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3

Connections, influence, friendship, philanthropyFEB – MARCH 2014 Volume 111 No. 2LION

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, NSW 2302Phone: (02) 4940-8033Lions Australia website: www.lionsclubs.org.auDeadlines: 1st day of month before cover date.MD201 Council of Governors: Ken Bradford C1,Rhys Roberts C2, Alan Cunningham N1, Allan McDonald N2,Deidre Schaefer N3, Bob Smith N4, Warren Latham N5,Ross Gibbins Q1, Gary Kenny Q2, Robert (Rob) Craig Q3,Delwyn Hallett Q4, George Bugeja T1, Stan Falloon V1-4,Stewart Pyers V2, David Barnes V3, Chandra Mangalore V5,Lynn Fredericks V6, Colin Strafford Heap W1,Alan John Hawkins W2Distribution 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 Barry J. Palmer, NorthMaitland, Australia; Immediate Past President Wayne A.Madden, Auburn, Indiana, United States; First Vice PresidentJoseph Preston, Dewey, Arizona, United States; SecondVice President Dr. Jitsuhiro Yamada, Minokamo-shi, Gifu-ken, Japan. Contact the officers at Lions Clubs International,300 W. 22nd St., Oak Brook, Illinois, 60523-8842, USA.

Directors First year: Fabio de Almeida, São Paulo, Brazil;Lawrence A. “Larry” Dicus, California, United States;Roberto Fresia, Albissola Marina, Italy; Alexis VincentGomes, Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo; Cynthia B. Gregg,Pennsylvania, United States; Byung-Gi Kim, Gwangju, Korea;Esther LaMothe, Michigan, United States; Yves Léveillé,Quebec, Canada; Teresa Mann, Hong Kong China; Raju V.Manwani, Mumbai, India; William A. McKinney, Illinois,United States; Michael Edward Molenda, Minnesota, UnitedStates; John Pettis Jr., Massachusetts, United States; RobertRettby, Neuchatel, Switzerland; Emine Oya Sebük, Istanbul,Turkey; Hidenori Shimizu, Gunma, Japan; Dr. StevenTremaroli, New York, United States.

Second Year: Benedict Ancar, Bucharest, Romania; Jui-TaiChang, Multiple District 300 Taiwan; Jaime Garcia Cepeda,Bogotá, Colombia; Kalle Elster, Tallinn, Estonia; StephenMichael Glass, West Virginia, United States; Judith Hankom,Iowa, United States; John A. Harper, Wyoming, UnitedStates; Sangeeta Jatia, Kolkata, West Bengal, India; SherylM. Jensen, Rotorua, New Zealand; Stacey W. Jones, Florida,United States; Tae-Young Kim, Incheon, Korea; Donal W.Knipp, Missouri, United States; Sunil Kumar R.,Secunderabad, India; Kenneth Persson, Vellinge, Sweden; Dr. Ichiro Takehisa, Tokushima, Japan; Dr. H. Hauser Weiler, Virginia, United States; Harvey F. Whitley, North Carolina, UnitedStates.

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

C O N T E N T S

4 International President’s report

5 Sabra Lane’s Youth of Year memories

6 Lions action

8 Council Chairman’s report

10 Lions & View clubs

12 Measles & rubella fight

13 A labrador named Greg

14 Lion Jimmy Carter

18 Helping out after Typhoon Haiyang

20 Onchocerciasis in Cameroon

22 Where memories are made

24 Around the Nation

26 6 standout LCIF stories

Page 22 - Camp of memories

Page 17 - Giving back sight

Page 14 - Fighting blindness

Our c

over

ContributionsContributions for the April - May 2014 issue

should be submitted by March 1 to The

Editor, Lion magazine, Fawcett Media, 20

Millett Rd, Gisborne South, Victoria 3437 or

emailed to [email protected].

COVER: Whether it’s helpingyouth with an annual camp(page 22) or working with thefamous such as Bill Gates(page 12) and former U.S.President and current LionJimmy Carter (page 14) onworthy projects, ourorganisation has never beenmore buoyant.


Lion

How strong are we when we serve together?“Individually, we are one drop. Together weare the ocean,” wrote a Japanese poet. “Thesecret is to gang up on the problem, not oneach other,” said an American businessman.“Alone we can do so little; together we can doso much,” insisted the great Helen Keller.

In this month’s LION magazine on page 14,former U.S. President Jimmy Carter explains to usin his own words the power of partnership. TheCarter Center and Lions have saved the sight ofmillions of people. A Lion, former President Carterunderstands the value of serving together. We areproud of his accomplishments, proud of him as afellow Lion and proud to serve alongside hiscentre in preventing blindness.

Lions clubs epitomise collaboration andpartnership. It’s easy to write a cheque. Buteffecting lasting change requires bandingtogether with like-minded people to knock downbarriers to opportunity and self-realisation.

Dreams mean little and amount to nothing ifwe keep them to ourselves and try to achievethem all on our own. To Follow Your Dreamnecessitates going down the path of teamworkand collaboration. Your clubs are dream makers.You dream it, and your fellow Lions can achieveit.

Anyone who has accomplished great thingsrealises that family, friends or mentors paved theway. We Lions have one another. We must lean onone another to recruit and retain members,especially women, help the needy throughmicrofinance and other means, and increase ourvisibility through social media. Remember thatevery great dream begins with a dreamer whohas patience, passion and a preference forpartnering.

The family thatvolunteers together…A close-knit town of 1,500, Colebrook inConnecticut in the U.S. has a low crime rate,highly ranked public schools and a Lions clubthat dreams of more members and moreservice.

Members recently met at a YMCA camp to plottheir future. They tossed around a lot of goodideas. “What motivates people to serve is theirkids,” Ray Winn, a Lion for 27 years, told theRegister Citizen. Brad Bremer insisted that theclub should capitalise on the “brand recognition”of Lions. Shari Gray argued that the public needsto see the club as “a well-oiled machine”. By theend of the day the members established newcommittees for membership, communicationsand agenda and left with a renewed purpose togrow the club.

Lions, what is your dream for your club? Whatprograms and projects will attract members of allages and both sexes?

April is Family and Friends Month for Lions.Invite family and friends to learn, serve andcelebrate with your club. Organise a serviceproject such as a tree planting or book drive, hostan open house or throw a picnic. Be part of theLions World Lunch Relay on April 4. Schedule alunch that day as a way to connect your familyand friends with family and friends of Lionsworldwide. Register your event with Lions ClubsInternational and enter Lunch Relay contests forthe most participants, best theme and biggestfood drive. The entry form and more informationare at www.lionsclubs.org.

Volunteering together as a family istremendously rewarding. Studies show that itpasses on family values to children, helpschildren pick a path in life, develops new skills forboth children and adults and increasesinterpersonal communication and the problem-solving abilities of family members. Remember

that family members can receive a special duesdiscount when joining the same club.

Throughout the year, clubs need to improve theclub experience to attract and retain members.Our own research has shown that Lions remainLions because they enjoy the experience. Theylike the service the club does and feel comfortablewithin the club.

Don’t wait. Dream a membership goal anddevise an action plan that works for your club.The roar you hear will be your club’s.

Reinvent yourself asa social media starI made my living selling homes. To be asuccess – and business was brisk for me –you had to use all the tools at your disposal.

Newspaper ads in particular helped showcasehomes and attract buyers. That was then. Today,as I am sure you know, the Internet is crucial tothe real estate business. The point is that youhave to adapt or wither and die.

Lions clubs don’t sell a product, of course. Butwe do have to sell ourselves in the marketplaceof perception, visibility and viability. Lions don’thave to be hip. But we need to be out there – onthe web, Facebook, Twitter and so forth.

Sometimes the smartest, most capable peoplefall behind the pack because of an inability toadapt and be flexible. “I think there is a worldmarket for maybe five computers,” ThomasWatson, chairman of IBM, famously said in 1943.“Who the heck wants to hear actors talk?” saidH. M. Warner of Warner Brothers in 1927.

“We don't like their sound and guitar music ison the way out,” according to the DeccaRecording Co. in rejecting the Beatles in 1962.

Well, conversely in 2014 you don’t have to be agenius to promote Lions and in so doing addmembers, especially younger members, drawmore people to events and improve club morale,communications and attendance.

I’m a convert myself to social media. I’ve beenon this green earth for a number of years nowand had to relearn my ways of doing things. Inow write a blog for the LCI website, sharephotos on my Facebook page and watch funnyand informative Lions videos on YouTube. Idreamt of a new Barry, one who was in tune withthe times. Follow Your Dream. Reach for the skyand zoom through cyberspace. You’ll enjoy theride, and your club will shine like a shooting star.

Barry J. Palmer, Your Lions ClubsInternational President

By Barry J. Palmer AM,Lions ClubsInternational President

4

H A I L T H E F O R M E R U . S .H A I L T H E F O R M E R U . S .P R E S I D E N T, A P R O U D L I O NP R E S I D E N T, A P R O U D L I O N


5December - January 2013/14

It was a birthday party to end all celebrations.Each year for several years Sydney (Host) Lions Club

has invited 100-year-olds to afternoon tea with theGovernor of NSW at Government House ... and this yearwas better than ever with 40 centenarians attending.

In a wonderful get-together and despite few guestsknowing one another, the noise of conversation grewwith talk about old times that only they couldremember and discuss.

The highlight of the afternoon came when NSWGovernor Marie Bashir visited every table and spoke toevery one of the centenarians, the oldest being VioletRobbins who has attended 11 previous centenarianafternoon teas.

President Cate Turner has organised the past sixevents.

The ritual started when the then club presidentdiscussed the idea when the Governor was made anhonourary member of his club.

Today she is known nationally as a top ABC political reporter but about three decadesback Sabra Lane was a national finalist in the Lions Youth of the Year quest.

Sabra, from Mildura, was the “S” Districts winner for 1984-85, and subsequently attended theNational Final in Launceston.

Now based in Canberra and heard most mornings on the AM current affairs program, Sabraremembers the quest with great fondness.

“I was pretty ordinary at those impromptu speeches (great training for what I do now: the last-minute interview … quickly thinking on your feet, to think of and ask questions that probe theinterview talent).

“It gave me great experience in public speaking, it boosted my confidence, it made me curiousabout the world around me and that curiosity fed my ambition to be a journalist.”

For more on Sabra’s Youth of the Year experiences, read Brian Williams’ Youth of the Year reporton page 30 of this issue.

ABC reporter Sabra Lane’s happy ‘Youth of the Year’ memories

4000 NOT OUT!40 centenarians gather for a

joyous Lions bash

Centenarian Violet Robbins, about to celebrate her 112thbirthday, and daughter Gail. Violet has attended the event forthe past 11 years.

Calling all kissers

Time to pay lipservice to a world

smooching record

.

There’ll be some lip-smacking action going on in March when Minnamurra Lions onthe NSW South Coast launch an attempt on the Guinness World Record for thelargest number of couples simultaneously kissing.

The kiss-athon will be part of the club’s Autumn Fest 2014 on Sunday, March 23It will be held at Kiama's Black Beach reserve with funds going to the MS Research

Foundation through its Kiss Goodbye to MS project.As a guide to what’s needed to break the record, the Guinness organisation’s last

published kissing record involved 39,879 people locking lips at an event in Mexico in 2009.However, there are claims that figure might have risen to more than 40,000. For more

details, contact Lions Club of Minnamurra secretary Roger Millburn on 0408 766 533.

Post-bushfire life made easierLions and Rotary clubs brought a little

festive happiness to those affected by

October’s devastating bushfires in the Blue

Mountains west of Sydney.

The clubs provided barbecue trucks for

street barbecues for anyone who requested

them and are generally got involved in

recovery operations.

More than 200 homes were lost in the

region, and included among those made

homeless was Winmalee Lions President John

Donohue whose home burnt to the ground.

John, who intends to rebuild, said some

people are coping better than others and that

some are finding it hard to ask for help.

"You can’t stand around grieving for too

long,” he told the ABC. “You’ve got to get on

and do things," he said.

“We’re going through that process of

suffering a loss. The number of times we

have a laugh about it, someone says, ‘I’ve got

such and such' and you say, ‘I’ve got – no, I

had such and such’ and those kind of

comparisons.

“We have those memories because we're

alive and we share those memories because

we share the joy of having them at the time,

with our friends and family and partners, so

we’re extremely blessed in this recent

incident by not losing any lives at all, people

are just shaking their head with wonder at

that.”

One of the initial Lions projects in the

recovery phase was the distribution of $150

vouchers to hire tools from the local Valley

Heights hire shop.

An initial $40,000 was put aside for this

project.


Lion6

LIONS ACTION

If Wangaratta Lions get their way, young drivers will be among thesafest travelling on our roads.

Through the Lions Club of Wangaratta - Apex Road Safety School, theonly organisation of its type outside the metropolitan area of Melbourne,members are encouraging traffic awareness and understanding of roadsafety signals and information.

