Nov 2012 - Lions Australia

Registered by Australia Post Publication No. pp255003/01624
LION
AUSTRALIA PAPUA NEW GUINEA EDITION $1
OCT-NOV 2012
Lions Clubs International Australia Papua New Guinea Edition $1
Make a date with
Hearing Dog
Meg
MEET THE MAN AT THE HELM OF LIONS
$100,000 TO FIGHT PROSTATE CANCER
CLUB ADOPTS TANZANIAN ORPHANAGE

‘We serve’
“To create and foster a spirit of understanding
among all people for humanitarian needs by
providing voluntary services through
community involvement and international
cooperation”
Lion – Australia and PNG
Lion - Australia and Papua New Guinea edition is
published bi-monthly for the Multiple District 201
Council of Lions Clubs International and circulated to
all members.
Published by MD201 Council of Governors and printed by
PMP Print, 37-49 Browns Road, Clayton Victoria 3168.
An official publication of Lions Clubs International, the Lion
magazine is published by authority of Board of Directors in
21 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 Media
20 Millett Road Gisborne South VIC 3437
Phone: (03) 9744 1368
Email: tony.fawcett@bigpond.com
Advertising Enquiries: Lions National Office
31-33 Denison St, Newcastle West, NSW 2302
Phone: (02) 4940-8033
Lions Australia website: www.lionsclubs.org.au
Deadlines: 1st day of month before cover date.
MD201 Council of Governors: Don Pritchard C1,
Ron Pascoe C2, Deyann McDonnell N1, Gary Parker N2,
Ron Way N3, Barbara Andrews N4, Greg Dunn N5,
Merv Ferguson Q1, Doug Winterflood Q2, Kaye Smith Q3,
Pat Bauer Q4, David Daniels T1, Fred Jacobs V1-4,
Lou Scholten V2, Donald Cameron V3, Glenda McLeod V5,
Thomas Little V6, Barry Middleton W1, Geoff Carberry W2
Distribution of Magazine: Clubs and Members
Additions to distribution list, deletions, changes of address
and of club will be made only when advised through the
Club Membership and Activities report. Non-Lions, libraries
and other organisations who wish to advise changes should
contact Lions National Office, Locked Bag 2000
NEWCASTLE NSW 2300, Tel: 02 4940 8033 email:
admin@lions.org.au
USA Executive Director - Peter Lynch
Managing Editor - Dane La Joye, Lions Clubs International
300 W 22nd Street, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523-8842 USA
Executive Officers President Wayne A. Madden, Auburn,
Indiana, United States; Immediate Past President Wing-Kun
Tam, Hong Kong, China; First Vice President Barry J.
Palmer, Berowra, Australia; Second Vice President Joseph
Preston, Arizona, United States. Contact the officers at Lions
Clubs International, 300 W. 22nd St., Oak Brook, Illinois,
60523-8842, USA.
Directors First year: Benedict Ancar, Bucharest, Romania;
Jui-Tai Chang, Multiple District 300 Taiwan; Jaime Garcia
Cepeda, Bogotá, Colombia; Kalle Elster, Tallinn, Estonia;
Stephen Michael Glass, West Virginia, United States; Judith
Hankom, Iowa, United States; John A. Harper, Wyoming,
United States; Sangeeta Jatia, Kolkata, West Bengal, India;
Sheryl May Jensen, Rotorua, New Zealand; Stacey W.
Jones, Florida, United States; Tae-Young Kim, Incheon,
Korea; Donal W. Knipp, Missouri, United States; Sunil Kumar
R., Secunderabad, India; Leif Åke “Kenneth” Persson,
Vellinge, Sweden; Dr. Ichiro Takehisa, Tokushima, Japan; Dr.
H. Hauser Weiler, Virginia, United States; Harvey F. Whitley,
North Carolina, United States.
Second Year: Joaquim Cardoso Borralho, Linda-a-Velha,
Portugal; Marvin Chambers, Saskatchewan, Canada; Bob
Corlew, Tennessee, United States; Claudette Cornet, Pau,
France; Jagdish Gulati, Allahabad, India; Dave Hajny,
Montana, United States; Tsugumichi Hata, Miyagi, Japan;
Mark Hintzmann, Wisconsin, United States; Pongsak “PK”
Kedsawadevong, Muang District, Petchburi, Thailand;
Carolyn A. Messier, Connecticut, United States; Joe Al
Picone, Texas, United States; Alan Theodore “Ted” Reiver,
Delaware, United States; Brian E. Sheehan, Minnesota,
United States; Junichi Takata, Toyama, Japan; Klaus Tang,
Wied, Germany; Carlos A. Valencia, Miranda, Venezuela;
Sunil Watawala, Negombo, Sri Lanka.
Our cover
LION
Page 11 - Hearing Dog Meg
Page 5 - Outward Bound Australia
Page 19 - Furthering medicine
Oct-Nov 2012 Volume 101 No. 4
Connections, influence, friendship, philanthropy
COVER: Meet Meg, a model
Lions Hearing Dog. Meg is
just one of the canine pin-ups
in a 2013 calendar to raise
funds for the organisation.
Learn how you can obtain one
of these appealing calendars
on page 11.
Calendar photography:
Belinda Waters and
David Horne
CONTENTS
4 International President’s report
5 Governor-General & Nowra Lions
6 Lions action
8 Meet our Council Chairperson
12 Council Chairperson’s report
15 10 years of Sight for Kids
17 Club adopts Tanzanian orphanage
19 May looks back to SARS calamity
21 Nick joins Lions
23 Flame of an idea
24 Around the Nation
26 Official announcements
28 Executive Summary
Contributions
Contributions for the Dec - Jan 2012/13
issue should be submitted by November 1 to
The Editor, Lion magazine, Fawcett Media,
20 Millett Rd, Gisborne South, Victoria 3437
or emailed to tony.fawcett@bigpond.com.
3

Reading is fundamental
A few minutes ago you picked up your
LION magazine and began reading it.
Congratulations. Your ability to read the
LION Magazine qualifies you as not only
literate but also highly literate. Nearly one
billion people around the world are
functionally illiterate. That’s right. Twenty-six
percent of the world’s population can’t even
write their name. It’s a problem not only in
developing countries. In the United States
alone, 21 million people can’t read.
Former teachers, Linda and I personally
can attest to the value of reading and writing
and an education. Attending college helped
make us who we are, and we stressed the
importance of education to our successful
two daughters, both college graduates.
The ability to read can propel a person
from poverty into a good job and a stable
life. Books (and now the Internet) open up a
world of possibility. The acquisition of
knowledge is key to unlocking human
potential, and reading is a fundamental skill
needed to shape a successful life.
This year I’m asking Lions to expand our
world of service by joining what I call the
Reading Action Program (RAP). It’s
something every Lions club can do because
the lack of reading skills plagues every
community around the world. There are
many ways Lions can help: reading to
children at local libraries, volunteering as
tutors through your local school and
donating books and computers.
Lions also are encouraged to make a
short RAP video that shows how your club
promoted reading. Videos can be submitted
through the LCI YouTube channel. Visit the
LCI website for information on the RAP video
as well as literacy project ideas, literary
partners and awards for clubs and district
governors.
As children’s author Dr. Seuss wrote, “The
more you read, the more things you’ll know.
The more that you learn, the more places
you’ll go.” I know you’ll take up this
4
By Wayne
A Madden,
Lions Clubs
International
President
challenge to fight illiteracy because
no challenge is too great for Lions.
In a world of service, helping
children and adults learn to read
will pave the way for a better world
for all.
Remember the
International in Lions
Clubs
One of the great privileges of
serving as an international
officer is the opportunity to travel
the world and meet people from
many nations and backgrounds.
It’s been said that people are the same
everywhere. I can tell you that’s true. People
want comfort, security and happiness for
their families. It’s also true that Lions
everywhere are basically cut from the same
cloth. Our clubs provide many forms of
service, but they serve in the same way –
meeting the various needs of their own
communities.
I point out our basic similarity as Lions as
part of my encouragement to Lions to take
pride in being part of Lions Clubs
International and to participate in it. Join
Lions worldwide in the Global Service Action
Campaigns: aid the blind in October, feed the
hungry in December/January and improve
the environment in April. Take part in this
year’s literacy campaign. Contribute to LCIF.
Use social media tools such as Facebook
and Twitter to communicate with other Lions
or at least to gain ideas from others.
It’s great to focus on our communities.
Let’s keep doing that. But we also belong to
the worldwide community. We are a global
village. When I was young, my parents were
very welcoming at the dinner table. Maybe
my mom’s brother’s family would show up
at dinner time or other relatives
materialised. That didn’t bother my parents
in the least. There would always be enough
food. I’m sure that small-town hospitality
still exists. But because of the media and
technological advances in communication
we now know that many people far from our
hometown are in need, and we must display
a global hospitality. We need to feed the
hungry, help the blind see and teach reading
skills, which are so important to success in
life. We need to serve not only our neighbour
but also other places and other people.
Remember the words of Helen Keller, who
knew a few things about trust and faith:
“When we do the best we can, we never
know what miracle is wrought in our life, or
in the life of another.” In A World of Service,
we Lions transform lives, communities and
the global village.
Leo wins world honour
An Australian Leo has been named by the Lions
Clubs International Board of Directors as the
International Leo of the Year.
She is Ellen Watts, the current Australian Leo of the
Year, from N5’s Hornsby Leo Club.
Ellen is the seventh Australian in the past eight
years to win this prestigious award, the highest
accolade available to Leos.
She won the award for her leadership skills, high
ethical standards and personal integrity.
Ellen, who lives in Thornleigh, joined Leos just two
years ago and has been the Hornsby club’s public
relations manager for a number of highly successful
projects in the past year.
An avid sportsperson and swim instructor, Ellen
works part time as an assistant manager at a sports
centre and previously worked fulltime as an assistant
consultant for PriceWaterhouse.
She is passionate about micro-finance and has
undertaken voluntary work on micro-finance projects
and community work in Indonesia and India.
Outside of Leos, her interests include debating and
voluntary work for the Children's Cancer Institute of
Australia and the Wayside Chapel.
For her win, Ellen receives an inscribed medal and
certificate. ● See Leos Roar – Page 30
WINNING WAYS: First she won the Australian Leo of the
Year award and now Ellen Watts of the Hornsby Leo club
has taken off the international equivalent. For more on
Ellen’s win, turn to page 30.
Lion

GOVERNOR-GENERAL LAUDS NOWRA LIONS LIONS
A typical example of Outward Bound’s activities for the young.
Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, Governor
General of the Commonwealth of Australia,
has singled out the Nowra Lions Club in NSW
for its outstanding work with the Outward
Bound Project.
In a personal letter to the President of the club,
Paul Meagher, she applauded Nowra’s more than
20 years of achievement with the Nowra Lions
Outward Bound Project.
She also recognised the contribution of
neighbouring Bomaderry Lions and Shoalhaven
Lioness clubs in more recent years.
The Governor-General, the patron of Outward
Bound Australia, congratulated all involved in the
project that has to date sponsored more than 100
young Australians, in the life-changing program
with the Australian arm of Outward Bound.
Outward Bound is a recognised world leader in
outdoor education and personal development.
Thanks to Australian Lions clubs donating to
the Lions Prostate Cancer Research project,
Brisbane’s Mater Medical
Research Institute has a vital
piece of new equipment – a
$75,000 AutoMac to separate
cancer stem cells from
prostate and bowel tumors.
The stem cells are used to
monitor how aggressively
cancers develop by
comparing them to normal
or benign samples, furthering
understanding of this disease.
Money for the AutoMac came from a $100,000
October - November 2012
Ben Farinazzo, CEO of Outward Bound
Australia, read the letter to a packed dinner
meeting attended by the six participants who took
numbers past the milestone. The six thrilled the
audience of parents, siblings, teachers and Lions
with sometimes vivid accounts of their
experiences.
“I am honoured to be reading out this letter
and find it a humbling experience,” said Ben
Farinazzo. “The Community Partnership initiative
is one that is valued highly by Outward Bound
and one that continues to expand. This particular
project shows no signs of slowing down and we
look forward to many more years in partnership
with Nowra Lions and their neighbouring clubs.”
In her letter, the Governor-General agreed.
“This milestone has been reached through
coordinated fund-raising efforts involving local
licensed clubs, schools and businesses,” she
$100,000 boost in fight against prostate cancer
Lions cheque handed over at the Mater in August.
The remaining $25,000.00 will buy other much
needed equipment,
The cheque was accepted by Nigel Harris,
Executive Director of the Mater
Foundation. Said Lions Australia Council
Chairman Lou Onley: “Lions throughout
Australia have worked hard with a
common goal to raise these funds to
purchase equipment much needed by
researchers into cancer.”
The occasion was also used to launch
Blue Steel Week, the brainchild of DG Merv
Ferguson OAM, to raise funds and
awareness of prostate cancer.
‘The inaugural
Outward Bound
course in
Australia in
1956 included a
participant
sponsored by
Lismore Lions
Club, the first
Lions club in
Australia’
said. “The aim of this combined effort has been
to bring essential life skills to young Australians
facing the challenging transition of adolescence
to adulthood.”
The coordinator of the Outward Bound
Community Partnerships initiative, Lloyd Worthy,
recalled that the partnership between Lions and
Outward Bound goes back a long way.
“The inaugural Outward Bound course in
Australia in 1956 included a participant
sponsored by Lismore Lions Club, the first Lions
Club in Australia,” he said.
“Clubs in N1, N2, Q1, W1 and W2 are currently
involved. For those interested, the Lions Club
page on our website
(www.outwardbound.org.au/community/lionsclubs.html)
has an expanded history of the
ongoing relationship, with details on how to make
contact and join in”.
Lions started selling a Blue Steel Badge on
Father’s Day and it is envisaged this will become
an annual event following the Australian Cancer
Council’s Yellow Daffodil Day.
Lions officials and Mater Research staff at the handover
(above) – and the new Blue Steel Badge (far left), for sale
Australia-wide around Father’s Day each year.
5

