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AUSTRALIA PAPUA NEW GUINEA EDITION $1

SAYSAY GG’’DAY,DAY, SYDNEYSYDNEYHARBOUR CITY GEARS UP FORHARBOUR CITY GEARS UP FOR

LIONS’ BIGGEST GLOBAL LIONS’ BIGGEST GLOBAL

GET-TOGETHERGET-TOGETHER

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2010

Lions lifesaving vessel’s amazing launch

3

Lion – Australia and PNG

Lion - 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 3437Ph: (03) 9744 1368Email: tony.fawcett@bigpond.comAdvertising Manager: Graham Madigan68 Wyeree Road, Mandurah, Western Australia 6210Ph: (08) 9535 2927, 0409 883 455Email: madigan@southwest.com.auLions Australia website: www.lionsclubs.org.auDeadlines: 1st day of month before cover date.MD201 Council of Governors: John McIntosh C1, CorinneStone C2, Christine Woolnough N1, Paul Helmling N2,Marilyn Kinealy JP N3, Ray Strong N4, Maureen Beryl PayneN5, John C Lynch Q1, John D W Muller OAM Q2, HeatherShort Q3, Helen Schellbach Q4, Robert (John) Gillham T1,Jill Qualtrough V1-4, Bob Gilchrist, Thomas Shillito V3,Robert Kann V5, Alan Lindsay Millar V6,Pamela Dawn Baird W1, Neil F Saunders W2.Distribution 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:admin@lions.org.auUSA Executive Director – Peter LynchManaging Editor - Dane La Joye, Lions Clubs International300 W 22nd Street, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523-8842 USAExecutive Officers President Eberhard J. Wirfs, AmMunsterer Wald 11, 65779 Kelkheim, Germany; ImmediatePast President Al Brandel, 14 Herrels Circle, Melville, NY,11747-4247, USA; First Vice President Sid L. Scruggs III,698 Azalea Drive, Vass, North Carolina, 28394, USA; SecondVice President Dr. Wing-Kun Tam, Unit 1901-2, 19/F, FarEast Finance Centre, 16 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong, China.Directors First year: Enrico Cesarotti, Rome, Italy; LuisDominguez, Mijas Pueblo, Spain; Gary B. D’Orazio, Idaho,United States; Yasumasa Furo, Dazaifu, Japan; K.P.A.Haroon, Cochin, India; Carlos A. Ibañez, Panama City,Panama; Ronald S. Johnson, Maine, United States; Byeong-Deok Kim, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Horst P. Kirchgatterer,Wels/Thalheim, Austria; Hamed Olugbenga Babajide Lawal,Ikorodu, Nigeria; Daniel A. O’Reilly, Illinois, United States;Richard Sawyer, Arizona, United States; Anne K. Smarsh,Kansas, United States; Jerry Smith, Ohio, United States;Michael S. So, Makati, the Philippines; Haynes H. Townsend,Georgia, United States; Joseph Young, Ontario, Canada.Second Year: Bishnu Bajoria, Bankura, India; Ken Bird,Brisbane, Australia; Kwang-Soo Jang, Seoul, Republic ofKorea; Douglas A. Lozier, Indiana, USA; Shyam Malpni,Mumbai, India; Art Marson, Wisconsin, USA; Dr. Jerimiah“Doc” Myers, Alaska, USA; Ellis Suriyati Omar, Kuching,Malaysia; Eugenio Roman Jr., Arecibo, Puerto Rico; BojanSober, Rijeka, Croatia; Dr. Ton Soeters, Huizen, TheNetherlands; Neil Spencer, Florida, USA; Beverly L. Stebbins,Texas, USA; Tadao Sugimoto, Hokkaido, Japan; Prof. Dr.Hayri Ulgen, Istanbul, Turkey; Rosane Jahnke Vailatti, Penha,Brazil; Debra Wasserman, Minnesota, USA.

C O N T E N T S

4 International President’s report

4 Drama on the beachfront

6 Lions Action

8 Magnificent Mildura

10 Chairman’s report

12 Tamika triumphs for Mt Gambier

15 Say G’day, Sydney

21 Better back together

22 The magnificent 7

23 Trekking to be heard

24 Around the nation

28 Official announcements

31 Lions International

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

Page 15 - Say G’day, Sydney

Page 8 - Magnificent Mildura

Page 5 - Lions aid young heroes

Our c

over

COVER: ComeJune, overseasLions will floodinto Australiafor theInternationalConvention inSydney and, forus locals, it’stime to sayG’day. Picture:Hamilton Lund,Tourism NSW

‘We serve’

ContributionsContributions for the April - May2010 issue should be submitted byMarch 1 to The Editor, Lion magazine,Fawcett Media, 20 Millett Rd,Gisborne South, Victoria 3437 oremailed totony.fawcett@bigpond.com

Connections, influence, friendship, philanthropyFebruary - March 2010 Volume 87 No. 2

4Lion

TimeTime forforclubsclubs totogrowgrow themselvesthemselvesBy Eberhard J. Wirfs, President,The International Association of Lions ClubsHelen Keller, who had all the reasons in the world to lack apositive outlook, once said, “Optimism is the faith that leads toachievement. Nothing can be done without hope andconfidence.”

Lions, every instance of our service is a shining moment ofoptimism and faith. We believe we can uplift lives and improve ourcommunities. Indeed, that’s what Lions have done for 93 years.

We need to keep sharing that optimism with our fellow clubmembers and keep them in the fold. Let me emphasise thatmembership worldwide is up thanks to strong recruiting efforts. Butit could be even better if clubs made a greater commitment toretention.

Lions, we need a double membership strategy. We need toextend clubs and we need to improve retention. This really can bedone only at the club level. The Lions who are leaving are your clubmembers, your friends. You know their hearts and minds and whatkeeps them happy and satisfied. Certainly, a large organisationsuch as ours will lose many members every year due to non-payment of dues, club cancellations, death and other reasons. Butnearly 40 percent of members who left us last year resigned ingood standing. They simply decided their club was not meetingtheir needs.

Retention starts with induction. We need to recruit qualifiedmembers: people who want to serve, who can pay their dues, whohave some stature in the community. Then we must nurture themas Lions. The first four years are critical. Make them feel welcomeand important. Listen to them. Heed their advice. A club can’t caterto the wishes of the few but must respond to its entiremembership. Make sure meetings are punctual, lively andinteresting and that club activities are frequent and engaging. Mostclubs do this most of the time. Let’s be able to say all clubs do thisall the time!

Lions Clubs International has excellent tools to improve your clubsuch as self-evaluation kits and pamphlets on improving clubdynamics and meetings. A better club will lead to better retention.

Retention is critical for us to do even more service and to keepclubs strong and healthy. Our purpose is to serve society but to dothat well we have to serve our clubs, too, by making themattractive for members. I know that Lions never fail whenchallenged. Take this as another challenge. Move to Grow this yearand move deliberately and intelligently to hold on to your members.

DRAMA ON THEBEACHFRONT

Emergencies have a habit of happening at the mostunexpected times.

That was the case when Lions Club of Brighton (C2) memberswere on the beach preparing to hand over a new inflatable rubberduckie to the Henley Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

Just as they and the surf life saving club’s representatives wereabout to launch the vessel and make the usual speeches, aswimmer got into difficulties not far away.

Immediately five junior lifesavers in the vicinity, the oldest 16 andthe youngest nine, responded to the person in distress and went toher aid, keeping her afloat and her head above water.

The handing over ceremony for the rubber duckie was promptlyabandoned as the craft went on itsmaiden voyage in assisting thisresourceful group of “nippers” and therescue of the distressed swimmer.

One of the junior lifesavers continuedlife support in the vessel.

The swimmer, who was reported tohave suffered an asthma attack while inthe water, was taken to hospital andmade a full recovery after beingdischarged later that day.

The Lions Club of Brighton has half adozen surf life saving clubs in itsimmediate area and a couple of yearsago the club’s then president, the late Les Perry, suggested theclub should do more to help them.

To this point Brighton Lions had made annual donations to anumber of clubs but had not bought any significantly large item ofequipment. As a result of Les’ initiative it supplied a new ERV(rubber duckie) to the then needy Brighton Surf Life Saving Club.

As a consequence of this, the local Lions then decided todonate a second new rubber duckie to Henley Beach Surf LifeSaving Club.

As is common with events like this, the Brighton club president,Tony Matthews and Betty Perry, the wife of the late Les, attended aformal handing over and launch of the new vessel.

The rubber duckie, named after Past President Les Perry, waswell and truly launched in what will possibly be the first of manyrescues.

– Bill Watts

Official launch of a Lionslifesaving vessel disrupted bya real-life rescue

‘The handingover ceremonyfor the rubberduckie waspromptlyabandoned asthe craft wenton its maidenvoyage’

5February - March 2010

ABOVE: Young heroes ... Henley Beach Life Saving “nippers” (left to right) JackMaher, Daniel Hogan, Lachlan Frances and Jake Butterfield who with junior surflifesaver Rebecca Woods (centre) took part in the rescue. Picture courtesy SundayMail

RIGHT: Lions Club of Brighton Secretary John Chenoweth with Betty, the widow ofthe late Les Perry, and President Tony Matthews at the launch of the new rubberduckie. Official duties gave way to real-life drama when a swimmer got intodifficulties.

Young heroes of sand and surfThe young lifesavers who took part in the rescue havebeen hailed as heroes for their brave actions.

According to reports, the alarm was raised when thewoman, who had gone for a swim, was spotted gasping forbreath near the end of Henley jetty.

When junior lifesavers Jack Mather, 9, Daniel Hogan,Lachlan Frances and Jake Butterfield, all 10, saw thewoman go under they paddled their boards toward her.

When they realised she was in trouble, one paddled toshore to raise the alarm while two of the others held thewoman afloat between their boards.

That’s when the Lions rubber duckie came into play.Lifesaver Rebecca Woods, 16, pulled the woman into the

inflatable craftbefore givingher mouth-to-mouthresuscitation.

