Lions Clubs Internaonal District 201 V3 April 2020 Heyfield supports Story Dogs! Reading is becoming very popular in Gippsland schools due to the help of dogs and volunteers and sponsors like Mysty and Meg and their handler Faye Jondahl and Heyfield Lions Club. Mysty and Meg are both accredited Story Dogs, and are both generously sponsored by the Heyfield Lions Club. There are currently 64 Lions Clubs Sponsors in the Story Dogs Program and it is fantasc to be able to see Heyfield Lions Club now on the list. Not only for one dog but two sponsorships. Story Dogs is a naonwide not-for-profit registered charity helping children in schools improve their literacy. Our many wonderful volunteers take dogs into schools to work one on one with children, listening to them read. When children read to a dog, the outcomes are amazing! It is a non- judgmental seng, the children's focus improves, their literacy skills increase and their confidence soars. The accepng, loving nature of dogs gives this program its magic and helps children relax, open up, try harder and have fun while reading to a friendly, calm dog. Story Dogs has been in operaon for 10 years, has 490 volunteers, and helps 2450 children each week. Just over a year ago Story Dogs started their first branch in the Gippsland area, there are now nine dog teams volunteering in Gippsland schools. Story Dog volunteer Faye Jondahl, a Heyfield resident owns both Mysty and Meg. Faye aends two schools each week, Sale Primary School with Mysty and Heyfield Primary School with Meg. Also on their first visit to Heyfield Primary School this year they dropped in and said hello to the Cowwarr Primary students who are being hosted by Heyfield at the moment having lost their school to fire. The charity receives no Government funding so relies on the generosity of companies and organisaons to sponsor the dogs to provide all the necessary items needed to work in a school for a year, including uniforms for the dog and volunteers, books, and supplies, training and insurance. Mornington Book Fair! On the first weekend in January 2020 the Lions Club of Mornington held its 2nd Annual Pre-Loved Book Fair at the Mornington Community Theatre. Friday with the assistance of ALL members of Mornington along with lions from local clubs, friends/ relaves, volunteers from the Mornington Community Informaon & Support Centre and the 2nd Mornington Sea Scouts with parents, we were able to bump in 23,000 books to sell over that weekend. Sales over the weekend were very successful along with raising funds for the Australian Lions Bushfire Appeal, collecng in excess of $2,000 from the public as they entered the hall. All Lions, partners and friends are invited to aend to celebrate the past and future Lions year and; To Welcome Incoming DG Graham & Lion Claire And to Thank IPDG Neil Sunday 12 th July 2020 11:30 am for 12 pm start At The Warragul Country Club 41 Suon Street, Warragul $40.00 per head Please RSVP by no later than the 1 st July 2020 To Incoming Cabinet Secretary PDG Andrew McMahon By email: [email protected]By snail mail 6 Rowen Court Cranbourne Nth. 3977
Transcript
Lions Clubs International
District 201 V3 April 2020
Heyfield supports Story Dogs! Reading is becoming very popular in Gippsland schools due to the help of dogs and volunteers and sponsors like Mysty and Meg and their handler Faye Jondahl and Heyfield Lions Club.
Mysty and Meg are both accredited Story Dogs, and are both generously sponsored by the Heyfield Lions Club. There are currently 64 Lions Clubs Sponsors in the Story Dogs Program and it is fantastic to be able to see Heyfield Lions Club now on the list. Not only for one dog but two sponsorships.
Story Dogs is a nationwide not-for-profit registered charity helping children in schools improve their literacy. Our many wonderful volunteers take dogs into schools to work one on one with children, listening to them read. When children read to a dog, the outcomes are amazing! It is a non-judgmental setting, the children's focus improves, their literacy skills increase and their confidence soars. The accepting, loving nature of dogs gives this program its magic and helps children relax, open up, try harder and have fun while reading to a friendly, calm dog.
Story Dogs has been in operation for 10 years, has 490 volunteers, and helps 2450 children each week. Just over a year ago Story Dogs started their first branch in the Gippsland area, there are now nine dog teams volunteering in Gippsland schools.
Story Dog volunteer Faye Jondahl, a Heyfield resident owns both Mysty and Meg. Faye attends two schools each week, Sale Primary School with Mysty and Heyfield Primary School with Meg. Also on their first visit to Heyfield Primary School this year they dropped in and said hello to the Cowwarr Primary students who are being hosted by Heyfield at the moment having lost their school to fire.
The charity receives no Government funding so relies on the generosity of companies and organisations to sponsor the dogs to provide all the necessary items needed to work in a school for a year, including uniforms for the dog and volunteers, books, and supplies, training and insurance.
Mornington Book Fair!
On the first weekend in January 2020 the Lions Club of Mornington held its 2nd Annual Pre-Loved Book Fair at the Mornington Community Theatre.
Friday with the assistance of ALL members of Mornington along with lions from local clubs, friends/relatives, volunteers from the Mornington Community Information & Support Centre and the 2nd Mornington Sea Scouts with parents, we were able to bump in 23,000 books to sell over that weekend.
Sales over the weekend were very successful along with raising funds for the Australian Lions Bushfire Appeal, collecting in excess of $2,000 from the public as they entered the hall.
All Lions, partners and friends are invited to attend to celebrate the past and future Lions year and;
Covid 19 has brought many changes to our clubs and their
members. Most of our community, district, multiple district and
even international activities have been cancelled.
Many of our clubs have chosen to suspend meetings during this
pandemic and that is an individual clubs choice and is felt as
their way of protecting their members.