The project allows children to gain confidence and develop roadsafety skills away from the dangers of our busy roads.

The Apex Traffic School was started by the Merriwa-Wangaratta ApexClub in 1970 and was handed over to Wangaratta Lions in July last year.It covers a large area including six municipal councils.

Before the handover, more than $25,000 and hundreds of hours oflabour were devoted to upgrading the facility.

With assistance from sponsors, Lions purchased 20 new tricycles andolder trikes were refurbished.

The facility, which has functioning traffic lights, a pedestrian crossing,railway crossing with lights, and a roundabout, is hired out for family

Daily life for many blind people will becomea little easier thanks to the devicepictured here.

It’s a new Australian Lions VisualIndependence Foundation barcodescanner.

The ID Mate Bar Code Scanner,called the Quest, is also a memorecorder.

As well as being slightlylighter, Quest has wifi capability,a camera, Skype capability andcan also act as an MP3 player.

One of its most wonderfulnew innovations though is its ability to read currency. In a wifi area, the scanner can read a currency note in the user’s hand about 30cm away – and then inform the userwhich note it is.

This gives a sense of assurance and independence to the user and helps inensuring the correct change is given.

Already it’s proving popular with the blind community.“We receive approximately 30 grant applications per month for people who

need these machines and we thank the individual Lions clubs around Australiafor their continuing sponsorship of machines,” says Ann Eldridge of theAustralian Lions Visual Independence Foundation.

For queries about the talking bar code reader, or information about ALVIF,contact Executive Officer Arthur Uren on 1300 787 469.

New scan for life

SMILE A WHILE: ClarindaLions (V5) recently upgradeda three-wheel bike forcerebral palsy suffererNathan. They say a picturerepresents a thousandwords and this one certainlydoes ... the smile on his facesays it all.

KEEPING KIDS SAFE ON ROADS

parties on weekend days and school holidays. The two paid facilitator/teachers are VicRoads accredited and trained

kindergarten teachers. The lead facilitator arranges classes with the assistanceof Lions and Lions Ladies who hold “Working with Children Checks”. In sixmonths the facility conducted more than 1,100 sessions with 4-6-year-olds.

Smile says it all


7December - January 2013/14

Kareem’s little helper

A record tumbles

Best friend on the fridge

Attached to the front of a refrigerator, thisbook has saved lives simply by being there.

It enables paramedics to immediately reviewa patient’s medical history and medications theymay be on before treating and stabilising themprior to transport to a hospital. Immediateaccess to patient’s records save valuableminutes and those minutes can save lives.

A testimonial received from AssociateProfessor Bill Griggs AM ASM, Director of theTrauma Services at the Royal Adelaide Hospital,states: “I have seen the Emergency MedicalBook in use on many occasions over a number of years.

“A consistent and easily accessible record of key medical information can be vitaland even lifesaving.

“I have personal experience where the information gathered by the paramedics, andpassed to hospital doctors, has enabled key lifesaving medical treatment to beginearlier than otherwise would have been possible. This has saved lives. I thoroughlyrecommend it”.

The EMIB project, now a combined Rotary/Lions project, has distributed more than amillion books through clubs throughout Australia, more than 150,000 of these by Lionssince they became involved.

A recent article in the Centrelink “News for Seniors” distributed to over 2.5 millionpeople created a huge response from the public wanting books for themselves andfriends.

This is a Multiple District category “B” project run by the Lions Club of BlackwoodDistrict (C2).

For any information regarding the project, visit www.emib.org.au or contact thechairman Bernie Donohue at [email protected], telephone (08) 8370 0471.

Imagine a child with a severe vision impairment beginningschool without the assistance of a much-needed brailler?

Five-year-old Kareem Hamze needed a MountbattenBrailler, a piece of educational equipment as relevant to him asbooks and pencils are to his fully-sighted peers.

Through the combined efforts of Lions, Rotary and theCommonwealth Government, Kareem who recently completedhis preschool education at the Royal Institute for Deaf andBlind Children (RIDBC) at North Rocks, is now better equippedin beginning “big school” this year.

Part funding was available via a grant from the Better Startfor Children with Disability Initiative program under theDepartment of Social Services. Carlingford-Dundas Lions and anumber of other service clubs were approached by RIDBC tohelp Kareem receive his Mountbatten Brailler and itsassociated Mimic Display before the 2014 school year.

The Lions took up the challenge, as did the Rotary Club ofRevesby Wirrimbirra. Following an approach, the LionsNSWACT Save Sight Foundation also came to Kareem’s aid.

Conditions might have been sweltering but NSW’s VallaLions scored a record-breaking $16,916 from their latestfestival.

A highlight came when the Rural Fire Brigade turned ontheir hoses so visitors could get a feel of the power of thewater by aiming the hoses at witches’ hats.

Sausages and steak sandwiches were sold out by12.30pm.

Two-thirds of the money will be shared among localschools and charities, with the final third going to nationalcharities including the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, theHearing Dogs Association and a number of cancer researchorganisations.


8 Lion

From Council Chairman Gary

Dear members of theLions family,

As I write this it isnow January and wehave entered thesecond half of ourLions year.

Reflecting back onthe activities of

December we were very impressed with theSpecial Olympics in Newcastle. The outcomes theyachieved were outstanding. They launched a newathletic program for Australia focusing on thejuniors. Watching them strive to attain personalachievements was most encouraging.

I was invited to a Christmas function with JUAUnderwriting Agency, responsible for all insurancematters associated with Lions Australia. Ken Welsh,the Executive Chairman of the company, advised usthat our organisations have had a 35-yearrelationship (see story at right), which makes ustheir oldest client. What a great achievement.

January saw the Youth of the Year state winners

go to New Zealand for the Youth Camp and thenreturn to Merimbula for the National winner’s visit toher home area. Molly Campbell was very wellhosted by the Lions Club of Pambula Merimbulawhen she took her fellow state winners to see herpart of the world. Unfortunately Jesse Trecco-Alexander was unable to join the group as heneeded to go home because of a family illness. Itook the opportunity on Tuesday 7th January totravel to Merimbula and join the group for the dayas they explored the South Coast of NSW fromPambula to Bermagui. I was pleased to have thisopportunity to meet them all and learn of theirambitions for the year ahead.

January was also Council Meeting month, alongwith the training of the District Governors elect,Cabinet Secretaries and partners of DistrictGovernors elect. It was a busy time in Sydney over

these special days. l wish to acknowledge the hardwork and commitment to this training by Lions LadyLois, Tim Irvine and Carlene King along withGraham Allen.

Our Council Meeting was very productive. LionsAustralia has been a signatory to the Organ andTissue Authority’s National Communication Chartersince 2009. There has not been any consistentcommitment by our organisation to the Authoritysince that time. This meeting saw us make a formalcommitment to provide an ongoing involvement withLions clubs through a series of activities over theLions year (see story page 16). It was decided tochange our status with the Organ and TissueAuthority to become a “DonateLife CommunityPartner” as this does not carry with it theresponsibility of year-round promotion of organ andtissue donation. Other details from our CouncilMeeting will be made available to members.

Clubs are being invited to participate in the LionsLongest Lunch Relay on Friday 4th April. This willform part of the April Family and Friend Month andis designed to have clubs host a continuing lunch

around the world in itsdifferent time zones. Asthe Lunch relay movesfrom time zone to timezone it will steadily makeits way around theworld. You need toregister for the eventand then celebrate withphotos and a sharing ofthe fun of the day. Whata wonderful way to invitea potential member toshare in a Lions event.

March is MembershipMonth and we should allbe looking at ways wecan take advantage of

this special time to promote Lions and invite newmembers to join us. There is an invitation to everymember to make this promotion of membershipwork for your club. You know it really is just amatter of asking someone to come and see whatwe do to obtain Two More Hands.

The preparation for our National Convention inTamworth at the beginning of May is progressingvery well. The program is slowly being completed toensure we deliver to you a memorable experience.One of the special events will be the combinedDistrict Dinner at the Equine Centre. You will beentertained as well as having the opportunity to mixwith other Lions from all over Australia. It is time toregister and complete that process to ensure youare there to enjoy an excellent event.

We have had to say farewell to our son Davidand his family as they have moved to Edinburgh for

the next 12 months while David undertakes aFellowship year at the Edinburgh Hospital. There areno easy ways to say goodbye!! The plus side is wehave the opportunity to go and visit two of ourchildren who will now live an hour apart from eachother in Scotland.

Keep up the excellent work that you continue todo in your local community. – Gary Parker

35 YEARS IS A LONG TIMEThe relationship between Lions Australia andJUA Underwriting Agency makes us theiroldest client with a 35-year history.

The Insurance Committee was formed on the1st July 1977. At that time the broker wasHoffman Insurance Brokers which was sold toJardine Insurance Brokers. This led to theformation of JUA. Frank Hoffman, a Lion, was thenprincipal of Hoffman Insurance Brokers.

Frank Hoffman kicked off JUA after the sale toJardine. Initially the committee started with justthe personal accident policy and their involvementrose because the Lion agent handling the policysuggested he could not achieve better limits underthe policy than the applicable $100 per week.

PDG Bob Korotcoff is the Lions AustraliaInsurance consultant and the last remainingmember of the original committee. The committeeconsisted of Syd McDonald, a leading insuranceman in Australia at the time; Alex Tanner fromSouth Australia and Chick Wilson from Sydneyalong with Bob. PDG Bob’s involvement camebecause he was then the manager of an insurerwhich he claimed could improve on the $100weekly benefit and did in fact do so. The companyno longer exists. Jim McLardie was the LionsExecutive Officer at this time.

Since then the package of policies hasdeveloped greatly. A big advantage of the currentsituation is that as a cover holder for Lloyd’s andalso for Lumley the majority of all claims aresettled by JUA and do not reach the insurer untilafter settlement. The relationship between JUAand the insurers has given Lions Australia a goodadvantage in the settlement of claims.

Over the years there have been some rathersignificant amounts paid, particularly followingbushfires in Victoria and South Australia.Unfortunately, there have been 13 death claims forLions/Partners fatally injured whilst involved withLions Activities.

It is important we have such an enduringrelationship that gives member protection andcover for clubs. We are grateful for the ongoingcommitment from the JUA Underwriting AgencyExecutive Chairman, Mr Ken Welsh, to providesuch workable and useful policies.

Council Chairman Gary with Youth of the Year winners Tim O’Donnell (WA), MollyCampbell (NSW), Julian Lambert (TAS), Laura Gollant (VIC) and Katerina Blekic (SA).


February - March 20149

From Executive Officer Rob

There was much interest in the small South Australian

town of Balaklava when Lions Christmas cakes thought

to be from the 1990s were discovered during

redecorating of the local ANZ bank building.

Three white-boxed cakes were found in the bank’s fireplace.

One of the cakes seemed in perfect condition, just right for

eating – but no-one was taking any chances.

The cakes were being analysed to check if they’re still

edible.

This takes the cake!The ancient Chinese game ofMahjong is raising funds fora variety of Sydney charities.

Recently the Lions Club ofSydney held its third Mahjongfundraising charity competition.

President Janey Tham tookoff first prize in the contest, heldat Kam Fook Shark’s FinSeafood Restaurant inChatswood.

Managed by coordinatingsecretary Helena Wong, formerPresident Betty Pang andmembership director Lin Abbott,the event attracted Lions, theirfamilies and friends.

Divided into three rounds ofabout two hours each,opponents had to change atevery other round.

WINNING WAYS: Mahjong winnerJaney Tham is joined by fellowcontestants at the Sydneyfundraiser.

Sydney’s Mahjong masters

Happy New YearLions.

I write this article afew days beforeAustralia Day. This day,as well as being veryimportant to our nation,is one that sees LionsClubs being highlyvisible and active in the

community. We will see many clubs involved incitizenship ceremonies, Australia Day celebrationsand picnics and in local shows and parties. OurLions Clubs ethics are important to us andhonouring our country and distinguished Australiansis part of: “Always to bear in mind my obligations asa citizen to my nation, my state, and my community,and to give them my unswerving loyalty in word,act, and deed.”

Combining the Mint and Cake CommitteesUp to now at the Multiple District level there have

been two committees, one for Cakes/Puddings andone for Mints/Fudge. This means a potential sevenpersons for each committee, giving 14 persons intotal. When one looks at the 19 districts, over halfhave cakes and mints handled by one Lion not two.

Cakes are a program that requires a fair amountof effort over a short period of months, whereasmints is a year-round program. One person canpromote both programs just as easily as one. For

this reason Council has resolved to combine theCake and Mint Committees into a single Committee.

There are some great opportunities for Lions witha flair for marketing and organisation to take up oneof these new positions, so I would encourage you toconsider the positions advertised in this magazine.