LIONS ACTION
Leos educate
Queensland’s Palm Beach Currumbin High
School Leos Club recently discovered an
opportunity close to home.
The Special Education section of their own
school was seeking community funding to
provide IPads to support innovative programs for
their students.
From the proceeds of their regular sausage
sizzles and car wash they were able to buy four
IPads within days.
After only a few days, students are using
them in transition to employment studies and in
road and workplace safety programs. Soon they
will expand their use into literacy and numeracy
modules and to a safety audit of the school.
The Leos now have a dedicated link on the
school’s website where they publish a regular
newsletter, ensuring members maintain a high
profile with the school’s 2,100 students and their
parents.
6
On the road
If you’ve been driving around Loch
Sport on Victoria’s Gippsland Lakes
recently and been puzzled by a
bunch of people walking about with
bags, maybe you should look to
Lions.
Loch Sport Lions Club has cleaned
up each side of the road leading into
the township for a couple of
kilometres.
The small group, along with a
couple of local volunteers, collected
many bags of rubbish.
The club holds about four clean-ups
a year as part of the Adopt-A-Roadside
Program.
Most times they manage to collect a
trailer or two of rubbish.
Despite there being many rubbish
bins located throughout the town, after school
holidays the road is inevitably littered with
plastic drink bottles, beer bottles, drink cans,
Student Hayley Tew and Leo Secretary Jess Mackay try out the new iPads at Palm Beach Currumbin High
School. Picture: Scott Fletcher, Gold Coast Sun
Lions Noeleen Brown and Judy Cox with their rubbish
bags on the road to Loch Sport
cigarette packets, wrappers and paper.
The club is only allowed to collect rubbish
within a set distance of the town.
iPad trial
Thanks to Q3’s Ashgrove/The Gap club, a
little IT has come to a local residential facility
for people with profound intellectual and
multiple disabilities.
The club recently donated an iPad to the Halwyn
Centre as a trial to establish whether good use
could be made of these devices.
“It has given the residents an opportunity to use
mainstream technology that they would not have
experienced otherwise,” said occupational therapist
Jodie Spottiswood.
At the presentation are (back) occupational therapist
Jodie Spottiswood, the club’s Past President Allen
Griffiths, acting centre director Susan Harvey and
(front) resident Ashley Moen.
Lion

Devil of an idea
When it came to
fundraising for
Tasmania’s
beleaguered
Tasmanian Devils, it
was simply a matter
of asking.
Lion Robert
Thurgood of the Scone
club wrote to 407
Lion/Lioness clubs in
NSW and Tasmania
and received back
donations of $7,350.
The money has
gone to the Fame
Devils Ark organisation
at Gosford.
RIGHT: Robert Thurgood
with Fame Devils Ark
campaign manager
Monique Ryan.
Lugarno’s very special coup
Sydney’s Lugarno Lions have
provided a very special vehicle for
a very special family.
Liam McManus is a young boy
with a disability that requires him to
use a wheelchair. Finding a car to
meet Liam’s needs has been a
challenge for his busy mother,
Dianne, who has two other children.
Dianne’s plight came to the notice
of Lugarno Lions earlier this year and
the club set about finding a suitable
vehicle. Along with local
October - November 2012
businessmen Kevin Greene and Phill
Bates, the club hosted a Sports
Breakfast which raised significant
funds.
At the breakfast a local group
which knew the family offered more
funding, and the remainder needed
came in a grant from the Australian
Lions Foundation.
Kieran Tynan, a member of the
Lions Club of Cronulla and principal
of Tynan Motors, found a car that
was perfect for the family and
Making birthing safer
Some of Gosford
Hospital’s smallest
patients will benefit
from new equipment for
the birthing suite,
thanks to a generous
donation from NSW
club Green Point-Avoca.
With assistance from the Saratoga
IGA Community Chest and the Lions
NSW-ACT Save Sight & Public Health
Care Foundation, it raised almost
$15,000 for a new cardiotocograph
(CTG) machine and two obstetric
dopplers.
Midwifery Unit Manager Kylie
Normandale said the new equipment
would enhance the level of care
provided to mothers and their
babies. “The obstetric dopplers are
used to monitor the fetal heart beat.
arranged the necessary conversion
for Liam, while Accessible Transit
Specialists at Revesby fitted a hoist
and safety gear.
“I am really passionate about
the work that Lions clubs do all
over Australia,” says Kieran. “It
is such a privilege to be part of
improving the quality of
someone else’s life.” Said
Ian Watts, sales manager of
Mercedes Benz Vans:
“When the Lugarno Lions
came to us with Liam’s
story we did all we
could to help the
young fella.”
A midwife
demonstrates
the CTG
machine to
Lions Jeff
Kukura, Garry
Galvin and
Dennis Fisher.
“They are
waterproof so they can be used in
the shower, or if the mother chooses
to have a water birth.
“The CTG monitors a baby’s heart
beat throughout labour. It is used
primarily to recognise if the baby is
in distress.
“This particular machine allows
women to be mobile throughout their
labour, which can help them be more
comfortable.”
The
new
vehicle
(left)
and Liam
with those
involved in
the project
(below).
7

Meet the man at the helm
New MD201 Council Chairperson Lou Onley answers
10 questions on himself and his role as the 2012-13
leader of Lions in Australia
What do you think is the biggest issue facing
Australian Lions?
The ageing population of Lions is often put
forward as an issue, however this is more a
symptom than the cause. Lions needs to adapt to
the changing socio-economic environment and
provide programs that appeal to the currently time
poor Lions target market of 40/50 year-old-people,
which we are trying to do. Also we need to stop
members going out the back door. If we could save
just one in five of these we would have a
membership of over 31,000.
What sort of a person are you, how do you see
yourself?
This is a difficult question for me to answer. I’d
say okay but people have described me as
passionate about Lions projects, considerate, a
giving person who wants to get things done
immediately, someone prepared to make a
decision and not easily swayed by emotional
arguments.
Do you have any pet projects you will be
encouraging in your year as Council
Chairperson?
Lions has a tremendous range of projects, all
very worthwhile and each worthy of support. I
have developed a close association with the
Cerebral Palsy Education Centre and personally
find their efforts to educate children with
disabilities to be very rewarding. Please check
out the Golden Path on www.cpec.org.au and
click on the Golden Path.
How did you first get involved in Lions?
Living in Wangaratta, the local electrician Geoff
Webster asked if I would like to join. It was as
simple as being asked and being given the
opportunity.
What is your happiest moment as a Lion?
Many, too many to choose from – although
becoming District Governor and organising a
Charter night dinner for three clubs and having
the immediate past International President, Wing-
Kun Tam, attend would be high on the highlight
list. This was a fantastic night with nearly 400
people attending.
8
And your saddest and most moving moments?
The saddest was coming to Melbourne as a Lion at
large and visiting three clubs and not being asked
to join. I nearly left Lions except my past neighbour
Ian Bauer asked me to join his club, South
Vermont – thank you. My most moving is seeing
Lions working on disaster relief all across Australia
and the world, and also working with children in all
our projects. They never give in.
How do you turn off and relax? And what are
your interests?
My wife and friends say I never relax, but I am a
very enthusiastic Swans supporter and enjoy
watching them play. I also enjoy travelling
internationally, old cars, meeting other people and
eating out and
sharing a good red
wine with friends.
Your wife is
obviously a big
support to you in
your Lions work?
My wife is not a
Lions member, but
being a part of my
club’s ladies auxiliary
makes her aware of
the Lions culture and
workings and this
was particularly
beneficial to me as
District Governor. She
provided tremendous
support and really
enjoyed meeting
Lions from other
clubs.
Has being Council
Chairperson
changed your dayto-day
life a lot,
and how?
Very much so, I am
now much more
aware of the bigger
picture of the
organisation. I have a
much greater
understanding of the challenges each and every
Lion is facing. While as District Governor I spent a
lot of time travelling to meet fellow Lions, this role
has a lot more administrative and policy
involvement and the outcomes of these decisions
impact all Lions, not only now but in the future. This
places a great deal more responsibility on the
position.
Have you ideas on how we can attract
younger Lions?
This is one of the issues I referred to in the earlier
question and it not only impacts on Lions but on all
community service organisations. We need to adapt
Lion

of Lions
LEADING THE WAY: Lou shows his boating skills on the Yangtze River in China while looking for
ancient hanging coffins in the Lesser Three Gorges area. At left, he and his wife Kaye wear
traditional dress. In his Lions role (below) Lou and Kaye congratulate PDG Maurie Gray and his
wife Mary on Maurie’s ALF 50 years service medal, while (right) Lou treks up to Eora Creek on
his way to Templeton’s Crossing on the Kokoda Trail.
and adopt to the current social media
phenomenon. We need to offer
outcomes that are meaningful and we
need government encouragement at all
levels. And we need to advertise more
our very successful product of
community service. While we are
working on all these areas, at the
same time we have to be cognisant of
our core values and very successful
history.
Read Lou’s Council
Chairperson column on
Page 12
October - November 2012
9