Lifesavingofficials later said that if theyhadn’t acted so quickly the woman would likelyhave drowned. “They were calm, collected and just so coolabout it. I’ve never seen anything like it. We’re just thatproud," said one.

The woman had no memory of the rescue but wasextremely grateful.

Lion6

Lions pitch in to help

LIONS ACTIONSabre Saw survival

Road crash victims around the Malanda region of NorthQueensland will have a better chance of survival thanks tolocal Lions.

The Malanda Fire and Rescue Service has recently takenpossession of new tools for rapid evacuation of crash victimsfrom vehicles.

Two battery-operated Sabre Saws were recently presentedby Malanda Lions president Mike Taylor to Captain Lorraine VanRaders.

Mike Taylor stressed that the tools were intended to be ashow of appreciation to the businesses, organisations andpeople who so enthusiastically supported the SouthernTablelands Billycart Races last September.

The event, a first for the area, was not intended as afundraiser but ended up making a small profit which went toproviding the tools.

The presentation was followed by a practical demonstrationof the effectiveness of these superb tools in the demolition ofboth high tensile steel and fibreglass, now commonly used incar and truck bodies.

Pictured above left is one of the Sabre Saws in use on a damagedcar body, while below, Captain Lorraine Van Raders receives adonation from Lions President Mike Taylor.

The McLaren Districts club of South Australia likes to work closely with itscommunity – so when the local primary school embarked on a redevelopmentproject it was there to help.

Included in the project was a new sick room for students and the club undertookto provide a bed and linen for the facility.

The McLaren Districts club has long had a close working relationship with theMcLaren Flat Primary School.

The school has about 150 students ranging from reception to Year Seven. In December

club presidentPeter Broadbridgepresented theschool with acertificatecommemoratingits donation.

Lion PeterBroadbridge at thepresentation withschoolheadmistressJenny Woodley andyear 4/5 studentsGeorgia Sampsonand Nick vanBergeijk.

7February - March 2010

Smashing down a winner

Hold that bus

Station duty

Gwandalan Lions believe all youngsters should have the chance of learning a sport.That’s why the NSW club has instigated a tennis-coaching clinic for kids under 16 who for

any reason have not been able to obtain coaching but wish to do so.So far more than 60 children have participated and the club will now approach other schools

in the area for more recruits.It’s a concept other clubs might like to consider.

It was a community affair when Chris Gough ofMelbourne’s Mooroolbark Lions chaired a groupof community organisations to clean up thelocal railway station.

The clean-up followed the planting of indigenousshrubs by two local primary schools under aVictorian government-financed project overseen bya consultative committee.

The happy workers (pictured above) went abouttheir work with typical enthusiasm and quicklyhad the station smart and ready to welcomecommuters

The Ellenbrook community of WesternAustralia has at last got a bus to transportvarious groups around the quite isolatedarea.

The Lions Club of Ellenbrook recognised the

need and raised funds for the $48,000

Community Bus, pictured below.

The bus has been donated to the City of Swan

after five years of serious fundraising and a grant

from the Australian Lions Foundation.

This is the largest project the club has ever

undertaken so the Ellenbrook Lions Club is

justifiably proud of its efforts.

A happy bunch of trainees with Lions Peter Lewis and Des Tuillier (who organised the clinic) and tenniscoach Mark Ugri.

While Lions can be a self-effacing lot, sometimes it pays to promote ourselves –whether outlining a successful project in a story in this magazine, or as shown belowleft, landing a feature in a local newspaper (such as Hornsby’s Leo club did with afront page story about a cheque presentation). Or (below) even highlighting the workthat Lions put in, as demonstrated by the “At Work” message adorning the counterwhen Queensland’s Mareeba Lions, in conjunction with Mareeba Rotary, cookedbreakfast for more than 1000 participants in the Atherton Relay for Life.

Why not give it a go?

Spreading the word

Lion8

PATRICK theLion Namers

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

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

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

Mildura’s liquid assets extend further than theMighty Murray River with award-winningwineries and its very own micro-brewery. And they’re waiting to be experienced byvisitors to the Lions National Convention,starting 30 April this year.

The Mildura region is a major food bowl, itsirrigated agricultural land producing most ofAustralia’s dried fruit, as well as table grapes andcitrus. It also grows most of the country’s almonds,pistachios, olives, carrots, asparagus and 21% ofthe wine grape crush.

Mildura is renowned for its many diverseopportunities to eat. From the famous restaurantson Feastreet to riverside country pubs and cellardoors or restaurants on historic paddleboats, youcan count on a warm welcome and a chef usingfresh locally-grown produce.

Mungo National Park Mungo is the focal point of the Willandra Lakes

World Heritage area and the traditional country ofthe Paakantyi, Mutthi Mutthi and NgiyampaaAboriginal people.

Aboriginal heritageThe park is famous because the dry lake shore

contains evidence of indigenous campfires,middens and burials dating back nearly 50,000years ago to when the lakes were often filled withfresh water.

The shoreline is a detailed record of Australia’spast climate, lake levels and the animals that usedthe lake. Up until 25,000 years ago this semi-aridcountry was a series of vast lakes supporting giantkangaroos, wombats and other mega fauna as well

as Tasmanian tigers and devils. A treasure trove offossils is a legacy of this extraordinary heritage.

Mungo was added to the World Heritage list in1981 in recognition of its Aboriginal heritage andthe evidence of past climates preserved in itslandscapes. Its dry lake beds preserve the longestcontinual record of Aboriginal life in Australia.

Remains of the earliest known humans to inhabitthe Australian continent have been found in Mungo,dating back nearly 40,000 years. The size of thelake made Mungo an ideal location for Aboriginalsettlement. Tribes camped and fished along itsshores, hunted and quarried stone.

The park’s red, sandy country is home to a vast

LIONS CONVENTIONIN MILDURA

Mildura has so many things to see and do, soconsider extending your stay.

The partners program will be availableonline from mid-February and emails will besent to all clubs for disbursement. We alsohave a list of tours and cruises together withactivities you may choose to do pre and postconvention.

The partner’s program includes art galleryand vault tour, visits to the junction ofAustralia’s greatest two rivers and theBotanic Gardens and a tractor train ridethrough the acres of amazing national andinternational plantings – plus a fashionparade, feature films and local markets.

Magnificent Mildura

Mungo National Park ... a timecapsule from Australia’s past.

CONVENTION BONUS

February - March 20109

array of wildlife that can be seen when you explorethe carefully plotted pathways.

The Walls of China After the lake dried up, winds swept storms of

sand up from the lake floor, dumping it on theshoreline and creating the famous Mungo lunette.This is the site of the spectacular Great Walls ofChina, which have been carved from layers of thelunette. As the lunette erodes it reveals remains andfossils. The ancient dunes at Mungo are known asthe “Walls of China”. As the sands shift, ancient andextremely well preserved campfires, cookinghearths and burials as well as the remains of longextinct animals have been uncovered. The fragileformations of sand and clay have been shaped bywind and water and are spectacular when viewed intheir entirety from a distance.

The Woolshed In the 1850s squatters moved into the area and

established Gol Gol station. Explore the MungoWoolshed, a beautiful structure built around 1869from local cypress pine that features in the region’spastoral history.

FaunaMany native animals can be found here including

red and western grey kangaroos, echidnas,dunnarts and bats. Resident lizards includeshinglebacks, bearded dragons and geckos. Lookout for emus, pink cockatoos, orange and white-fronted chats and wedge-tailed eagles.

ActivitiesA wheelchair-accessible boardwalk gives all

visitors access to view the Walls of China. TheGrassland Nature Trail offers a pleasant 1km walkfrom the main camping area. There is also a 2.5kmForeshore Walk that starts near the Visitor Centre.

Drive There is a self-guided 70km tour along a

signposted track that takes you on a round tripacross the dry lake floor to the Walls of China, overthe dune to the Mallee country and then around thenorth-eastern shore of the lake. The Zanci PastoralLoop is a 10-kilometre drive tour starting andending at the Visitor Centre.

Accommodation optionsBunk accommodation is available at the

Shearers’ Quarters adjacent to the Visitor Centre.BYO bedding and linen. Bookings required(03 5021 8900). Mungo Lodge, which is privatelyowned, is adjacent to the park. Camping andfacilities: There are two car-based camping areas(with room for caravans) – the Main Camp andBelah Camp. Both have basic camping facilitiesincluding water, toilets, tables and fireplaces.

How to get there Mungo National Park is 110km north-east of

Mildura via Buronga along the unsealed ArumpoRoad. Unsealed roads are impassable after rain.There is a small vehicle entry fee. For roadconditions contact the Visitor Centre.

The centre is open every day. Call in to learnabout the park’s natural and cultural heritage aswell as the history of European settlement. Ondisplay are preserved ancient animal remains foundat Mungo as well as weapons and other implementsof the Aboriginal people who lived here.

If you register for the convention before 3 Aprilyou go in the draw for our Early Bird Prize of twonights accommodation and a tour for two to MungoNational Park.

Celebrity chef Stefano de Pieri... Mildura Convention’s officialambassador.

CONVENTIONDATES

Friday 30April toMonday 3May, 2010

Meet our newinternationalrepresentative

Lion10

From Council Chairperson Phil

Meet our newinternationalrepresentative

Well 2009 hascome to anend. Darleneand I hope youall had a happyand safeChristmas andthat 2010 hasstarted on apositive note. For those who have met withchallenges or loss, our prayers and thoughtsare with you.

Earlier this month the Council Meeting and the

training for the DGEs were held. I would like to

thank Lion Darlene for the production of the

partner’s handbook and for arranging the

presentations and other support activities over the

weekend. There were a number of people who

assisted in these activities; however I would like to

record a special thank you to Liz Alcock for her

contribution. Finally, from the feedback from the

DGEs it is obvious they walked away from the

training feeling much more confident with their role

of District Governors 2010-2011. Gaining this sort

of confidence can be attributed to the great work of

our Leadership Chairman PDG Norm Alcock.

We continue to do well with the MD achieving a

plus 211 members in the first six months. I

encourage everyone to continue the effort for the

remainder of the Lions year.