Oz-ClubhouseThank you to all of our Club webmasters who

have been patient with us while we rebuild the Oz-Clubhouse system. By the time this magazinearrives in your mailbox, the new system should beoperational. You may not notice the improvementsto look at your website, but the changes to thetechnology ‘behind the scenes’ means it shouldwork better, and will be far easier to keep up todate and improve over time.

And of course, it is still free for any club andDistrict to use.

Thank you to Multiple District Webmaster AlexMaitland who has been managing this transition.

March to May Membership driveFollowing on from our successful membership

focus last year, we will again be focusing onrecruitment of new Lions during March, April andMay this year. It’s time to reflect on thesatisfaction, enthusiasm and pleasure that YOUhave received from your membership of ourorganisation. Why not find others in our communityto pass on this gift? Remember too, that March toMay is a time when we can all look after our

existing members, and through care and friendship,keep our organisation strong for the future.

I will, in closing, share a comment from onefuture Lion who asked to be considered formembership through our website’s how-to-joinpage.

What made you think about joining LionsAustralia?

“I would like to offer my skills, knowledge andheart for the community of which I am part.

“Your slogan appeals to me most: One moremember gives us two more hands.”

– Rob Oerlemans

Coming up• Register for the Tamworth MultipleDistrict Convention. It will be busy and someevents are strictly limited in numbers. Go tohttp://lionsclubs.org.au/conventions/tamworth-2014/ for information.• The Sid Packham Award. Entries close 28February 2014.• Registration for the InternationalConvention is open.

• Notices of Motion. Ordinary andConstitutional Notices of Motion are to bereceived by the Executive Officer before 3March 2014.


10 Lion

VIEW Clubs of Australia (VIEW) and Lionshave joined forces to help Australianchildren in need.

The two clubs share like-mindedobjectives, volunteering and fundraising inlocal communities for important causes.

VIEW stands for the Voice, Interests andEducation of Women. As a national women’svolunteer organisation and support network,VIEW provides women with the opportunity tomeet regularly with other women from allwalks of life, establish lasting friendships andhelp disadvantaged Australian childrenthrough supporting the work of The SmithFamily.

Over 18,000 women meet in 353 clubsthroughout Australia and raise in excess of $1million each year for The Smith Family – anational children’s charity helping youngAustralians in need to fully participate ineducation so they can create better futuresfor themselves and break the cycle ofdisadvantage.

Now VIEW members are selling Lions cakesand puddings in their local communities, withproceeds going towards disadvantagedAustralian children.

Working with the Lions Clubs, VIEWmembers hope to broaden distribution outletsfor Lions products and increase sales.

To find out which VIEW clubs are in yourarea please visitwww.thesmithfamily.com.au/view

About VIEW and The Smith FamilyEach year The Smith Family supports112,124 children, young people andparents in 96 communities acrossAustralia, including 34,480 children andyoung people who receive a SmithFamily Learning for Life sponsorship.

VIEW members sponsor over 1,000disadvantaged children through this program.

As well as fundraising and sponsorship,similar to Lions Club members, VIEWmembers volunteer their time and talents.Each year VIEW contributes nationally over50,000 hours to support programs forchildren and young people in need for TheSmith Family.

In a range of ways VIEW members help The

Lions and There’s a new jointpush to supportyoung people needinga little help

The small NSW Central West country townof Dunedoo took its annual art show, ArtUnlimited, to the next level … and then thenext.

Now the town is known far and wide for itscreative community spirit.

Seven years ago, Dunedoo Lions decided itsarts and crafts show needed a new level ofsophistication. It wanted entries from across awider area – and an event that would raise thetown’s profile and give locals a sense of prideand ownership.

The success of Art Unlimited is testament tothe vision of Dunedoo Lions, their hard workingcommittee and the many members of thecommunity who supported it

With a population of just 800, Dunedoo hasgone from a blank canvas to a colourful collageon the regional arts scene.

Last year more than 500 entries werereceived across the competition’s threecategories of hanging art, photography andceramics. Artists from across Australia competedfor prize money of $11,000. This year’s event,on May 23-25 May, is expected to draw evenmore entries and attract hundreds of visitors.

“Any country town can improve its image andits self-esteem by creating a vibrant communityarts event,” says Penny Stevens, an organiser ofArt Unlimited. “All it needs is the commitment totake an event to the next level. Many small

communities, and some surprisingly biggerones, have a local art show run by a communityservice group or a local council merely to meetan expectation. Art is about skill andimagination, and that goes for its promotion aswell as its execution.

“Dunedoo Lions had that imagination and setabout involving people in the community whowere able to contribute a range of skills thatbrought the project together.”

Dunedoo’s experience has shown that anevent like Art Unlimited can build communityspirit through cultural engagement and is apowerful example of how challenges can be metwith creative solutions.

“I don’t believe the event could have been thesuccess it has become without the work of Lionsand the determination of its members to bring anevent of real cultural significance to the town.”

The growing status of Art Unlimited can begauged by the fact the family of the late ProHart, a lifelong champion of regional art,provides the $3000 prize for hanging art andthe region’s leading design and print company,Print Storm, provides $3000 for photography.Other prize donors include Orana Arts,progressive Mudgee gallery Fairview ArtSpace,Dubbo’s Macquarie River Arts Traders, and ABCWestern Plains. A People’s Choice prize is givenby Sullivans Dunedoo. Further details:

www.artunlimitednsw.com.au

Taking art to the next levelLaunched by Lions, this art show has gained nationalnotice, along with a sizeable prize from the family of thelate Pro Hart

Raylee Hart (left), widow oficonic outback artist Pro Hart,with Dunedoo Lions Libby andTony Yeo. The Hart familydonated the $3000 prize forhanging art at Art Unlimited.


February - March 2014 11

View Clubs unite for our kids

Smith Family reach its goal of improvingeducational outcomes for children in need.For example, members read with localchildren to advance their literacy skills; helpchildren with home work at after-school Smith

Family Learning Clubs; act as mentors forstudents; make library bags; donate schoolstationery packs for use at home and school;and donate funds for toys and books forchildren in need at Christmas time.

GETTING TOGETHER: Margaret Watkins from Victor Harbor VIEW Club with Victor Harbor Lions ClubPresident Ian McCallum selling Lions Christmas Cakes and Puddings. And (below) Southern Vales VIEW Clubprepares a luncheon for an Aberfoyle Park Lions event.

FIGTREE LADY LIONSFigtree Lions and Figtree VIEW Club havelong standing associations since theVIEW Club’s inauguration 45 years ago in1969.

At this time the wives of Figtree Lions wereinvited to join the forming VIEW Club and manyof these women have continued as VIEWmembers, forming strong friendships with theLions and supporting each other throughcommunity projects.

Both clubs are continuing to grow and oftennew Lions member’s wives become VIEWmembers. There are currently 10 FigtreeEvening VIEW Club members married toFigtree Lions, known as “Lady Lions”.

Lions and VIEW Club members on a social walkto the top of Mount Kosciuszko ... pictured areDavid Johnson, Judy Mackay, Trevor Field, HelenJohnson, Sue Field, Ian Mackay.

Southern Vales VIEW connectswith Aberfoyle Park and McLarenVale Lions Last year Southern Vales VIEW Club madeplatters of food for a luncheon to judgedistrict finalists for the Lions Youth of theYear Awards hosted by Aberfoyle Park Lions.

Held at Braeview Primary School in HappyValley, the function was attended by the mayor,other dignitaries and around 40 people includingfamilies of the entrants, Lions Club and VIEW Clubmembers.

A donation paid from the Lions Club to VIEWClub went towards The Smith Family to support theeducation of disadvantaged Australian children.

For the second year Southern Vales VIEW Clubsold Lions Christmas Cakes and Puddings suppliedto them by the Lions Club of McLaren Vale. “Wewere excited to join forces again to raise funds forThe Smith Family. It’s a pleasure to sell such awell-known and liked product,” said MarlenePowell from Southern Vales VIEW Club.


$30 millionpartnership turns upheat in fight toeliminate thesedeadly diseasesThe new challenge for Lions is to raise $30million by our centenary year 2017.

Lions’ $30 million will be matched dollar fordollar by the U.K. Department of InternationalDevelopment or the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation, giving a total of $60 million in the fightagainst measles and rubella.

Bill Gates Sr, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation, said: “We are grateful for the continuedand generous commitment of Lions to improve thehealth of the world’s poorest children. Thispartnership will help to urgently reach all children, nomatter where they live, with the vaccines they need.”

“Giving the measles vaccine to children is one ofthe simplest things to do to protect them from thedisease and its dreadful consequences,” said the RtHon Justine Greening MP, the U.K.’s Secretary ofState for International Development.

“The funds raised by Lions members and matchedby the U.K. or the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundationwill mean that millions of children will have healthierand happier lives, able to better contribute to theircommunities.”

Measles is a highly infectious and deadly disease,killing an estimated 430 people daily, according tothe WHO, by weakening the immune system,making young children vulnerable to pneumonia,blindness, diarrhoea, hearing loss and braindamage.

We’ve had recent scares here in Australia wheremeasles has been brought back from overseas bytravellers.

But measles can be prevented with a safe and

inexpensive vaccine. The measles-rubella vaccinecosts less than $1 per dose.

Lions have entered into a partnership with theGAVI Alliance, whose mission is to save children’slives and protect people’s health by increasingaccess to immunisation in the world’s poorestcountries; an organisation formed by the Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation. The GAVI Alliance wasformerly known as the Global Alliance for Vaccinesand Immunisation.

This new partnership will enable Lions tocontinue to save lives with a simple, inexpensivevaccine. Lions play a key role in social mobilisationefforts by working with local leaders, co-ordinatingcommunity level publicity and serving as volunteersat vaccination centres.

In the next phase of the Lions-GAVI partnership,by 2020, more than 700 million children in 49countries will be immunised against measles andrubella.

Every donation is eligible to go towards a MelvinJones Fellowship (MJF) or ProgressiveMelvin Jones Fellowship (PMJF).

Please help Lions save lives bysending your donation cheque made outin Australian dollars to ‘LCI/LCIF LionsMeasles Initiative’ to your DistrictCabinet Treasurer.

For further information, go tohttp://vimeo.com/70038681 or contactyour LCIF District Co-ordinator.

MDC Nigel Jeny O.A.M.LCIF MD201 Co-ordinator

Lions lead measlesLions lead measlesand rubella fightand rubella fight

Lion12



A labrador named GregThis Righteous Pup is providing far more thancanine companionshipThere’s a new addition to a West Wollongong family’shousehold – and this one has four legs, can performtricks and is making a huge difference to two youngboys’ lives.

Enzo and Adriana Stranges are the first family in theIllawarra to receive a specially trained dog to assist their twoyoung boys who have moderate disabilities, including autism.

The arrival of two-year-old black Labrador Greg was madepossible thanks to Figtree Lions Club which raised almost$30,000 via a unique Night at the Opera function at DaptoLeagues Club last year.

Family members, friends and many others unknown to thecouple opened up their hearts and wallets to finance the$29,000 cost of obtaining a trained autism assistance dogfrom Victorian-based Righteous Pups.

Righteous Pups is on a mission to raise, socialise and trainassistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities.

Michael, 9, has a moderate intellectual disability, autism andADHD. He has many challenging behaviours caused by hisinability to comprehend the world as well as constant anxiety.

Gabriel, 7, also has a condition on the Autism SpectrumContinuum with one of his main obstacles being thedesperate need for a routine to allow him to cope.

Their parents, Enzo and Adriana, say the job of managingthe boys’ anxiety and anti-social behaviour is like “climbingMount Everest”.

However, that task has been made a little easier after thefamily took delivery of their beautiful new pet Greg, after anintensive two-week training session with Righteous Pups atBendigo in Victoria last July.

Greg is now firmly ensconced at their home and initialresults are encouraging.

“We learnt a lot in Bendigo, including how to work withassistance dogs; about how they have distinct personalities,about canine health and lots of other important things,”Adriana said.

“He’s great. We were a bit nervous about it at first but weare gradually getting used to him.”

Adriana said before Greg arrived their son Michael wouldnot go to sleep unless she or her husband was nearby. Alsohe would wake up during the night and move to his parents’bed. But having Greg sleep nearby on the floor had overcomethat problem.

“Greg can go anywhere with us. I think he is also a calminginfluence on the boys,” Adriana said. “It’s wonderful. We areso grateful to all the people who have helped us get Greg.”

Righteous Pups managing director Joanne Baker saidwhile their expanding programs and services were gettinggreat results, the organisation received no funding fromgovernments.

“The dogs are trained to find a child who has wandered offbecause children with autism don’t understand personalsafety and they’re often attracted to the very things that cancause them harm,” she said.

“For example, a child may be obsessed with water or trains

Michael and Gabriel’s lives have changeddramatically since the arrival of two-year-oldRighteous Pup Greg.

but do not understand personal safety sothey are often drawn to the very thingsthat are dangerous, which makes themvery vulnerable in our community.