President Keshni starts a
new young trend
In June the Lions Club of Sandy Bay,
Tasmania, celebrated the installation of new
President, Lion Keshni Thaver, just 24.
President Keshni has been a Lion since 2009,
having moved to Hobart to undertake a law degree
at the University of Tasmania.
“I was struggling to make a connection in a new
city,” said Keshni, “ when I saw a TV advertisement
encouraging community service through the Lions
organisation. I applied to join and have never
looked back.
“During my three years with Sandy Bay Lions, I
have been responsible for Youth of the Year and
been involved in raising money to support children
with disabilities in our community.”
Keshni says she has been welcomed by all
members, who have opened up their homes and
made her feel part of their families.
“Now, as President, there are many challenges
to face,” she says. “One of the biggest issues is
maintaining membership. However, I believe I can
bring new ideas and energy to the club, and I
know I shall have the support of the wonderful
people who are working with me. My special focus
for the year will be membership and support of
youth in the community.”
10
Take the 5-cent tin challenge
Copying an idea from the
Lions club of Port Sorell in
Tasmania, Taree NSW club
distributed more than 50
collection tins around
businesses in the town for
shoppers to donate their little
used 5c coins for five
months.
The project was organised by
club member Allen Lenton and
proved to be an outstanding
success. Now, with the addition
of only a few dollars from club
funds, $5,555.55 will be
forwarded to the Lions Prostate Cancer Research
Project, begun in 2011, to help the Mater Medical
Research Institute team in finding a cure for this
most insidious of diseases affecting men’s health.
At Allen’s insistence, every club member bought
a collection tin for $2 so there would be no
administrative costs for the club. Now, rather than
recycle the tins for their scrap value, every member
who bought one wants it ‘reused’.
Here then is the challenge! The Lions Club of
Taree is offering the 50 odd tins to any Lions club
in Australia to be distributed around the community
to collect donations for a chosen charity. The
collection must be completed in five months and
the tins then passed on to another club for a further
Kiwi woman
elected to look
after Constitutional
Area 7 affairs
A New Zealand woman has been
elected to the Lions Clubs
International board to represent
our Constitutional Area 7.
She is Rotorua Sulphur City Lion
Sheryl Jensen. Sheryl was voted
onto the Board at the Lions
International Convention in Korea in
June, after receiving the endorsement of New
Zealand Lions at Convention in New Plymouth in
April. She headed to Chicago to Lions
International headquarters in August for training
for her new role in the busy two years ahead.
Area 7 comprises New Zealand, the islands of
the South Pacific, Australia, Papua New Guinea
and Indonesia.
“I’m looking forward to representing them on
5c for 5 months challenge. Except for occasional
replacements required for rust or theft, the tins
could go on for years developing quite a history.
With this in mind all previous collections would be
acknowledged in each new labelling of the tins; the
club, the charity, the year and the dollars collected.
With the amount of travel around Australia
undertaken by Lions, especially members of
Lionsonoz, our club of caravanning nomads who
constantly criss-cross the country, the collection
tins might be couriered free of charge to anywhere
within the nation.
Any club interested in acquiring the tins should
contact the Lions Club of Taree and things can go
from there!
Our new Constitutional Area 7 board member Sheryl Jensen and
her husband Kevin, also a Lion.
an international level – and actively liaising
between local Lions and the international
association,” said Sheryl. “I am their personal link
between their club or district and the
international board. So although I am
representing Area 7 on the board – we work for
all Lions.”
Sheryl will work on the Leadership Committee
and is also on a women’s task force.
Lion

German Lions – and especially the Lions of
Hamburg – are looking forward to welcoming
Australians to the Lions Clubs International
Convention in Hamburg from the 5th to the 9th
of July, next year.
It will be the first Lions Clubs International
Convention in Germany.
For Australian Lions there will be the added
attraction of seeing Barry Palmer installed as the
International President of the worldwide
organisation.
Barry is the first Australian elected to the
position.
Hamburg is located in the north of Germany in
the middle of Europe and takes great pride in its
mercantile background, which built the city’s wealth
in past centuries.
From 1241 on, it was member of the Hanseatic
League, a medieval trade monopoly across northern
Europe.
In the 19th and beginning of the 20th century,
Make a date with Hearing Dog Meg
She’s small, cuddly and a bundle of Joy.
Kilo for kilo, she’s one of the best and most
helpful pooches about.
She’s Lions Hearing dog Meg – a pin-up star of
the 2013 Lions Hearing Dog Calendar.
Meg appears in the calendar along with a
group of her canine colleagues.
Hearing Dog number 503, she is now doing
service with a recipient in Theodore, Queensland.
To obtain a calendar, simply email
hearingdogs@picknowl.com.au, fax
(08 8388 1299) or telephone (08 8388 7836) the
Lions Hearing Dog Centre to place an order.
Calendars are $10 each plus a $1 postage
charge.
When the calendars were first launched at the
National Convention in Perth earlier this year, they
October - November 2012
millions left Europe on their way to the new world
through Hamburg harbour. Today the harbour ranks
second in Europe and 11th worldwide. Locally, it is
described as "the gateway to the world”.
The harbour is the heart of the city, however,
Hamburg is also one of the most important media
hubs in Germany. Half of the nation’s newspapers
and magazines have their roots here.
And, unknown even to some locals, is the fact
that, with one of the Airbus aircraft assembly plants,
Hamburg is a major location of the world’s
aerospace industry, following Seattle (USA) and
Toulouse (France).
The mercantile background reflects in the city’s
architecture. The only palace in Hamburg is the
town hall, which houses the citizens parliament and
the senate.
Apart from that, the city still has large quarters
with expensive houses and villas. These residences
were home to merchants and captains of industry,
surrounded by lots of greenery. Large parts of the
were eagerly sought.
Lions hearing dogs have transformed the lives
of hundreds of Australians. The dogs alert their
owners to sounds in the home by touching them
with a paw. They can indicate things like knocks
on the door, a baby crying or the phone ringing.
Most importantly, hearing dogs alert their owners
to life-saving sounds like smoke alarms.
Lions Hearing Dogs offer safety, security and
independence for the hearing impaired at home,
while giving many the confidence to participate
more fully in their community.
Hearing dogs are not just working dogs; they
offer years of faithful and friendly companionship.
They have the same access rights as guide
dogs for the blind.
Wikimedia Commons
Hamburg beckons for International Convention – and an Australian first!
city were destroyed during the devastating air raids
of World War II, particularly the port and some
residential areas, killing tens of thousands and
leaving more than a million homeless, yet much of
historic value has been preserved.
Culturally, Hamburg offers anything and
everything, starting at the Great Hall of Art and the
State Opera, and continuing on to 31 theatres, six
musical performing halls, 10 cabarets, as well as
50 public and private museums.
FASCINATING FACT
The people of Hamburg are known as
“Hamburger” (pronounce the “a” like you're
saying "ah", and it won’t sound as silly).
The beef patties on a bun were named after
this city, where presumably they were
invented (although not popularised:
you won't find any traditional hamburgers in
Hamburg).
11

PATRICK the
Lion Namers
Patrick makes it easy to track
down Lions and their wives
(not to mention Lionesses
and Leos!)
We’ve been making approved
badges for Lions Clubs International
for over 20 years.
In all the right shapes, sizes and
colours.
Talk to us about your requirements,
and you’ll see how we’ve gained the
lion’s share of the business.
84-88 Leveson Street, North Melbourne, Vic, 3051
Tel: (03) 9329 9200 Fax: (03) 9326 5010
12
From Council Chairperson Lou
At the time of
writing this report
we can look back on
the past quarter’s
activity and I can
only say that from
all reports we have
been extremely busy
in all areas.
District Governors
met for their first
Council Meeting in August where a very successful
meeting was held.
Our Global Leadership and Membership Team
Area Leaders PDG Carlene King OAM and PDG
John Muller OAM joined us at Council and
discussed with the Governors the programs being
supported by the teams. It is important for us to be
a team as we work together to achieve our mutual
goals. The District teams work together and so do
the MD teams as we cannot be successful by
ourselves – but we can when we work together.
After the Council Meeting I attended the ANZI
Forum in Queenstown, New Zealand. There was a
strong representation from Australia which was
great to see.
The Forum was a great success and our
congratulations go to the organising committee. It
was good to share time with Lions from our MD as
well as New Zealand and Indonesia as we
participated in the Forum sessions with our
President Wayne, Immediate Past President Tam
and Vice President Barry. Attending such a Forum
gives us the opportunity to share ideas and learn
from the presenters as well as our fellow Lions
about what is important to them.
ANZI Forum set for Bali 2013
Wiki Commons/Egor Pasko, Moscow, Russia
Next year the Forum will be held in Bali around
the same time so I encourage as many as possible
from MD201 to attend as it is a worthwhile
experience.
We have a strong membership growth plan this
year and I am encouraged by the efforts being
undertaken by the various Districts. This is an
important time to encourage our communities to
come and join us while we continue to expand the
opportunity of service both locally and
internationally.
At the end of August we were (+)18 in our
growth which is a good start towards our goal. We
must ensure that our efforts continue as our plan
achievement is a key focus for all Districts.
Shortly we will be commencing the District
Convention period where Lions, Lionesses and Leos
join together to make the decisions and set the
direction of their Districts for the future.
A Convention is one of the District’s most
important events and I encourage all to attend
because your vote, your opinion and discussion are
important. Over this time we will also be hosting a
number of guests including our International
President, Vice President and International Director.
This is a wonderful opportunity for those Districts to
showcase their activities while they look after their
special guests. I am looking forward to being with
you over this period.
After our Convention period, Districts have a
tendency to slow down a little in the lead-up to the
Christmas period. While we have some very
stretching targets to achieve, to obtain this your
Governors are reliant on every member of the Lions
family continuing to work together to achieve a
positive outcome for their District. The need to
support your community never stops and we are
always there in different ways to make that happen.
At our recent Council Meeting we heard many
reports covering the management and activities of
our Foundations and major projects. All projects and
Foundations play an integral part in our
organisation by supporting clubs with their projects
and undertaking research in varying health related
areas and projects involving our youth.
I am learning more all the time about these
projects and Foundations and ask that all our Lions
family in MD201 also take the time to find out more
about them and support them as their contribution
in the community does make a difference.
– Lou Onley
Lion

From Executive Officer Rob
This magazine will
arrive during our
District Convention
season, and I hope
that many Lions will
be planning to
attend.
District Conventions
provide an opportunity
to share stories with
Lion colleagues, find
out about District
initiatives and hear from national and international
speakers from within and outside our organisation.
It’s a great motivational opportunity and a way to
build new friendships.
It also provides some insights for the
communities that host our District Convention about
the strength and opportunities within our
organisation.
The recent National Lions Council meeting made
some important decisions to improve the promotion
of our organisation. Firstly, we have let a contract
to completely revamp our National website. In the
modern world, our website is our ‘virtual shopfront’
and needs to represent the best that our
organisation can be, so Lions can expect a fresh
and new design in the coming months.
Secondly, Council resolved to roll out a brand
new Community Service Announcement for Lions.
The advertisement will go into production over the
next three months, with a launch date prior to the
Canberra Multiple District Convention. Our existing
advertisement has been a great source of new
member enquiries and we are looking forward to
more of the same.
Thirdly, the Council will be partnering with
DoSomethingNearYou. DoSomethingNearYou.com.au
October - November 2012
is fast becoming the best known online volunteering
access portal in the country and Lions wants to
play a major role. Put simply, members of any
community in our country who are interested in
volunteering can go to this website, type in their
postcode, and find out about all sorts of
opportunities, including your local Lions Club. Not
only do we want clubs to be listed, but we are
looking for interested clubs to promote the portal to
other groups in their community. Lions Clubs are
community leaders and can benefit from this
association by becoming the ‘go to’ group for
community volunteering.
There is more exciting news for our Association
coming in the next few months.
Are you going to support our 1st International
Vice President Barry Palmer AM to become the first
Australian International President of Lions Clubs
International in Hamburg in 2013? Lions Australia is
partnering with Travelscene American Express for
some excellent packages to get to Europe and join
in the fun. The best source of information is our
Hamburg “Blog” at www.ozzielions.wordpress.com,
but you can also contact the National Office to
receive a brochure. Remember, early bird airfares
are out now!
You will see on page 27 of this magazine, a call
for bids for the 2016 Multiple District Convention. I
would encourage clubs and districts to consider
bidding and provide a great boost to their clubs and
communities. The National Council is particularly
interested in getting bids from regional
communities – Lions love to get out of the major
cities. Don’t be put off if you don’t have a major
Convention Centre – remember the great
experience we had in Mildura and Launceston?
– Rob Oerlemans
Canberra National Convention details:
www.lionsclubs.org.au/conventions/
National Museum of Australia, Canberra – © National Museum of Australia, All Rights Reserved.
Coming Up
1. Multiple District Convention bids for
2016 close on 31 December 2012. Contact
the Executive Officer for a bid package.
2. Online Registrations for the Lions Club
International Convention in Hamburg are
available now. Follow the links from
www.ozzielions.wordpress.com
3. Registration for the National
Convention in Canberra is now open. Find the
information on the Convention website at
www.lionsclubs.org.au/conventions/
Out now: New Peace
Poster brochure
The International Peace Poster Contest
brochure has a new look.
The new eye-catching brochure has been
printed in time for the District Conventions.
Be sure to collect your copy or copies from
your District Peace Poster stand at your District
Convention.
13