Work is still underway to bed down a long-term

relationship between Qantas and Lions Australia.

The Marketing Manager PCC David McKenzie OAM

announced at Council recently that he has a

contract to supply Qantas with 190,000 half packs

of our Lions Mints for their long-haul flights. The

mints will form part of the refresher packs for

passengers and may go beyond this initial

commitment. I will continue to hold discussions on

providing Lions and their families with opportunities

when travelling, which in turn could see a rebate

back to Lions Australia. This is a work in progress

and it will take time to work through the

opportunities for all concerned.

The establishment of the Australian Lions

Childhood Cancer Research Foundation came one

step closer to becoming a legal entity at the recent

Council Meeting. Our Legal Officer PCC David

Skinner OAM will now take the necessary formal

steps to have the Deed of Trustees recognised and

address the taxation aspects. Council has

appointed three of the six Trustees required. The

remaining three positions are advertised in this

addition of the Lion.

I hope you have the dates for the Mildura

Convention in your diaries – if not, the Convention is

30 April – 3 May. Please book early to assist your

organising committee in its planning task. It is my

pleasure to say the organising committee is working

hard to make Mildura a convention to remember.

Council approved the introduction of a training

opportunity for Cabinet Treasurer designates which

will commence in Mildura at the Convention. The

training will be provided by our National Treasurer

PDG Bryan Smith. For those Cabinet Treasurer

designates who aren’t able to attend the

Convention, a training package will be made

available to you after the convention.

During the Mildura Convention, conventioneers

will be asked to complete a survey on the subject of

the “Informal Reception”. The responses from this

survey will assist future organising committees to

assess the best option/format for holding this

activity in the future.

The Sydney Host Committee still require

volunteers. Don’t forget to register as a volunteer.

This is how you will meet and greet Lions from all

over the world and make lasting friends. DO IT NOW

as the numbers are required by February 14.

Please, if you are thinking of or have made the

decision to become a volunteer and not registered,

just go to the web site www.lions2010.com and

follow the links.

If you are not registered for the Sydney

Convention then my advice is to do so now.

At the end of March the price goes up again.

There were almost 5000 registered in December

to take advantage of the lower rate. Don’t miss out

again. We now have more than 7500 registered for

the Convention. Of that 614 are from Australia. This

is a chance of a lifetime and we need to have a lot

more than that from Australia to make up the

Australian contingent.

The Australian Reception will be held at 7.00pm

on 29 June at the Four Seasons Hotel. The

Downunder Breakfast will be held at 7.30am on 30

June at Dockside Darling Harbour. Both functions

are ticketed events with tickets being made

available soon. Keep an eye on our website for

further information.

Stay safe and I hope 2010 is a wonderful year

for you, your family and friends.

Keep making a difference and have fun!!!

– Phil Lawler JP

Make a date in Mildura for a convention to remember.

February - March 201011

Happy New Year Lions!2010 is shaping up to be a very busy year for

Lions in our Multiple District. The MilduraConvention Committee is ‘all systems go’ for our‘Edge of the Outback’ experience. I wouldencourage Lions who are attending to registerearly for what promises to be a very specialcountry experience. The Convention runs from 30April to 3 May 2010.

Most importantly, we will be hosting the LionsClub International Convention in Sydney from 28June 2010 to 2 July 2010. This will be the bestopportunity for Lions in our Multiple District toexperience an international convention, and tomeet 20,000 of our colleagues from around theworld.

Of course, the event is a great opportunity topromote our Association to the Australiancommunity and we have received strong supportfrom Lions Clubs International to help uscapitalise on this event. We can thank ourAustralian sponsor Holden, which will be comingon board with a very special presence in Sydneyas well!

Lions Australia will be hosting two very specialevents to share our brand of Lionism:

• The Australian Reception will be held at theFour Seasons Hotel in George Street on 29 June2010 from 7pm. This will be the opportunity tomeet Lions from around the world, hear fromsenior Lions, and celebrate the achievements ofour international organisation. Tickets are only$40 per head.

• Lions Australia will be hosting the

“Downunder Breakfast” on 30 June 2010, from7.30am at Dockside in Darling Harbour. TheDownunder Breakfast is an opportunity for Lionsfrom MD201, MD202 and MD307 to get togetherin fellowship. Tickets are $30 per head.

• Parade of Nations: Join us as we marchthrough Macquarie Street Sydney on 29 June2010.

Tickets for the events will be on sale throughthe Club Supplies shop from early February.Please get your tickets early as they are

likely to be in very high demand.As a new process, and with the considerable

support of the Cabinet Secretaries and theCabinet Secretaries Coordinator, we havecompiled an e-mail list of Clubs for thedistribution of the Notices of Motion. These weresent on 28 January 2010.

More than 50 clubs have already set up their“Oz-Clubhouse” websites – provided free by theMultiple District. These high quality and easy-to-maintain websites will provide an effective onlinepresence for many clubs and will be developedas a positive communication tool between clubs,districts and the Multiple District. For informationon how to set up your website – go towww.lionsclubs.org.au.

Our national promotion continues to be positivefor our association with strong enquiries at cluband national levels from the community toconsider joining us in our work. I wouldencourage clubs to do their best to follow upthose enquiries that can often turn into a greatnew member to help us carry on ourhumanitarian work into the future.

The recent earthquake in Haiti calls to mindthe value of Lions around the world workingtogether to solve seemingly insurmountableproblems. Lions will know that it was only 12months ago that our colleagues from around theworld rallied to help us as we reeled from theterrible bushfires of Black Saturday. I know thatour clubs will now be turning their hearts andresources to Haiti, just as we helped our Lions inIndonesia to recover from the recent Tsunami.

There is no betterexample of what itmeans to be a Lion

– Rob Oerlemans

From Executive Officer Rob

Darling Harbour ... site of ‘Downunder Breakfast’.

Pic:

Ham

ilton

Lun

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SW

Lion12

When the Lions Club of Mount Gambier participated for the first time inthe Lions Peace Poster Competition it was hoping to put up acreditable showing.

But when 13-year-old Tamika Abrahams from the local Melaleuca Park K-7School was announced as the overall Australian winner there was celebration.

Tamika’s entry, showing a lion representing power and a dove representingpeace, will be Australia’s entry in the international section of the contest.

Tamika’s national win was announced at the final assembly of the MelaleucaPark K-7 School by Mt Gambier Club President Greg Driscoll.

To represent Australia, Tamika’s entry had to win both the C2 District judgingand the national judging in which there were entries from 19 other districts.

Previously she had beaten 40 of her peers in the school competition. For her efforts, Tamika was presented

with a Lions Clubs International Certificateof Achievement and a $50 book voucher.

Her school was also recognised for itswilling participation in the competition.

Flushed with its first-up success, theMount Gambier club is now planning toregularly enter the competition.

It’s estimated that about 6500 posterswere entered in the contest this year inAustralia, while LCI estimates thatworldwide the figure was about 36,000.

TAMIKA TRIUMPHS FOR MT GAMBIER

Tamika with Mt Gambier President GregDriscoll and Tracy Redding, the school’sPeace Poster Project Chairperson, after herwin. Her entry is pictured top left.

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUEIn the last issue of the Lion magazine onpage 7, District N1 was incorrectlycredited in one part of the story withcontributing $100,000 to the NicholasTrust. While N1 does some wonderfulwork, on this occasion it was notresponsible for this particular donation.Accolades go to District N3. Thanks inpart to the N3 donation, many childrenwith terminal illnesses will be able tospend the final stages of their lives withtheir families.

First-up win in the name of peace

13February - March 2010

It was a beautiful combinationwhen 2008 Miss UniverseAustralia Laura Dundovic wasjoined by German beauty andLeo member Jenny Gerull onthe catwalk in Sydney.

The pair were taking part in thelatest of the Leo Club of Hornsby’sfashion parades with Myer Hornsby.

Jenny, a final year student doctorand also a member of the HamburgLeo Club in Germany, was inAustralia for work experience.

She and Laura Dundovic, alongwith 40 other Leos and localcelebrity models, attracted a crowdin excess of 200 to view Myerfashions.

Funds raised went to the Drop InCentre for Young Girls at theHornsby PCYC.

– Leo Rommal Verghede

German Leostrutscatwalkwith MissUniverseAustralia

Universal appeal

Miss Universe Australia 2008 Laura Dundovic, a Dural model (topand top right), and her international catwalk colleague JennyGerull from Germany (above) impressed the audience with thenew-season fashions.

A high point in the fashion fundraiser atMyer Hornsby came when DistrictGovernor Elvio Munzone made an awardto the local Leos on behalf of Lions ClubsInternational.

The International Excellence Awardrecognises outstanding achievement in theareas of humanitarian service, fundraising,leadership public relations and clubadministration and was accepted by PresidentSusie Warwick.

Award recognisesLeos who showsome get-up-and-go

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Demons At Dusk“Every Australian should read

this book. Demons at Dusk is an extremely powerful account of one of the most tragic and remarkable chapters of Australia’s history.”

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Australia 2050 An examination of Australia’s condition, outlook and options for the fi rst half of the 21st Century. Launched at Federal Parliament.

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Inside the RopesHumour outweighs dignity in this autobiography by a leading Australian surgeon, foundation Professor of Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, and past President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. It covers eighty years from childhood in diff erent country towns through the development of a surgical career. He lived through a huge leap of surgical history after World War II; most of the operations performed today being pioneered at that time.

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Goulburn’s DeliveranceMichael Fitzpatrick, is an intelligent lad with a promising future at the Sydney General Post Offi ce. Armed with a bookmaker’s licence he’s on the path to riches.

O’Malley MHRKing O’Malley strove amid central themes in Australian history – the vote for women, Federation, pensions, the fi ght over conscription, the bold bid to push a railway across the wastes to West Australia and he led the Labor Party in founding a ‘people’s bank’, the Commonwealth Bank.

