CNM1 – Concerning the deletion of Clauses 45.10 to 45.10.4 of the Multiple District Constitution and creating of additional clauses was CARRIED.

These changes simply reflected the change from our existing Membership and Leadership Teams to the new Global Membership and Global Leadership Teams.

CNM2 – Concerning the substituting of the term ‘Managers’, in the Constitution for the new term ‘National Coordinators’ was CARRIED.

These changes reflected the new Organisational Plan adopted by the Council.

CNM3 – Concerning the deletion of the Reference to ‘East Timor’ in the Constitution was CARRIED.

This amendment was a necessary administrative action to reflect the change in status from East Timor from a member of Multiple District 201, to an ‘undistricted’ entity within Lions Clubs International.  Delegates raised the continuing close connection between clubs in Australia and East Timor and indicated a willingness to continue to support Lions in Timor Leste, in the same was that we support Lions Clubs around the world.

CNM4 – Regarding the new provision for clubs to support our Youth of the Year Quest with an annual levy of Activities Account funding was CARRIED.

This decision was well-supported by the delegates and reflected the importance of continuing one of our flagship youth programs, while we search for a new sponsor for the program.

CNM5 – Concerning a provision for a ballot to be held determining the order that projects motions might be discussed, where the number of Category A or B projects being considered at a Convention exceeding the constitutionally allowed maximum might be exceeded was CARRIED

This procedural matter ensures that project motions can be fairly managed at a future Convention, in these circumstances.

NM6 – Concerning the continuation of the “Lions Cord Blood Foundation Incorporated Trust” as a Category “B” Project until the 30th June 2014 was CARRIED.

NM7 – Concerning the continuation of the term of the Project “Lions Spinal Cord Fellowship Project” as a Category “B” Project until the 30^th June 2014 was CARRIED

NM8 – Concerning the continuation of the term of the Project “The Australian Lions Children’s Mobility Foundation” as a Category “A” Project until the 30^th June 2014 was CARRIED.

NM9 - Concerning the continuation of the term of the Project “Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP – Australia)” as a Category “B” Project until the 30^th June 2014 was CARRIED.

NM10 – Concerning the continuation of the term of the Project “Lions Australia Operation Smile Project” as a Category “B” Project until the 30^th June 2014 was CARRIED.

NM11 – Concerning the continuation of the term of the Project “Prostate Cancer Awareness Project” as a Category “A” Project until the 30^th June 2014 was CARRIED.

NM12 – Concerning the continuation of the term of the Project “Pre-School Autism Spectrum Disorders Education and Therapy Project “as a Category “B” Project until the 30^th June 2014 was CARRIED.

NM13 – Concerning the distribution of Lion Fudge as part of the Lion Mint Australia Project was CARRIED.

Delegates actively debated the merits of the new product before voting in favour of its inclusion in our well-known program.

NM14 – Concerning the transfer of management of the Australian Lions Diabetes Education “Hypo-drive” Project to the Lions Club of Logan West was CARRIED.

Delegates discussed the rationale for the transfer of the project before endorsing the change.

NM15 - Concerning the request that Lions Club International review the capped travel allowance to partners of District Governors-elect attending the International Convention was CARRIED.

NM16 – Concerning the proposal to establish a ‘Principal Focus’ for Lions Australia was LAID ON THE TABLE until the 2013 National Convention in Canberra.

There has been significant effort by Council over the last few years to build a strategic plan for the organisation and this discusses the development of a National Project.  The current Council also resolved to review the management strategy and constitutional provisions around projects in the current year.  Delegates deferred consideration of the motion to enable the completion of this strategic review.

NM17 – Concerning the request to Lions Clubs International to recognise Lioness Members on public occasions was CARRIED.

 For more information about the Lioness Program please go to the Lions Australia website here.

NM18 – Concerning the donation of excess funds from the Lions Prostate Cancer Awareness Project to the Lions Prostate Cancer Research and Treatment Project was CARRIED.

Lions Clubs have generously donated significant funds to the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project to satisfy that program, and delegates supported the transfer of the excess to our successful Research and Treatment Program.

This small rural community enjoys a very relaxed lifestyle friendly, supportive residents and a very strong civic pride.

And now following years of effort, air ambulances can land in Tottenham after a community campaign to upgrade the airstrip.

The project manager, Ben Nicholls, says the town received no state or federal funding to help lengthen and seal the airstrip, install lighting and fencing.

He says after three medical planes refused to land in the town during emergencies, including his own heart attack, more than $170,000 was raised for the work.

“We were actually working hard to try and get answers to what we needed to do to get the planes to land, and then I had my heart attack so I was actually there to witness that they wouldn’t, when the phone call was made to get me airlifted out, that they refused to come again,” he said.

“So we had cause to act and work through the system to achieve what we’ve finally achieved now.”

Mr Nicholls says the completion of the project is a testament to the town’s spirit.

New South Wales Governor Marie Bashir officially unveiled the completed strip on 28 April.

“What needs to be recognised by this is what a small community can do if everyone just gets on the one page.