Other clubs have chosen to continue with their meetings and are
protecting their members by implementing social distancing .
You’re Gmt team are happy to help you stay in touch as a club,
during these trying times and can organise the occasional Zoom
meetings for your club.
Unfortunately we don’t have the capacity on our current zoom
platform to run every clubs meetings in the district. However,
we are happy to help each club stay in
contact with their members.
It is also very important that we keep in
touch with all our members during the
absence of meetings. Taking the time to
keep in touch will help everyone’s mental
health in these trying times.
I would like to let you all know that we have the membership
trailer up and running and are happy to help organise a
membership drive for each club when this situation has
resolved.
Stay safe and healthy and be kind to each other.
Kerrie McMahon
From the Cabinet Secretary Thanks to all those clubs who have returned their PU 101 could those clubs who haven’t please arrange to send them to me asap otherwise the details in the directory this year will be left unchanged and this may cause problems for the club.
Please send your return 4 and 5 to me by the 15th April re those delegates for Adelaide MD Convention and members and family who have passed away since the last MD Convention in Geelong.
Please read the reports in the newsletter re the bush fire recovery programme which is now fully up and running and being well organised by 2nd VDG Steve along with help from other Lions members many of those effected have received some funding from our account and more will be forthcoming.
The Training day is being held at St Pauls Anglican Grammar school Warragul on Sunday May 31st starting at 9.30p. The venue is the same as last year and the Warragul Lioness club will be catering for morning tea and lunch again this year. We hope many members from all our clubs will attend.
The District Convention being run by the Zone 6 Clubs (The Lions Family Convention) is well under way and costs have been kept to a minimum so we hope as many members as possible can attend. We hope you all attend on Friday 30th, Saturday 31st October and Sunday 1st November to make it a great convention for DGE Graham. Registration forms will be forward shortly to all clubs to enable you to register early.
The District Changeover will be held at the Warragul Country Club on Sunday 12th July starting at 11.30am. Please attend to welcome home DGE Graham and Claire and especially thank DG Neil for his great year.
Please note the Lions Club of Stratford’s new email address: [email protected]
Could all Lions and their families take care during the coronavirus situation DG Neil and the executive hope you are all well and fit, again please be careful during this time but enjoy yourself and have fun as your serve your communities.
Know more, grow more, succeed and enjoy more. Cheers Terry Hayler
Chairman’s Report—Board Meeting 26th March 2020
2019 was another successful year with the placement in October of our 600th dog, one of a record number of 23 dogs delivered free of charge during the year – nearly a dog every fortnight.
Demands for our services have substantially increased with the number of applications up 15% on the previous year and our waiting time to receive a dog reaching 18 months.
This growth has been achieved, despite our full and overstretched facilities at the National Training Centre at Verdun in the Adelaide Hills, by greater efficiencies through the expansion of our Volunteer Program and our Puppy Fostering Program. The staff and the Project’s training programs and procedures are regarded both nationally and internationally as world’s best practice in the Assistance Dogs industry.
By the common KPIs of fixed capital, money, people and product, ALHD remains strong –
Fixed capital - The buildings at the Training Centre are in good if aging condition.
Finances - Solid – but only because of the continued generous support of Australia’s Lions Clubs from Rockhampton to Perth and Darwin to Hobart.
People - Staff are dedicated experts whose training programs are second to none.
Product – We deliver a furry friend who is a companion and a lifesaver, every fortnight free of charge that changes the lives of deaf and hard of hearing recipients and their families across Australia.
The Volunteer Program sees enthusiastic volunteers having the opportunity to work with staff and the trainee dogs at the Training Centre, and our Puppy Raising Program will in 2020 provide more than half of our Hearing Dog Graduates.
But, as we all know, we are a victim of our own success. Our Training Centre is at capacity – indeed, it is overstretched. Hence our ambitious growth program to increase our output of dogs to one a week over the next five years, with the capacity to re-double that to two a week.
With our world class team at the Training Centre we will ride out the COVID-19 pandemic and emerge from it as an even more important part in the Australian and international Assistance Dogs industry.
PDG Rhys Roberts OAM
Chairman
Australian Lions Hearing Dogs Inc.
Welfare Report District Governor Neil Wingrave and the Lions family of District 201V3 pass on their sincere condolences to the families of the following members.
Members & Family passed away Lions Club Lion Peter Weeks - Son, Jake Bruthen
Our caring thoughts and get well wishes are extended to the following members of the Lions family, whether it is they are recovering from major surgery or a minor cold. We wish you all a speedy recovery.
Also to members whose names that I have not received we wish you good health and a full recovery.
This year it would be lovely to welcome babies into the Lions family and to also record those special Wedding Anniversaries.
Congratulations! Lions & Lioness Club Lioness Cynthia and Lion Bruce Ardley Lakes Entrance
If you would like the District to send a card, please supply the name and mailing address that the card is to be sent to.
New ways to Serve! Has your club found a new way of ‘contactless service’?
Are you or your club taking part in activities such as the Bear Hunt or Rainbow Trail? Email [email protected] and share it with your fellow Lions in the monthly newsletter! With children only being allowed outside their local neighborhoods to exercise, people are putting bears in their windows for children to find on their walk. It’s based on the children’s book ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’.
You can join in the rainbow trail by putting rainbows up in your windows or colouring your footpath with chalk. The idea is to spread joy.
Lions also have our Peace Poster Contest and what better time to spread a message of peace through art than now? You could share the information on your website or social media.