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15February - March 2010

In June this year, Lions of the world will flood intoSydney for the 93rd Annual Lions Clubs InternationalConvention (June 28-July 2). Here ConventionOrganising Chairman PID Barry Palmer previews justwhat we’ll experience

SYDNEYWELCOMESTHE LIONS CLUBSINTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONJUNE 2010

For more information visit www.lions2010.com

Organising Chairman Barry Palmer surveys the scene at Darling Harbour where much of the InternationalConvention action will take place.

Planning has been methodically going on since the middle of 2003 when the Board of LionsInternational gave the go-ahead for Sydney as the location for the 2010 InternationalConvention.

For Past International Director Barry Palmer, who headed up the original team to win the convention forAustralia, it has been a whirlwind period of planning meetings, appointments, promotional work andoverseas travel.

“I’ve lived and breathed it all the way,” says Barry, who’s also concurrently campaigning to become 2ndVice President of Lions Clubs International (that vote will be announced some time after the SydneyInternational Convention). “I started out with a committee of four and that committee has just grown andgrown and grown.”

So what can local Lions expect from all this preparation? What will we see and how will it differ fromlocal conventions we might have attended?

“Totally different,” says Barry Palmer. “For a start, the Parade of Nations on the Tuesday is something youdon’t get at local district conventions, with all the different countries dressed in their outfits and uniforms,interspersed with bands and floats and all sorts of activities happening. A wonderful experience.

“It will go for between four and five hours down Macquarie Street, the equivalent time of the Anzac Dayparade, and there’ll be about 12,000 people taking part.”

CONTINUED OVER PAGE

SAY G’DAY, SYDNEYSAY G’DAY, SYDNEY

16Lion

SAY G’DAY, SYDNEYSAY G’DAY, SYDNEY

Tourism NSW, Robert Wallace

One of the biggest logistical hurdles of theInternational Convention will be co-ordinatingmarchers in the parade through Sydney – and thendispersing them in an orderly fashion.

“At the end of the parade one group ofparticipants will head to the Opera House and freeferries that will take them back to the ConventionCentre (at Darling Harbour), while a second groupwill board coaches,” says Barry Palmer. “Or theycan mill around The Rocks area and shop and takein the sights of the city.”

Record numbers expectedIn January, more than 7500 people had

registered and it’s anticipated that figure will rise to15,000 to 17,000 before convention’s start.

About 1500 to 2000 local Lions are expected.

A taste for Aussie colourAccording to Barry, a veteran of previous

international conventions, the overseas contingentwill want to meet the locals. “That’s traditional.

“Australia is the flavour of the month, particularlywith the G’day USA promotion in the U.S., andthey’ll certainly want to meet and talk to as many ofus as they can. They just love to hear our accent,and they’ll be asking questions about Lions here,what we do and what they should see.

“The volunteers in particular will be in bigdemand. They’ll be our front line, the face of theconvention.” (If you want to be part of the action, goto sites.google.com/site/lions2010volunteers andregister as a volunteer on the new one-page form).

On the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of theconvention there will be plenary sessions in themorning and seminars in the afternoon.

The opening on the Wednesday will feature atraditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony along withofficial welcomes to Sydney and Australia – but justwho will officially launch the convention will not beannounced until March.

A highlight will be an international show on theTuesday night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

“The entertainment will start the moment guestsarrive with buskers and entertainers on thefootpath, and the outside action will roll on insidewith a 90-minute production showcasing a galaxyof Australian artists,” says Barry.

Event of massive proportionHe suspects the convention could be the biggest

Lions event to date in Australia. “Brisbane had theinternational convention in 1991 and about 15,000went to it, so this will probably be the biggest in thelast 20 years.

“It is certainly the largest annual convention to beheld in Sydney. There have been bigger conventionsbut they have been one-offs.”

Tie-in eventAlong with the Lions action going on in Sydney at

the time, the NSW capital will be one of only sevencities in the world taking live television feeds on bigscreens of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. “InDarling Harbour,” says Barry, “there will be a barge

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

‘Australia is theflavour of themonth ... they’llcertainly wantto meet andtalk to as manyof us as theycan’

1717February - March 2010

Tourism NSW, Robert Wallace

with a huge screen so at night people can sit in frontof the Convention Centre to watch the football. It’sgoing to be a party around there for a week, day andnight, really exciting.”

World perspectiveBarry predicts the convention will open the

eyes of many local Lions to the sheer breadthand worth of the international world of Lions.

“Lions here do a lot of good stuff but, froman international perspective, I think localLions should get there just to see what sort ofan international organisation they belong to,how big it is and work that’s done.

“Then there’s the diversity of members.You realise that when you see the parade,particularly sights like the Nigerians allwalking around in their long, brightly coloureddresses with amazing head gear. It’s an eventnot to be missed – a great spectacle.”

Just as it was at the Minneapolis Convention last year,colour and spectacle will be a highlight of the paradethrough the streets at the 93rd Annual Lions ClubsInternational Convention in Sydney this year.

The action to be seen

While there are many things we can learnfrom visiting overseas Lions during thisInternational Convention, likely we’ll bespending much time answering questions onmatters as diverse as the location of FingerWharf in Sydney and just where you can see afew donkeys in the outback.

For the reality is that it’s not always the obviousthat interests visitors to our shores. And like it ornot, many visitors will want to dwell on thestereotype image of Australia as a vast frontier offascinating characters who speak in an unusualfashion and call each other “mate” and say G’day.For that’s the Aussie character they’ve come to

love. And there’s a great interest in our naturalwonders, too.

As an insight into what interests some overseasLions, the following is a list of Australian icons thatrecently appeared in the international edition of theLion magazine. You might find it handy for a littleresearch.

● Hollywood superstar RussellCrowe has a home in Sydney atthe end of the Finger Wharf inWoolloomooloo and likes to strollaround town with his family.● A salty, gooey yeast pastebeloved by Australians, Vegemiteis ubiquitous as a breakfast food(spread on hot buttered toast),lunchtime sandwich and even asa remedy for hangovers.● The Outback, whichtechnically is the entire non-urban portion of Australia, alsorefers to the mostly aridcountryside, full of rugged vistasand populated by the dingo,donkey and feral camel.● Visible from outer space, theGreat Barrier Reef off thenortheast coast is the world’slargest coral reef systemconsisting of 2,900 reefs, 900islands and billions of tinyorganisms known as coralpolyps.● Born in Hawaii, actress NicoleKidman grew up in Sydney andshares a mansion on the harborin the city with husband KeithUrban, the country singer.

And thanks to Paul Hogan andCo, expect some visitors to want todrag you off to the pub to down afew frosties in the traditional Aussieway. For to many OS visitors, beerand the average Aussie go hand inglove. As one overseas Lionsobserver couldn’t resist reiteratingin print: “Beer remains a staple; theold joke is that a seven-courseAustralian meal is a meat pie and asix-pack.”

Yes, you might need a sense ofhumour too.

– Tony Fawcett

18Lion

Of Russell Crowe, Vegemite, meat pies and six-packsKnow where Russell Crowe lives? And where’s the nearest place you can buy Vegemite? If you don’t knowand you’re hosting overseas guests during the coming International Convention, you might want to find out

February - March 201019

Sydney facts that justmight come in handyWeather

July in Sydney is comfortable with anaverage high of 61 and a low of 47.

Time differencesThe difference between Sydney and the

following cities are:. New York: 15 hours behind. London: 10 hours behind. Paris: 9 hours behind. Moscow: 7 hours behind. Bangkok: 3 hours behind. Hong Kong: 2 hours behind. Tokyo: 1 hour behind

The citySydney is Australia’s oldest and largest

city – and one of the most beautiful. It iscosmopolitan and quite safe to movearound. It has one of the lowest citypopulation densities and highest standardsof living in the world.

TravelThe best ways to get around Sydney are

by bus, train or ferry. Central Train Station,Circular Quay, Town Hall and Wynyard aremajor terminals for buses and trains. Ferriesand Jetcats depart and arrive at Circular

Quay. Ferries go to Balmain,Darling Harbour, the NorthShore, Manly, Rose Bay,Parramatta, Double Bay andTaronga Zoo. Travel is relativelyinexpensive.

TippingMost visitors to Australia will

want to know the procedure assoon as they arrive. The bestanswer is that tipping is not thegeneral custom in Australia,with the exception of fine diningrestaurants where it is usual totip food and drink waiters up to10 per cent of the bill for goodservice. At any time, however,tipping is your choice.

RestaurantsSydney offers multicultural

dining for all budgets andtastes. Among the best is theseafood (preferably in awaterside restaurant) but alsoseek out Vietnamese, Chinese,Thai and Middle Eastern.

Popular food zones includeChinatown, Darling Harbour, theSpanish Quarter aroundGoulburn Street, Italian hubs atLeichhardt, Five Dock andHaberfield, and Oxford Street.But just about anywhere youlook around Sydney there willbe first-class restaurants.For more information, visitwww.lions2010.com

Darling Harbour, centre for much of the convention action.

The Sydney Aquarium is amust visit for all ages.

Marron salad atSydney’s Tetsuya’s

restaurant, just one ofmany international fare

eateries in Sydney.

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THINGS TO DOAROUND DARLINGHARBOUR* Dine alfresco at KingStreet Wharf, Cockle Bayor Harbourside.* Take a ferry, sailboat,

yacht or speedboat tour.* Board the monorail for aspectacular overview ofDarling Harbour andsurrounds.* Explore Sydney WildlifeWorld with its collection ofanimals unique toAustralia.* Catch the light rail to theSydney Fish Markets, thesecond largest seafoodmarket in the world.

20Lion

It was a surprise Christmas lunch theresidents of nursing homes inMelbourne’s Dandenong area will notforget.

One hundred of them were picked upby members of the Lions Club ofDandenong Inc in two buses and taken offto the Dandenong RSL where they weretreated to a two-course lunch followed byLions Christmas Cake.

The lunch guests came from Harrier

Manor, Cardinal Knox, Rosewood Downsand Thurmuna RSL Units and driving thebuses were Lions Gilbert and Ranjit.

The group was entertained by Lionsemcees Dennis Fraser and Lyn Pilois,followed by magician Tony Walker, asingalong and then Santa who presentedeveryone with goodie bags of gifts.