“The strength of the community is its heart, and our little community has plenty of heart, plenty of ticker, and have done what was needed.

“We didn’t get any state or federal funding, there was no money in the pot for any of this so we just went out and did it and have achieved it.”

Tottenham Lions rallied the community with support for the infrastructure needed such as solar lights, fences and tar for the airstrip so the air ambulance can land at any time.  The Project cost around $130,000 with support coming from the Australian Lions Foundation.  But most has come in cash/kind from the community.  This has been a great effort from a very small community.

WHITE PAGES® AND YELLOW PAGES® CELEBRATES

HELPING HAND JOHN MULLER ON TOWNSVILLE COVER

John Muller OAM, a Mystic Sands resident who played a major role in the Cyclone Yasi recovery, has been selected to appear on the cover of this year’s Townsville White Pages® and Yellow Pages® book, to be distributed throughout Townsville, Mount Isa, Ayr, Charters Towers, Bowen and Ingham from 17 March 2012.

This year’s Covers Program theme, A Helping Hand, The Aussie Way, recognises John for his work as Lions’ Cyclone Yasi response coordinator, and for his lengthy history of community service.

After Cyclone Yasi hit the region in February 2011, John devised the Lions program Feet on the Street to help residents in the area clean up. For two months, John pounded the streets with groups of volunteers, visiting the hardest-hit areas where he helped with rebuilding and recovery.

The former Lions district governor also oversaw the distribution of more than $350,000 in donations from Lions clubs locally and internationally. His commitment to helping others often saw him drive hundreds of kilometres to transport donated caravans to those in need – including his own personal caravan.

John’s dedication to the Townsville community is extensive. He can be credited with establishing the annual Rollingstone Pineapple Festival, restarting the Rollingstone Lions Club after a 10-year hiatus and helping raise $70,000 for a local palliative care centre.

A prostate cancer survivor, John also fundraises for cancer charities and coordinates a Lions program to collect used spectacles that are recalibrated for underprivileged people overseas.

“I am passionate about my community and get a lot of satisfaction from helping others. To be recognised for such work is an honour, and a surprise,” John said.

Each year, Sensis®, the publisher of the White Pages® and Yellow Pages®, recognises the efforts of local people in their communities by celebrating their achievements on the cover of its books.

The theme for this year’s covers, A Helping Hand, The Aussie Way, was inspired by the thousands of Australians who go above and beyond to help someone in need, or their local community when times are tough.

White Pages® Product Manager Sarah Simpson said, “Australians have always banded together in times of need – it’s the Aussie way. No matter what the circumstances are, there’s never any questions asked – we just get in and get the job done.

“In this year’s Covers Program, we’re delighted to recognise and celebrate Aussies who have leant a helping hand when someone has needed it most.”

“John has set a fantastic example and it is fitting that he has been recognised on the cover of the Townsville White Pages® and Yellow Pages®.”

This year’s Townsville White Pages® and Yellow Pages® book will be distributed over the next six weeks in a new compact-size format. The height and width of the book has been reduced by 15 per cent to make it more compact and easier to handle. There is also a number of new design and layout improvements that make it easier to search for local people, business and government information and local businesses. The same comprehensive content is included in the book.

As part of White Pages® and Yellow Pages® accessibility services, magnifying aids are available free of charge for anyone who requires assistance searching the book for White Pages® or Yellow Pages® content. Orders can be placed by ringing 1800 625 944 or by emailing magnifier@sensis.com.au.

I was browsing through our archives of “The Lion”, looking for a particular photograph, and stumbled across these articles about a probing member survey of our organisation – in 1973! I remember 1973 as the year my twin brother and I explored the railway land beside our house with our remote-controlled tanks (with wires). While we were enjoying our youth, the magazines captured many now familiar faces of Lions, working hard at community service, as they do today.

Select the links below to read the articles

1973 – March – Lion Magazine

1973 – April – Lion Magazine

Membership is a tricky issue for our organisation, and we have as many differing viewpoints as we have members. If you read these older magazine articles, you will see that feature has not changed over the intervening 38 years!

Much as I am champing at the bit to share my viewpoints about the members’ comments from 1973, I will resist the urge.  Our differing perspectives on what is the right or wrong way to manage our membership, is as much about our values as it is about a rational, evidence-based argument. We each need to come to our own conclusions. As you read the articles, however, you will notice some recurrent themes, and I would be concerned that it leads us to a fatalistic attitude about membership management.

It shouldn’t.

We are a membership organisation. Everything we do, our successes, our failures and our existence is dependent on the people within our organisation. As such, we will always need to invest resources in managing our membership; thinking about the members we want to attract, working out how to find new members, investigating the best ways to retain and  motivate our membership.  This is the reality of the type of organisation we are and we should welcome that debate. Our biggest risk and concern should be when we stop thinking and talking about how to look after our membership.