Lions Australia Travel Partner
Hamburg 2013
Start Planning!
Travelscene American Express offices across
Australia are honoured to be assisting Lion’s
Club Members with their travel plans for
the Lions Club International Convention in
Hamburg 2013.
Our group’s buying power will ensure you receive well known
and quality airline deals for your travel to and from the
convention. Whether you are spending a quick 5 days in Germany
or deciding to expand your time away to include tours, cruises or
independent travelling.
Airline offers will be available from the end of September during
the traditional early-bird season for travelling to Europe in 2013.
Further updates will advise you of additional cruise and tour
options especially created for Lion’s Club Members in Australia.
Should you wish to plan your own unique itinerary – any one of
our chosen Travelscene Member offices will be able to provide
you with quality, value and choice in your holiday requirements.
Call 13 TRAVEL to find your closest Travelscene American
Express office that has registered to assist Lion’s Club Members.
Please give them a call to register your travel
plans for Hamburg 2013
HURRY, AVAILABILITY IS LIMITED!
Call 13 TRAVEL (13 87 28)
visit travelscene.net.au or
facebook.com/travelsceneaustralia
AIRFARE OPTIONS
DIFFERENT FLYING OPTIONS
via China with China Southern (Guangzhou) or via Finland
or Scandinavia with Finnair or Scandinavian Airlines
TOURING OPTIONS
� � �
TERMS & CONDITIONS: ^American Express Membership Rewards points only available to Membership Rewards Ascent Premium, Ascent, Choices s or Blue Sky y enrolled Cardmembers (an annual fee may apply). Subject to the Terms and Conditions of the Membership Rewards
program. Stella Travel Services (Australia) Pty Limited (ABN 84 003 237 296) trading as Travelscene, Travel Agents Licence Nos NSW 2TA 002558, VIC 30204, QLD TAG252. Stella Travel Services (Australia) Pty Limited (ABN 84 003 237 296), Travel Agents Licence Nos WA 9TA284,
SA TTA108, ACT 18800658. This member is independently owned and operated under license from American Express and Travelscene. TSL1883

Celebrating 10 years
of Sight for Kids
By Allie Stryker
Alyanna Quimlat of the Philippines knows the
benefits of healthy eyes and the Sight for Kids
program. A Sight for Kids vision screening and
eyeglasses helped her rise from among the
lower performing students to become
salutatorian of her middle school’s graduating
class.
“During third grade, a free eye consultation was
held by the Peninsula Lions Club through the
leadership of Ms. Gila Garcia. I was one of the
fortunate students who were given the free
eyeglasses,” said Alyanna in her salutatorian
speech. “Before, I thought my eyesight was normal,
even though I could not clearly see what was
written on the board. What a big help these
eyeglasses were to me. Because of your support, I
was able to reach where I am right now.”
At just 14 years old, Alyanna recognises that her
eyesight is precious. Access to an eye exam and
eyeglasses brought her world into focus – and
brought academic success within her reach. Today,
Sight for Kids in the Philippines is one of eight such
programs in Asia providing much-needed vision
screenings and follow-up care.
An estimated 19 million children are visually
impaired around the world, according to the World
Health Organization. More than half of these
children have refractive errors (nearsightedness,
farsightedness and astigmatism) that can be
diagnosed through eye exams and easily corrected
with eyeglasses. Left untreated, severe visual
impairment and blindness can eventually occur. In
Asia, a lack of access to visual impairment
treatment has resulted in an estimated one million
blind children.
To reduce childhood visual impairment and
blindness in Asia, Lions Clubs International
Foundation (LCIF) and Johnson & Johnson Vision
Care created the Sight for Kids program in 2002.
Led by Lions and local partners, the program
recruits eye care professionals who train local
teachers to conduct school-based vision screenings
and eye health education in under-served
communities. When needed, students are referred
to a local eye care professional and receive an eye
exam, eyeglasses and further care at no cost.
“When this program began, I was very happy
because we could better serve the people of our
community,” says Dr Letty Anzures, an optometrist,
a Sight for Kids volunteer and a Paolo City Emerald
Lions Club member. “With the partnership with
Johnson & Johnson, we were recently able to
provide 200 more pairs of eyeglasses to local kids.”
As World Sight Day is observed in October, the
Sight for Kids program and its partners will
celebrate its 10th anniversary. A decade after
launching, eight Sight for Kids programs are thriving
October - November 2012
in the Philippines, Thailand,
Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal and
India.
“Gaining access to an eye
screening early in life is critical
since many vision-related issues
can be addressed through
preventative care,” says Thibaut
Mongon, the Asia Pacific regional
president of Johnson & Johnson
Vision Care. “We believe
everyone is entitled to healthy
vision, and our partnership with
Sight for Kids gets us closer to
this goal.”
To date, more than 17 million
children have had their vision
screened through Sight for Kids.
Of these, more than 500,000
children have received
professional eye exams and 200,000 have received
free eyeglasses.
“Sight for Kids shows what’s possible when
committed partners believe in addressing childhood
health and sight issues,” says Wing-Kun Tam, LCIF
Chairperson. “Lions are leaders in blindness
prevention and Johnson & Johnson is a leader in
vision care. Together, this partnership allows us to
save sight in areas of great need.”
The accomplishments of the program have a
special meaning for members of Sight for Kids in
Thailand, one of the original countries involved.
“When you are able to talk to (the children) before
and after surgery, you can feel that deep inside you
have just helped a young kid,” says Vuthi
Boonnikornvoravith, founder of Sight for Kids
Thailand and a past board member of Lions Clubs
International. “They always remember the Lions who
have been helping them and, we hope someday,
they will be able to help other less fortunate
students.”
Thammasak Chuthong is one of the recipients of
Sight for Kids’ care in Thailand. As an infant, he had
cataract surgery in his left eye. Nine years later, a
A child has her vision screened in the Philippines
(above) thanks to the Sight for Kids, LCIF's
partnership program with Johnson & Johnson Vision
Care – and (left) Vuthi Boonnikornvoravith, founder of
Sight for Kids Thailand, helps give children free
glasses.
Sight for Kids examination revealed continuing
vision problems in that eye. Because his vision
problem was caught early through the screening,
Thammasak received eye surgery at a local Lions
hospital. His sight was restored and permanent
damage was prevented.
“Our goal is to make it possible for an evergrowing
number of children to be served by this
excellent program,” says Boonnikornvoravith. “Sight
for Kids in Thailand has real impact because it
creates an awareness of eye health among
schoolteachers, children and their parents, not to
mention the public.”
During this anniversary year, Sight for Kids
partners are celebrating accomplishments and also
focusing on the program’s potential and a new
decade of efforts and success. Johnson & Johnson
Vision Care has committed $2 million to continue
funding Sight for Kids in areas of need.
“If the next 10 years continues the momentum of
the first decade, we will be delighted to have
screened truly unprecedented numbers of children
for uncorrected refractive errors and been able to
provide appropriate treatment to those unable to
afford it,” says Mongon.
On World Sight Day and throughout October, visit
www.LCIF.org to follow Sight for Kids celebrations
and events.
15

SightFirst funds in international action
Have you made a difference in the world of
sight?
If you or your club donated to Campaign
SightFirst II, the answer is a resounding yes! Many
personal stories of people helped by Lions through
Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) involve
the diminishment or loss of sight, fear and
dependence on others. Then Lions help through an
LCIF grant. Sight is restored or improved, fear is
gone and freedom is regained.
This is exactly what happened to Gomez Patricio,
a cataract patient in Argentina. “Before the
operation, my head was always hurting. I felt bad
because I could not see. I was scared of falling
down,” Patricio says. “The surgery changed my life.
Now I see well from far away, and I do not fear that
I will fall like before. I am very grateful for Lions.”
As the flagship blindness prevention program of
LCIF, SightFirst has helped improve or restore sight
to more than 30 million people around the world
since 1990. This has been done through training
eye care professionals, delivering services and
improving facilities. Campaign SightFirst II (CSFII)
was launched in 2005, raising more than $200
million for SightFirst thanks to the efforts of nearly
8,000 volunteers and generous contributions from
individuals, clubs and districts worldwide.
With funds from CSFII, Lions continue to help
control and eliminate avoidable blindness including
cataract, trachoma and onchocerciasis (“river
blindness”) while combatting other threats to vision
such as childhood blindness, diabetic retinopathy
and uncorrected refractive error. For the first time,
SightFirst will address threats to vision by
supporting education and rehabilitation for those
who are blind and have low vision, as well as vital
public health research.
Lions’ donations have helped millions of people
like Patricio regain their lives. A donation gives low
vision services to children in Kansas. It provides
sight to Piyadasa Hewavithana in Sri Lanka. It helps
Jelbert overcome vision problems so he can
participate in school in the Philippines, and it does
so much more.
Low Vision Initiative: In Kansas, a largely rural
American state, many children must travel far if
they need an eye exam. Even if a family is close to
a city, they may not be able to afford the pediatric
eye care that is currently available. This is where
Lions step in.
A statewide low vision program for children is
being strengthened by the Kansas Lions Sight
Foundation, the Kansas State School for the Blind
and individual providers of the Kansas Optometric
Association. With SightFirst support, the low vision
program will serve more than 400 children and
educate 1,400 key community stakeholders about
low vision needs by next year.
“Kansas Lions are honoured and excited to be the
recipient of the first SightFirst low vision grant in the
United States. We’ve been actively involved in vision
screening events for years; this project takes us to a
16
new level of involvement,”
says Lion Beverly Nichols.
The $71,000 grant will
equip 10 regional clinics
and a mobile outreach
program, reaching
children in rural parts of
Kansas. It will also create
training and public
education activities.
Establishing a low vision
device lending library will
benefit students and
school districts of Kansas.
“The recent SightFirst grant from LCIF will
immediately benefit visually impaired students
throughout Kansas,” says Dr. Kendall Krug, a
participating optometrist. “In a state with a largely
scattered, rural population, providing quality low
vision services using the outdated centralised
approach was not effective. With support from
Kansas Lions and this grant, we are assured of the
continuation of this vital program.”
Cataract Surgeries: In Sri Lanka, Piyadasa
Hewavithana is one of thousands who have Lions to
thank for regained sight through cataract surgery.
Once nearly blind, he now enjoys reading the
newspaper and works again. “My sincere thanks to
the doctor and staff of the Lions Hospital for
providing free vision for poor people who would
otherwise go blind. I have a new life,” says
Hewavithana.
LCIF has given $1 million-plus in grants for sightrelated
projects in Sri Lanka. In addition to surgeries,
eye care wings were constructed or upgraded at
seven government hospitals and three Lions eye
hospitals received infrastructure development,
human resource training and cataract subsidies.
Lions continue SightFirst projects in Sri Lanka by
working with partners to build eye care systems in
more regions of the country. This includes
addressing cataract surgical backlogs. A newlyconstructed
Lions eye hospital in Ratnapura,
financed through a SightFirst grant and a generous
donation by the Lions of Finland and their
government, will address even more eye care
needs. Through these efforts, Lions are able to help
even more people in Sri Lanka regain their sight.
Education in the Philippines: Jelbert, a visually
disabled child who has congenital cataract, was
referred to the Resources for the Blind, Inc. (RBI)-
With SightFirst II funds, cataract patients in
Argentina (above) have a brighter future from
improved vision, while (left) Dylan Ferguson has
his colour vision tested by Dr. Kendall Krug as part
of the Kansas Children’s Low Vision Initiative while
his sister Sierra watches.
Davao Medical Coordinators for cataract surgery.
When he first arrived, he could not participate in
pre-school activities because he lacked
communication and play skills. While awaiting
surgery, he was enrolled in RBI’s Early Intervention
and Rehabilitation Program to develop motor,
cognitive and communication skills.
The Philippines needs educational services for
blind children with additional disabilities. LCIF and
SightFirst are joining with the Perkins School for the
Blind to ensure all children like Jelbert have the
opportunity to attend school. The Philippines project
is the first SightFirst grant awarded for education
and rehabilitation. Through expanding educational
opportunities and empowering parents as advocates
for their children, the SightFirst Philippines project is
laying a foundation for broader social inclusion.
When communities witness what children with
disabilities can achieve when they are given the
opportunity to attend school, stigmas and
discrimination will begin to dissolve.
Jelbert is now learning pre-speech and
communication skills and improving his playing
skills. Because of this, Jelbert is also participating in
group activities at school.
In addition, CSFII funds have been approved for
many other projects including support for refractive
error centres in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, the
Philippines and the U.S. CSFII achievements also
include 881,557 cataract surgeries, 5,230 diabetic
retinopathy treatments, 147,057 trachoma surgeries
and 37,141,374 onchocerciasis (river blindness)
treatments.
Lions’ donations to CSFII have had a lasting
impact on sight around the world. The expansion of
SightFirst into new areas such as education and
rehabilitation for the blind ensures that the program
continues to benefit people in need worldwide.
Lion