“The delight and the laughter of theresidents let us know they really enjoyedthe day,” said Lyn Pilois.

It’s a long way from coastal NSW to Vietnambut the connection grew stronger recentlywhen, for the second time, Kiama Lionssponsored an Operation Smile mission forpatients from Hanoi and elsewhere.

Operation Smile is dedicated to providing freetreatment to children and young adults sufferingfrom childhood facial deformities in developingcountries.

First off, a screening day was held with 103patients being examined.

The examining team included 30 medicalvolunteers from the Vietnam Cuba FriendshipHospital, plus four non-medical volunteersfrom a students program.

Mission coordinator was Nguyen DucToan, with Dr Nguyen Thanh Thai as medicalteam leader.

Required lab tests were done for allselected patients in the afternoon inpreparation for surgery on 55 patients whowere cleared for operations. On the day, that

number was reduced to 53 whentwo patients were found to havehigh fevers and coughs.

By project’s end, there hadbeen 17 operations for cleft lip, 14 forcleft palate, 14 for fistula repair, six forlip scar revision and one for a skin graft.

Patients were well organised by thehospital.

Logistical issues, such as drinkingwater, lunches and refreshment for themedical and nursing team, were wellprovided for thanks to the assistance ofnon-medical volunteers.

Kiama Lions were thanked for helping to bringnew smiles and new lives to 53 children and youngadults from Vietnam.

The NSW Lions raised more than $80,000towards this project, with additional funds comingfrom other clubs, community groups and individualsin the Kiama community.

Lions Rob Danby and Ross Simmons led theproject with a number of members making regulardonations.

Funds also came from other N2 clubs.

Kiama Lions create something to smile about

Serving up a Lions surprise

Dressed in their bright andcolourful uniform shirts, it’snot difficult to spot the hardworking ladies of the LionessClub of Palm BeachCurrumbin.

On this occasion they werepresenting sporting equipment tolocal Member for Currumbin,Jann Stuckey (she’s the one notin uniform), for the Department ofAbused Children’s Christmasappeal.

Pre-Christmas, the 39members of the club spent 240work hours in local shopping

centres selling Lions ChristmasCakes and mints. They raised$1455 from hamper raffles,donated $1000 worth ofgroceries to a Salvation Armyappeal and gave $1000 toRosie’s Kitchen to help feed thehomeless on the Gold Coast.

As well, each Lioness wasasked to donate some pet food,which resulted in nine Christmascake boxes overflowing withgoods for Friends of the Poundlocated at Tweed Heads.

And that was just what theydid that month.

Spot the odd one out

21February - March 2010

Bundanoon Lions are sponsoring the flashIDEmergency Identification System™ for adoptionas a National Project of Lions Australia.

Heart of the system is a USBdevice which holds the owner’spersonal and medical details in adocument that is easily accessible toemergency services and hospitaland medical staff.

Precious minutes can thus be saved: time thatcan mean the difference between life and death.

Designed and developed in Australia, the patentedflashID System is an affordable, 21st centuryalternative to the old alert bracelet, but with nohidden charges. It’s also a great fundraiser for Clubs.

To find out more, visit the Bundanoon Lions/flashID stand at the Mildura convention, visitwww.flashID.org/lions.htm or phone 1300 761690.

Says, “Save a life with flashID.®”Community service is a win-win with the

www.bundanoonlions.org

Proudly Australian

FlashID International Pty Limited15 Penrose Rd (PO Box 94)Bundanoon NSW 2578

LA2310

After Victoria’s disastrous Black Saturdayfires of last year the Principal of Yea HighSchool, John O’Meara, and Vice Principal,Bruce Skewes, travelled around the worst-affected areas of Kinglake, Kinglake West,Flowerdale and Glenburn to check on thecommunity and the school’s students.

One thing that was constant in their travels wasthe recurring theme that “things will be better whenwe get back together again”.

Hence the motto sprang up, “Better Together” –and Better Together shirts funded by the LionsDisaster Relief Fund.

Now students and staff wear them constantly asan alternate uniform; they are a reminder of whatthe community went through and how, by workingtogether, it will get better.

The Lions logo is a very visual reminder of howthe community can help each other.

The Yea school is grateful to Lions Clubs V5 andDG David Jones for the sponsorship of the shirts.David visited the school to officially present theshirts (on a day it rained!)

Yea High school continues to receive financialsupport in the wake of the Black Saturday Fires.

Two significant donations have also beenreceived – $8000 from the Kinglake Lions Club and$3000 from District V6 to purchase school sportsuniforms for use by representative teams.

Kinglake Lions donated $5000 in support of acampaign by the school to raise $50,000 for thepurchase of a mini bus. The bus has now beenpresented to the school.

A lot smaller accounts, such as for food andpetrol vouchers, sports travel to a green sportingcomplex, uniform replacement and Tafe and vetfees, were paid for by the Lions clubs of Kinglakeand Yea.

Ken Aitken, a technology studies teacher atYea High School and a Kinglake resident and

active member of the Kinglake Lions Club,presented the cheques to Principal John O’Meara.

The students will gain enormous benefit from theuniforms and mini bus.

Better BACKBACK TOGETHER!TOGETHER!Black Saturday fire zone students let their feelings be knownSchool says ‘thanks’ to Lions

Yea High School students show their togetherness.

Lion and Yea HighSchool teacherKen “Aiko” Aitkenin his specialshirt, and (below)students wearingdonated sportsuniforms.

Lion22

The magnificent seven rode into the nation’swestern capital on a warm evening in earlyJanuary.

No, I’m not talking about Chris (Yul Brynner) andhis band of gun totin’ cowboys from the epicwestern The Magnificent Seven who rescued theimpoverished Mexicans from the maraudingbandidos. Rather, these seven are the 2009-2010Youth of the Year state winners who landed in Perthas part of their national tour.

Five days in Perth with nothing to do? Not quite.Western Australian state tour spokesperson

Merredith Cully introduces the team.

“Like a TV weather person displayingweather patterns from the Australian map,reading from the top in Queensland, meetDaniel Charles who hails from Hervey Bay. Notbuilt like a NFL front rower, but prefers longdistance running in his preparation for enteringthe medical profession. From NSW, enterMatthew McLean, the Novacastrian. Matthewchose law as his vocation. He has never heardof AFL but favours the Newcastle Knights.Merridy Leonard from Victoria is not aCollingwood supporter, no way, but she watchesthe Bombers fly up-up-up. She will hone herscholastic skills in business. Across the BassStrait, meet Taswegian and national YOTYwinner Emma Davey. She chose medicine asher vocation and with her rowing skills will leadthe field. On to South Australia, meet Crow-eater and avid Crow supporter, six-foot, five-inch giant and still growing Richard Hayman.International business marketing andmanagement is his desire. And myself,Merredith Cully, I hail from Manjimup in WA’ssouth west, better known for its truffles andtimber. I’m really looking forward to enteringthe medical profession and sport is not on myradar, but Italy is. The seventh member isMelissa Hadassin from Dianella, a Perth suburb.Melissa is a dancing queen. Her favourites hiphop and tap dancing and she hopes to domedicine.”

Merredith leaves the other six in Perth and headsoff to Italy as a Rotary Exchange Student for 12months, her replacement is Melissa Hadassin –WA’s first runner-up.

During their stay in WA the Lions ambassadorsare hosted by Claremont Nedlands, Dianella andMandurah clubs.

The five-day adventure begins with a day trip toMandurah, a tour of the canals and lunch.

Day two, dressed up to the nines, they are guestsof the NAB Bank. They have morning tea on the14th floor with NAB executives and take in themarvellous views of Perth and the river. Then it’s a

quick change of clothing, lunch money provided byClaremont Nedlands Lions partner and MotherHubbard Gloria Slingsbury. Free time for the sevenis a walk through the city malls and arcadessearching for gifts or just window shopping andlunch in the underground Hawker’s Hut markets.

The afternoon is a tour through one of WA Lions’finest projects, the Lions Eye Institute led byDirector David Mackey Professor of Ophthalmology,LEI Lions member Dr Nici Binz, LEI Lion HilarySalisbury and a photo shoot.

Claremont Nedlands club hosts a BBQ in Kingspark in the evening.

Day three is a trip to Penguin Island and meetingand greeting hundreds of fairy penguins. Day four, aferry down the Swan River from Perth city toFremantle, touring the tunnels in the old FremantleJail and lunch at Cicerellos, Freo’s most famous fishand chippery. And an evening never to be forgotten,dinner at the Ocean Beach Hotel, commonly knownas the OBH, and watching the sunset over theIndian Ocean.

Day five sees the six leave Perth for SouthAustralia and another chapter for Australia's newleaders. And how did the seven perform in Perth?Magnificent. –Graham Madigan

THE EYES HAVE ITTHE EYES HAVE ITChris Barry, ophthalmic photographer at the LionsEye Institute (below left with Merredith Cully), showedthe YOTY winners two machines. Firstly, their retinaswere photographed with a non-mydriatic camera.The visitors were able to see the results on acomputer screen soon after and Professor Mackeyexplained the retinal landmarks like the fovea andoptic nerve head and the significance of this anatomy

to how we see. Then some of the visitors had theireyes imaged on the Spectralis, a new machinecosting more than $250,000. This new technologyallows us to look at individual layers of the retina, tosee if innovative treatments can help the patient toretain or improve their vision. The Spectralis also aidsthe understanding of the disease processes neverbefore seen in such detail in the human eye – and allwithout any objects in contact with the patient’s eye.Merredith Cully (above) was the first to volunteer tohave this new SD-Optical Coherence Tomography.

TheThe Magnificent 7Magnificent 7HIT TOWN

From the back, left to right: Daniel Charles and Richard Hayman. Second row: Matthew McLean, MelissaHadassin, LEI Managing Director Professor David Mackey and Emma Davey. Front: Dr Nici Binz, Merridy Leonardand Merredith Cully.