“Autism assistance dogs are trained torecognise when a child is in an unsafesituation and to ‘distract’ the child awayfrom this.

“The dogs are trained to find a childthat has wandered off in the communityand often can find them before theycome to harm.”

Fifty per cent of kids with autism agedbetween 7 and 10 tend to abscond so itis very helpful to have an assistance dogwith them at all times.

– Geoff Failes

Why we toast LionsThe following was written and presented as a Toast to Lions Clubs Internationalby a visiting non-Lion dignitary. The dignitary was noted author and historianJudith Dunn OAM. Judith also happens to be the wife of a very proud PastDistrict Governor of N5, Lion Greg Dunn. Greg forwarded it to the Lion magazine inthe hope others will appreciate its message.

How I wish I could scoop you all up and take you to the next International Convention in

Canada. Because it wasn’t until I attended my first International Convention that I really

understood the world-wide component of Lions Clubs International. To rub shoulders with and

hear stories about Lions from Nepal, to stand in the dinner line with Lions from the Faroe

Islands, to attend sessions reproduced in the 13 official convention languages on Lions

projects in Namibia and Mozambique.

I am sure I am preaching to the converted here, but it does all of us good to stop for a

moment while bustling about on our latest club project or mowing lawns for frail seniors or

cooking the everlasting BBQs. Take the blinkers off and look worldwide and see the whole

vision which is so much more than our locality or district or country.

Each of us is like a drop of water – but we need to recognise that together we are a tsunami

of service flowing throughout the world and all instigated in 1917 by Melvin Jones. Now, 96

years later, there are approximately 1,400,000 members worldwide in 207 countries.

I challenge your club to research another Lions country, what are their projects? Not the

big countries like China, England or America – but what does your club know about Lions in

Burkino Faso, Andorra or the latest country to join our Lions family, Tajikistan – and all

approved and nurtured by Lions Clubs International.

In this year when we are represented so strongly on the international stage, let us

acknowledge the courage, determination and selfless attitude of Lions that have forever

changed the lives of millions throughout the world through our organisation.

Lions and guests, please join with me in a toast to Lions Clubs International.


Lion14

LION Magazine: River blindness has beeneliminated in Colombia. How were we able toaccomplish that?Carter: Let me first say I’m very proud of myrelationship with Lionism. I’m still considered to bea full-fledged Lion. I’m very grateful for thepartnership The Carter Center has with Lions ClubsInternational. We couldn’t do it without Lions.Everywhere I go I brag about what Lionism hasmeant to me.

The achievement in Colombia was a tremendousmilestone, not only in the Lions-Carter Centerpartnership but in the larger effort to eliminate riverblindness from Latin America and Africa. (LCIF)Chairperson Madden attended the ceremony in

Bogota, and his remarks on the work of Lions Clubsaround the world to prevent blindness and illiteracyreminded me of why I wear my pin with pride.

River blindness is a disease caused by wormsthat originated in Africa and was likely brought tothis hemisphere by the slave trade back in the1700s and 1800s. When The Carter Center adoptedriver blindness as one of our targeted diseases, itexisted in six countries in Latin America: Brazil,Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico andVenezuela. We began to see this as a relativelymilder form of onchocerciasis than existed in someplaces in Africa for several reasons. One of themost important is that the little black fly thattransmits the disease in Africa is much moreefficient than in Latin America. Another is that onlyabout 600,000 persons in six countries were at riskfor river blindness in Latin America, compared tomillions in Africa. So we saw Latin America is agood region to try new ideas that could lead toelimination.

Some of our experts at The Carter Center haveworked at the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention, which is next door to us in Atlanta. Theythought we should try to get rid of the adult worms,which concentrate in lumps in the skin callednodules, where they breed the microfilaria thatcause itching and discolouration of the skin andblindness.

So we thought, how can we fight this moreaggressively? We began working in closepartnership with the Ministries of Health, distributingin endemic areas doses of an oral tablet calledMectizan,® donated by Merck. In some places theprogram gave two doses a year and in some placesfour doses a year. We found to our pleasant surpriseand gratification that it worked over a period ofmany years to completely eliminate the worms. Sothat’s what we’ve done. It’s taken us a long time.We’ve been working with local Lions for more than20 years in the Americas, and they have providedimportant advocacy and technical expertise.Together with the Ministries of Health, we’ve nowgotten rid of the disease in almost all six countries.

There’s one small area on the border betweenVenezuela and Brazil where the disease still occurs.We’re working on that now. I’ve been fishing in thatparticular area and have met with some of theindigenous Yanomami people there. They movefreely back and forth across the river, the borderbetween the two countries. The Brazilian side of thisremote region is much more easily accessible. Sowe can get helicopters to transport the medicationto their side of the border. But we need to getpermission from both countries simultaneously to flythese Brazilian helicopters to the Venezuelan side toadminister the dosages.

Former U.S. President (and current Lion)Jimmy Carter on beating blindness The LION magazinetalks with the formerU.S. President on ourprogress againstblindness, hisdecades-long Lionsmembership and onstaying active as youage.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter joins Past District Governor Tebebe Y. Berhan ofEthiopia and John Moores, then board chairman of The Carter Center, during a visit toa remote village in Ethiopia affected by river blindness.

A young mother cradles her child in Mali wheretrachoma bacteria spreads easily.



What will it take to eliminate river blindnessin the rest of the Americas and Africa? Howclose are we?When we found out about seven or eight years agohow successful the program was in Latin America,we decided we would try it in localised regions ofAfrica. We decided to first try it in North Sudan andUganda. As always, working with the Ministries ofHealth, we’ve been successful interruptingtransmission in eight of our 18 locations in Ugandaand one location in North Sudan, which is now theRepublic of the Sudan. We are making very good

progress as assessed by our scientists. So The Carter Center has urged the World Health

Organization and other organisations that deal withsight saving to do what we have done, that is,target onchocerciasis to be eliminated instead ofjust controlled. Twenty-six years ago the CEO ofMerck, Dr. Roy Vagelos, told us he had a veterinarymedicine that would prevent river blindness. But youhad to give it every year. Merck producedMectizan®, a formulation of the medicine forpeople, and pledged to donate it for the control andelimination of onchocerciasis as long as needed.

So that’s what we’ve done, and many otherorganisations have joined The Carter Center tochange – this is a very dramatic and profoundlyimportant change – from controlling river blindnessby giving them one dose a year to giving them morethan one dose of Mectizan® in order to eliminatethe disease completely in that particular region of acountry. The Lions Clubs and LCIF are importantpartners of this river blindness work and haveprovided wonderful support in the Americas,Cameroon (see story page 20), Nigeria, Sudan,Uganda and Ethiopia.What progress have the Lions and The CarterCenter made on reducing trachoma?The Carter Center began partnering with LCIF ontrachoma in 1999. Jim Ervin, who at the time wasinternational president of Lions, travelled with

Rosalynn and me to Mali. We were accompanied bylocal Lions leaders to visit rural communities, andthat’s where we first met people blinded by thisterrible disease. We’ve done away with blindingtrachoma in Ghana and are continuing to work inendemic regions of Mali, Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria,Sudan and South Sudan.

We have done an incredibly good job in Ethiopia,which is thought to be the most highly endemiccountry on earth for its concentration of blindingtrachoma. We have used what is called the SAFEstrategy. Surgery is the first element. We have

trained thousands oflocal eye surgeons,mostly what would becalled in the Westernworld nurses, to do thissurgical procedure. Wegive them the sterilisedinstruments andinstruction on how touse them. The CarterCenter is one of theworld’s leadingfacilitators of eyelidsurgeries for advanced-stage trachoma.

Distributing antibioticsis the second part of thestrategy. I went to thePfizer corporationheadquarters a number

of years ago and got Pfizer to agree to donate themedicine Zithromax®. We’re now distributing theantibiotic, and this November we will celebrate amajor milestone with our Lions Clubs partners inEthiopia and with Pfizer: the 100 millionth dose ofZithromax® distributed with Lions-Carter Center-assistance.

The F part of the SAFE strategy is face washing.We go in and teach school kids and parents theadvantages of having their children wash their facesto prevent the spread of trachoma bacteria. Wewere getting reports from schoolteachers in thearea on what percentage of the children wash theirfaces in the morning, and occasionally we and theLions organisation would give a modest prize to theschool kids who did the best jobs of washing faces.

I’d say the most notable and interestingachievement is with the E or environmentalcomponent of the strategy, which is to get rid offlies – just plain houseflies similar to those I livedamong as a child. At the end of 2012, the Lions-Carter Center project in Ethiopia had been directlyresponsible for the building of 2.9 million latrines,which is very interesting. We were successfulbeyond our wildest imagination because it becamea women’s liberation movement. In many parts ofthe Africa, it’s completely forbidden or taboo for awoman to relieve herself in public. So the womenand girls, instead of going behind a bush, havehabitually relieved themselves in the house oraround it, which contributes tremendously to thespread of trachoma. The flies carry the infectionfrom one person to another.

We taught people how to create a latrine for lessthan a dollar. We taught them how to dig a hole inthe ground and fix the top of the ground so it won’tcave in as you squat over it and put a screenaround it to provide some privacy. We thought wemight have 10,000 latrines built at the end of thefirst full year. But we had 86,500 latrines built,because women adopted this as a way to give themmore freedom to use the bathroom whenever theyneed to. Now we’ve passed 2.9 million latrines, andthe local people have continued the practice andare building latrines on their own.

Ojok Charles, 16, of northern Uganda is blind due to river blindness. LCIF,The Carter Center and local Lions are assisting Uganda to eliminate thedisease by 2020.

Enthusiastic children from Amhara, Ethiopia, run to greet Ethiopian Lions and Carter Center staff.

CONTINUED OVER PAGE


16 Lion

You told Lions in 2007 at our internationalconvention that other than your marriageyour Carter Center’s partnership withSightFirst was the most important of yourlife. Please explain.

I was referring to Lionism in general. When Icame home from the Navy, I had no awareness atall of public service. I had been a submarine officerconcentrating exclusively for the previous 11 yearson my naval career. When I came home, whatopened my awareness of the outside world wasmy involvement as a Lion. I began to work onsmall projects like giving blood or collectingeyeglasses and selling brooms from the factory forthe blind. I ultimately became a district governor,and I was elected chairman of all the districtgovernors in Georgia. I had 208 Lions clubs inGeorgia. I visited as many as I could. I becameaware of the outside world and an opportunity toserve other people. That was a transforming eventin my life and led me to go into politics and toestablish The Carter Center after I left the WhiteHouse.

Thanks to Lions Clubs International Foundation'spartnership with The Carter Center, millions alreadyhave been protected from infection with trachomaand river blindness, and hundreds of thousandshave received eyelid surgery. Theseaccomplishments would not have occurred withoutLCIF's early investments and the constant supportand advocacy of Lions clubs on the ground.How is Mrs. Carter? You’ve been married 67years. It’s been, as you say, a greatpartnership, hasn’t it?

It really has. We’re still getting to know eachother. We have four children, 12 grandchildren andnine great-grandchildren. A lot of the oldergrandchildren are married. We have 34 membersof our family now. She is a full partner with me ineverything at The Carter Center. She founded andguides the Center’s Mental Health Program tocontinue a fight for good mental health care, whichis so important to her. We’re still getting along finewith each other.Like everyone else, some Lions are gettingolder. You maintain a remarkable schedule.How do you do it? What advice do you havefor staying active as you age?

As long as you do things that are exciting,unpredictable, adventurous and gratifying, you willstimulate your mind and stay healthy. If certainactivities are gratifying to you then you want tocontinue to be able do them. That encouragespeople to be more conscious about what they eatand about how much exercise they get. Workingon projects with the Lions and The Carter Centerhas given us this kind of personal reward.

The LION magazine interview with former U.S.President Carter was edited for length andclarity. Read about former President Carter andriver blindness at www.lionmagazine.org

Have you had a chat?It’s a conversation that could save lives!

DonateLife Week presents a great opportunity for Lions Australia members to encourage

their families, workplaces and communities to have the chat that saves lives.

This year’s DonateLife Week, Australia’s national awareness week to promote organ and tissue

donation, takes place from Sunday 23 February to Sunday 2 March 2014. During the Week, all

Australians will be encouraged to discover the facts about organ and tissue donation and to register

their donation decision on the Australian Organ Donor Register. Most importantly, we are asking all

Australians to have the chat that saves lives.

“This year Lions clubs are partnering with DonateLife NSW and Bunnings to run barbecues at 69

Bunnings stores across New South Wales during DonateLife Week. We are proud to have the support

and participation of Lions this year to help encourage the community to have the chat that saves

lives,” said Ms Yael Cass, CEO of the Organ and Tissue Authority (OTA).

