, Hannah lovedthe experience.

However, while she found theAmerican way of life appealing andsimilar to our own, she did considersome eating habits interesting,especially one meal called a MontyCristo that consisted of a battered,deep fried sandwich containing ham,turkey and cheese.

HOME AGAIN: Hannah Matthewsaddresses staff and students atKangaroo Inn Area school.

As the Lions Australia Insurance ProgrammeConsultant, I frequently receive queries fromLions enquiring about their position should anofficer of their club become involved in asexual harassment or defamation action.

The MD201 National Convention back in 2004 inPerth authorised the placement of a Directors andOfficers Liability Insurance Policy and that coveragehas been in force since then.Who is covered?

D & O Liability Insurance covers the decisionsmade by people involved in managing and runningan organisation. It is important to note that it coversthe Individuals, not the club itself. The peoplegenerally covered include:

• A director, secretaries and executive officers• A senior manager and committee member, and• An employee acting in a management or

supervisory role.Coverage and/or reimbursement of costs are only

available where the company (club) has indemnifiedthe individual/s.

So long as the “wrongful act” by the director orofficer is committed whilst in that role the policy willrespond and with the approval of the Lions insurerswould include defence costs for the director orofficer. The cover is provided at modest cost foreach individual to whom protection is provided(included in the Multiple District dues) because of

the large number of individual (members) involved.An example of who fits within the definition of a

director or officer includes, but is not limited to,members of clubs or district recognised by MD201– nominated Lions who are members of other non-Lions committees but acting as a Lion on thosecommittees and club officers such as chairmen,secretaries or treasurers and the like.Directors and Officers Liability Insurance

Many not-for-profit organisations (NFP) areuncertain if they need Directors and Officerscoverage (D & O). When a person becomes a boardmember of a NFP, he or she assumes a level ofresponsibility for the organisation (duty of care), andexposes themselves to claims for not running andmanaging it in a proper way. Whether or not yourorganisation needs D & O insurance depends onwhat the likelihood is that one of your boardcommittee members will be the target of such aclaim.Why do you need it?

Specific duties and responsibilities are imposedon directors as to the conduct in which they run abusiness whether it be a NFP or not. Theresponsibilities are imposed under contractconditions, common law and statutory legalisationand, in most circumstances, the individual directoror officer will be personally liable. In a nutshell, theassets of an individual are at risk depending upon

the circumstances of the claim.What to do in the event of a claim?

It is important with cases where a claim isintimated or anticipated that the Lions brokers areadvised immediately, because rapid engagementallows the matter to be resolved before the partiespaint themselves into a position where reasonednegotiation is not possible. Inevitably with types ofdisputes that form claims under this type ofinsurance, the parties involved rarely identify anyshades of grey but believe that the circumstancesare black or white. The moment solicitors becomeinvolved is the moment that goodwill goes out thedoor. It is worthwhile to comment that one verysignificant Lions Club effectively closed down morethan a decade ago, at which time potential claimsfor about $500,000 were likely.

An aspect to consider is that the existing policyexcludes any Lions foundations or commercialactivity. Many of these groups have alreadyarranged a D & O Policy to cover their directors andofficers and I cannot emphasise too strongly tothose foundations that have not arranged a D & OPolicy that their board should discuss this need assoon as possible.

If anyone desires to obtain more information onthis insurance coverage, feel free to contact me.

R. N. (Bob) Korotcoff PDG

What clubs should know about Directors and Officers Liability Insurance

Beware of the Jackaloops!Jack’s an OAM

Shocked, amazed and speechless is howPerth W1 Lion Jack le Cras summed uphis feelings when awarded the Medal ofthe Order of Australia earlier this year.

Jack, a tireless worker on charitableprojects, gained his award for services to thecommunity of Perth. As local paper theWanneroo Weekender summed it up, Jack hasspent 50-plus years giving through suchgroups as Lions, Probus, Joondalup Relay forLife, the Naval Association of Australia and theBataan Veterans Association.

“A lot of us don’t seek these things butthey come along,” he told the paper. “I canonly get them if people support me – I just dothe talking and the working.”


Lion18

By Allie StrykerLions are champions of vulnerablepopulations, providing them with manyneeded services. Lions span the globe in theirservice, from children living on the streets ofBrazil to athletes at Special Olympics gamesin South Africa.

For the past 12 years, Lions and SpecialOlympics have been working together to ensurehealth and quality of life for Special Olympicsathletes through the Opening Eyes partnership,which provides free vision screenings.

The need for vision screenings for these athletesis great. Research has shown that among SpecialOlympic athletes, 68 percent have not had an eyeexamination in three years, 37 percent are in needof eyeglasses and 18 percent wear clinicallyincorrect eyeglasses.

Recently, Aphiwe Qonya was one of the 250,000athletes who can thank Lions and LCIF for a futurewith better vision. Aphiwe, a farsighted SpecialOlympics athlete and student in South Africa, wasunable to read in class due to his visionimpairment. His teachers were not even fully awareof his vision problem. Thanks to Opening Eyes,Aphiwe had his vision screened and tried onglasses for the first time. His classmates all clappedwhen he put on his new glasses, and he was finallyable to read all the words and numbers in hisschool books rather than guessing at what waswritten. Aphiwe now has the opportunity to learnmore in school.

Aphiwe was screened as part of a Family Health

Forum, an expansionof the partnershipbetween LCIF andSpecial Olympics.Over the last fewmonths, the FamilyHealth Forums havebeen piloted inAphiwe’s homecountry of SouthAfrica, as well as inNamibia, Nigeria andTanzania.

Lions helped coordinate the forums, where over250 families learned about Lions Clubs, SpecialOlympics and the Opening Eyes program. Theforums were also a venue to help families andcaregivers learn ways to overcome the challengesthat athletes and their families face, while exploringways to help facilitate better access to health care,education, social services and inclusion in theircommunities. This initiative helps Special Olympicscarry out a global goal of building communitiesthrough the participation of families and caregivers.

Families also received information tailored tospecific community needs. In South Africa, theforum educated families about malaria, safedrinking water and the importance of physicalactivity in the lives of children and adults withintellectual disabilities. Malaria education, as well asinformation on the importance of keeping a cleanenvironment around schools and social centers, wasshared in Tanzania.

The community-tailored information in the FamilyHealth Forums came with a much-needed benefit –vision screenings for the athletes. Untreated visionproblems can add to the challenges of the athletes,whose vision needs can often be overlooked. TheOpening Eyes program, through the support of opticindustry leaders, Essilor International and Safilo,SpA, make it possible for athletes to receive freevision screenings and eyewear, if needed.