HOW TO PLAN AHEAD FOR THE 2011YOUTH OF THE YEAR – SEE PAGE 26

23February - March 2010

I am an active member of the Lions Club ofCroydon, Victoria, and have challenged myselfto complete the gruelling Kokoda trail thisJuly

My goal is to raise awareness of the importanceof communication for the hearing impaired and toraise money for the Bionic Ear Institute.

I was diagnosed with progressive hearing losswhen I was 19, to be told I would eventually gocompletely deaf.

“Well, 40 yearslater, I’m nowprofoundly deafand rely on myhearing aids tocommunicate andknow theimportance ofcommunication.My father was alsoprofoundly deafand had very littleinteraction with us children. I’m determined not toend up like my Dad and every day I strive tocommunicate.”

As a cancer survivor, celebrating my 60thbirthday walking the Kokoda trail will be an amazing

challenge – to experience such an importantpart of our history and actually see the jungle,myself. My belief that I will succeed will makeall the training ahead of me worthwhile.

Walking the trail will also be a trueexperience for me as an Australian, to knowfirsthand what the diggers had to endure tosave our beautiful country.

The Bionic Ear Institute is anindependent, not-for-profit medical bionicsresearch organisation and has beensupported by the Victorian Lions Foundationfor over 20 years. After 25 years ofresearch the institute is now in an excitingnew era with its multi-disciplinary team ofresearchers developing new medical bionicdevices. They are applying their expertise incollaborative projects to create a newgeneration of bionic ears capable of hearingmusic, a bionic eye, drug delivery systems toprevent hearing loss and implantable devices totreat epilepsy and repair the spinal cord.

These are also reasons why I am attemptingto walk the Kokoda Trail.

I have been visiting many Lions clubs as aguest speaker, to gain publicity across clubsand the community for the raising of funds.

I am all too aware of the fantastic work theBionic Ear Institute does and want to make sureI do my bit to help them continue their greatwork into the future.

Through walking Kokoda Trail and yourdonation, I would like to think that I have made

an impact in some small way in helping ourcommunity to raise the importance ofcommunication and to enable children and adults tointeract more fully with their world.

Do you want a challenge and to help raise fundsfor the Bionic Ear Institute? I am looking for walkersto accompany me on my expedition. GetawayTrekking will donate 10% of the walker’s fees backto the Bionic Ear Institute. I have been training withGetaway Trekking Montrose Victoria(sue@getawaytrekking.com).

Your support will help medical bionic research.Donations can be made via The Lions Club ofCroydon Inc. Victoria.

For further information contact Hendy O’Toole on03 97274114 or email gothot49@aapt.net.au. Hendy’s

walk starts on July 11.

Trekking to be heardHendy gearsup to challengethe famous trail

‘I’mdeterminednot to end uplike my Dadand every dayI strive tocommunicate’

Hendy in training for her epic walk.

Lion24

AROUND THE NATION

Thommo’s triumphWestern Australian Leo becomes the first from that state to benamed International Leo of the Year

There was much pride out west whenMandurah Leo Jessica Louise“Thommo” Thompson was namedwinner of the 2009-2010 InternationalLeo of the Year at the W2 AlbanyConvention.

Jessica is the first Leo in WesternAustralia to win the award and the fifthfrom Australia over the past seven years.

She led the field of 25 Leosrepresenting 25 multiple districts from 12countries to the finish.

To qualify as a candidate for the award,

Thommo needed to have developedoutstanding leadership skills; achieved asuperior record as a Leo in implementingsuccessful service projects; made anidentifiable contribution to thedevelopment and growth of the Leo clubprogram; achieved distinction incommunity or school activities outside ofLeo club commitments; and demonstratedhigh ethical standards and personalintegrity.

Well done, Thommo.A DOUBLE SANTA WELCOMEA DOUBLE SANTA WELCOMETwo Lions Santas were on hand to do some ho-ho-hoing atQueensland’s John Flynn on the Gold Coast hospital when this newproud mum showed off her new-born twins. The Santas (aka Lions ColMerrin and Peter Garrett) were just two of four from the Lions Club ofPalm Beach-Currumbin who visited the hospital. The visit, in whichLions Christmas Cakes are delivered, has become an annual event forthe club. “Patients, visitors and staff were thrilled and veryappreciative of our Christmas good cheer and it certainly helps amplifyour Lions motto We Serve,” said President Don McHenry.

International Leo of the Year Jessica “Thommo” Thompson with her gold medal pinned toher lapel. She is flanked by Lion Denice Knight and Leo-Lion Terina Watson-Tinson at theAlbany Convention.

DG’s performance put to panelThere were hijinks aplenty when District Governor Shillito andLion Judy visited Victoria’s Lions Club of Trafalgar for theChristmas break-up.

After inspiring members with an excellent address, DG Tom wassomewhat dumbfounded when President Diana Cook called on aspecially selected panel of three members to judge the DistrictGovernor’s performance on the night.

At first there was stunned silence, then raucous laughter as DG Tomquipped “at least I scored a pass!”

It was a night when all saw two sides to the DG – his dignity andprofessionalism and his and Judy’s ability to share a laugh and toparticipate in the merriment.

Also on the night, Past President Kevin Dewsbury was presented witha Club President's Diamond Award and an LCI Excellence Award.

Santa (aka Lion Des Good from Victoria’s Toolamba club) is swamped by excited children atthe Toolamba Lions Bush Xmas Festival. Toolamba is only a small sub club with 14members but it achieved a memorable festival.

Father Christmas gets updated wish lists from DG Tom Shillito andPresident Diana Cook in Trafalgar.

25February - March 2010

Lions is committed to promoting and encouraging the youth of Australia and amongour prime vehicles are youth camps such as Camp Koala in the picturesqueGrampians at the tail of the Great Dividing Range.

Situated in the village of Halls Gap, 250km north westof Melbourne, the six-day Camp Koala 2010 will be limitedto 40 participants between 17 and 20 as at 1 July.

Participants will be selected from both Australian andoverseas applicants.

Typical activities will include walks, a bush dance, lowand high ropes challenges, gold panning and Aussie bushcraft, cultural exchange presentations and a “Red Faces”talent quest.

Accommodation is in motel-style rooms with ensuitesand a maximum of three people per room. All rooms arecentrally heated and a heated indoor swimming pool,netball/basketball/tennis courts and a high-ropes courseare on site.

Australian applications must be made before 31 Marchthrough your local Lions Club Youth Exchange Chairman.For more details and costs, contact Adrian Miles(v2campkoala@iprimus.com.au) or PDG Keith Davis(03) 5367 3429.

Camp and home stay rules and protocols apply inaccordance with Lions Youth Exchange Policy andInternational Youth Camp Policy.

CampCamp KoalaKoala callingcallingYouth invited to experience some true outdoorAussie adventure

At Camp Koala there’ll behiking through The Grampians, as thisrange is called, and visits toa wildlife park. If you or someone youknow is interested in attendinga camp elsewhere, visitwww.lionsclubs.org.au/ye/camps.htm.

26Lion

VALE: Tribute to the manbehind Lions MintsJohn Douglas, responsible for the Lions Mints project inAustralia, passed away last September.

In 1975 the late Jim McLardie asked John, who was in theconfectionary industry, to consider a project similar to theAmerican Candy Day.

John in his wisdom decided that such a once-a-year day wouldnot work in Australia so he suggested a year-round program andthat’s when the Lions Mint Program that we currently use wasborn.

The idea was for mints to be placed on an honour system inoffices and otherplaces where lolliesweren’t available.This idea wassubmitted to andapproved by theCouncil of Governorsfor 1975-76.

I still have amock-up of theproposed packagingwhich was passedaround the Council ofGovernors.

The program wasand still is anoutstanding success.Mints are sold bymost Australian Lions

and Lioness clubs and container loads of mints are sent overseasto countries such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, USA, Canada andNew Zealand. The mints have always been made In Australia.

I estimate about $50,000,000 has been raised by clubs inAustralia and overseas.

The original supplier wanted out of the project and John boughtout the rights and formed his own company, International Mints. Atone stage International Mints was paying the highest amount ofroyalties to Lions International for the right to promote the project.

John was also the driving force behind the formation of theLifesaver Foundation and he, along with the Late Jim McLardie,convinced the original suppliers to donate $200,000 to set up theFoundation.

This foundation was set up to promote Lions in Australia andthe foundation still has the original $200,000 which is used togenerate interest.

On behalf of the Lifesaver Foundation I extend deepestsympathy to Jenny and family for their very sad loss. He will bemissed by all.

PDG Brian McGrath OAMChairman of the Lifesaver Foundation

YOUTH OF THE YEAR

LAUNCESTON CONVENTION – 2011 YOTY DATESMost Lions will be aware that the 2011 MD Convention will be held inLaunceston and with the date being mid April, it is extremely early compared toother years.

The early dates will have a drastic effect on the timing for all levels of the Youth of theYear Quest in the 2010/2011 Quest year. The YOTY committee is concerned with theimplications that this may have and has looked very carefully at all of the possibilities forthe deadlines for all levels of the quest.

Every year various factors must be considered when setting the dates for each level:start of the school year, term holidays, public holiday long weekends (all of these datesvary in each state and territory), Easter, the required time between each final to allowproper planning.

We are fortunate that Easter is rather late in 2011 and will be after the MD Convention,so this will not be an issue.

In most states, school starts in early February 2011, with the exception of Tasmania(February 16), and most states have a public holiday in early to mid March.

When setting dates, the committee must comply with the quest rules – and did so, withthe exception of reducing the time between the state and national finals by one week.

As a result of carefully considering all possible alternatives, the following deadlines havebeen set for 2010/2011:

Club Final 13 February 2011, Zone Final 20 February 2011, Region Final 27 February2011, District Final 13 March 2011, State Final 27 March 2011, National Final 15 April2011.

Chairpeople should check the local school term dates and public holidays to assist indetermining dates for finals in your area.

It is important for all clubs to comply with these deadlines when planning for2010/2011.

The YOTY committee understands that an immediate reaction may be that the timelineis restrictive, but we urge clubs to consider all available options to ensure theirinvolvement in this most important project. We do not want to lose any clubs from thequest. As a result, we are encouraging clubs to consider running their club event prior toChristmas.