Club adopts Tanzanian orphanage
By Geoff Failes
Figtree Lions Club (N2) has “adopted” an
orphanage in Tanzania as one of its main
ongoing fundraising projects.
The club already has raised more than $6000
through various activities to assist the Forever
Angels Orphanage which promotes and raises
awareness of orphaned and abandoned children in
Tanzania and supports initiatives to alleviate these
problems.
The Forever Angels Baby Home in Mwanza on
the shores of Lake Victoria is the realisation of a
dream that Amy Hathaway of Britain had as a young
child after watching images of the Ethiopian famine
on television back in 1985.
She remembered stating quite adamantly to her
parents, even at the young age of 6 or 7, that she
wanted to help babies in Africa when she grew up –
and Forever Angels is her dream come true.
Amy is a primary school teacher by profession
and is married to Ben who is an IT manager.
Together they have five adopted Tanzanian children
and live on site at Forever Angels Baby Home as
managers.
Amy and Ben moved to Tanzania in 2002, initially
working at the International School. Through the
process of adopting their first son, Barnabas, they
visited many orphanages and hospitals where
orphan children were being very poorly cared for –
and Amy decided that her dream could become a
reality sooner than she had planned!
Their Baby Home provides a stable, loving home
for up to 50 orphaned and abandoned babies and
infants from 0 to five years, who are severely
disadvantaged.
Figtree Lions Club’s connection to the Baby
Home is through club member Greg Dombkins’ son
Mark and his wife Anna who moved to Tanzania in
2010 where Mark is a teacher at the International
School in Moshi and Anna is a boarding
parent/counsellor. Moshi is on the southern slopes
of Mt Kilimanjaro.
The couple who have two children of their own,
Jackson, 6 and Jemima, 3, first became interested
in adopting one or more children from
disadvantaged countries after watching a moving
documentary on an orphanage in China in 2006.
Not long after they arrived in Moshi, Mark and
Anna, through a contact, visited the Baby Home in
Mwanza knowing that it had a good reputation for
ensuring that adoption was the “last resort” for
orphaned children.
They were told about three abandoned siblings,
including twins Charlie and Shalom (Shay) who are
now almost three years old and their older brother
Jabari who had been cared for by elderly
grandparents but there were no other relatives
available to help.
October - November 2012
Anna and Mark Dombkins with their children Jackson (back) and Jemima and the three Tanzanian children they
hope to adopt: Jabari (left) and twins Charlie and Shay.
Authorities considered the best option would be
to allow Mark and Anna to take over their care
because this arrangement would allow the siblings
to have an ongoing relationship with their
grandparents.
“Currently they are still classed as foster
children. We have been fostering them now for one
and a half years but we have lived there for only
two years,” Mark said.
“In another year from now we can apply to the
High Court and make that adoption formal,” Mark
said.
“After that we can get tentative passports then
go to the Australian Embassy to get them a visa to
come back to Australia and then Australian
citizenship”.
Mark and Anna are also keen to adopt another
child, a six-year-old girl called Zawadi from the
same orphanage but their application is still being
considered.
“A lot of children in Tanzania enter an orphanage
because they have been abandoned by their
parents or one of them – usually the mother – has
died in childbirth or from AIDS,” Mark said.
Back in Australia recently for a holiday, Mark said
he and Anna were amazed by the number of
businesses in the Illawarra that were prepared to
support fundraising benefit nights in Wollongong for
the Forever Angels Orphanage by donating prizes
and other help in kind.
More than 60 people attended a recent
fundraiser at a Wollongong cafe called Lee and Me
and raised more than $12,000 which went towards
special outreach programs.
A raffle raised a further $4000.
“For example a bicycle was purchased for a man
who was able to ride from his rural village and sell
his produce to help look after his family,” Mark said.
Figtree Lions Club has raised an estimated
$6000 for Forever Angels through a number of
benefit nights organised by Mark’s father Greg.
These included charity dinners at his home and a
‘Night at the Opera’ function where guests paid for
a meal and to watch excerpts from various operas
on a large screen.
17

Grey nomad’s sight quest
Lion Barry Gazzard, a member of Australian
Lionsonoz, the Lions club made up of “grey
nomads”, recently visited Malaysia with his
new bride Ling, a native of that country, on a
mission of mercy. Here’s Barry’s inspiring
story.
Our project began in November last year, when
Ling advised me of the need of some Malaysian
natives (Orang Asli) living in the north of Malaysia
near Kampar, and young and old people living in
homes and shelters in Kuala Lumpur and the
Selangor area.
She told me these people were very poor and
received little government assistance, plus many of
them needed spectacles.
After contacting Dulek Jali and the Reverend
Joseph Tang, it was found at least 100 people
could benefit from glasses, so I contacted PDG
Kenneth Leonard, Chairman for recycled glasses,
and put my proposal.
He was forthcoming with 250 pairs of glasses of
various magnifications and duly despatched them
to me prior to my departure for Malaysia in June
this year.
With the aid of Reverend Tang I was able to
enlist the help of Darren Lau, an optometrist from
Kuala Lumpur, to travel the 170k north to Kampar
to test the villagers there. At about the same time, I
contacted the Lions Club of Kampar’s President
Lion Chan Oi Fun about the project and they in turn
arranged another optometrist, Ashley Chan from the
Lions Club of Ipoh Evergreen.
On Monday 16 July, 10 Lions met at Kampar,
and proceeded to the village 45 minutes away and
started testing with specialist equipment brought
along by the optometrists.
It was over 30 degrees in the shade of a
marquee specially erected for the purpose, but
slowly the people were assessed for glasses and
dispensed suitable eyewear. It was remarkable to
see the happiness in the eyes of recipients and the
Lions received many hugs and handshakes.
Fifty five people received glasses and two
children were assessed as short sighted and
needing specially made glasses.
18
Lion Barry watches as optometrist Ashley Chan fits a
pair of eyeglasses to a local resident of Orang Asli,
while (below) Barry and Lions Lady Ling survey used
eyeglasses ready for distribution.
One person was found to have an eye problem
due to diabetes, and two others had cataracts.
We completed the day about 3.30pm pleased
with the result.
Thanks go to Kampar, Ipoh Evergreen and Perak
Silver State Lions for their valued participation. The
remaining glasses were distributed to the Aged
Home in Kuala Lumpur by optometrist Darren Lau.
Ling and I flew back home well pleased at having
made a difference. I presented certificates of
appreciation to Ashley Chan, Darren Lau, the Lions
Club of Kampar and the Lions Club of Perak Silver
State from my club.
Eye tests the key to
avoidable blindness
Almost 575,000 Australians over 40 have
vision loss representing 5.8% of the
population in that age group. Of these,
around 66,500 people are blind.
This number is predicted to rise to 800,000plus
by 2020 unless people are proactive about
saving their sight.
About 80% of avoidable vision loss in Australia
is caused by five conditions, all of which increase
in prevalence with age, age-related macular
degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and glaucoma.
Vision loss prevents healthy and independent
ageing and is associated with the following:
risk of falls increased two times
risk of depression increased three times
risk of hip fractures increased four to eight
times
admission to nursing home three years early
twice as likely to use health services.
The following people are at increased risk of
developing an eye condition:
those over 40
those with a family history of eye conditions
those with diabetes
those who smoke
those of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
descent
The good news is that 75% of blindness and
vision loss is preventable or treatable.
World Sight Day took place on Thursday 11
October and was an opportunity to emphasise the
essential steps to protect vision.
The key to good eye health is regular eye tests
by an eye care professional and seeking advice as
soon as changes in vision are experienced.
Conditions such as AMD, glaucoma or diabetic
retinopathy do not have symptoms in the early
stage, therefore people at increased risk should
have regular eye tests to detect these conditions.
In addition, simple things can be done every day
to protect eyes from unnecessary damage:
wearing sunglasses and hat when in the sun
wear protective glasses when doing DIY activities
maintain healthy lifestyle
keep blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol
levels under control if at risk or suffering diabetes
Don’t smoke
Lion

May looks back to Sars calamity
Sydney Chinese Lion May
Wong recounts her
eye-opening return to her
birthplace Hong Kong as a
humanitarian scholarship
recipient
At the end of last year, I was given the
opportunity to undertake a two-month elective
placement anywhere in the world and I chose
my home of Hong Kong.
I swapped the sweltering Australian summer for
tightly regulated, 4 degree Celsius research
laboratories.
It was surreal stepping foot inside the laboratory
where they discovered the SARS coronavirus in
Hong Kong.
I was struck by the anecdotes that my supervisor,
a patient and survivor of SARs, shared. He stated
that the SARS calamity, which claimed 300 lives,
was a double-edged sword. While it revealed the
failings of the existing medical system with
overcrowded wards and poorly ventilated hospitals,
at the same time it saw Hong Kong become better
prepared than any other country to combat another
infectious disease epidemic.
My experience at Queen Mary Hospital, one of
the largest acute regional hospitals, was an eyeopener.
Despite being a developed country, Hong
Kong citizens unfortunately do not experience the
same calibre of health care that we receive in
Australia.
In fact, the discrepancies between the public and
October - November 2012
Lion May at work in the laboratory in Hong Kong (above) – and doctors in respirator masks and personal
protective equipment (below) re-enact the testing times of the 2002 SARS epidemic.
private health sectors are quite large. Queen Mary
Hospital provides general medical and surgical
services to the residents of Western and Southern
districts and is a tertiary referral centre for the
whole territory of Hong Kong and beyond. Driven by
the high case loads (hepatitis clinics treated over
100 patients in one afternoon), the patient turnover
is almost 20 times what a typical doctor would see
in Australia.
As a medical student and the humanitarian
scholar winner with Sydney Chinese Lions in 2011,
I wanted to follow through with what the very
scholarship was awarded for. During my
attachment, I was involved with a larger team which
looked at the recurrence of hepatitis B-related liver
cancer, a disease which has a high morbidity and
mortality and is more prevalent in Hong Kong.
I extended my efforts to a societal level. One of
the major projects that I assisted in, in conjunction
with other like-minded medical students, was the
Heart-to-Heart Charity Walk. In its 12th year, the
theme of “Heart-to-Heart, Be-a-Part” saw all
participants walk in pairs with a bracelet binding
them. This symbolised the shared feeling of care,
tolerance and acceptance – a reflection of the
sacrifice parents make for their sick children.
This reminded me of the Lion Purposes – to
embrace bonds of friendship, good fellowship and
mutual understanding. Situated at the Peak, one of
Hong Kong’s most scenic locations, it attracted over
2,500 participants and raised HK$900,000. This
money will go to research into cyanotic heart
disease in children. I believe medical research
directly translates into the social welfare of a
community.
19