Opening Eyes events and screenings rely onthousands of volunteers, particularly Lions. LCIF hasprovided $13 million in support of this partnershipprogram, and more than 15,000 volunteer Lionsalong with more than 10,000 trained doctors haveparticipated in vision screening events worldwide.

With the recent expansion of Lions’ partnershipwith Special Olympics through Family HealthForums, athletes like Aphiwe and their families cannow benefit in more ways, receiving visionscreenings, eyewear and health education.

LCIF

Forums open eyesin South Africa

An Opening Eyes volunteer tests a boy’s vision in South Africa.

Lions Clubs International makes provisionfor clubs to honour and recognise theirmembers through the granting of LifeMembership. In brief:

“LIFE MEMBER: Any member of this club whohas maintained active membership as a Lion for20 or more years and has rendered outstandingservice to this club, his/her community, or thisassociation; or any member who is critically ill; orany member of this club who has maintainedsuch active membership for 15 or more years andis at least 70 years of age; may be granted LifeMembership in this club upon:

(1) recommendation of this club to theassociation

(2) payment to the association of US$500 or itsequivalent in the respective nationalcurrency, by this club in lieu of all futuredues to the association, and

(3) approval by the International Board of

Directors. Nothing herein shall prevent thisclub from charging a Life Member such duesas it shall deem proper.

A Life Member shall have all privileges ofactive membership so long as he/she fulfills allobligations thereof. A Life Member who desires torelocate and receives an invitation to join anotherLions club shall automatically become a LifeMember of said club. Nothing herein shall preventthis club from charging a Life Member such duesas it shall deem proper.”

Complications sometimes arise when a Clubfolds, and Lions holding life membership fail totransfer to another club. Some of these Lionsbelieve they are still members of the Association,despite the fact that their club no longer exists.

Sadly this is not the case. Life membershipcan only be maintained if a Lion remains amember of a club. Although Life Members do nothave to pay International Dues, they continue to

have an obligation to pay Multiple District, Districtand Club dues, and participate fully in the life ofthe organisation.

The lesson behind this example is clear. Clubsneed to care for, and maintain close contact withall their members, including Life Members. In theunfortunate circumstance where a club returns itscharter, it is important that each and everymember have the opportunity to consider transferto another club, to continue their Lions service.

It is unfortunate that members granted LifeMembership as a consequence of theiroutstanding service might inadvertently find theirmembership terminated, through simple lack ofcommunication.

Rob OerlemansExecutive Officer

Lions Australiawww.lionsclubs.org.au

LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL: The granting of Life Membership


April - May 201219

QUEENSTOWN BECKONS

ANZI-Pacific Forumset for New Zealand

The inaugural ANZI PACIFIC FORUM last yearon the Gold Coast was hosted by theAustralian Lions and was an outstandingsuccess with over 700 registrations.

This year it’s the turn of Queenstown, NewZealand from Friday, August 31 to Sunday,September 2.

For Australian Lions visitors it promises to be anevent not to be missed, with Forum plenarysessions and seminars in both the Millennium andCopthorne Hotels and interesting and stimulatingtopics and presenters.

Present will be our International President,International Vice Presidents and other senior Lionsincluding Past International Presidents.

The Planning Committee is working hard toensure the enjoyment and satisfaction of allparticipants, and the success of the Forum.Organisers have chartered the vintage steamer TSSEarnslaw for a forum cruise with a choir as part ofthe package for registrants.

There is also a golf tournament at the beautifulKelvin Heights Golf Course, surrounded by therugged Remarkables and on the shore of LakeWakatipu.

Described as “New Zealand’s most sceniccourse”, it is not long but fairly tight andchallenging.

Fit for a QueenAccording to

newzealandtouristguides.com,Queenstown is theSouthernHemisphere’spremier alpine andlake resort.

The town followsthe shores of LakeWakatipu, a deep blue pool of pure mountain water.Framing the picture is The Remarkables range withits purple-brown peaks topped with snow. Swathesof green decorate the area between town andmountain top.

Queenstown was named because “...it was fit forQueen Victoria”. Certainly it’s lived up to thatexpectation. Today it’s an exhilarating alpine resort,perfect for both adventurers and leisure seekers.

Queenstown enjoys year-round action-packedthrills, such as jet boating, white water rafting andparapenting and is the world capital and home ofbungy jumping.

In winter, Queenstown turns into an alpineplayground – skiers and snowboarders come fromall over the world to join in the fun at the annualWinter Festival.

Keen golfers shouldn’t miss out on an

opportunity to play some of the most scenic coursesin the world, at award-winning Millbrook Resort,Kelvin Heights, Arrowtown and Frankton.

The area has great rainbow trout, brown troutand quinnat salmon fishing.

Wine tasting is fast becoming one of the morepopular ways to see the greater Queenstownregion.

A must-visit is historic Arrowtown with its quaint,tree-lined streets, miners’ cottages and shops,preserved as they were during the 19th centurygold rush era and just a 20-minute drive away.

The Lions Club of Green Island is the principalForum host club and the Bledisloe Group that ownsInvoCare has offered sizable sponsorship whileother businesses have indicated strong support.

Registration details are athttp://www.lionsanzipacificforum.com

ABOVE: Queenstown waterfront from the deck of theTSS Earnslaw. The forum coincides with thecentennial year of the vessel. Photo: www.lynx-travel.com

LEFT: The beautiful Kelvin Heights Golf Course by theshores of Lake Wakatipu. Claimed to be NewZealand’s most scenic golf course, it will host aspecial tournament for forum attendees. Photo: GeoffSturgess

BELOW: One of the Southern Hemisphere's mostphotographed golf holes, the 5th at the Queenstownclub. Photo: Bob Fagan


20 Lion

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness inSri Lanka.

Piyadasa Hewavithana, 63, is one of 16,500 SriLankans who have Lions to thank for regained sightthrough cataract surgery. Once nearly blind, he nowenjoys reading the newspaper and is able to workagain. “My sincere thanks to the doctor and staff ofthe Lions Hospital at Panadura for providing freevision for poor people who would otherwise goblind,” he says. “I have got a new life. I pray thatLions will help many more poor people to get theirsight back.”

About 18 million people worldwide are blind fromcataract, representing 48 percent of all cases ofblindness. In developing countries surgical servicesare often inadequate or inaccessible. Or there arelong waiting periods for operations, shortages ofsupplies and transportation problems that impedeaccess to the under-served.