“In the same way that we discuss what we want to have happen in the event of our death, we also

need to talk about whether we would like to become an organ and tissue donor. It’s a conversation we

need to have today to help prepare our loved ones, because should the situation arise they will be

asked to endorse our donation decision.”

“With one organ and tissue donor able to transform the lives of 10 or more people, it’s a conversation

that could one day save lives,” said Ms Cass.

In Australia the family will always be asked to confirm the donation decision of the deceased before

donation for transplantation can proceed. When families know the donation decision of a loved one,

they are more likely to support donation proceeding.

Ms Cass said, “Even if you have previously shared your donation decision with family members,

DonateLife Week is a great opportunity to remind your family about your donation decision, and to ask

and know their decision. Any day this week is a good day to have the chat with your family and close

friends.”

Less than one per cent of all hospital deaths occur in the specific circumstances where a person can

be considered for organ donation, although many more have the potential to become tissue donors. To

optimise every opportunity for potential donation, have the chat that saves lives this DonateLife Week.

“Lions Australia is a valued DonateLife Community Partner and we encourage Lions Australia members

to get involved in events taking place across Australia during DonateLife Week. These will include

community walks, film competitions, sporting events, university outreach, and engagement with

culturally and linguistically diverse communities and more.

“Participation can be as simple as committing to have a conversation with your loved ones during

DonateLife Week,” said Ms Cass.

A DonateLife Week Tool Kit is available for all members at

http://www.donatelife.gov.au/resources/donatelife-week-2014/donatelife-week-tool-kit

DonateLife Week is led by the Organ and Tissue Authority as part of the national DonateLife campaign

and supported by community events and activities across Australia.

For more information on how you can get involved this DonateLife Week visit www.donatelife.gov.au

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE



As achievements go, it’s a stunner. Since 1996the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)has helped well over 10,000 people regaintheir sight through corneal transplants.

A lot of the muscle has come from foundingmember the Victorian Lions Foundation.

Emanating from the Lions Eye Donation Service(formerly the Lions Eye Bank), CERA wasestablished 22 years ago as a joint project betweenthe Lions clubs of Victoria and southern NSWthrough the Victorian Lions Foundation, theUniversity of Melbourne Department ofOphthalmology and the Royal Victorian Eye and EarHospital.

In 2012, the donation service coordinated andfacilitated over 200 corneal/eye donors andprovided a record number of corneas for transplant,reducing waiting lists and times in Victoria forcorneal transplantation to the lowest ever.

These figures give a glimpse of where eyedonation and corneal transplantation are heading.The percentage of transplant surgeries using thenewer corneal endothelial transplant procedures isstill growing. Almost half of all corneas are now“pre-cut” prepared by the donation service for thesurgeon. This would have been unheard of fiveyears ago and represents a huge change in theresponsibilities and abilities of an eye bank.

The eye donation service entails much more than

performing purely technical tasks.Arguably, the most important work isdone during the interactions withbereaved family members and thegathering of accurate medical historiesfrom a variety of sources such asrelatives, medical and nursing staff,pathologists and general practitioners.This, combined with blood testing,retrieval surgery, processing and storage,transport and distribution, professionaleducation and public relations meansthat the donation service’s staff arecalling upon a multitude of diverse skillsevery day (and night) – truly a uniqueprofession in its own right.

The eye donation service works closelywith colleagues at the Donor Tissue Bankof Victoria and DonateLife (the OrganDonor Service), which continue to provideexcellent donor coordination services foreye donors (and donor families) who areadditionally tissue donors or organdonors.

The most important links in this eye donationchain, says Dr Graeme Pollock, director of the LionsEye Donation Service, Melbourne, are the donorsand their families.

“On behalf of the staff at the donation service, I

gratefully acknowledge the many donor familiesthat, often under difficult circumstances, have madethe decision to donate the gift of sight.”

To learn more about eye donation, visithttp://www.cera.org.au/our-research/lions-eye-donation-service or call (03) 9929 8709.

How 10,000 people havebeen given back the precious gift of sight

Thanks to the work of the Lions Eye Donation Service, more than10,000 have regained their sight through corneal transplants.

The Lions Club of Canberra Kambahbecame the go-to destination for Canberrabachelors and other men unfamiliar withwrapping Christmas presents.

For the third successive year Kambahmembers and supporters ran the gift-wrappingstand for Canberra’s busy TuggeranongHyperdome.

The wrapping service, which ran over fiveweeks leading up to Christmas, proved popularwith shoppers keen to put attractive packagesunder the tree to open on Christmas Day.

For a gold coin donation the Lions wrappedgifts ranging from the easy to the bizarre.Shoppers with jewellery and other small objectswere easily served while basketballs, puffypillows and other outsized items challengedlocal Lions.

The gift wrapping proved popular withboyfriends and bachelors keen to avoid the last

minute jitters that come with wrapping presentsfor girlfriends, mums and wives late onChristmas Eve. Busy mothers and professionalsalso valued the chance to have their giftswrapped while they caught up over coffee innearby cafes, and the service was a boon forworkers buying secret Santas for office parties.

The club also raffled off a trailer stocked with$2,500 worth of handyman and other goodiesand sold Lions’ famous red, green and blue-boxed cakes and puddings.

The club’s Christmas efforts raised nearly$13,000, with money supporting Lionsfoundations, major projects, local charities andfamilies in need over the coming year. Shoppersshowed their appreciation with many thankingthe club for its continuing contribution to localcauses.

Watch Kambah Lions wrap athttp://youtu.be/jrk1Zuf3PEA.

Christmas bachelors loved it!


Lion

Helping out after Typhoon Haiyang World Lions pitch in for victims of Philippines disaster

Sometimes words fail. Survivors say if you weren’t there when Typhoon

Haiyan struck the Philippines, it would be almostimpossible to understand the fear, the sense ofhelplessness or the despair that followed. Lookingat the aftermath, it is hard to believe that anyonecould survive a storm of such force.

“The scene on the ground is grim andheartbreaking, especially in Tacloban. There is noplace there that has a roof – schools, churches,

malls, government buildings. The city has lostpractically everything,” says Council Chairperson EmL. Ang of Lions Multiple District 301 in thePhilippines after a visit to the most devastated areasas part of the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Committee.“We have seen entire villages obliterated. I have nowords to describe what is left.”

Typhoon Haiyan, known as Typhoon Yolanda inthe Philippines, is estimated to have been thestrongest storm ever to hit land. Looking at thedevastation, that estimation is easy to believe.

As early reports of the typhoon’s destructionfiltered in from the Philippines, Lions ClubsInternational Foundation (LCIF) made $130,000available to Philippine Lions to provide immediaterelief. That amount quickly increased to $500,000through donations from Lions in neighbouringcountries and around the world. Within a month,LCIF had surpassed $1 million in donations andcommitments for disaster relief efforts including the

shipment of tents and waterfiltration units, or jerry cans.

“After visiting the most affectedarea, I can now understand andsympathise with the desperateneeds of the victims. Short-term,they need food, water and medicalsupplies. Then they will needassistance in clean-up,reconstruction and rebuilding. Andwe Lions will be there with themall the way,” says Ang. “The tentsand jerry cans will greatly help theaffected families as they slowlypick up the pieces of their livesshattered by Haiyan. Thanks toLCIF, the local Lions are betterable to help the victims rise abovethe debris and destruction. Iextend my sincere thanks for allthe support that LCIF has brought

our countrymen in these very difficult times.”The Philippines has 12,600 Lions in 380 Lions

clubs. Four clubs are in the capital city of Cebu inthe hardest-hit province, and one is in the hardest-hit town of Tacloban City. Immediately after thestorm, Lions went to work providing relief.

“I was humbled by the immediate and generoussupport of our Lions worldwide,” says LCIFChairperson Wayne Madden. “When I visited thePhilippines, I saw the damage that the typhoon haddone. Though buildings and communities aredamaged in the Philippines, the Lions spirit is not. Itis moments like these that demonstrate the largescale of Lions’ compassion and dedication toservice and humanitarian needs.”

The typhoon’s impact has been throughout thePhilippines. “Although my family and I were notdirectly affected by the super typhoon, in a way wehave been, because we feel the devastation,” says

Lion Lina Manacap. “All my gratitude goestoward those who have helped, big orsmall. You have eased a little of thevictims’ pain. I cannot thank you enough.”

To learn more, visit the LCIF website. Todonate, visit www.lcif.org/donate. To seemore photos search for #LionsRelief onFacebook.

TOP LEFT: In Barangay Liong, Lions passedout supplies on the roadside because thetyphoon demolished the village’s structures.

LEFT: Supplies arrive in Dumangas Port forLions’ relief efforts in Capiz.

FAR LEFT: Supplies come in buckets toresidents in Roxas City who lost everything.

By Allie Stryker



In a world rocked by frequent disasters, anearthquake that happened four years ago faraway can fade from memory.

But it’s a different story for those in the disasterarea. Some people who lost their homes in Haiti,devastated by an earthquake in January 2010, stillreside in tents.

But thanks to an initiative of Lions ClubsInternational Foundation (LCIF); the Lions of MultipleDistrict 111 in Germany; Lions of Haiti and HELP, aGerman nongovernmental organisation, 600 Haitianfamilies moved from tent cities into temporaryhomes. LCIF, HELP and ECHO (the humanitarian aiddepartment of the European Union) also are buildingpermanent homes and latrines for families in need.

With contributions from Lions clubs, districts andindividuals, $6 million was donated to LCIF forearthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Lions have helpedpeople regain a sense of normalcy. A key partnerhas been HELP, which provides disaster relief andencourages communities to take charge of theimprovements needed.

The three people profiled here are among themany thousands Lions and LCIF have assisted inHaiti. LCIF also helps Lions provide disaster relief allover the world, from the Philippines and Oklahomato Japan, India and wherever help is needed. If youwould like to contribute to LCIF’s disaster relieffund, please visit www.lcif.org/donate. Thank you foryour support.

– Allie Stryker

Guirlande Jean-Baptiste

Because of theearthquake, Jean-Baptiste,37, lost her job and had tomove to Camp Cospic withher two children. It was hardto find work, but sheeventually found a jobproviding cleaning servicesfor an NGO.

“This shelter means a lotto me,” says Jean-Baptiste,who moved into her newhouse a year ago. “I don’t have the means to builda house on my own … The life conditions in thecamp weren’t good. The tent didn’t protect us fromrain, heat or strong winds. It was terrible living there– imagine, with two teenagers – especially duringthe hurricane seasons and through the terriblestorms of last year, including hurricanes Isaac andSandy. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Louis AmaliaLouis Amalia, 80, moved into a house in

November 2012 after living in Camp Franck Hectorfollowing the earthquake.

“Before the earthquake I sold soap and biscuitsas my livelihood. Even in the camp I continued withthis activity but it was very hard because my stockwas destroyed by the earthquake,” says Amalia,who loves the intimacy of her house. “In the camp

you were never alone, except inside the small, darktent. With age, you need time for yourself, a quietplace where you can repose.”

Jean Felix RosélieA mother of four, Rosélie, 48, moved to Camp

Cospic with her children after the earthquake. Forthree years, they lived in a tent that was too small,too hot and offered little protection. Rosélie made aliving by selling secondhand clothing. Her familymoved into a house in November 2012.

“One year ago, my husband died and I was alonewith my four kids. It is very hard for me to carry allthe sorrows about the future of my kids on my ownshoulders,” she says. “I was very happy to moveinto the new house. Air goes through the windows,and there is intimacy. I quit selling clothes and amnow selling cold drinks and omelets from myhouse.”

Lions continue aid toHaiti earthquake victims

Thanks to LCIF efforts, earthquakevictims Louis Amalia (above), Jean

Felix Roselle (left) and GuirlandeJean-Baptiste (below) now have

roofs over their heads.


20 Lion

Onchocerciasis in Cameroon: The way forward

By Mohama Tchatagba

In her late 70s, widow Claire Ngon Mongo hasbeen blind for more than 25 years. Still, shefound a way to attend a local river blindnessmeeting one rainy morning in October.

Born in the village of Metounga in Cameroon,Mongo currently lives in Edea, a coastal city locatedupstream of the fast-flowing Sanaga River. Like allsmall cities located on the banks of the river, Edeadoes not escape the bites of the black fly. Becauseof this, the parasite that causes onchocerciasis(river blindness) is carried from one person toanother, transmitted through the tiny black fly.

Onchocerciasis causes extreme itching and eyelesions. After long-term exposure these lesions maylead to low vision or irreversible blindness.

Mongo is completely blind, and her body shows

the signs of “leopard skin”, a permanent mark ofriver blindness and its impact in this remote area ofAfrica. She became blind before treatments for riverblindness were available in her community. Eventhough Mongo cannot be healed, the youngergenerations of Cameroonians in this region canhave hope for a future without river blindness.