Lion Solomon now calls Australia home
In 2008 in Nairobi, Kenya Solomon
Wahome went about his
occupation as a credit manager
and his wife Grace worked as a
secondary education administrator.
Their two daughters, Beth and
Charity, attended a local school but like
many parents the world over Solomon
and Grace frequently discussed the
future and what was ahead for their
family.
After much research, the Wahomes
decided to immigrate to a country that
offered what they yearned for. Their
search led to an application to move to
Adelaide, Australia. For some time they
waited for information and eventually
the good news arrived with the
resultant acceptance.
Adelaide was to be their new home.
After some turmoil in planning to
leave their respective families and
workmates, Grace, Beth and Charity
departed in January 2010 and Solomon
followed in February.
They found their new home so
different but the girls were soon
enrolled in a new school and they
located an apartment. Solomon and
Grace then quickly set about looking for
employment.
One of Solomon’s Nairobi friends, a
Lion, suggested they investigate joining
an Australian Lions Club to help them
assimilate and make new friends.
So, shortly after arrival, Solomon
went on the Lions Australia website and
submitted an indication that he would
like to learn more about Lionism.
This interest found its way through
the system and ended up on my desk
20
as a member of the Lions Club of
Marion which had made early contact.
Not long after Solomon attended his
first Lions meeting – and just two
months after his arrival in Adelaide
Solomon Wahome became Lion
Solomon Wahome.
Members of Marion welcomed him
and his family with open arms.
After his induction by PID Bob
Coulthard, also a member of Marion
Lions, Solomon thanked all for their
acceptance and welcome and
announced that just that day he had
obtained a position in the credit centre
of Westpac Bank. Since then Grace has
also obtained a position with the
government in Families SA.
Lion Solomon, now in his second
year as a Lion, is looking forward to
learning more about Lionism. Who
knows what the future holds for him
and Grace, Beth and Charity.
At this time everything looks exciting.
They have just purchased their own
home and are awaiting becoming
naturalised Australian citizens – an
event which is already planned to take
place at a Lions dinner meeting.
Solomon has also accepted a
position as second vice president of
Marion Lions and is interested in
attending the emerging Lions Institute
Course in Sydney in early 2013.
Lions and partners of Marion
certainly welcome the Wahomes and
suggest other MD201 clubs might look
within their communities to see if this
exercise can be repeated.
PDG Bob Korotcoff, Lions Club of
Marion C2
Standard grants boost communities
Millions of people in the world
lack access to basic items and
services that many of us take
for granted.
Thanks to Standard grants given
by Lions Clubs International
Foundation (LCIF), Lions provide
these basic items and services for
their communities, and the impact
is enormous.
Just ask Joseph. Abandoned at
age six, he lived on the streets for
nine years until given a home in
the Lions Street Children Home in
the Philippines.
“Every day, my biggest problem
was how to get my food,” said
Joseph. “Sometimes I would have
to beg or get food from my friends,
who were other kids on the
street.”
Lions in the Philippines
partnered with LCIF and the
Department of Welfare and Social
Development to establish the Lions
Street Children Centre through a
Standard grant. The centre
provides food, clothing and shelter,
as well as counselling and
schooling. Then Lions partnered
with LCIF again to build a
vocational training centre for
children in connection with the
Lions Street Children Centre. This
ensures young people like Joseph
will not have to beg for food.
Instead, they are given the skills to
succeed in their community.
“I feel very grateful to the Lions
not only for myself, but for the
other children as well who have
benefited from this program. Now
we are equipped to go out and
face the world,” said Joseph, who
now mentors young students.
Through Standard grant
projects, communities gain access
to education, technology,
healthcare and many other
improvements. Lions identify what
is needed most for a community
and make it a life-changing reality
through LCIF.
Providing matching funds up to
$75,000, Standard grants are
approved for large-scale Lions
humanitarian projects involving
construction and equipment. The
most common type of grant
awarded by LCIF, they must serve
a large number of people. Typical
projects include mobile health
units, hospices, nursing homes,
major medical equipment,
orphanages for vulnerable
children, centres serving the blind
and disabled, eye clinics and
schools in developing countries.
Because projects are largescale,
individual Lions invest many
hours in fundraising, planning and
volunteering professional skills at
the project site to make the grant
a success. Such support greatly
extends a project’s impact, making
it possible to help more people
than would otherwise be possible.
Through Standard grants, Lions
can make a difference in their
local communities. For information
about applying for LCIF grant
funding, contact LCIF at
lcif@lionsclubs.org. Grant
applications are also available
online at www.lcif.org.
Allie Stryker
Youths learn vocational skills at the Lions
Street Children Centre in the Philippines.
Lion

Telopea Park School student, Evie Pye-Harris, 14, leads "Nick" around the equestrian arena under the watchful eye of helper, Kayla Agostina. Photo: Graham Tidy
Nick joins Lions in a quest for youth
At the Lions Youth Haven
facility in Kambah in the ACT,
troubled young people are
introduced to working with
horses as a way of gaining
confidence and trust
Towering over the teenager he is following in
a sandy arena, Nick baulks at the deep blue
plastic sheet beneath him and nudges it with
a tentative hoof.
Children and adults yarn away with a few dogs
at their feet and sunshine on their backs, while
Nick and his 14-year-old handler come to a
standstill.
The 21-year-old American Saddlebred is
unsure of what exactly is below, and young Eve
Pie-Harris has never negotiated this obstacle with
such a big 500-kilo animal.
Westwood Farm manager Gerry Nussio, who
has previously worked in Bart Cummings’ stables,
said being a prey animal, horses have a keen
sense of smell and hearing. Even if they cannot
see anything, they can smell danger.
A lead twisted incorrectly around a hand, for
instance, could end in disaster if a spooked horse
charges off suddenly.
A few months ago Evie put her arm and hand
out to let Nick smell her. “If you're scared, they
October - November 2012
can smell your fear,” she said, recounting their
first meeting, when she patted him and learned to
lead him at the farm near Kambah which helps
children at risk.
“They can't see in front, only to the sides,” she
said. "You have to watch the direction they're
turning their head.”
Evie’s auntie has horses, but Evie has had little
experience with them, which is all the better for
learning how to build trust and confidence,
according to Nick’s owner Jess Garnett who
voluntarily teaches equine learning at Westwood
Farm.
After an experienced handler encourages Nick
over the plastic sheeting, Evie returns and leads
him over a second time.
A skill featured in Nicholas Evans' The Horse
Whisperer and widely used during the aftermath
of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria in
2009, facilitated equine learning is an important
part of the routine at Westwood Farm where Miss
Garnett has three horses in work.
People reluctant to accept help after the tragic
bushfires nevertheless regained confidence from
identifying and remedying what was wrong with
horses left traumatised by the disaster which
killed 119 people.
Telopea Park school teacher Peter Hobbs said
the horses helped children integrate with other
children and teachers. Around the horses, they
did things they’d refuse to do at school.
“It doesn't sound like any great shakes but it is
a big step forward,” he said.
Said Westwood Farm’s administrator and
environmental biologist Wieslaw Lichacz: “These
kids are on a knife’s edge, we want to tip them
on the right side.”
Jess Garnett says the intense concentration
from the horses can be emotionally draining. She
watches them as intently as the horses
themselves watch the children’s body language. If
Nick’s ears go back or he stops solidly he’s
probably earned a rest.
Nick’s cheeky disposition won Jess over when
she bought the big gelding from a Wollongong
woman about nine years ago.
"You ask him to do anything and he looks at
you as if to say ‘no’, like a child – then he goes
and does it. It's almost like working with a child.”
He’ll wander over to people who stop near his
paddock looking for a pat and cuddle and peer
into their car window to see what else might be
happening, probably hoping for a pear or banana.
He loves licorice.
Horse agistment is currently the main income
for the farm, which was founded by Lions clubs.
Horses have a strong affinity with girls, which
Jess can’t explain, even though she has been
around them since age three.
“You feel you can nurture something, perhaps
it is our nurturing instinct,” she said.
– Courtesy John Thistleton and
The Canberra Times
21

A laughing
matter!
There was laughter all round when
French Lion Martine Chapuis was
hosted on a visit to Queensland by
Mooloolaba Inc Lions.
Martine, from the city of Argentre in
the district of Laval in north-west
France, about 200km from Paris, sent
an email to the club after she found its
website.
As her son was working in
Queensland in the hospitality industry,
she thought it a good time for she and
her 17-year-old daughter, Joanna, to
visit while combining some Lions goodwill.
The pleasurable job of hosting fell to local Lions
Fred and Ernene Smedley.
In France, Martine is secretary and vice
Laval’s Martine Chapuis
and daughter Joanna
enjoy the sights.
New club’s sight-impaired new members
Lions have been saving sight for
many years but the newest Gold
Coast club, Mermaid Broadbeach
Lions, recently broke new ground
by inducting two visually
impaired members.
The event was handled by the new
District Governor of Lions District Q1,
Merv Ferguson.
DG Merv inducted three new Lions,
two of them being the visually
impaired new members.
Terri McGillivray, sight impaired
from an early age, and John Bryant,
sight impaired for the last 20 years,
were inducted along with Chris Woidt.
22
French Lion Martine sees the funny side of exchanging
bannerettes with Mooloolaba’s Fred Smedley.
president of the all-women’s Lions Club of Laval.
The group struck up an immediate rapport, with
IPP Fred showing her the sights. Martine and
Joanne enjoyed an afternoon at the home of the
local club’s president, Dean, and
Fred took them on a rainforest
walk where they heard whipbirds
and bellbirds and saw a
pademelon in the wild.
“We then took them to the
Baroon Pocket Dam where they
saw their first kookaburras and
heard them in the bush,” said
Fred.
“Both of us really enjoyed the
company of Martine and Joanna.
They wanted to buy us a meal, so
for lunch we had a great Aussie
Meat Pie at Montville.”
President Graham Jones OAM (left) DG Merv Ferguson (right) with
new Lions Chris Woidt, John Bryant (with his seeing eye dog) and
Kerry McGillivray.
Max makes his mark
Steadily the news of what good work Lions
are doing is getting out into the general
community.
That was the case when V2 PDG Max
Oberlander was profiled in an article in Victoria’s
rural newspaper The Weekly Times in conjunction
with Volunteers Week.
The paper looked at Max’s work in helping to
raise funds for flood-stricken communities across
Australia, and in Japan after the devastating
tsunami and earthquakes in New Zealand
It told how he and others had filled sand bags
in Horsham before the 2011 floods, and how he
introduced Coins for Kids to raise money for the
Australian Lions Children’s Cancer Research
Foundation.
“Everyone says I’m over-committed, always
being out and about but it’s important to help
your fellow man,” Max, a semi-retired
manufacturing manager, told the paper.
“You need commitment but everyone also
needs a hobby and to give back to others as
well.”
Max, who recently played “mum and dad” with
his wife Chris to 36 young people from around
the world at Camp Koala, a Lions Youth
Exchange initiative, says his hobby has been
Lions for close to 23 years.
SYDNEY CHINESE DONATION HONOURED
Following the handover of $60,000 to
St John (NSW) by Sydney Chinese
Lions, a plaque commemorating the
donation has been unveiled in the
organisation’s communications room.
To date, Sydney Chinese Lions have
donated more than $100,000 to St John
(NSW).
Lion

Camp Duckadang answers a call
Lions Club International’s Camp Duckadang at
Linville, south-east Queensland, was the
venue for the pilot P.R.I.D.E. (Prevention
Rehabilitation Intervention Diversion and
Education Program) initiative earlier this year.
It was the brainchild of Caboolture Police Liaison
Officer Michael (Mick) Douglas, concerned that
nothing was being done to help certain Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Island primary school children who
were skipping school, running away from home and
starting to associate with undesirable older persons.
He decided to make a concerted effort to set up
a holistic program of support.
As part of the far-reaching scheme to re-engage
these children, Mick selected a group of at-risk kids
between 10 and 14 for the first camp. The aim was
to reunite them with their cultural heritage.
It took place in a remote bush valley on the
banks of a loop of the Brisbane River at 1.5 hectare
Camp Duckadang, owned and operated by Lions.
Here the boys got to bunk down in cabins and
spend time outdoors exploring their heritage with
mentors and role models they admired.
Over five days of intensive activity the boys threw
themselves into practical, fun sessions on
indigenous dance, playing the didgeridoo and
October - November 2012
Spark
of an
idea
lighting fires the
traditional way.
Indigenous
student mentors
and elders joined
in with the kids,
talking, laughing
and engaging in
activities together
to slowly build up
trust and open up
lines of
communication too long out of the reach of these
boys.
The boys tried out the newly-installed low rope
course, kayaked on the river and swam in the pool.
The looks on their faces were a delight when
then Broncos winger Dane Gagai turned up with his
brother, Kevin. The boys got to see and hear
firsthand what they could achieve with hard work
and perseverance while testing their football skills
against the pros.
Arguably the highlight was the music session with
hip hop artist Tom Rock. Together they listened to
and recorded bird calls and wove it all into their own
hip hop composition, with each boy being given a
Firelighting the traditional way (top) and (above) former Broncos and now Newcastle
Knights player Dane Gagai chatting with the boys.
CD to take home.
The happiness and openness of the boys’
attitudes at the end of the camp was obvious to all.
Said program instigator Mick Douglas: “Now that
we’ve established trust, when I’m driving along the
road in my uniform and I see the kids they can see
past the uniform. We can sit around on the grass
and talk and I can assist them when they’re doing it
hard along the road.”
Sponsorship was through QUT, ATSIS
(Department of Communities – Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Service), Caboolture PCYC,
Murri Teilah Medical and Kmart Morayfield.
A PRIDE program for young indigenous girls is
already being planned.
23