Sri Lanka emerged from a 26-year-long civil warin 2009. Resources that would have otherwise beenavailable for health care had been diverted tomilitary spending. However, even during wartime,SightFirst prevented vision loss. Between 1993 and2008, SightFirst provided nearly $1.8 million. Inaddition to surgeries, eye care wings wereconstructed at three government hospitals, fourgovernment eye wings were upgraded and threeLions eye hospitals were supported through

infrastructure development,human resource training andcataract subsidies.

Dr S. Chandrashekar Shetty,SightFirst technical advisor forSri Lanka, says, “Lions of SriLanka have joined hands withnational and provincialgovernments of Sri Lanka, othernational and international NGOs,voluntary organisations and civilsociety in providing need-based,comprehensive, quality eye careservices in the under-served population of Sri Lankain the last two decades.”

As cataract remains the leading cause ofblindness in Sri Lanka and many other developingnations, Lions continue to focus on cataractsurgeries. One of the indicators used to determinethe degree to which the cataract issue is beingaddressed is the cataract surgical rate, or thenumber of cataract surgeries being carried out byall eye care providers, per million population. The SriLankan average is 3,804, but this numberfluctuates wildly between the 25 districts of SriLanka, with figures ranging from 571 to 8,889.These new figures will help guide Lions eyehospitals to reach the under-served.

Specifically, the Lions seek to expand their

outreach beyond the greater Colombo area in SriLanka and have started working with the ministry ofhealth and VISION 2020, a global initiative toeliminate blindness, to play a proactive role inbuilding the eye care systems in other parts of thecountry. They have explored partnering withgovernment hospitals in Jaffna, Trincomalee andBatticaloa for upgrades to help address the areas’cataract surgical backlogs. A new Lions eye hospitalin Ratnapura, financed through a SightFirst grantand a generous donation by the Lions of Finlandand their government, will address eye care needsin another under-served part of the country.

Through these efforts, the Lions can answerHewavithana’s prayer to “help many more poorpeople to get their sight back.”

A nurse prepares a patient for a cataract surgery in Panadura, Sri Lanka.

SIGHTFIRST

Lions restore sightin Sri Lanka

It seems people could be getting tidieraround Mt Gambier.

That’s the opinion of Lions there after arecent Clean Up Australia Day visit to the ValleyLakes precinct of the city. Over the years inwhich the club has been cleaning up theprecinct, litter has gradually diminished

On the day they collected 12 bags ofrubbish, well down on previous collections bythe club.

Members were helped by family.

THE CLEAN-UP TEAM: (from left) HelmutSchoepf, Robin Conboy, President Trevor Buckell,Rory McEwen, Des Lattin, Emily Redding, SiteSupervisor Alistair Kennedy, Bev Moore, AmberRedding, Rodney Moore, Claire Moore, DylanRedding, Tracy Redding and Molly Redding.

Mount Gambier Lions clean up


April - May 201221

Operation Friendship

VisitingAustraliaWhat two Indian Lions guests(PDG and PMCC Dr Ramdas Raiand his wife Vinaya) thought oftheir stay downunderIt was on a Sunday in mid-August last yearthat I received a call from PDG K.V. Pai(District 324D5) asking whether Vinaya and Iwere willing to visit Australia.

He explained that a Lions district in Victoria hadasked him to recommend a Lions couple to visit aspart of Operation Friendship. Having visitedAustralia in 1987, as a Rotary GSE scholar, I hadfallen in love with the country, so I readily accepted.

Operation Friendship is a program wherein aLions couple is hosted by a Lions District for up to amonth – the program coinciding with the AGM andConvention.

After a lot of emails and visa formalities, welanded in Melbourne at 7am and were met byChairman Operation Friendship, PDG Phil Wensley,and his charming wife Lorna. Vinaya and I had notime to recover from jetlag, being taken aroundMelbourne by tram. After this brief spell ofsightseeing, we met for lunch at a Chineserestaurant, a welcome lunch with DG Lou Onley andKay, PDG Phil and Lorna and 2nd VDG ChandraMangalore and Usha.

Phil and Lorna were our first hosts, hosting us intheir house at a beach resort. The days before theConvention were spent with Phil and Lorna takingus around some of the picturesque areas in andaround Melbourne, including the Great Ocean Road,a very scenic road by the edge of the ocean andbuilt by ex-army men during the recession afterWorld War I.

We were hosted by Arthur and Robyn Fennell, alovely couple at Tatura.

As the first Indian representative taking part inOperation Friendship, Vinaya and I were thrilled to beambassadors of Indian Lionism. Vinaya received a lotof compliments for her sarees and other Indian attire.

What impressed me about the convention wasthe way business was transacted and the rangeand magnitude of service activities. About $3million was collected and distributed as disasterrelief following the bushfires that ravaged Victoria,Lion Chandra being the treasurer. Other notableservice activities are their involvement withchildhood cancer research and stem cell research.Stem cell research promises to solve a number ofmajor medical problems, including cancers,

Parkinson’s and heart disease.After the convention, Arthur and Robyn Fennell

took us to many picturesque places in Victoria,including Echuca, a re-creation of an 18th centurytownship, with functioning paddle steamers. I alsotook the opportunity to visit the Rural MedicalSchool in Shepparton run by the University ofMelbourne, a novel concept to encourage doctors tosettle in rural areas.

The highlights of my stay in Melbourne, apartfrom the wonderful hospitality of the Nivas couple(originally from India) and authentic Mangalorecuisine, were the dinner hosted by Usha andChandra Mangalore, where I met two of my formerstudents, Ramanand and Shilpa, and thesightseeing arranged for us. Every day we werepicked up by a Lions couple and taken around thecity, rated in a world survey as the most livable cityin the world. Memories come to my mind of theworld famous MCG, Federation Square, and thequaint alleys in central Melbourne converted to afoodies and shoppers paradise.

We flew out of Melbourne to Sydney on October24th, being seen off by PDG Phil Wensley who tooka lot of pains as Chairman of Operation Friendshipto see that we were taken care of. Special thanksto Usha and Chandra Mangalore for all their help.After three days in another lovely city, Sydney, withrelatives, we flew back home.

Lionism is doing well in Australia as regardsquality of service – I also attended two clubmeetings, the only concern being that themembership seems not to attract the youngergeneration.

The various cultural and social activities IndianLions Clubs observe may be the reason why weattract a much younger crowd. After so manynegative press reports about racism in Australia, Imust point out that the average Australian is veryfriendly and hospitable. In my two visits to Australia,I have not encountered any racism. All in all, alovely country with warm lovely people.

Dr Ramdas Rai

OPERATION FRIENDSHIP: (from left) Vinaya Rai, PDGPhil Wensley and his wife Lion Lorna Wensley, DrRamas Rai, and current V5 District Governor LouOnley with his wife Kay.