Many clubs already hold their club final between August and November – and thetiming is very much dependent on local considerations. The YOTY committee encouragesclubs to talk to the schools that supply their entrants to work out the best time for thestudents.

There are advantages in running a club final before Christmas:• It takes the pressure off schools to find entrants either late in one school year or early

in the next year when students are starting a new level of their education• There is a broader time frame in which to run the club final – any time from August

to November – so things are far more flexible and can be best planned to fit the school’stimetable requirements.

• It is better for the young people who progress through the levels – they don’t have toattend the zone, region and district finals with only a week between each final.

• The time between each level can be spread a little, giving more time for the zone,region and district chairmen to plan their finals.

• Finalists at the zone level are known well in advance, so planning for the zone final isless stressful.

Please start the initial planning for your Youth of the Year final for 2010/11 now.Stationery will be printed and available to all District Chairmen to distribute to clubs by

the middle of June.

Support our youthBy mid February club finals should have been completed. Please remember that the

quest does not finish at this level. Depending on where you are, the zone final (if required)and region final (or multi-zone) will follow on in quick succession. Please support your clubentrant at the next level; it is most important to show support for these most impressiveyoung people as they subject themselves to the rigors of the quest.

Even if your club entrant does not proceed beyond the next level, I urge club membersto make the effort to attend the finals at the higher levels. It is a most rewarding thing todo and it takes no effort to attend and support our youth even though your own club maynot be represented. Remember, it is a Lions project and we are all Lions.

To learn more about Youth of the Year, visit out website – www.lionsclubs.org.au/yotyYouth of the Year – “You just can’t lose”

Adrian MilesChairman Youth of the Year

John Douglas ... responsible forestablishing Lion Mints in Australia.

VALE: LION KEVIN ROBERTS O.A.M.Lion Kevin passed away last October after fighting cancer. Kevin joined Jervis Bay Lions 30 years ago

and held every position in the club more than once. When we were down in membership he held a fewpositions at the same time.

If you needed something done Lion Kevin, a Melvin Jones Fellow, was always there, a good mate,whether giving a helping hand when anyone needed him, catching a snake, tinkering with an engine,taking a pulse or giving a lift somewhere. Even though in great pain toward the end he was still doingwhat he could to organise our annual Christmas carols.

Kevin also used his Lions Club connections to organise fodder and toy runs for people in drought-ravaged areas.

Lion Kevin served in Vietnam, on the board of Huskisson RSL, was a member and captain of theErowal Bay Bush Fire Brigade and was a Legatee for Nowra Legacy. He was a founding member of theShoalhaven Linear Accelerator Committee (LINAC) raising funds over many years for a cancer treatmentfacility in Nowra

Kevin will be sadly missed, not only by his loving wife Wendy and his family but by the community atlarge and certainly by our Lions club.

– Jervis Bay Lions Club

27February - March 2010

VALE: PDG Peter Leonard HoltOAM MBA FCA JP

Peter Holt joined the Lions Club of Brighton onthe 1st March 1971 and immediately becameinvolved in club activities in helping thecommunity of Brighton. During his time withthe Brighton club, he sponsored many othermembers into our organisation.

He served as club treasurer for more than 10years and was President of Brighton for an initialperiod of 18 months from 1978 to 1980 and thenagain during 2000-2001.

Peter was always an active Lion and participatedin many club projects including Lions Mints andChristmas Cakes. He was the instigator of thesuccessful Brighton Lions Book Mart and devotedmany hours to its success.

He served as the treasurer for District 201S3from July 1988 until the 30 June 1991 and thenwas the first District Governor of the re-structured201S3 for 1991-92. Following this year of servicehe was appointed District Coordinator for LionsClubs International Campaign SightFirst for a three-year period.

From 1 July 1993 until 1 July 2000, Peter alsoserved as the accountant for the Lions HearingDogs national project.

Then on 30 June 2003, Peter decided that hedesired to become involved with the Holdfast BayCity Council and submitted his resignation, which

was accepted with regret.Even though his health

was failing, Peter decidedthat he wanted to return toLionism and so, in June2007, he was inducted intothe Lions Club of Marionand very soon set out toonce again become activein community service. Withthe assistance of his LionsLady Carol, they went aboutdistributing the EmergencyMedical Information Bookletthroughout the area and infact distributed more than4000 copies. Peter took overas club secretary in June 2008 and held that officeuntil October 2009 when his deteriorating healthforced his retirement.

For his service, he was presented with manyLions Awards including life membership and theInternational President’s Award. He was also aMelvin Jones Fellow and in 2004 was awarded theOrder of Australia Medal (OAM) and the AustralianFederation Medal.

And what was PDG Peter’s greatest moment inLions? To witness his daughter Corinne become

District Governor of District 201C2 for this currentyear. They have the honour of being the first andonly father and daughter to have both held thisoffice in MD201.

Peter was so proud of Corinne’s involvement withLions Clubs International.

Farewell, Lion Peter. Rest in peace with theknowledge that you have served your fellow manwell. – PDG Bob Korotcoff

Peter Holt, a highly achieving Lion, with his daughter Corinne. One of Peter’sproudest moments was seeing Corinne become DG of District C2.

When you attract thousands of people to an

event you know you’re doing okay.

That was the case when Mt Gambier Lions again

hosted their brass band festival, organised by Lions

Allen and Sandra Woodham.

Arguably the largest such event in regional

Australia, it was highlighted by a concert featuring

a young Mount Gambier student, Saiyon Phelan,

who thrilled the audience with her performance

culminating in I still Call Australia Home.

Among the visitors were IPDG David Savage and

his wife Lion Sue. David and Sue are both past

players in the world of brass bands.

Striking up the band

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS – COMMITTEE VACANCIESThe 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: executiveofficer@lions.org.au 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 Wednesday 31 March 2010.

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.January 2010

COMMITTEE POSITION TERM (to) COMMENTS

ADMINISTRATION

Lions National Honours Advisory Chairperson 31/07/13 To assist with advice for recognition of Lions through the National Honours system.

Members (2) 31/07/13 To assist with advice for recognition of Lions through the National Honours system

Constitution & By-Laws Members (2) 30/06/13 Duties include assistance to MD Legal Officer as required

Insurance Member 31/01/12 Duties are to maintain a liaison with Clubs and Districts within designated guidelines, attend Committee meetings and to be pro-active in relation to insurance and safety matters which might affect Lions.

MARKETING

Lions Christmas Cake Committee Chairperson 30/06/13 Achieve Committee objectives relating to Cake program management. Promotion of Christmas Cakes.

Coordinator 'V' Districts 30/06/13 Demonstrated interest in the preparation/ implementation of strategies and programs for the promotion and marketing of Christmas cakes

Lion Mint Australia Committee Coordinators 'C' District 'W' District

30/06/13 Demonstrated interest in the preparation, implementation of strategies and programs for the promotion and marketing of Lion Mints.

Hearing Dogs Committee Chairperson 30/06/13 Responsibility to the MD Council for the efficient management of the Lions Hearing Dogs Program.

Committee Member State Rep TAS

30/06/13 30/06/13

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.

Marketing Manager 30/06/14 Manage and co-ordinate committees under the marketing portfolio which include Lion Mints, Christmas Cakes, Letters to Father Christmas & Club Supplies.

MEMBERSHIP

Cabinet Secretaries Coordinator 30/06/13 Responsible to Membership Services Manager & MD Council in relation to financial & other data. Training, human resource information and formulation of policy relating to Cabinet Secretaries.

Lioness Member - NSW 30/06/13 Regular contact with Lioness Clubs in the States, attending meetings as required by the Chairperson and submitting report.

29February - March 2010

COMMITTEE VACANCIES

Youth Membership Conversion Officer 30/06/13 Responsible to Membership Manager & works with various chairpersons and consultants from Membership Services and Youth & Community Projects, to encourage youth program members to join Lions.

YOUTH & COMMUNITY PROJECTS * Note: Police clearance is required for these positions

Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation

Trustees - (3) 31/01/12 Trustees will operate the new Foundation established by Convention resolution in Melbourne 2009

Leo Co-ordinator VIC 31/01/13 Responsibilities include efficient and effective management of allocated portfolios on the committee, contributing towards Leo objectives, promoting and developing Leos

Youth Exchange Program Chairperson 28/02/12 Duties include supervision of all aspects of the allocated program and attending to all matters pertaining to the program

Greeters (2) 28/02/12 Clubs or individuals may apply for this position. Supervise Youth Exchange arrivals and departures - Brisbane, Sydney.

Youth of the Year Chairperson 30/06/13 The job entails the coordination of all aspects of travel and tours for the National and State winners of the Youth of the Year Quest. The Travel Co-ordinator will work in close liaison with the YOTY preferred travel agent.

Travel Coordinator 30/06/13 The job entails the coordination of all aspects of travel and tours for the National and State winners of the Youth of the Year Quest. The Travel Co-ordinator will work in close liaison with the YOTY preferred travel agent.

Coordinator NSW 30/06/13 To Co-ordinate Youth of the Year activities for their state/s. Responsibilities include promotion of the quest within their state, formulation of State goals & report progress in relation to quest goals.

At the National Convention in May 2009, aConstitutional Notice of Motion was resolved that:

1. 86.1.1 Copies of the Project Motions and ofthe other Motions may be forwarded to all Clubsand District Constitution and/or Rules and By-Laws Chairmen either by way of post or, if a Clubor such Chairman has advised the ExecutiveOfficer of that Club’s or Chairman’s email address,then by way of email directed to that Club orChairman at that email address.

Please be advised that on Thursday 28 January2010 Project Notices of Motion were sent to theemail address of your Club (which you supplied to

your Cabinet Secretary). If you elected to have thisdocument posted to you, it was posted on that day.Members of your Club may wish to read thisdocument which should be made available tothem. Any emails or postal mail that is returned tothis office will be investigated and re-sentaccordingly.

Along with the Notices of Motion, you willreceive information about ordering the 2010-11Lions Directory. Please respond to this request.