24
Walk back through history
History was on show when Leeton N4 Lions
opened a new heritage pathway.
The opening coincided with the Centenary of
Irrigation celebrations.
The club coordinated the construction and
selling of paving bricks to descendants of
pioneering Leeton and Yanco families.
Pavers with family names etched into the faces
were laid within an existing concrete pathway in
Mountford Park by the shire council.
About 300 bricks were sold and when mixed
with plain bricks created a feature path about 35m
long.
The pathway was opened by Leeton President
Mark Norvall who, together with Mayor Paul
Maytom, cut a ribbon.
Best of friends in Norway
Lions can open many doors. For Lion John
Bowyer and his Lions Lady Barbara of
Queensland’s Stanthorpe club it brought a
visit to District 104D in Norway as part of
Operation Friendship.
For the past six years the pair has hosted
Lions from Canada, Denmark and Norway so felt
it was time for a return visit.
They stayed with five different families across
the southern part of Norway, with John
addressing a District Convention and exchanging
bannerettes (above).
John learned that most clubs in Norway meet
only once a month and that many hold one
major fundraiser. “Several clubs produced
calendars, another produced a local phone book
with the income mainly from advertising.”
AROUND THE NATION
Trike gets Cooper on
the move
Victoria’s Mirboo North Lions have
with the help of the Australian Lions
Foundation brought a little happiness
into the life of a two-year-old boy.
At a special barbecue, Cooper
Campbell, a cerebral palsy sufferer, was
presented with a new tricycle.
While Cooper is unable to walk, crawl
or sit independently, his cognition has not
been impacted by the disease.
Already his parents have noticed a big
improvement in his overall quality of life
since he gained the trike.
Lion

From plaque to memorial garden
What began as just a small bronze
commemorative plaque and a single tree back
in 2002 has now become a stunning
sandstone memorial with three bronze
plaques set in a designated Lions Memorial
Garden.
The plaque and tree had been installed by
Carlingford-Dundas Lions in Upjohn Park, in the
Sydney suburb of Dundas, to commemorate a Lion,
Reg Kline, who had worked for the local council.
Three years later more plaques and trees were
added to commemorate one of the club’s greatest
Lions, PDG Don Furnass, along with eight other
Lions who had died while serving their community.
Unfortunately, over the years, the designated
October - November 2012
area became overgrown and the trees and the
plaques became difficult to locate.
Now, following council agreement, an area has
been made available for another more suitable site
named the Carlingford-Dundas Lions Memorial
Garden.
Ian Furnass, son of the late PDG Don Furnass
and the principal of Furnass Landscaping
Enterprises, provided the sandstone memorial and
landscaping.
The memorial was unveiled at a gathering of
relatives and representatives of the honoured Lions.
The club believes it’s the only memorial of its
type in N5.
Oldest to youngest
It was an historic and quirky occasion when
Taree’s oldest ever president, Sonny Rogers,
74, passed over the gavel to the NSW club’s
youngest ever president, Nathan Cooper, 31.
Wearing silly hats, the still amazingly active
Sonny and Nathan put on a good show for
members.
“Sonny, you could have been Nathan’s father.’
quipped one member. Countered another: “Father!
Forget that. You could have been his b----y GRAND
father.”
Those Lions cheques just get bigger and bigger
Gratitude was everywhere when
Tully secretary Irene Braddick
and LCIF District Q2
co-ordinator PDG John Muller
presented a cheque for $30,600
(right) to help rebuild the local
senior citizens’ hall.
The cheque was accepted by
senior cits president Joyce Smith
and secretary Lesley Hardy. And
there was more.
Local Lions donated a further
$10,000 and $11,000 came from
Tully Lionesses.
President Joyce said she was pleased to receive the funding
as the Cassowary Coast Regional Council had declared the old
hall a cyclone shelter just as Cyclone Yasi approached the region,
despite the building not being cyclone-rated. The old hall was
totally destroyed by the cyclone. The funding was made available
as part of LCIF’s Queensland Disaster Reconstruction Program.
A staggering $82,147.31 was recently raised by
Culcairn Lions in NSW.
A cheque for the amount was presented at the
club’s 29th handover dinner to buy a new state-of
the-art mobile x-ray machine.
Support came from the business sector
throughout the district and the project was launched
by last year’s Club President, Julie Lowe, after she
was approached by Lion Stan Scheetz and informed
of the urgency for the new equipment.
With the cheque
are (from left)
Rosemary
Garthwaite
(Murrumbidgee
Local Health
District), Kathy
Huggett (Culcairn
MPS), Mavis
Gardiner, Stan
Scheetz and Past
President Julie
Lowe.
Photo: The OASIS
25

Committee Appointments
At its meeting in August 2012, the Council of Governors considered nominations received and made the
following appointments
Position Term Expiry Appointee District
Sargeant At Arms 30/08/2015 PDG Bruce McLeod V5
2014 Convention Chairperson 30/06/2014 Adrian Thurlow N1
2015 Convention Chairperson 30/06/2015 PCC Keith Parry N3
Hearing Dogs Committee Member 1/07/2015 PDG Barry Brockbank Q2
ALCCRF Chairperson 31/01/2016 PCC Bob Buckley N4
ALCCRF Trustee 31/01/2016 PDG David Savage C2
ALCCRF Trustee 31/01/2015 PDG John McIntosh C1
ALCCRF Trustee 31/01/2016 PDG Jim Ede C1
ALCCRF Trustee 31/01/2016 PCC Lindsay Marsden Q3
ALCCRF Trustee 31/01/2015 PCC Tony Roney T1
ALCCRF Trustee 31/01/2016 PDG John Thorpe V1-4
ALCCRF Trustee 31/01/2016 Dr Joseph Collins N5
ALCCRF Trustee 31/01/2015 PDG Peter Lamb W1
ALCMF V District Trustee 31/01/2016 Helen Maunsell V5
Leo Chairperson 31/01/2016 Martin Peebles N2
Leo T District Coordinator 31/01/2016 Louise Eiszelle T1
Leo V District Coordinator 31/01/2016 PDG Les Harrison V6
Youth Exchange Greeter (Albury) 31/01/2015 PCC Brian Chalmers V6
PNG Membership Development Committee Chairperson 30/06/2014 Bill Ahearn V5
Multiple District Convention bids 2016
The MD201 Council is calling for Expressions of Interest to host the
2016 Multiple District Convention. Hosting an MD Convention is a
great way to support your town and celebrate the contribution of
your local Lions. The MD Convention has been said to provide an
economic benefit exceeding $3 million to the host town. The Council
is currently reviewing the Convention process and would particularly
encourage bids from regional centres in Australia.
Intending bidders should contact the Executive Officer to receive a
bidding package. Bids close on 31 January 2013.
October - November 2012
Directory corrections
Please note the following V2 listings should read thus:
. Coleraine Inc (34685) (24) PO Box 18 Coleraine Vic 3315
colerainelions@gmail.com – Pres. Kevin Buck (Anne) (M)
0403270189, Sec. Debra Courtney (John) (H) 03-55752542 R6Z12
. Corio-Norlane Inc (115746) (23) PO Box 118 Corio Vic 3214
coriolions@gmail.com – Pres. Richard Walter (Geraldine)
(H) 03-52755219 (B) 03-52218400 (M) 0402409895, Sec. Sandra
Fountain (M) 0409541866 R2Z3
. The PO Box for Lara Inc is 97.
Change of date for MD201 Canberra Convention 2013
Council has resolved to make a minor amendment to the schedule for the MD201
Convention in 2013. The Convention will commence on Friday 26 April 2013 and
conclude on Monday 29th of April 2013. This amendment has been made due to
difficulties in opening the Convention on ANZAC Day.
27

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
BUSAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA JUNE 17-21, 2012
AUDIT COMMITTEE
1. Modified the Audit Committee Charter regarding
the review and evaluation of the independent
auditor.
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS COMMITTEE
1. Declared that the district governor, first vice
district governor and second vice district governor
elections in District 301-A1 (Philippines) for the
2012-2013 fiscal year cannot be affirmed,
appointed Lion Ruth Chua as district governor in
District 301-A1 for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, and
declared vacancies in the offices of first vice district
governor and second vice district governor for the
2012-2013 fiscal year, which shall remain vacant
until further action by the International Board of
Directors.
2. Upheld the second vice district governor election
complaint filed in District 118-R (Turkey), declared
the second vice district governor election in District
118-R for the 2012-2013 fiscal year null and void
and of no force and effect, declared a vacancy in
the office of second vice district governor for the
2012-2013 fiscal year and that the second vice
district governor vacancy shall be filled in
accordance with the International and District
Constitutions and By-Laws, and declared that the
filing fee less US$100 shall be refunded to the
Complainant.
3. Denied second vice district governor election
complaints filed in District 321-F (India), District
324-A1 (India), District 335-B (Japan) and District
403-A2 (Togo) and declared the following as
second vice district governors in their respective
districts for the 2012-2013 fiscal year:
Lion Rajeev Goyal - District 321-F (India)
Lion V.S.B. Sunder - District 324-A1 (India)
Lion Hideki Kitahata - District 335-B (Japan)
Lion Diamilatou Aka Anghui - District 403-A2
(Togo)
4. Approved resolution to establish a legal entity in
India to be called “The International Association of
Lions Clubs (Secretariat Office India).”
5. Revised the Standard Form District and Multiple
District By-Laws in the Board Policy Manual to
reflect the newly established language for
membership dues.
CONVENTION COMMITTEE
1. Decreased the room requirement for bidding
cities from 6,000 to 5,000 rooms.
DISTRICT AND CLUB SERVICE COMMITTEE
1. Reinstated the San Diego Brotherhood Lions Club
into good standing.
2. Recognized the Republic of Georgia and the
Kingdom of Cambodia as provisional zones
following the adjournment of the 2012 International
Convention.
3. Included the Republic of Guinea Bissau in the
territory of District 403-A1 and the Republic of
Angola in the territory of District 403-B, in order to
provide greater assistance to the further
development of new countries, following the
adjournment of the 2012 International Convention.
4. Deferred the redistricting of Multiple District 354
28
until the close of the 2013 International Convention,
unless a new proposal is submitted and approved
by the International Board of Directors during the
October 2012 or April 2013 board meetings.
5. Revised the Board Policy Manual to approve a
hotel room for nine (9) days and meal expenses of
up to seven (7) days for DGEs attending the DGE
Seminar starting in the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
6. Appointed Lion Isamu Sakamoto to serve as the
district governor of District 332-D for the 2012-
2013 fiscal year.
FINANCE AND HEADQUARTERS OPERATION
COMMITTEE
1. Approved Northern Trust as the custodian for the
International Association of Lions Clubs General
Fund and Emergency Reserve.
2. Approved the 2011-2012 4th Quarter Forecast,
which is projecting a modest deficit.
3. Approved the 2012-2013 Budget, reflecting a
surplus.
4. Approved modifying speaker engagement policy
to limit the number to one official speaker in the
event that sub-district conventions are held in
conjunction with the multiple district convention.
5. Modified policy regarding vice president travel to
area forums.
6. Housekeeping modifications to accounting
procedures.
7. Made a housekeeping modification to district
governor reimbursements clarifying Rules of Audit.
8. Modified board policy to clarify past international
directors eligible for an in-district budget.
LCIF
1. Approved corporate resolutions in order to
establish Lions Clubs International Foundation
(Secretariat Office India), as a Section 25 company
in India.
2. Renewed Core 4 funding priority status for the
diabetes prevention and control program for one
year, until June 30, 2013, and for Lions Quest for
three years, until June 30, 2015.
3. Increased the humanitarian grants budget for the
current fiscal year by an additional US$2.5 million.
4. Approved 34 Standard, International Assistance
and Core 4 grants totaling US$1,790,025.
5. Denied one grant application.
6. Expanded the Lions Quest Advisory Committee to
include additional Lion leaders with strong
experience in supporting Lions Quest and technical
experts.
7. Approved four projects to support
rebuilding/recovery efforts, with the funding (US$2.2
million) to be provided from the designated funds
from the Japan earthquake/tsunami fund.
8. Approved a contract in the amount of
US$181,000 with Service Learning Life Skills
Network for consulting services for a one-year
period.
9. Amended the LCIF Operations and Policy Manual
as follows: replaced the phrase “per capita” with
“per member basis,” updated qualifications for the
LCIF Steering Committee and revised the exhibit
which outlines forms of recognition.
10. Amended Chapter 16 of the Board Policy
Manual as follows: updated the foundation’s bank
account signatories and updated mileage
reimbursement rates.
LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE
1. Rescinded Resolution 3 from the Leadership
Committee report from April 2012. Established a
new policy that will begin in 2012–2013, whereby
only those DGEs who complete the required training
components will be eligible to receive the DGE meal
per diem related to their DGE Seminar attendance.
2. Rescinded Resolution 4 from the Leadership
Committee report from April 2012 related to the
GMT and GLT appointments at the International
level (Constitutional Area Leaders, Area Leader and
Special Area Advisors).
3. Adjusted board policy related to the DGE Seminar
group leader hotel and meal expense
reimbursement from 11 to 10 days.
4. Made housekeeping revisions to the Board Policy
Manual, Chapter XIV related to ongoing leadership
programs.
5. Revised the Board Policy Manual to accurately
reflect the application submission for Regional Lions
Leadership Institutes.
LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE
1. Approved updated charter for the Centennial
Planning Committee, which will take effect at the
beginning of the 2012-2013 year.
MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
1. Determined that the GMT/GLT Rules of Audit be
amended to reflect changes made to the automobile
mileage allowance of US$.41 per mile (US $.25 per
kilometer) and air fare approvals for international
travel fares under US$1,000.
2. Determined that the Regional Rules of Audit for
Extension representatives and CEEI be amended to
reflect changes made to the automobile mileage
allowance of US$.41 per mile (US$.25 per
kilometer) and a new meal allowance limitation of
$25 per meal.
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE
1. Restructured the Public Relations Division by
splitting the Public Relations Department into
Audiovisual & Events, Corporate Communications,
and Online Communications.
2. Determined that the Service Activities Leo of the
Year Award recipients will automatically qualify for
the presidential Leo of the Year Award.
SERVICE ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE
1. Named the 2011-2012 Leo of the Year Award
recipients.
2. Changed the Leo of the Year Award application
deadline to April 1 of each fiscal year.
For more information on any of the above
resolutions, please refer to the LCI website at
www.lionsclubs.org or contact the International
Office at 630-571-5466.
Lion