Lions can be justifiably proud of the fact thatthe burns unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospitalnow has the lowest burns mortality rate inthe world.

For it is Lions of C2 who made much of ithappen.

It’s fitting that C2 voted at this year’s districtconvention to continue the partnership betweenLions, the Julian Burton Burns Trust and the BurnsUnit at the hospital.

This partnership started when Adelaide’sBrighton club invited Julian Burton to be a speakerat a club dinner in 2004. Julian had, at that time,only recently recovered from burns he had sufferedin the bombing of the Sari Nightclub in Bali. Hisexperience as a patient of the burns unitcompelled him to launch the Julian Burton BurnsTrust.

As a result of Julian’s visit, the club supportedthe Trust as a club project and invited Dr JohnGreenwood, Director of the Burns Unit, to speak tothe members. At this time the club presented DrGreenwood with $15,000 for his work. Later theJulian Burton Burns Trust became a district project.

From those beginnings a successful partnershiphas been forged. Through Lions and an LCIF grant,the RAH Burns Unit became one of the first units inthe world equipped with a Vivoscope 1500 (orlaser confocal microscope). This has revolutionisedthe assessment of burns and will play a major partin the healing process using Dr Greenwood’spolymer skin products.

PolyNovo Biomaterials (based in Port Melbourne)and the Skin Engineering Laboratory (RAH) havebeen busy developing two products using theNovoSorb™ biodegradable polyurethane foam.

This prevents wound contraction, resists infectionand becomes integrated to a new dermis. Thesecond cellular product then definitively ‘closes’ thewound. Together, they will eliminate the need for thecommon, and painful, practice of split skingrafting. It’s possible the technique will be used bythe U.S. military in forward dressing stations.

Dr Greenwood estimates that within five yearsskin grafting in Adelaide will be obsolete, alongwith a significant improvement in the treatmentoutcome of burns. He believes the world will follow.

The status of this unit has seen ProfessorGreenwood’s achievements recognised in 2003 byMembership of the Order of Australia (AM), in2009 with verification of the unit by the AmericanBurn Association/American College of Surgeonsand in 2011 by his being awarded ‘SouthAustralian of the Year’ in the health category.

Lions helpreduce burns

deaths


22 Lion


23April - May 2012

23

Take-off timeHow I became an Earth Angel

I registered to become an Earth Angel inNovember last year when I heard BobKorotcoff speak on Angel Flight and wasinspired.

Bob is such a great speaker. My first mission was to pick up a lady from St

John of God Hospital in Subiaco, Western Australia,and take her to Jandakot airport for a flight toAugusta.

The pilot was Keith Gregory and he invited me tojoin him for the flight. It was the day after the firesin Margaret River and Nannup and we had to flyaround the smoke to avoid turbulence – our patienthad chronic back pain and Keith went to greatlengths to make her trip as comfortable as possible.

On the return journey Keith handed me thecontrols and I flew for most of the journey along thecoast back to Jandakot. It was a terrific experienceand I looked forward to my next mission.

My second mission came three months later! Iwas to pick up a lady from the airport and transporther to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and pick her uplater from Royal Perth Hospital and take her back toJandakot for the trip home to Narembeen.Unfortunately smoke haze from bushfires in thesouth west shut the airport and she had to camp ather daughter’s place over night. I picked her up thenext morning and we then flew her back home. Iagain was invited to travel with the pilot on thereturn flight.

At the time of writing, these are the onlymissions I have had since becoming an EarthAngel. I think I only got these because I was sittingin front of my computer when the email camethrough and was able to respond straight away. Theopportunities get snapped up quickly.

Both ladies told me they found out about AngelFlight from a friend, or a friend of a friend. Theirmedical support team in the country town wherethey lived had not heard of Angel Flight.

There may be a need here for Lions in countryareas, particularly in WA, to spread the word todoctors, hospitals and other health care workersabout Angel Flight. It would be a shame if thiswonderful network of volunteers were under-utilised.

Bob WhitneyLions Club of South Perth

Pilot Keith Gregory and his co-pilot for the day, LionBob Whitney.

BELOW: Angel Flight pilot Keith Gregory has patientNadya safely on the ground.

Australian Lionmagazine celebrates

50th anniversary

How it beganThe Australian Lion magazine beganwhen incoming District Governor RoyGerathy (201B ) 1960-61 invited DistrictPublic Relations Chairman Charles(known as Chic) Wilson to examine thepossibility of converting the DistrictNewsletter into a magazine supported bypaid advertising.

The new format (“Pride”) was launched in

July 1960, with copies going to all club

members in 201B, with courtesy copies to the

other District Governors. By year’s end it had

produced a handsome profit.

On the motion of DG Gerathy in late 1960,

Multiple District Council requested PRC Chic

Wilson to undertake a feasibility study as to

whether the same format could be utilised to

establish an Australian Lion Magazine, to be

mailed direct to every member in MD201.

At the MD Council meeting in early 1961,

the report was received and adopted to

commence publishing in July 1961.

Chic Wilson was appointed Multiple District

Public Relations Director and named

Foundation Editor.

The Australian Lion was an immediate

success and its paid advertising assisted in

defraying the cost of publication.

Clubs were encouraged to have their

projects and events published.

It was an excellent tool for communicating

between clubs as successful projects were

adapted and adopted.

At the MD Convention in Surfers Paradise,

May 1962, MD Council Chairman Eric Lister,

on behalf of Council, presented a plaque to

Chic Wilson honouring his services in public

relations and in editing the magazine

A further honour followed at the

International Convention in Atlantic City, New

Jersey, USA in 1962 when the Australian Lion

magazine was named as the winner of the

most outstanding contribution in international

public relations for 1961-62.


All aboard Bendigo’s puppy bus

PM applauds fire heroes

24

AROUND THE NATION

Lion

There were plenty of Lions on hand whenPrime Minister Julia Gillard presented newNational Emergency Medals to Shire ofMurrindindi emergency services personneland service groups at Flowerdale, Victoriaearlier this year.

About 20 medals were awarded, mostly tofire/police and other emergency services.

Prime Minister Gillard thanked all individuals andgroups who had helped during the February 2009

bushfires throughout Victoria and in the recoveryefforts, which are still continuing.

Around the Victorian city of Bendigo they callit the Puppy Bus.

It is a refitted bus that will be regularly used toferry dogs and humans around town as part of

the Righteous Dogs program.Righteous Pups is a Lions project that raises and

trains assistance dogs to do a variety of practicaltasks for children and adults with disabilities.