Heather DewsonExecutive Assistant

Lions Australia National Office

ATTENTION CLUB SECRETARIESJANUARY 2010 MAIL-OUT - NATIONAL OFFICE

HAVE YOU CHANGED ADDRESS?If you have changed your address, couldyou please contact your CabinetSecretary to ensure that your new detailsare updated.

The Lion onlineFor your convenience the Lion magazine is availableonline at http://www.lionsclubs.org.au/news/lion-magazine/index.php Members who no longer wish to receive a printed copyof the magazine to their home address can now elect tohave their names removed from the database. Pleasecontact your Cabinet Secretary - name and membershipnumbers will be required to take you off this list.

INTERNATIONAL NAPPY RUNIt took a lot of effort by Sydney’sHornsby Leos but when their donationof 600 disposable nappies reachedSouth Africa’s Ezibeleni school with its250 disabled children there was muchcelebration.

The nappies were delivered to the schoolby South African Leos (pictured foreground)from the Alberton club and were quickly putto good use.

Lion30

ROB OERLEMANS EXECUTIVE OFFICER MD201 LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL INC. LIONS NATIONAL OFFICE NEWCASTLE January 2010

Committee Position Term (To) Appointee District

ADMINISTRATION

Insurance Chairperson 31/01/13 Brian Favero N4

MARKETING

Hearing Dogs Committee Committee Member NSW 30/06/10 John Chate N5

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

MERL Committee 'V' Districts 31/01/13 Harry Taylor V5

Lioness Committee Member VIC 31/01/13 Wendy Keogh V3

Leadership Committee Chairperson 30/06/13 Tim Irvine W2

YOUTH AND COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Australian Lions Children's Mobility Foundation Trustee WA 31/01/12 Tess Leedham W2

Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation

Chairperson Trustees

31/01/13 31/01/13

Joe Collins Barry Palmer Jim Ede

N5 N5 N5

Leo Committee State Coordinator NSW 31/01/12 Gail Hart N5

Youth Exchange Program Chairperson 29/08/12 28/02/13

Darlene Lawler Jan Evans Helen Topp

N2 Q3 N2

AUSTRALIAN LIONS DRUGAWARENESS FOUNDATION INC

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2010Notice is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting of theFoundation to be held in Mildura on Saturday 1 May 2010commencing at 7.45 a.m.

Each Constituent Member is entitled to one vote and thatrepresentative should have accreditation from the Club Secretary.However in the case of a State/Territory Director election onlydelegates from that State/Territory may vote. Members not attendingmay complete a postal ballot.

Nominations are called for Directors for Queensland and NewSouth Wales. Nominations are to be received by the Secretary byWednesday 31 March 2010.

Written applications are called for the position of Secretary of theFoundation for a four year term from May 2010. Applications are to bereceived by Wednesday 31 March 2010.

Nominee must be a member in good standing of a Constituent Clubwithin the relevant State. Nomination forms are available from theSecretary at P O Box 530, Springwood QLD 4127, Phone:(07) 3341 3900Fax: (07) 3341-0525 or by email -aldaf@bigpond.net.au

Should a potential nominee wish to obtain a copy of the positiondescription for a Director or the Secretary please contact the Secretaryof the Foundation as above.

David McKenzieSecretary

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS – COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

All clubs like welcoming new blood and that was the case whenWollongong Lions in NSW inducted seven new members.

Several joined Lions as a result of the MD201 media campaign and the internet,while one joined after chatting to Lions at a Driver Reviver project.

The Gong’s in seventh heaven

Some of the seven New Wollongong Lions ... Eduardo (Eddie) Pantoja (with sponsorWendy Griffiths), James Head (with sponsor Doug Quiggin), and Kelly McCauley andPhilips Yasa (with sponsor Peter Howe).

International

LCIF rebuilds communities after disasters By Nicole Brown and Alecia Dimar

When disasters occur, Lions are often amongthe first on the scene, assessing the damageand responding to immediate needs.

Setting Lions Clubs International Foundation(LCIF) apart from other organisations are the long-term reconstruction efforts to rebuild homes,schools, hospitals and community centres, longafter other groups leave the disaster site. In additionto nearly $2 million awarded yearly for emergencygrants, LCIF provides millions for major catastrophe

long-term reconstruction efforts. The Chinaearthquake in May 2008, the Gujarat earthquakenine years ago in India and Hurricane Katrina arethree examples that demonstrate Lions’commitment to rebuilding communities and lives.

Lions Village Nang Chong Chen’s family of three lost

everything in the May 2008 earthquake thatdevastated her small village in Sichuan Province incentral China. They lived in tents provided by Lionsuntil the government set up temporaryprefabricated homes. In October, Chen and herfamily moved into their newly-built home in PengHua Lions Village.

Her house is part of a two-phase project toconstruct more than 150 homes in the Lionsvillage. A plaque above each door includes theLions logo and reads: “Hand in hand, heart in heart,to rebuild our home.”

A total of 80 homes were handed over tofamilies in October during a dedication ceremonyattended by LCIF Chairperson Al Brandel and hiswife, Dr. Maureen Murphy, Vice President Wing-KunTam, nearly 50 Lions club members from China andHong Kong and Macau, the local vice mayor and

other local dignitaries. The dedication marked ayear and a half since the earthquake.

“This is a good day for the local people andfellow Lions. I can see with my own eyes thechanges that have made here by Lions,” said Tam,who led the reconstruction committee and visitedthe area more than four times.

Lions worked with villagers and many havevisited the village, helping with reconstruction,driving supplies, overseeing the building processand ensuring funds were well spent. Some madethe difficult trip more than 10 times.

Lions worked with theChinese government andrelief organisations toprovide immediateemergency relief. They setup tents in villages,established makeshiftschools and providedrelief items such asblankets, food andmedicine. With a$200,000 LCIF grant,Lions in MD101 inSweden providedadditional tents for reliefworkers and victims.

Lions around the worldalso gave generously,enabling LCIF to awardmore than $3 million forreconstruction. Threeprimary schools in GansuProvince were completed

in July 2009 in time for the 2009-2010 schoolyear. In Shinzi Village, near Yangjin, Lions purchasedland to relocate graves and to build a road, aschool, hospital and homes.

In gratitude, Chen wants all Lions to know: “I amenjoying my new life in my new home.”

Rebuilding in IndiaThe Gujarat earthquake was the worst India had

seen in 180 years, measuring 7.9 on the Richterscale and equal to releasing 4.5 million tonnes ofdynamite on the region. On thatdeadly day in January 2001, morethan 13,800 people died and167,000 more were injured. In total,the disaster affected 7,633 villages inIndia, damaging more than onemillion homes.

Within 30 minutes of theearthquake, local Lions launchedrelief operations. Lions clubs aroundthe region provided water, food,clothing, tents and other essentialsupplies.

Additionally, Lions providednecessary medical facilities including

temporary hospitals and health centres. LCIF also responded quickly to the devastation,

awarding three emergency grants for $10,000 eachwithin 48 hours of the disaster.

“Through LCIF, Lions were at the scene providingrelief within days of the disaster,” said Rohit Mehta,past international president of Lions ClubsInternational. “Nearly 10 years later, Lions and LCIFhave fulfilled their promise of seeing through long-term reconstruction projects to rebuild the affectedcommunities.”

Lions’ commitment stretched beyond immediaterelief and sought to rebuild the villages destroyedby the earthquake. A total of $2.5 million, includinga $500,000 major catastrophe grant and $1.7million in restricted donations, was allocated forlong-term projects. LCIF awarded an extra majorcatastrophe grant for $300,000 in 2004 toconstruct infrastructure for Lions housing colonies.

More than 750 homes now provide housing forfamilies in Kutch and Bet Dwarka, many of whomlost everything during the earthquake. Primaryschools have been built in 20 villages throughoutthe Rajkot District, where students previously hadno place to learn because of the damagedinfrastructure. In addition, the LNM Group LionsHospital was constructed at Bhuj.

LSU-Lions Eye Clinic The Lions Clubs International-LSU Eye Clinic,

funded through a LCIF grant of $500,000, wasdedicated and opened in December 2008. Theclinic provides vision care for the medicallyimpoverished and for patients sponsored by Lionsclubs in Louisiana. LCIF’s Hurricane Katrina DisasterRelief Program, which provides support for essentialpublic facilities and programs that help damagedregions recover, made funding for the clinicpossible.

“For the first time since Hurricane Katrina, thereis a facility devoted specifically to the provision ofeye care for people in the greater New Orleans areawho do not have health insurance, thanks to thisgenerous gift from LCIF,” said Dr Bruce A Barron, aclinical professor in the Department ofOphthalmology at LSU.

LCIF Chairperson Al Brandel and wife Dr Maureen Murphy at the handover ofhomes.

Victims receive new homesafter India’s worst earthquakein 180 years.

31February - March 2010

Email Address:

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Become a LionFellowship ... good times ... meeting people ... buildinglasting friendships ... service to the community ...learning new skills ... leadership and personaldevelopment – these are just some of the benefits ofbeing a member of Lions, the world's largest and most active service club organisation.

Lions have been a part of the Australian communitysince 1947, serving the people without promise orwant of reward. Lions are people just like you!

Joining is by invitation, but applications areencouraged from all members of the community.Membership is for men and women over 18 and ofgood moral character and reputation.

Just fill in the form and send to the NationalOffice so it can be forwarded to a District or Lions Club near you.

Support LionsLions are about giving back to their communities.

Lions Australia supports medical research, peoplewith disabilities, emergency relief and leadershipdevelopment through its projects and activities.

But Lions cannot do it alone. Your donation orbequest will help Lions to continue this importantwork.

If you would like to assist Lions, please send yourdonation to:

LIONS DONATION

Multiple District 201 of Lions ClubsInternational Inc.

Locked Bay 2000

Newcastle 2300

If you would like information on how tomake a tax deductible donation to Lions, emailour Executive Officer at executiveofficer@lions.org.au or phone on (02) 4940 8033

Helping Lions will help so many others in somany different ways.

✄✄

www. l i onsc lubs .o rg.au

Time to give

Lions a hand?

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