THE EYE-PHONE – miracle for the blind
Think you like your iPhone? The blind love it for its life-changing qualities
By Anne Ford
What’s not to like about the iPhone? It lights
up, makes nifty noises, takes pictures and
even plays music. But when you get right
down to it, all anyone really needs is a plain
ol’ cell phone that makes calls, right?
Not if you’re blind or visually impaired. For them,
the iPhone represents much more than just a shiny
indulgence. It’s a currency identifier. A book reader.
A street navigator. A colour identifier. In other words,
it’s the closest thing technologically possible to a
set of working eyes.
Sound like an exaggeration? Listen to the people
who know firsthand.
“Since I got my iPhone, I’m half as blind as I
used to be,” says Tom Babinszki, the blind director
of the Forsythe Centre for Entrepreneurship at the
Hadley School for the Blind in Winnetka, USA.
“Last Wednesday, my life changed forever. I got
an iPhone,” reads an entry from the online journal
of Austin Seraphin, a blogger who has almost no
vision. “In my more excitable moments, I consider
Tom Babinszki of the Hadley School for the Blind in
Winnetka, Illinois, says his iPhone is an antidote to
blindness.
the iPhone as the greatest thing to have ever
happened to the blind.”
“It’s unbelievable,” says Gregg Pusateri,
executive assistant to the executive director of the
Spectrios Institute for Low Vision in the U.S., who
lost much of his vision to a retinal degenerative
disease as an adult.
So what makes this particular piece of
technology such a life-changer? The answer lies
largely in a feature called VoiceOver, which comes
pre-installed on every iPhone at no additional
charge.
VoiceOver is a screen reader, a function that
reads the contents of the screen aloud when the
user touches it. When it’s activated, the user hears
what’s displayed on the iPhone’s screen – texts,
email, applications, battery level, time of day,
wireless signal strength – simply by tapping,
double-tapping, dragging or flicking it.
In other words, a blind iPhone user interacts with
the device the same way a sighted user does: by
touching the screen. That’s a revolutionary concept.
As recently as 2008, a visually impaired Lion said,
“Touch screens are a blind person’s worst enemy.”
No longer, at least, not where Apple is concerned.
To be clear, the iPhone is not the only
smartphone on the market with a screen reader. But
unlike VoiceOver, the screen readers available on
other phone operating systems are often sold as
add-ons (requiring users to shell out additional
money, in some cases considerable amounts of it).
Experts say they aren’t as reliable or as easy to
learn as VoiceOver, and not all of them allow visually
impaired users to access the internet or use email.
“If you want a smartphone, you want an iPhone,”
David Flament, manager of adaptive technology
services at Chicago’s Guild for the Blind, tells his
clients. He adds: “It is orders of magnitude better
(than other smartphones on the market).”
Strangely, it’s not clear that charities,
departments of rehabilitation and other
organisations that donate accessibility devices to
the visually impaired are fully aware yet of the
iPhone’s unprecedented powers. “Even the
professionals who serve the blind are on a learning
curve,” says Tom Perski, senior vice president for
rehabilitation services at the Chicago Lighthouse.
“They have some catching up to do as to the
specific things an iPhone can do.”
That's a shame, given how practical and costeffective
the iPhone is, particularly in its ability to
provide a multitude of functions in a single device. “It
replaces so much other technology,” Seraphin says.
For example, since different denominations of
paper currency are not distinguished by size in
many countries, blind people have historically had to
ask a sighted person for help in keeping track of
their money. Now an iPhone application called the
LookTel Money Reader, can identify a piece of paper
currency placed under it. The application speaks the
denomination.
And then there’s Colour Identifier, a cheap
application that allows users to determine the
colour of an object by taking a photo of it.
HAVE YOU CHANGED
YOUR ADDRESS?
If you have changed your address, could
you please contact your Cabinet Secretary
to ensure that your new details are
updated.
Getting
started
VoiceOver is built in. There’s nothing extra to
purchase or install. All you need is the latest version
of iTunes and a Mac or PC. You activate your iPhone
and enable VoiceOver without sighted assistance
using Setup Assistant. Sighted users can also
enable VoiceOver directly on iPhone using the
Accessibility menu in the Settings application.
With VoiceOver enabled, you’ll use a different but
simple set of gestures to control iPhone. For
example, instead of tapping to activate a button, tap
the button to hear a description of it, double-tap to
activate it, and swipe up or down to adjust a slider.
Fancy a stay in the UK
hosted by local Lions
District 105EA in East Anglia in England
offers that via Operation Friendship.
The offer is for a Lion and his/her partner to
spend two-three weeks as a guest of the
District with all accommodation and local travel
provided by Lions there.
The Australian Lion will be required to meet
the cost of travel to and from their home to
District 105ea.
The visiting Lion will stay with local Lions
families and attend their District Convention.
To apply, initially contact IRO Len Russell,
District 105EA at len.russell@btinternet.com or
lenandpat@havmail.co.uk.
This is a wonderful program, an opportunity
to meet and make new friends with Lions in
another country.

YOUTH OF THE YEAR
What’s it all about?
Youth of the Year is all about giving our young people a great
opportunity as they prepare to launch themselves into the exciting
world of adulthood.
It’s giving them the experience of what they can expect when they
apply for a job, a university position, or any direction they choose for their
life, where they will be dealing with adults and, to them, the unexpected.
Did you know there are still many Lions clubs that do not participate in
the Youth of the Year?
Imagine the number of students who could enter if another 40% of
clubs participated.
These are the statistics for 2011/2012.
Contestants Clubs involved Audience
Male Female TOTAL Entered In District % Entered
639 1066 1705 497 1290 39% 24544
It is not hard to do – there are many young people in your community
who would jump at the opportunity to participate – if your Lions club gave
them the opportunity.
Do you know we can run a region final on video conferencing with the
judges in another location. Most schools have this facility and are willing
to use it so their students can enter. Talk to your District Chairmen or State
Coordinator about the concept – ask the students at your local school to
explain to you how it works.
Did you know that Youth of the Year began in 1964 in Queensland?
Within two years it was a Multiple District project and has gone from
strength to strength since then. Many past participants have gone on to
achieve great things and they attribute some of their early success directly
back to the experience they gained through Youth of the Year.
Our sponsor, the National Australia Bank, has contributed over
$800,000 during the last 14 years and is here again this year. It has
reduced its contribution from $60,000 to $20,000 but still provides over
400 judges each year from its own staff, provides facilities for some of our
judging levels, and invites the six State Winners to afternoon tea at its
head office in each state to talk about their ambitions.
So what is your club doing about Youth of the Year? It is a great way to
bring young people into contact with Lions. It has even been known to
lead to the parents of the young people joining the Lions. If we have
24,544 people listening to these wonderful contestants talking about their
dreams and ideals, surely 1% (250) of them may be interested in talking
to a lions membership chairman about what else Lions are involved in.
At last year’s convention in Perth, I invited the parents of the six state
finalists to visit our stand and then took them around all the other
programs that had displays. They were amazed at what we had achieved,
and had no idea this is what Lions did. How is it possible that six
contestants have travelled through Lions Youth of the Year and not learnt
about what we do.
Last year during the 35-day trip that each State Winner receives, we
tried to include a Lions project – the contestants were amazed. This year’s
tour will include a visit to a Lions project in each state with at least one
day dedicated to understanding Lions.
Do you want to know more about this exciting Lions project? Call your
District Youth of the Year Chairman or visit on the web at
http://www.lionsclubs.org.au/yoty.
So, get involved! Every young person who enters the Youth of the Year
is a winner, but this won’t happen without the support of Lions clubs –
especially your Lions club.
Lions Youth of the Year: You just cannot lose
Bryan Coggle, Chairperson
30
LEOS ROAR
Our International Leo of the Year
Congratulations to our 2012 MD201 Leo of the Year, Ellen Watts
from Hornsby Leo Club in N5 on being awarded the International
Leo of the Year Award by the LCI Board of Directors.
Leo Ellen is the seventh Australian in the past eight years to win this
prestigious award and has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills, high
ethical standards and personal integrity.
Leo Ellen receives an International Leo of the Year medal and certificate
signed by our International President.
Ellen is a fine ambassador for Australia and during the 2012-13 Lions
year will be promoting the Leo program to clubs and districts throughout
Australia.
Congratulations also to the Leo Club of Norf’k Ailen in N5 and Leo Club
of Bingara in N1 which received their charters in August and September,
respectively.
Lions clubs sponsor more than 6,000 Leo clubs in over 140 countries,
with over 112 clubs in MD201 and over 20 in the planning stages.
Throughout August we celebrated Lions Clubs International’s Global
Action Campaign
for Youth, with
Leos across
Australia
participating in
projects that
benefit those less
fortunate than
ourselves.
These included
Relay for Life and
Tasmanian Leos take part in the Relay for Life.
a Sleepout for
Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off the Streets.
Also, at the beginning of 2012-13 our Multiple District created a first
with Leo Ellen Watts from NSW and Leo Nic van Essen from Tasmania
being appointed to work with the MD201 Management Committee to
provide a youth perspective and look at ways of encouraging more young
people to join our great association.
This year your MD201 Leo committee will be looking at more initiatives
to not only grow the Leo Program in Australia but to encourage more Leos
to become Lions through the Leo to Lion Program!
With an ageing membership, we must ensure the future of Lions by
encourageing more young people to join our Lions Family as Leos, to
develop into the leaders of tomorrow.
If your club is considering sponsoring a Leo club, stop considering – do
it!
Further details on the International and MD201 Leo Program are
available on the Leo website at www.lionsclubs.org.au
For our organisation to grow, we must see Leos as future Lions and
encourage them to join after their Leos service is over!
Say G’day to a Leo Today.
"Youth are our Future - but they are also our Today."
Martin Peebles, MD201 Leo & Youth
Outreach Committee Chairperson
Lion

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