The Bendigo club donated $10,000 to the refit,which cost close to $30,000.

The bus will transport helpers and families to thenew Righteous Pups premises in Lockwood.

The impact each dog makes on the life of theirrecipient is priceless, giving recipients a greaterlevel of independence, self esteem and an overallimprovement in psychological wellbeing and qualityof life.

Each dog costs approximately $29,000 to rearand train over a two-year period.

At the completion of this time the dogs areplaced with their recipients at no cost.

Bendigo Lions Ken Martin and Graham MacDonaldinspect work on the bus at W&F Sheetmetal inKangaroo Flat with Dixie the labrador.

Pictured are (left to right) Kinglake Lion KenKidman, Chris Jackson (Rotary AlexandraPresident), Federal Member of ParliamentRob Mitchell, Prime Minster Gillard, RayMathieson (Alexandra Lions President),Michael Sundstrom (Eildon Lions President)and Glenn McFadzean (Marysville LionsPresident).


April - May 201225

Back to Texas

You’re joking!

Walking tall for an Aussie kid

DRESSMAKINGSUPREMO: NoeleneMcDonald of the N2MunmorahSummerland Pointclub put herdressmaking talentsto good use inproducing 100 littledresses, pyjamas andbags for shipping tothe Sisters of StJoseph in Timor Lesteto aid localcommunities.

ULTIMATE LION: Mount Gambier Lion Des Lattin wasproud to be joined by his mates in front of anAustralian flag when he was named a MountGambier Australia Day Award recipient. Des, quietand unassuming and a member of Mount Gambiersince induction in 1970, has set the benchmark forLions service in his club. He was awarded a MelvinJones Fellowship in 2009 and life membership to LCIin 2010.

FIRE & FLOOD: PDG Frank Pettit andwife Lion Beris of the Croydon V5 Lionswere joined by their children Andrew andNicole when they collected William RTresise Fellowship and Geoffrey CallanderAwards respectively after seven yearsservice with the 201V5 District DisasterRelief Trust. PDG Frank joked that he hadseen floods, famine and bushfires duringhis term as Trust secretary but didn’t wantto be around for Armageddon.

Past members ofQueensland’s Texas clubare invited to attend its50th anniversary. A dinneris being held on Saturday,May 26. If interested,contact Max orCatherine –07 4653 1676,[email protected].

Lions President Ted Evans of Tasmania’sTasman Club had reason to look surprised.He had just learned his club had been namedthe Volunteer Organisation of 2011 for itshosting of the annual Tasman Festival.

The Tasman Festival includes the Tasman Arts &Craft Exhibition, the Tasman Regatta and thePeninsula Feast and is held over the weekendclosest to Australia Day.

Each activity showcases the beautiful TasmanMunicipality while giving locals and visitors thechance to enjoy local food, wine, music andactivities.

The club’s Beverly Cooper was also named asthe Tasman Council Citizen of 2011 for her tirelesscontribution to the community.

The awards were presented to them by theMayor of Tasman, Jan Barwick.

In just its second year, Gosford’s Walk for anAussie Kid has proven a winner.

The 5km walk, organised by NSW Central CoastLions to benefit the Australian Lions Children’sMobility Foundation, included a couple of children intheir Lions-donated Hart Walkers.

Also included were a cake and coffee stall,sausage sizzle, fairy floss stall, craft stall and a

jumping castle.Entertainment came from a local singing group.

The event was again sponsored by local businesswhich enabled all profits to go straight to theALCMF.

Numbers were more than double last year’s.Local Lions hope the walk’s popularity will

continue to grow.


26 Lion

The Council of Governors advises applications are invited from Lions in good standing to fill the following vacancies.

All Multiple District Committee positions are honorary, and every Lion, no matter how new, is encouraged to apply. Lions intending to apply should note the following:

1 Applications will only be considered if submitted on the current Nomination Form, and received at the Lions National Office by the closing date.

2 Intending applicants must obtain a Nomination Form, Position Statement and Person Profile in relation to the position from the Lions National Office.

These may be obtained by writing, faxing or emailing the National Office at one of the following addresses:

Mail: Locked Bag 2000

Newcastle NSW 2300

Email: [email protected]

Fax: (02) 4940 8034

The preferred method of distribution of necessary forms to intending applicants is by email.

3 All candidates for Multiple District positions shall submit:

- current standard Nomination Form

- Curriculum Vitae

-Statement covering the issues outlined in the Position Statement. This supporting Statement with CV shall not exceed three single sided A4 pages.

APPLICANTS EXCEEDING THIS LIMIT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

4 The applicant should ensure that the nomination form is complete in every respect prior to sending.

5 Nominations must be received by the National Office by email or post no later than 5.00 pm 6 April 2012

Late nominations will not be considered. Nominations accepted will be considered at the Council Meeting following the close of nominations. All applicants will be advised in writing of Council’s decision soon after that Council Meeting.

ROB OERLEMANS

EXECUTIVE OFFICER

MD201 LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL INC.

March 2012

Position Term To Comments

Marketing

Lion Mint Coordinator ‘Q’ 30/06/2015 Demonstrated interest in the preparation, implementation of strategies and programs for the promotion and marketing of Lion Mints.

Youth & Community Projects *Note: Police clearance is required for these positions

ALCCRF Trustees 4 positions

31/01/2015

Promoting the activities of the Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation. Establishing good communication and a working relationship between the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia or other relevant agency.

ALCMF – Trustee ‘T’ 31/01/2015

Acts as Trustee and is responsible for database management and provision of administrative services for the foundation.

ALCMF – Trustee ‘W’ 31/01/2015

ALCMF – Treasurer 31/01/2015 Organisation Treasurer requiring CPA or CA qualifications

Youth Exchange Greeter (Brisbane) 28/02/2012 Responsible for the safe and efficient throughput of all youth exchanges, both nominated and hosted

Committee Vacancies

New Member KitsPlease note that we are only able

to send New Member Kits to

clubs when we have been

provided with the number of

inductees, as well as an

induction date for each of these.

To accommodate this new

procedure New Member Kits are

now being sent with no postage

charge.

HAVE YOUCHANGED

YOUR ADDRESS?If you have changedyour address, couldyou please contactyour CabinetSecretary to ensurethat your new detailsare updated.

Lions2012-2013

Directory ordersClubs who have not as yetplaced their 2012-2013Lions Directory orders,please contact the NationalOffice on 02 4940 8033 tonotify us of quantities andyour preferred directoryformat – paper copies/CDs.