In Edea, a city of approximately 120,000 people,almost everyone knows about the OnchocerciasisControl Program, a SightFirst project that has beenfunded by Lions Clubs International Foundation(LCIF) since 1995. In Cameroon, Lions and LCIFwork to control onchocerciasis through Ivermectinmedication. Four other non-governmentaldevelopment organisations also assist in the control

and treatment of river blindnessin Cameroon. Medication is alsodistributed to control lymphaticfilariasis, or elephantiasis, adisease transmitted bymosquitoes.

Thanks to Lions and LCIF-supported distribution ofMectizan™ (donated by Merck),the rate of onchocerciasisprevalence has droppeddrastically in certain regionscovered by the program from1995 to 2012. In six regions ofCameroon the prevalence of thedisease has fallen from 90percent in 1987 to 20 percent in2013.

Achieving these impressivereductions in river blindness wasmade possible through thedistribution of more than 36million doses of Mectizan™ tomore than 5.8 million peopleover the years. However, 20

percent of the population in the endemic regionsremains threatened by blindness throughonchocerciasis.

“I haven’t seen light for a very long time. I amcurrently able to survive thanks to generous peoplearound me, those who are able to see and work tomake money,” says Mongo, in a stuttering butdetermined voice. “Mectizan has helped them avoidmy fate. We need Mectizan for those who can stillavoid being blind.”

Through funding provided by Lions duringCampaign SightFirst II, LCIF has the ability tosupport local Lions with sight-saving initiatives.Lions will continue to be involved in planning,monitoring, community awareness and mobilisationcampaigns, as well as advocacy efforts to promotethe importance of treatment for onchocerciasis inCameroon.

The banks of the Sanaga River in Cameroon arefertile breeding grounds for the black fly that causesriver blindness.

Converting a good ideaThe image of an open-top convertible cruising down a highway is enough to get most petrol-heads

excited. Mersey Devonport Lion Peter Nobel is no exception.Peter has two convertibles and is so passionate about these classical cars that he has organised a

T Tasmania-wide gathering of them in the hope of setting a world record. As this issue of the LION went to press, a Guinness World Records-sanctioned event was taking place to assemble

“the most convertible cars in one place at the one time with their roofs off”.Peter told the local Advocate newspaper the event would be a major fundraiser for the

Lion Club Relay for Life team. “There is an entry fee and the money raised will go back to the Cancer Council through Relay for Life," he said. Up until now there has not been a

official record for such an event and Peter was hoping to set the bar high.Details: [email protected] or call 0408120546.



Sophie’s choice At the MD National Convention in Tamworth in May, a young artistnamed Sophie will receive her award as the Australian winner of theLions Peace Poster Contest.

Sophie’s poster, titled “Sharing, caring, respect and connection”, has beensubmitted to LCI for the international judging.

Sophie, 12, from Casterton Primary School in Victoria, was sponsored bythe Lions Club of Casterton V2.

Each year a different theme incorporating peace is chosen. Since 1988more than 3.6 million children have participated in the Lions Peace PosterContest.

For more details, visit www.lionsclubs.org.au/pposter.

Lions Council Chairman Gary Parker andtwo independent judges, Carolyn Skeen (left)and Jill Waterhouse, chose Sophie’s entry (above) as theoverall winner to be submitted to the international contest.

Just how much good work does one Lions club do?When the NSW club of Jesmond celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, it did some

figuring out.Original charter and former members worked out that in that time members had

worked more than 200,000 hours and donated more than $750,000 to worthy causes.And that’s probably a conservative estimate!

What’s one Lions club worth?


22 Lion

Camp Memories lives on thanks to the effortsof Lions.

Camp Memories is a camp run over a weekendfor special needs children and their families.

It was run for 11 years by May and Kevin Sharpon their property at Pampoolah, near Taree, NSW.After 11 years, May and Kevin found they were nolonger able to continue with the organisation andcoordination, making it look as if Camp Memorieswould cease to exist.

Some members of the Lions Club of ManningRiver had been involved with Camp Memories formany years as volunteers running activities for thecampers. They could see the benefit of the weekendto all attendees and convinced fellow members theclub should take over the running so the benefits ofthe weekend could continue to be enjoyed by

parents and children.The last Camp Memories organised by Lions

was held in November last year.Manning River Lions have been fortunate in

having a remarkably generous couple, Jill and RodIllidge, who provided use of their property for thecamp. Nothing has been too much trouble for Jilland Rod and anything asked for was readily agreedto.

The special needs children cover a huge rangefrom cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, severehearing and sight impairment through to autismspectrum disorders. The parents are responsible forthe children at all times, yet it is the parents and thenon-special needs siblings who often gain the mostfrom the weekend. They are able to relax in a safe,friendly and caring environment as well as enjoy all

the activities and companionship available over theweekend.

There are quite a few camps for special needskids, but nothing that includes the whole family.Some of the special needs children are unable tofunction unless a parent is present and so areunable to attend these other camps.

It is a measure of the need for a weekend suchas Camp Memories that families come from as faraway as Sydney and Coffs Harbour.

The families arrive and are placed into teams forthe weekend. Their tents are already erected withbedding and all meals are supplied for theweekend.

Families who travel more than two hours canarrive on Friday evening for dinner, whilst everyoneelse arrives on Saturday for a 9am registration and

morning tea with a 10am kick-off forthe rounds of activities.

Three or four volunteer team leadersare assigned to each team and it istheir task to make the campers feelwelcome, ensure they follow thetimetable set out for their team andgenerally help the families andindividuals.

Activities in past years have includedswimming, sand art, craft, science,archery, bouncing castle and waterslide.

A highlight has been the ForsterLions Club train

Many other local Lions clubs,organisations and businesses have alsobeen involved.

Despite the huge amount of workinvolved in organising Camp Memories,the Manning River club is committed to

Where memories are madeFor two days each yearthe sound of younglaughter is about asspecial needs childrenand their familiesgather for a greatoutdoor get-together



continuing its involvement and has been purchasinga range of new canvas tents for future use.

The club is grateful to the Australian LionsFoundation for sponsoring a grant for the purchaseof tents.

There is an obvious need for this type of event asevidenced by the wide geographical range fromwhich our families come. The numbers are limited,and it is first registered first accepted.

Manning River Lions encourage other clubs to

start similar camps in their areas.For more information contact the Camp

Memories Director, Peter Baker on(02) 6552 6618 or email

[email protected].

From a slippery slide to a Lions Club train, Manning River Lions’ Camp Memories brings happiness to a multitude of special needs children and their families.

Lions Australia has a new cultural heritage club.In December, the new Bulwai Cultural Heritage Lions

Club in Kuranda was presented with its charter.President of the new special purpose club is tribal elder

Willie Brim.The Club was recently recognised by International

President Barry Palmer with a grant of $10,000 for rangertraining for Aboriginal youth and to assist preserve their

cultural heritage.At the charter ceremony, Mareeba Lions and Lionesses

presented the new president with a gong and gavel and acopy of the book “Lion Bill”, a biography of Bill Tresise – hisjourney to bring Lionism to Australia”. Accompanied bydidgeridoo and clap stick, young Aboriginals performers puton a traditional display of cultural dance.

CULTURAL HERITAGE


24 Lion

AROUND THE NATION

BABY BOUNTY: Queanbeyan’smaternity unit is $18,647 better offthanks to a Walk for Babies held lastyear by local Lions. Handing over thecheque to Queanbeyan HealthServices manager Kim Bradshaw isthe NSW club’s president GregTarrent.

Bellingen Lions recently joined

the local fire brigade in

providing valuable assistance to

the aged and infirmed around

the NSW town.

Bellingen members donated 60

batteries which the brigade is

installing in smoke alarms for needy

residents.

“This will provide essential safety

for these residents,” said Bellingen’s

John Molloy.

Toukley, NSW girl JasminePyne, 4, is now able to sit andstand and use her walkerthanks to local Lions.

The Toukley club purchased a$2,000 therapy suit for Jasminewho suffers from cerebral palsy.

As the suit can be modified,she will be able to use it for anumber of years.

Jasmin’s mum Joannedescribed the suit as being like asecond skin.

“It is through the generosity ofToukley Lions Club that Jasmin isable to have the suit,” she told thelocal Express Advocate newspaper.We did have funding but it fellthrough and if the Lions club didn’thelp out it would be another yearbefore Jasmin would have one.”

Suits me fine, says Jasmin

SUITED UP:Jasmin in her suitwith her mum andToukley PresidentJohn Farram.

LEOS ROAR

Congratulations to Cohuna & District Leo Club in V6 onreceiving its Charter in December as the newest Leo Clubin MD201.

With the continued support of all Lions, Lionesses and LEOs,we have an ongoing growth in the formation of LEO clubs inAustralia and continue to provide young people 12-30 anopportunity to serve their communities in a positive way and gainessential life skills of leadership, experience and opportunity.

LEOs are an essential part of Lions who contribute to makingour world a better place!

Congratulations also to Ballina High School Leo Club on its10th Anniversary in 2013. The school club complements otherstudent leadership groups such as the Student RepresentativeCouncil. It meets fortnightly and is regularly engaged in extracurricular activities that promote academic pursuits. Ballina LionsClub advisors support the club’s organisation as they plan theimplementation of events such as the recent trivia nights for SESthat raised $1,500.

Following written confirmation from the NSW Department ofEducation and Communities, the LEO Club program will bepromoted to all NSW high schools as a means of communityservice work initiated by the participating students and the linksand benefits to their learning. However, it is important to notethat it still requires a Lions club to be involved in the charteringof a Leo club and, accordingly, clubs need to be actively involvedwith their local high school pushing the NSW Department ofEducation and Communities for support – it won’t just happen.

School LEO clubs are a great way for students to enhancetheir leadership skills whilst serving their community in a positiveway.

With the ongoing support of the NSW Department ofEducation and communities and the encouragement of LionsAustralia, it is hoped there will be a LEO club in all NSW highschools! If this model is successful, it could be developed inother states!

Preliminary judging is well under way for the 2014 Leo of theYear Quest, with the National Final at the MD201 Convention inTamworth.

The Leo of the Year Quest is the highlight of the Leo year withthe National Winner nominated for an International Leo of theYear Award and consideration for the International President’sMedal for services in advancing the Leo movement.

State entries for this year's quest close on 2 April. Candidateswill be judged on the following criteria: Impact during interview -10 points; Community service involvement - 20 points;Leadership - 20 points; Knowledge of Leos and Lions - 15points; Appreciation of Australian and world affairs - 15 points;Public speaking (5-minute prepared speech) - 20 points. Total -100 pointsThe overall winner serves as an ambassador for the Leos ofAustralia and Papua New Guinea. Full details and entry form:www.lionsclubs.org.au/leos.

Also, LEOs are encouraged to attend the MD201 LionsConvention in Tamworth to support our Leo of the Year entrantsand participate in all activities over the weekend.

LEOs will also have a great opportunity to make friends fromoverseas and develop skills by participating in the Leo andLEO/Lion forums at the 2014 Anzi Pacific Forum in Adelaide on29, 30 and 31 August.

LEOs are the present and future and an essential part ofLions!

If your Club is considering sponsoring a Leo Club, StopConsidering – Do It! Full details on the Leo Club program are onthe MD201 Leo website – www.lionsclubs.org.au/leos.

Say G’day to a Leo Today – you won’t be disappointed!May all members of the Lions Family in MD201 have a

wonderful 2014!Martin Peebles

MD201 Leo & Youth Outreach Committee Chairman

Battery brigade

AN EXTRA CHARGE: Lion Wal Tysonpresents some of the new smoke alarmbatteries to smoke alarm installer Gavin Smith.



There washappiness at W1’sMorley club with its50th celebrations –and the funcontinued withPresident LesTruman beingpresented with aBarry J PalmerAward (AustralianLions Children’sMobility Foundation)by W1 DG ColinHeap.

CAN WE HELP?: Queensland’s Runaway BayLions had Christmas fundraising all wrapped up witha gift wrapping service at the local Runaway BayShopping Village. They were joined in the venture bythe Zonta Club of Paradise Point. Handing over oneof thousands of wrapped presents to an appreciativeshopper is Lion Peter Kidston.

HO HO: Bellingen Lions’ Father Christmas brought a sack full of happiness to this young local.The NSW club’s Christmas stocking raffle raised funds in its quest for $50,000 to buy mobile ultra-sound equipment for the Bellingen Hospital.

Morley’s big 50th

Happy coincidenceSometimes the planets simply all line up.That was the case when Victoria’s WerribeeLions President PCC Bruce Hudgsoncontacted the Bali Kids organisation to see ifhis club could help out.

To his surprise Bali Kids requested a shower liftfor disabled children. Only two days before Brucehad received a call from a Melbourne lady offeringexactly that.

Years before the lady had been presented withtwo hydraulic shower lifts by the Werribee club forher two disabled stepsons. Sadly the boys hadsince passed away and she felt obligated to returnthe lifts. At the time she contacted Bruce, headvised her there were no such requests. Two dayslater the Bali Kids request materialised.

The 70kg units, accompanied by Bruce, wereflown free to Bali by Garuda Indonesia. WerribeeLions also funded two new $400 slings for the liftsand the manufacturer, Pelican, donated an extraone.

Bruce even took his own spanner and tools tohelp reassemble the units.

Bali Kids (www.balikids.org) caters for childrenfrom many orphanages and poor families whorequire medical attention, as well as providing amobile health and education service to villages. Itaids more than 6000 children a year.

STOCKING TIME: Queensland Lions DonnaSpencer and Bill Mellor fundraising for theGayndah club.

Seenaround

WINGS AWAY: There were donations aplenty whenSydney’s Cambridge Park, Emu Plains, Penrith andMount Druitt Lions joined to hear businessman KevinRobinson talk on the Little Wings charity organisationhe founded in 2011. Little Wings supports theOncology Ward at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead,flying children from rural and regional NSW fortreatment. As well as a $2,000 donation to LittleWings, the Lions gave two TV sets to the Children’sWard of the Nepean Hospital.


26 Lion

As the chairperson of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), I ampleased to share with you the wonderful results of our Foundation in2012-13. I am incredibly proud of the impact our Foundation and Lionshave had since LCIF was established in 1968. Your donations makeeverything possible.I am also proud of our record of transparency with donations andgrants. Together, we save sight, support youth, meet humanitarianneeds, assist people with disabilities and provide needed relieffollowing disasters. Through this annual report, you can see how wechange lives together.I send my congratulations to Past International President Wing-KunTam on a successful year as chairperson. As Lions continuehumanitarian and community service each year, LCIF remains ready toassist. I look forward to sharing even more amazing accomplishmentswith you at the upcoming International Convention in Toronto.Sincerely,

Wayne A. MaddenLCIF Chairperson, Immediate Past International President

“When I was chairperson, I had the honor of personally witnessing yoursupport of our Foundation. You were there following the devastation ofstorms and disasters, celebrating our Sight for Kids program and otherpartnerships, supporting youth through Lions Quest programs at schoolsworldwide, meeting the Gates Foundation Measles Challenge and muchmore. Thank you for believing in LCIF. I promise to keep believing andcontinue giving to our Foundation for the rest of my life. I hope you willjoin me.” – Wing-Kun Tam, Past International President, 2012-13 LCIFChairperson

1. Focus on living with vision impairmentEdgardo and LuningningDela Cruz of thePhilippines felt lostafter their son, Ervin,was diagnosed with ablinding eye disease.

For eight years, Ervinremained isolated at homewhile his siblings attendedschool. But in March 2013an educational specialistand teacher encouragedthem to send Ervin back toschool, where theclassroom had beenadapted and equipped forhim. While Ervin was atschool, his parentsattended workshops tohelp them understand how

to support their son and his education. After just three months, Ervin waslearning alongside other children his age and walking outside with the help of amobility cane and his father’s guidance.

Less than five percent of visually-disabled children in the Philippines attendschool. LCIF and SightFirst joined with Perkins to ensure that children like Ervinhave the opportunity to attend school. A SightFirst grant provided funds to trainteachers, equip classrooms, provide low vision care and facilitate parent support

groups in Ervin’s community and across Luzon, the largest island in thePhilippines. The partnership between Perkins, Parents Advocates for VisuallyImpaired Children, and Multiple District 301 Lions will increase the schoolenrolment of children who are visually impaired in Luzon by 20 percent.

2. Ten years ofsight for KidsLike millions of childrenaround the world,Yodying Lee of Bangkokwas visually impaired.

She had her first visionscreening through Sight forKids at age 7, and aserious eye condition wasdetected. Thanks to Sightfor Kids, a partnershipprogram of LCIF andJohnson & Johnson VisionCare, she received surgeryand rehab care at ahospital in Thailand. Today,she is a 15-year-old high

school student and avid swimmer with improved self-confidence. Yogying is one of the 17 million children who have participated in Sight for

Kids, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2012. The program provides eye-health education, school-based visual screening and professional eye carereferrals for under-served children across Asia.

“We have had the privilege to work closely with LCIF for more than a decadethrough this partnership. While we have provided support, it is thanks to theenthusiasm and dedication of Lions club volunteers that this program has beenso very successful,” says Ian Davies, global head of professional education forJohnson & Johnson Vision Care.

3. Picking upthe pieces inOklahomaIn May 2012, a massivetornado cut adestructive paththrough Moore,Oklahoma, in the UnitedStates and a 17-milestretch of nearby towns.

The tornado wreakedhavoc, killing 24 peopleand damaging homes,businesses, schools andhospitals. LCIF immediatelymobilised $700,000 ingrants and designateddonations to assist in the

recovery.Oklahoma Lions travelled to the devastated areas to provide food, water and

medicine. A Lions Mobile Health Screening Unit gave immediate help where itwas needed most. Lions also helped clear debris. “You had houses upon housesupon houses that basically look like they’ve all been through a shredder,” recalls

Six standout LCIF storiesLCIF ANNUAL REPORT

Ervin, a visually impaired child in the Philippines,practises using his white cane with his father.

Yodying Lee (left), whose vision was fixed thanksto Lions, tells her story.

Past International President Wing-Kun Tam, 2012-13 LCIF chairperson, helps Lions clear debris indisaster-stricken Oklahoma following a tornado.


October - November 2013 27

LeAnn Clark, a property manager in Moore. “I pulled up and there’s peoplecleaning up. I’m so grateful.”

The LCIF Emergency Grant program and disaster relief fund provideimmediate assistance to Lions and other partners engaged in disaster response.As community members, Lions are uniquely positioned to provide meaningfulassistance following a natural disaster. They also remain invested in therecovery of their community long after immediate relief efforts have ended.

4. Vision andmore forSpecialOlympicsathletesFor more than 12years, the LCIF-Special OlympicsOpening Eyes programhas partnered withLions to offer visionscreenings andprovide glasses forathletes at SpecialOlympics eventsworldwide.

In July 2013, a multi-year partnership expansion with Special OlympicsInternational was announced. The expansion will increase health services,engage youth and encourage family support to benefit individuals withintellectual disabilities. Family health forums will help families overcomechallenges while exploring ways to receive better, more inclusive access tohealth care, education and social services.

“Before Special Olympics I didn’t have any meaning in my life and really didn’thave a life. I went through a lot of bullying and mistreatment,” says Ben Haack, aSpecial Olympics athlete and ambassador who spoke at the internationalconvention last summer. “Special Olympics has given me and my family hope,support, respect and meaning. I have seen Lions clubs help my fellow athletes,giving them eyeglasses and a chance to develop as an athlete and a person. Ihave seen them have fun together. That is the most important thing.”

The LCI-Special Olympics Opening Eyes program relies on thousands ofvolunteer Lions, doctors, vision specialists and educators. More than 350,000athletes have been screened to date, with prescription eyewear provided to110,000 athletes. More than 40,000 volunteer eye care professionals and Lionsworldwide have offered their time and talents.

5. Preventingmeasles formillions ofchildrenIf you could help savethe lives of millions ofchildren, wouldn’t you?LCIF and the Bill &Melinda GatesFoundation set out to dojust that in 2011.

The Gates Foundationchallenged Lions to raise$10 million for measles,but Lions exceeded that.Together, the twoorganisations mobilised a

combined $15 million for the Measles & Rubella Initiative, helping LCIF partnersvaccinate more than 200 million children.

LCIF has now partnered with the GAVI Alliance to continue this importantwork. Lions will raise $30 million for measles and rubella by 2017. These fundswill be matched by the United Kingdom’s Department for InternationalDevelopment and the Gates Foundation, bringing the total to $60 million.

The GAVI-Lions Clubs partnership focuses on support of routine immunisationand strengthening health systems to help prevent serious outbreaks of disease.By 2020, more than 700 million children in 49 countries are expected to beimmunised against measles and rubella thanks to the GAVI Alliance and itspartners including Lions.

“GAVI is incredibly excited to be working with LCIF. To be able to team upwith Lions clubs to immunise tens of millions of kids over the coming yearsagainst measles and rubella is just a wonderful prospect,” says David Ferreira, amanaging director at the GAVI Alliance.

6. Lions Questencompasses aschool districtIn Wood County, WestVirginia, in the UnitedStates an entire schooldistrict adopted LionsQuest to create a morepositive school climate forits 12,000 students.

LCIF’s Lions Questprogram teaches critical lifeskills that foster healthyattitudes, strong characterand community service tostudents from kindergarten to

grade 12. Funds from LCIF and a $100,000 grant from the NoVo Foundation made the

three-year initiative in Wood County possible. In October 2012, Lions Quest heldits largest-ever training session, hosting 280 teachers and 700 other personnel.

The Lions Quest program will help the district meet state standards forstudent conduct and safety.

“A school should be a warm and inviting place where students feelcomfortable and free to learn. The Lions Quest grant will allow the Wood CountySchool System to progress toward this goal,” says Superintendent Patrick Law.

The children in Wood County are among 13 million children worldwide whohave benefited from Lions Quest.

More than 550,000 educators have been trained to implement the programin more than 85 countries.

,

Past International President Wayne Madden, 2013-14LCIF chairperson, helps a Special Olympics athletepick out a pair of glasses at an Opening Eyesscreening in Germany.

More than 13 million students are learningpositive life skills and participating in servicelearning through Lions Quest.

Lions in Kenya assist at a measles vaccination.

LCIF FinancialsIn fiscal year 2012-13, Lions, their partners and friendsgenerously donated $35.6 million to LCIF. The Foundationawarded 489 grants totalling $39,297,388. View the rest ofthe Foundation’s finances at www.lionmagazine.org. Thankyou for believing in LCIF!

CAN YOU ASSIST WITHREEL-TO–REEL TAPE CONVERSION TO A CD-ROM?

Way back at the 201H District Convention –‘1968 Opening/Business Sessions’ held at the Theatre Royal, Townsville,North Queensland, the convention’s opening address was given by the lateE. J. S. (Jamie) Jamieson (Past International Director 1968-70) andrecorded at 17⁄8 rpm. For further details, help or suggestions etc., pleaseemail Lion Eldon (Don) Bryant at [email protected].


Program Position Term Expiry Position Description

Administration

Public Relations

Facebook Developer 1/11/2016 To develop, maintain and manage the MD 201 Facebook page. Training is available to the successful applicant.

Assistant Webmaster 30/06/17 To assist in maintaining MD web presence; specifically the Oz Clubhouse system. Training is available to the successful applicant.

Marketing

Lions Christmas Cake & Mint Committee

Chairperson 30/06/2016 Responsible for the efficient management of the Lions Christmas Cake and Mint Program

Deputy Chairperson 30/06/2017

Demonstrated interest in the preparation, implementation of strategies and programs for the promotion and marketing of Lions Christmas Cakes and Mints.

C District Coordinator 30/06/2016

N District Coordinator 30/06/2017

Q District Coordinator 30/06/2015

T District Coordinator 30/06/2016

V District Coordinator 30/06/2016

W District Coordinator 30/06/2015

Hearing Dogs Inc. Committee

Member 30/06/2017 Duties include being able to assist Clubs in assessments and follow up in dog placements, prepare reports, represent and fully participate in decisions regarding the project.

QLD Member 30/06/2017

WA Member 30/06/2016

Youth & Community Projects

Lioness Committee

KINGS Coordinator 30/06/2017 Responsible to the MD Lioness Chairperson for the efficient management of the Lioness Kings Clubs

N District Member 30/06/2016 Regular contact with Lioness Clubs in the States, attending meetings as required by the Chairperson and submitting report Q District Member 30/06/2017

Youth Exchange Committee Chairperson 31/01/2017 Responsible for the efficient management of the Youth Exchange Program

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 Friday 4 April 2014. 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.

Committee Vacancies



Program Position Term Expiry Position Description

Youth Exchange Committee Secretary / Treasurer 31/1/2016 Responsible for maintaining the administration of the

program.

Program Chairperson 31/01/2017 Responsible for the organisation of an allocated portfolio within the YE Program.

Youth of the Year Vic State Coordinator 30/06/2017 Responsible for promoting the Youth of the Year and

Committee objectives within the designated State. WA State Coordinator 30/06/2017

Leadership

MD 201 Global Leadership TeamArea Leader 30/06/2017

A member of the Management Group, this position is responsible for the coordination of Leadership programs for the Multiple District.

MD 201 Trainer 30/06/2017 Responsible for the training programs of DGEs and VDGEs

Membership MD 201 Global Membership Team Area Leader 30/06/2017

A member of the Management Group, this position is responsible for the coordination of Membership programs for the Multiple District.