Most people aren’t aware that bowelcancer is the second biggest cancer killerof men and women in Australia. In 90 percent of cases, bowel cancers can becured if found in the early stages. As aservice to Lions, bowel cancer survivorand General Practitioner Graeme Jonesexplains how a simple at-home screeningtest – and staying active – can help savelives.

As a General Practitioner in regional Sheppartonin Victoria, Graeme Jones had much experience

dealing with health issues.He regularly diagnosed, prescribed and referred

patients for their ailments – everything from the joyof pregnancies to the frustrations of colds and flusand the often heartbreaking, serious, life-threatening diseases.

Dr Jones never thought much about his ownhealth – he was busy with his practice, his familyand his interests like bushwalking and gardening.

That was until, a few weeks after his 65thbirthday in 2008, when Dr Jones received apackage in the mail.

It was a package that would change his life andhis focus from the health of his patients to his ownsurvival. The package Dr Jones received containeda Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) – a bowel cancerscreening test the Federal Government posts out to

men and women aged 50, 55 and 65 aspart of the National Bowel CancerScreening Program.

He took the simple test at home,receiving his results soon after whichfound he had blood in his bowel motion,one of the symptoms of bowel cancer.

The results meant a trip to the localhospital to get a colonoscopy to take acloser look at what might be causing thebleeding.

“I was very miffed to get a positivereport,” Dr Jones said. “Being a GP Irationalised this as being somethingbenign and did not worry unduly and goton with work prior to my colonoscopy.

“The colonoscopy revealed anasymptomatic cancer (a cancer with nosymptoms) in my lower bowel much tomy surprise.”

A week later, Dr Jones became apatient, undergoing surgery and sixmonths of chemotherapy for stage-3 cancer.

“Had I not done the FOBT I would almostcertainly now be facing an incurable, metastaticcancer instead of being – hopefully – cured.”

Dr Jones said he was blessed to have receivedhis FOBT in the mail. “To say I was lucky is anunderstatement, I am extraordinarily lucky to havegotten the test kit when I did.”

He’s now a passionate campaigner – raisingawareness of the need for men and women to

screen for the canceronce they reach the ageof 50 with an FOBTevery two years.

He also warns those50 and older not to becomplacent – there are

no symptoms in the early stages of bowel cancer. “Ihad no symptoms and had no family history ofcancer – my family have died from either old age orheart disease. I felt very fit and healthy and ate well.The only risk factor I had was that I was older than50.”

Dr Jones encourages older Australians to lowertheir risk of developing cancer by staying fit, eatinga balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight.

People wanting to find out more about FOBTsand bowel cancer can visithttp://www.cancervic.org.au/fobt/default.asp

– Melissa Heagney

For Australia-wide details, visit Bowel CancerAustralia – http://bowelcanceraustralia.org

Hugo, 3 years, cancer patient

Presenting Partner

Analog TV switchover rolls out

Timely warning that could save lives

April - May 201227

As a country GP, Dr Graeme Jones, pictured here with his wifeMarg, knew much about bowel cancer but was not prepared forthe shock when he discovered that he was a also sufferer. Now,thanks to quick intervention, his life has returned to normal andhe is a passionate campaigner for the need for older Australiansto undertake two-yearly screenings.

In parts of Australia, TV is broadcast in both analog and digitalsignals. ‘Digital’ simply refers to the way in which TV signals arebroadcast.

However, as many Lions know, analog signals are gradually being phasedout between 2010 and 2013, and Australian TV will become digital-only.

On 5 June, areas of Southern and Central NSW, ACT and MurrumbidgeeIrrigation Area (MIA) will switch off analog signals. Households then will needto watch digital free-to-air TV through a set top box or through a digital TV.

Areas of Southern and Central NSW, ACT and the MIA that will beswitching are Griffith/Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, South West Slopes &Eastern Riverina, Central Tablelands & Central Western Slopes, ACT &Southern Tablelands, and Illawarra and the South Coast

The Government is also providing practical/financial assistance to helpeligible households switch. Two schemes are available: the HouseholdAssistance Scheme and the Satellite Subsidy Scheme.

The first offers free installation of TV equipment for eligible pensioners. Thisis for people with a functioning TV, who have not converted to digital TV andreceive the full rate of one of the following pensions: Age Pension, DisabilitySupport Pension, Carer Payment, Department of Veterans’ Affairs ServicePension or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Income Support Supplement.

Centrelink will write to eligible pensioners inviting them to apply, howevereligibility can be checked by calling 1800 556 443 or visiting a CentrelinkService Centre. More details on this and the Satellite Subsidy Scheme:www.digitalready.gov.au or 1800 20 10 13.


28Lion

Changing Lives in Japan When the earthquake and tsunami struck Japanlast March, many lives were devastated. But withan outpouring of donations to LCIF totalling morethan $21 million, Lions responded quickly.

One year later, the people of Japan have madegreat strides, but are still coping with one of theirnation’s worst disasters. Having Lions Quest inplace in Japan allowed LCIF to immediately helpmore than 1,000 students in the Sendai region incoping with the tragedy. Eight Lions Questworkshops were held for 160 participants to helpdevelop social and emotional skills.

Changing Lives Through LionsQuest

All over the world, LCIF is helping Lions create abrighter future for 12 million young people andcounting through Lions Quest. A research-basedprogram, Lions Quest has drawn rave reviews fromeducational organisations and governments. Thecurriculum helps foster important life skills, healthyattitudes, strong character, positive relationshipsand active citizenship. Seventy countries around theworld are now implementing the Lions Questprogram with 500,000 teachers trained. Growthwas a key focus of the program last year, and, as aresult, the program expanded to six new countriesand new regions worldwide.

Our Impact:• 14 percent overall increase in grade point

average of students in Lions Quest programs• 25 countries participated in regional trainings

on four continents in 2010-2011• 47 states in the. United States are teaching life

skills through Lions Quest; Montana andAlabama began the program this year

• 50 percent increase in graduation rates atTilden High School in the Chicago PublicSchools, Illinois, in the first year of using LionsQuest

Changing Lives ThroughRebuilding Communities Japan was not the only region of the world toexperience tragedy this past year. Lions rose to thechallenge with an enormous outpouring ofgenerosity to those in need.

Some examples of Lions’ work after anearthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand, inFebruary 2011 include:

• Providing support through social services• Counseling and providing therapeutic activities

for victims, especially for children • Operating water stations and relief centres,

delivering hot meals, bottled water, groceriesand fuel vouchers, and going door-to-door to deliver supplies

In Haiti, relief continues two years after theearthquake. Examples of projects include:

• Homes for 600 Haitian families are being builtas part of an initiative between LCIF, the Lionsof MD111 Germany and HELP, aninternational non-governmental organisation;the families moving into the homes wereinitially sheltered in Lions’ three tent cities

• 400 additional homes are being built, along with a community centre to provide vocationaltraining, in partnership with Food for the Poor

• 350 students annually will be able to study in

Changing LivesLCIF 2010-2011 Annual Report

Through ourFoundation

Last year, thanks to the widespread generosity and caring from 1.35 million Lions worldwide and LionsClubs International Foundation (LCIF), millions of people were helped and millions of lives were changedacross the globe.

“In the middle ofthe devastation,the Lions wereready to helppeople in theworst condition,”said Lion EigoMotohiro Oono ofDistrict 330-C,Japan

Pascaline Rasoanjanahary, amother in Madagascar, heardof a vaccination campaign andknew that she needed to gether nine-month-old son Patrickvaccinated. “I’ve witnessed achild with measles. I do notwant this for my son. Thisvaccination is very important,”said Rasoanjanahary.


April - May 201229

the new National Nursing School of Port-auPrince, a construction project in partnershipwith HumaniTerra International

Changing Lives Through MeetingHumanitarian NeedsLions expanded upon their longstandingcommitment to improving health and lives of youthby launching the Lions-Measles Initiative.

A disaster strikes 450 children each day. Thishighly contagious, deadly disease can beprevented through a vaccination that costs lessthan $1 per dose.

As part of a successful pilot program, Lions andLCIF, with a grant from the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation and support from local ministries ofhealth and other Measles Initiative partners,provided immunisations and a chance at life formore than 41 million children in Ethiopia,Madagascar, Mali and Nigeria.

Since 2001, the Measles Initiative hasvaccinated one billion children, preventing morethan five million deaths.

In the next year, the program and partnershipwill expand to help millions more childrenworldwide through One Shot, One Life: LionsMeasles Initiative. As our efforts expand, Lionshave the opportunity to help children in allcountries where measles remains a heavy publichealth burden. LCIF and its partnership with theMeasles Initiative aim to vaccinate 157 millionmore children in the upcoming year.

Other examples of humanitarian efforts last yearinclude:

• 768 people provided hearing aids through theLions Affordable Hearing Aid Project (AHAP)

• 200,000 athletes helped through 10 years ofOpening Eyes, a partnership program withSpecial Olympics providing free vision

screenings and eyeglasses to athletes aroundthe world

Changing Lives Through SavingSightPreventing vision loss and restoring sight has beenat the core of Lions service since the organisationwas founded.

Lions have mobilised $415 million through twofundraising campaigns in support of the globalSightFirst program, launched in 1991. This year,the program celebrates 20 years of saving sightand preventing blindness in under-served areasworldwide.

Lions’ efforts are having a great impact. Lionsand SightFirst have helped to eliminateonchocerciasis from Colombia, reduce the backlogof cataract in India and China, halt the spread oftrachoma in Ethiopia and improve access to eyecare around the world. With funds raised throughCampaign SightFirst II, Lions are increasingprograms to fight new and emerging threats tosight, while funding new projects aimed atresearch and rehabilitation.

Some of SightFirst’s many successes include: • 30 million people with improved vision

through screenings, eyeglasses and follow-up

care or surgery for those who need it• Nine percent reduction in blindness and visual

impairment globally, or 26 million people,since 2004, according to a 2010 study by theWorld Health Organisation

• 121 million children protected from blindnessthrough the childhood blindness preventionprogram in partnership with the World HealthOrganization

Changing Lives WorldwideAs the official charitable organisation of LionsClubs International, LCIF supports Lions’ greatwork through numerous grants for projectsfocused on serving youth, providing disaster relief,combating diseases and preserving sight.

Last year, LCIF had a great impact in livesaround the world through numerous grants. Someexamples include:

• 2,064,829 peopled with saved or restoredsight through 45 SightFirst grants totalling$12.39 million

• 1,141,837 people have a brighter tomorrowthrough 136 standard grants totalling $6.17million

• 250,000 youth learning valuable lifeskills through 38 Lions Quest grants

Changing Lives around the world

Piyadasa Hewavithana, a 63-year-old temporaryworker in Sri Lanka, had his life changed byLions. “Before I was almost blind; no one wantedto employ me,” said Hewavithana. “The Lionsarranged for me to be taken to a Lions Hospital. Ido not have the words to thank everyone. I cannow see. Lions’ timely intervention saved mysight.”


30

READ the completeannual report and morestories online atwww.lcif.org. You canhelp support LCIF witha donation atwww.lcif.org/donate.

totalling $1.67 million• More than 75,777 people have

clean water and access to healthcare through 28 InternationalAssistance grants totalling$377,026

• 70,850 people were provided withblankets, clothing, water, food andmedicine through 200 emergencygrants totalling $1.69 million

• Lions worldwide volunteered anestimated 35 million hours, helpingmore than 350 million people

In fiscal year 2010-2011, LCIFreceived $48 million in donations, a $13million or 40 percent increase indonations over the previous year! As aresult, LCIF was able to award $38.6million for 519 grant projects in fiscalyear 2010-2011.

These projects would not be possiblewithout your help. The ones highlightedin this magazine are just a fewexamples of the work done all over theworld last year.

Thank you, Lions,for yoursupport!

Message from the Chairperson

Bridging our helpinghands with those in need

Dear Lions,I hope as you read the stories and examples ofLCIF in action, you were inspired and honoured tobe a Lion as I was. Remember that these are just afew examples of our work; our impact affectsmillions of people worldwide!

If you had asked me in July 2010 how I feltabout being Chairperson of Lions ClubsInternational Foundation, I would have said I amproud and grateful. Our Foundation is at the heartof Lions Clubs International, the largest serviceorganisation in the world. We are giving happiness,and we are giving the opportunity for improvedlives in every part of the world.

While all of that is true, a year later, my answeris more complex and filled with the sensations ofexperiencing our Foundation through the eyes andsouls of those we have helped.

Margit and I are forever thankful for the manytouching moments we experienced last year. Thesmiles on all these faces we have touched willforever remain with us. One of these touchingmoments was in November when I was inMadagascar for our Lions-Measles Initiative pilotprogram and met Marie. She smiled and thankedme for this life-saving vaccine for her son! Another was in New Zealand in February when I went door-to-door with Lions to deliverwater, which the people were so grateful forthat they wanted to pay us!

Our partnerships are also a key to oursuccess. You’ve read about some of our work withthe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation toprevent measles, but they are just oneof many important partners.

None of this would be possiblewithout your continued support.