Program Position Term Ends Appointee

Leadership MD 201 Global Leadership Team Member 30/06/2017 John McCrae

MD 201 Global Leadership Team Member 30/06/2017 Andy Mojsiewicz

Marketing Marketing Committee National Coordinator 30/06/2018 Norm Alcock

Hearing Dogs Committee Tas. Member 30/06/2016 Geoff Clow

MembershipMD 201 Global Membership Team Member 30/06/2017 Lou Onley

MD 201 Global Membership Team Member 30/06/2017 Deyann McDonnell

Youth & Community Projects

Peace Poster Competition Chairperson 30/06/2017 Helen Campbell

Lioness Committee Chairperson 30/06/2017 Karin McGann

Youth of the Year Tas. State Coordinator 30/06/2017 Jenny Triptree

Qld State Coordinator 30/06/2017 Jenny Maguire

Committee Appointments At its meeting in January 2014, the Council of Governors considered nominations received and made the following appointments


30Lion

YOUTH OF THE YEAR

As I write this column, the six National Finalists are enjoying themselves at the InternationalYouth Camp at Rotorua.

Upon the conclusion of the camp, they returned to Australia and were hosted by the Lions Club ofPambula-Merimbula. The camp coordinator has reported that our seven Aussies “acquitted themselves wellwhile here and were fine ambassadors for their country”.

I am certain that Australian Lions know that Peter Beatty and Kevin Rudd were Youth of the Yearcontestants. Were you are aware that Sabra Lane, ABC radio and television political correspondent, was astate winner? Sabra Lane is a political reporter for ABC Radio Current Affairs based in Canberra and can beheard most mornings on the AM current affairs program at 8:00 o’clock.

She has been in the businessfor more than 20 years,including a long stint asexecutive producer of Channel7’s Sunday Sunrise.

Sabra, from Mildura, enteredthe Quest in 1984, was the “S”Districts winner for 1984-85,and subsequently attended theNational Final in Launceston.Her memories make fascinatingreading.

“I was pretty ordinary at thoseimpromptu speeches (greattraining for what I do now: thelast-minute interview … quicklythinking on your feet, to think ofand ask questions that probethe interview talent).

“It gave me great experiencein public speaking, it boosted

my confidence, it made mecurious about the world aroundme and that curiosity fed myambition to be a journalist.

“There are many memories Istill have of the competition and the tour around Australia. I remember being on a large Ansett plane to flyfrom Melbourne to Launceston for the finals. It was my first time to Tasmania and my first time on anaircraft … they were huge experiences for a kid from the bush. I will never forget the generosity and careof Lions members and their families in hosting me around Australia, and showing us (the group) their sliceof Australia. It was an experience that helped shape the woman I am today.”

Julian Lambert, T District winner, was recently recognised as dux of his school, Scotch Oakburn College,Launceston. Julian, who aspires to become an astronaut, plans to study aerospace engineering either at theUniversity of Colorado or at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Julian was also one of the top year12 students in Tasmania with an ATAR of 99.7.

There is still time for clubs which have not yet made a commitment to be involved in the Quest. By the timethis issue reaches members, it will be early February, so schools must be approached as soon as possible.

It is important to remember that at club level, only the winner will have a second opportunity to honetheir skills. Therefore, it is vital that all participants leave the quest with a feeling and a sense ofachievement. So, please try to keep the impromptu questions at a level that all contestants will feelcomfortable with.

This criteria is especially important with the impromptu questions. Long complicated questions onlyconfuse young people. Make the impromptu questions short, precise, and consider only topics that thecontestants at this level can talk about for two minutes!

In regard to the four general knowledge questions at the interview, please consider these criteria in yourdiscussions with your judges:• One question of local interest (careful with state, territory and local government border)• One at state level (careful with state/territory borders)• One of national importance, and• One of international significanceIf you want to learn more about Youth of the Year, please visit our website athttp://www.lionsclubs.org.au/yoty

Brian Williams, Youth of the Year Program, [email protected]

Getting in the New Zealand spirit are (left to right) Tim O’Donnell (W),Jesse Trecco-Alexander (Q) and Julian Lambert (T) and (front) MollyCampbell (N), Katerina Blekic (C), Laura Gollant (V) and Molly McInerney(Q; 2012 Public Speaking Winner).

AUSTRALIAN LIONS DRUG AWARENESSFOUNDATION INC

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2014

Notice is hereby given of the Annual GeneralMeeting of the Foundation to be held inTamworth on Friday 2 May 2014 commencingat 12.30 p.m.

Each Constituent Member is entitled to onevote and that representative should haveaccreditation from the Club Secretary. Howeverin the case of a State Director election, onlydelegates from that State may vote. Membersnot attending may complete a postal ballot forDirector.

Nominations are called for Directors forNew South Wales, Queensland, and WesternAustralia. Nominations are to be received bythe Secretary by Friday 21 March 2014 on thecorrect form.

Nominee must be a member in goodstanding of a Constituent Club within therelevant State. Nomination forms are availablefrom the Secretary at P O Box 530,Springwood QLD 4127, Phone : (07) 33413900 or by email – [email protected]

Should a potential nominee wish to obtain acopy of the position description for a Directorplease contact the Secretary of the Foundationas above.

David McKenzieSecretary

POSITIONS OF VICE CHAIRPERSON ANDSECRETARY/TREASURER OF THE

AUSTRALIAN LIONS DRUG AWARENESSFOUNDATION INC

Applications are called for the position ofVice Chairperson of the Foundation for a termof four years from May 2014, and forSecretary/Treasurer for a term of four yearsfrom May 2014. Applications must be made inwriting setting out the qualifications that youfeel you have that would be of benefit to theFoundation. Applications must be from Lions ingood standing from Constituent MemberClubs.

Details of the position are available from theSecretary of the Foundation at PO Box 530,Springwood QLD 4127 or e-mail –[email protected].

Applications are to be received by theChairperson at PO Box 530, Springwood QLD4127 no later than Friday 21 March 2014.

All applications will be considered by theBoard of the Foundation at its May meetingand an appointment made.

David McKenzieSecretary



AUDIT COMMITTEE• Approved the audited financial statements forLions Clubs International and Lions ClubsInternational Foundation for the year ended June 30,2013. CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS COMMITTEE• Reviewed two pending disputes in District 317-E(India) and approved the following actions: foundthat the district previously amended its constitutionand by-laws in 2009 and 2011 to allow for the fillingof vice district governor vacancies; declared theprinted version of the constitution and by-laws inAugust 2013 as the official and valid constitutionand by-laws of District 317-E until such time as itmay be further amended; denied the district disputeresolution complaint filed by Lions Club of Piler asmoot; denied the district dispute resolutioncomplaint filed by Lions Club of Bangalore MindTree; overturned the decision of the majority of theconciliators; concurred with the dissenting opinionand deemed the special cabinet meeting held on oraround May 4, 2013, as proper; appointed Lion Dr.TVSRKV Prasad as First Vice District Governor inDistrict 317-E for the remainder of the 2013-2014year; and declared the special cabinet meeting heldon or around September 10, 2013, of no force andeffect.• Revised Chapter XV, Paragraph L.2. of the BoardPolicy Manual to make it consistent with otherprovisions in the Board Policy Manual.• Revised Chapter VII, Exhibit E of the Board PolicyManual to update internal citations.• Revised Chapter XV, Paragraph A.1.c. of the BoardPolicy Manual with respect to trademarkregistrations. • Revised the Club Dispute Resolution Procedure inChapter VII, Exhibit B of the Board Policy Manual toprovide that the district governor team (districtgovernor, first vice district governor and second vicedistrict governor) review any objections to theselected conciliator and appoint, by a majoritydecision, a substitute conciliator in the event theobjections have merit.CONVENTION COMMITTEE• Established per diem allowances for appointedCredentials Committee members serving withoutother reimbursement, District Governors-elect,District Governors-elect faculty and headquartersstaff attending the Toronto convention.DISTRICT AND CLUB SERVICE COMMITTEE• Appointed Lions to serve as coordinating Lions forSomalia and the Republic of South Sudan for theremaining months of the 2013-2014 fiscal year. • Approved the redistricting proposals submitted byDistrict 1-B and District 1-K (Illinois), Multiple District31 (North Carolina), Multiple District 17 (Kansas),District 403 B (Africa) and District 404 B (Nigeria). • Amended Chapter IX of the Board Policy Manual toinclude the region chairperson (when applicable) andthe zone chairperson as a member of the districtGMT and GLT.

FINANCE AND HEADQUARTERS OPERATIONCOMMITTEE• Approved the 2013-2014 1st Quarter Forecast,reflecting a surplus.• Revised Chapter XXII Speaking Engagements,Travel Rules and Reimbursement, Paragraph B.3. toamend the policy for forum liaison as follows: In theevent there is no first-year international director fromthe constitutional area in which the forum is to beheld, the international president may appoint anypast international director from the constitutionalarea in which the forum is to be held.• Revised Chapter XXII Speaking Engagements,Travel Rules And Reimbursement, Paragraph E.1.aand Chapter IX District Officers & Organization,Paragraph C.2.c.to include a chart outlining the datesubmission requirements for expense claims forinternational directors, past international presidents,past international directors and district governors.• Approved the removal of Past International DirectorOctavio A. Botello Fernandez as fiscal agent. PastInternational Director Octavio Botello Fernandez wasfiscal agent for the association until his death inOctober 2012. As the banking requirements inMexico no longer necessitate the position of a fiscalagent no replacement will be required. LCIF• Revised the Investment Policy Statement byincreasing the allowance for the percentage ofdomestic equity investments in American DepositoryReceipts and foreign securities to 50%.• Amended the LCIF Operations and Policy Manualto include criteria for LCIF fundraising awards forDistrict Governors.• Amended the LCIF Operations and Policy Manualto reflect changes in the Standard grant criteria toinclude: setting a minimum grant request in theamount of US$7,500 and adding language clarifyingthe funding for projects in the developmental stages. • Approved a Core 4 disability grant in the amountof US$1,321,400, which represents the 2014budget for the Lions-Special Olympics MissionInclusion program.• Awarded a contract to Quarasan in the amount ofUS$777,370 for the revision of the Lions Questcurriculum. • Selected Dr. William McLaughlin as a votingmember of the SightFirst Advisory Committee.• Approved 51 Standard, International Assistanceand Core 4 grants totalling US$2,443,541.• Tabled two applications, and denied oneapplication.• Requested District 321-C2 to make satisfactoryprogress on resolving issues related to grant10907/321-C2 or repay to LCIF grant funds in theamount of US$50,000, on or before December 31,2013. Failure to do so will result in a moratorium onall grant applications from District 321-C2 which willremain in effect until June 30, 2016.LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE• Approved the proposed curriculum plan andschedule for the 2014 District Governors-ElectSeminar for Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE• Approved that effective immediately, the AfricaZone Challenge be implemented to support thechartering of additional new clubs in countries withless than four clubs. • Approved, effective immediately, the Japan PilotProgram to encourage the growth of familymembership in Lions Clubs in Japan beimplemented.• Approved, effective immediately, the U.S. VeteransPilot Program be implemented for a period of 2years. The pilot is designed to encourage UnitedStates of America Lions clubs to invite recentveterans to participate in community serviceactivities sponsored by the local clubs.• Revised Chapter X of board policy regardingprocedures for a multiple district to petition tochange to a different constitutional area. The policywas aligned to meet current customs and norms.• Revised board policy regarding Ensuring ViableNew Clubs. The policy was revised to allow the GMTArea Leader to be the second approval (from July 1through December 31 of each fiscal year) for charterapplications that exceed 10 or more new clubswithin a district.• Revised policy to reflect the correct title of Branchclub officers.• Determined that the title of Club MembershipDirector be changed to Club MembershipChairperson.PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE• Determined that beginning in FY 2014-15,preference will be given to MD/single district grantapplications asking for grants for online banneradvertising.• Decided that LION magazine surplus funds can beused for purposes other than improving saidmagazine, as long as expenditure is approved by theSenior Executive Administrator in advance.• Clarified that item #24 in Order of Precedenceincluded LCIF Coordinators.SERVICE ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE• Named Leo Evan Jenkins as a 2012-2013 Leo ofthe Year Award recipient.• Selected members and alternates of the Leo ClubAdvisory Panel for the term of November 2013-October 2015.• Modified board policy related to the Leo of theYear Award to decrease the number of signaturesrequired for nominations. Effective this fiscal year,nomination forms for single districts (not part of amultiple) require the endorsement of the Leo clubadvisor of the nominee’s Leo club and the districtgovernor in office during the fiscal year in which thenomination is made. Nominations at the multipledistrict level will require the signature of the Leo clubadvisor of the nominee’s Leo club and the councilchairperson in office during the fiscal year in whichthe nomination is made.For more information on any of the aboveresolutions, please refer to the LCI website atwww.lionsclubs.org or contact the InternationalOffice at 630-571-5466.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGPORT DOUGLAS, AUSTRALIA OCTOBER 6-10, 2013



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