Think of those around the worldyou’ve impacted, and remember thatyou are bridging our helping handsto those in need. I know I can count on you to helpus as we continue to grow. Ours isa bright future, full of hope and smilingfaces. Together, we can meet even moreneeds and change even more lives.

With my cordial regards,Eberhard J. WirfsChairperson 2010-2011


April - May 2012 201131

YOUTH OF THE YEAR

Fees & costsWhat prizes do we present? How much do they cost? What dowe give the judges? Should we pay for the parents’ andteachers’ meals? Who pays for accommodation at the higherlevels?CLUB FINALS: Youth of the Year is a club project, so all reasonablecosts associated with running the club final can be charged to yourActivities Account.

It is ultimately a club decision as to who pays for what and how muchis spent. The Youth of the Year Manual sets out a number of suggestionswith regards to costs, but does not – and cannot – direct who shouldpay and how much they pay.

There are some costs that the MD Committee would recommendshould always be paid for by the club. These include the cost of themeals for judges and contestants. Some clubs also pay for meals forparents and maybe the teachers who support the students, but this isentirely a club decision. The decision must be made in accordance withthe rules of how your Activities Account is to be used.ZONE, REGION & DISTRICT FINALS: Another question that comes uprelates to the costs at the higher levels – Zone, Region, District, etc.Once again, this is a club decision – and it could also depend on thepolicy of your District. Some Districts budget for the cost of contestantsand supporters, others leave it up to the clubs. You need to check withyour District Chairman to see what the policy is in your District.STATE & NATIONAL FINALS: The next issue relates to State andNational finals. The State Chairmen set their budgets and submit themto their Districts for approval. So, once again, the question of who paysfor what is a matter to be resolved at that level. At the national final, thecontestants’ transport costs are allowed for in the MD YOTY budget. Thesix national finalists are allocated to local host families and thegenerosity of the local Lions is very much appreciated in this regard.Family members' and supporters’ costs are not included in the budget.PRIZES: The Club Chairman Manual sets out suggested prizes. Onceagain, the MD Committee does not enforce what the prizes should be,only to stress these prizes should be reasonable – do not overdo it.Remember, there are a number of higher levels that do not have thefinancial resources to compete with some clubs.

There is a range of Youth of the Year merchandise available forpresentation to the students, in addition to the certificates to bepresented. The judges should also be presented with a small token ofappreciation and a certificate.

A club may find sponsorship for some of their prizes, but rememberthat the official sponsor of the Quest is the NAB – and this sponsorMUST be recognised as the major sponsor. Any other sponsorship canonly be noted as supporting sponsorship.

Some clubs reward their contestants with sponsorship to Lionscamps around the country and New Zealand; this is a wonderfulincentive for the contestant. However, if they are travelling under theYouth of the Year banner then our travel coordinator needs to know thedetails of who is travelling. This last year we had a number of naturaldisasters in Australia and New Zealand and naturally contestants willneed to be kept up to date with information from home. FEES: No event runs without costs, so all Districts contribute towardsthe costs incurred in running the finals and associated costs at Stateand National levels. Venues must be hired, prizes and presentations paidfor, meals for judges are amongst some of the costs that must becovered. Each District has a different method for passing these costsonto clubs – but remember that these costs also come from yourActivity Account.

If you want to know more about Youth of the Year, please visit ourwebsite at http://www.lionsclubs.org.au/yoty

Youth of the Year – “You just can’t lose”Bryan Coggle

Chairman Youth of the Year

VALE: Robert (Bob) Allen26.03.1930 – 12.02.2012

We give thanks for the amazing Life of Robert Edward (Bob) Allen,born 26th March, 1930, who passed away peacefully on 12thFebruary, 2012. Loving Husband, Father, Grandad, Great-grandad,Friend and Mentor to many.

PDG Bob Allen served as District Governor of District 201A in 1972/73.Bob was perhaps best known within MD201 for his role as Lions

International Development Manager for Australia and Papua New Guinea1972-1988.

This was the executive leadership role for Lions in Australia and one ofonly a handful of International fulltime paid roles worldwide, reporting to LionsInternational head office in Chicago, USA. With the support of Lions aroundAustralia, Bob helped to form more than 700 Lions Clubs, with over 10,000new members to support their communities.

Bob provided leadership and coaching to new clubs and office bearers andpersonally mentored many club executives in leadership. He managednational and international Lions initiatives in the region, including the Lion’s“Save Sight” program. This program has restored the eyesight of over fivemillion people globally through cataract operations.

Bob was a founding Director of the Lions Medical Foundation at thePrincess Alexander Hospital, Brisbane, from 1972-1975. This foundation nowemployees over 300 research personnel and has provided important seedfunding for medical research in the areas of kidney failure and kidneydisease, gastroenterology, drug administration, asthma, urology and diabetes.As co-chairman 1972-74 of the Lions Renal Research Laboratory (voluntaryposition), he built public awareness and support for the work of the unit. As aresult, within five years it was demonstrating internationally acknowledgedclinical and research success in the area of kidney disease. By 1974 it hadbuilt sufficient momentum to establish the Lions Kidney and MedicalResearch Foundation; commence construction of a medical research facilityin the grounds of the PA Hospital; and expand research into the fields ofgastroenterology, drug administration, asthma, urology and diabetes.

In 1980, Bob introduced the Lions Hearing Dog project into Australia. Thisfacility is the only hearing dog facility in the southern hemisphere and wasestablished in liaison with Agnes McGrath, founder of the Hearing DogsProgram in Denver, USA. There are now over 400 dogs working in hearingimpaired homes in Australia and the program is accredited as part of theCommonwealth Government’s initiatives to provide assistance to disabledpeople. Lions continue to provide dogs to hearing impaired individuals free ofcharge.

In 1991 Bob received the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship, and in2001 was admitted into the Australian Lions Foundation Hall of Fame inrecognition of his exceptional service to Lions and the community.

Bob was a respected leader in our association and will be sadly missed.

VALE: Georgina Emily Mitchell30.04.1931 – 14.01.2012

Georgie was a Lion who was always helping others – whethertending survivors of road accidents, emptying her refrigerator tohelp the needy, or helping police find housing for destitute families.

In the 1960s, as the cub leader of a pack for disabled children and withthe help of TV personality Don Lane, she gained wheelchairs for all so shecould take them on outings. For many years she was also the answeringservice for the Lions Club in South East Queensland.A member of the Lions Club of Woy Woy for more than 50 years and a lifemember of Lake Currimundi-Kawana Lions Club Inc, Georgie leaves behindher loving husband of 60 years, PDG Phil Mitchell, a son, daughter-in-lawand grandchildren.


lions clubs international australia papua new guinea...

Documents