We actually do know how to grow and build successful clubs.  I once applied for a job, and after a very short interview, I was offered the position.  The person offering me the job said:

“All I wanted to do was to check that you have done the sort of things that you will be doing in this job, in your last job.  All things being equal, if you have done a job successfully in the past, I know you can do it again”

The same holds true for our membership strategies. We have lots of successful clubs that continue to do well, and we have some Districts and individual Lions who have demonstrated extraordinary success in growing new clubs.  What we need to do is to share these experiences, hear from these Lions and do what they are doing.  The benefit of looking at the 1973 magazine for me, is it shows those Lions reflecting the same issues and concerns as we now do; not enough time, too expensive to be a members, too many fork and knife Lions, not enough community service…yet they managed to grow the organisation from 1973 and achieve great successes.

We can too.

The comments of the members in 1973, like our members today, reflect that we need to continually assess how we operate and manage our organisation at a club, district and national level. We still have much to offer, but we need to make sure we are relevant to our modern, Australian community.

The cover in March 1973 is of the Sydney Opera House in the final stages of construction.  I remember my parents took our family to the opening, and we watched Rolf Harris play his grand piano, perched on the top of the largest sail.  I remember too, the constant debates about what a ”white elephant’ it was likely to be.  Yet now the Sydney Opera House and its neighbour, the ‘Coat hanger’ are global and universal symbols for Australia.

Lions clubs remain a strong and contemporary symbol for the best qualities in humanitarian endeavour. When I look at the great stories that flash by every day on our Lions Facebook page, I don’t doubt our continued prospects for success and achievement.

From Rob Oerlemans Executive Officer

I had the great pleasure on 22nd of February 2012 week to attend the launch of the Compass Community Housing Services “Grow a Star” program.

This program is all about helping children in community housing in the Hunter Region to have taste of success. It’s about providing mentors and support to access opportunities in sports, academic activities and music. For more information about this terrific program, you can browse to their website at www.growastar.com.au

The evening was memorable for a few reasons. Firstly we heard an inspirational address from ABC Broadcaster Craig Hamilton, who wrote Broken Open, dealing with his challenge to overcome bi-polar disorder. He spoke frankly and honestly of coming to grips with this illness, the impact on his career and family, and how he overcame it. It reminded me of our recent survey of Lions Clubs who ranked “Mental illness” as one of the top three issues we should be dealing with in the future.

Secondly, it would be a rare function indeed when I didn’t get to meet someone who has been helped by our Association. In this case I was seated with representatives of the Hunter Medical Research Institute who spoke glowingly about the support of local lions over many years for the important research being conducted. The message I recieved was about how important it is to sponsor early investigations and research that will enable the Institute to attract significant Federal research grants in the long term.

I also had the opportunity to speak with a number of younger business people, who are less familiar with the work of our Association, and hopefully open a few eyes and hearts to contributing in the long term.

Finally, however, the highlight of the evening were the games! We all know of those evening functions where you are stuck at a table, listening to speeches, eating too much food, and only meeting the two people either side? This wasn’t one of those occasions!

Instead we soon left the table for Twister, bowling, shooting baskets, kicking soccer balls…and the list went on. This was a great idea from the organisers and mirrored the goals of “Grow a star”. The program is all about building confidence, participation, leadership and ambition – and having a whole lot of fun. (As the leader of “Team Harragon” it was nice to take out line honours for the evening as well.)

Thank you so much to Compass Housing and Westpac Bank who hosted me for the evening.

A new audio program may help Club PR officers get positive PR in 2012.

Drawing on his Lions and other volunteer experiences  Bob has designed the series for organisations with small budgets but big marketing ambitions.

Bob is releasing one, 10 minute long episode each week between now and March through:

• The ITunes Store (search Not for Profit PR.)
• Pod bean http://notforprofitpr.podbean.com/
• Traffic on Maine blog at http://mainestreet1.blogspot.com/

The first four episodes, already out, will strike a note with many Club PR officers.  They cover why PR is critical for not for profits, communications fundamentals, working with local media and a how to guide for social media.  Future episodes feature topics such as word of mouth marketing, planning events, budgets, timetables and who should be on your PR team.

Bob belongs to the Lions Club of Kambah in the ACT and has been a marketing professional for over 20 years.  He has worked with some of Australia’s leading brands and since 2003 has run free PR workshops for 300 community organisations including presenting to Lions at national, district and club levels.

Jenny is one of 40 national ambassadors who have been recognised for their outstanding work in building strong and cohesive local communities. These local champions have been independently selected as the new People of Australia ambassadors following public nominations.

In 1981 Jenny Siv Phan Tew moved to Australia with her mother and two siblings and in two months secured a job as a healthcare interpreter.  She was 26 years old.

The decision to come to Australia was made following her father’s death in Cambodia.  Fortunately he had encouraged her to learn English and to embrace the best education he could provide.

Life was very different, she said.” I came here in September and it was cold compared to Cambodia and the sky was cloudy. I somehow felt sad and lonely and I had no friends at the time.

Jenny worked hard to change that by establishing two successful businesses and becoming an integral member of the Western Sydney multicultural community, helped by her fluency in six languages.

In 2006 Jenny was appointed to the role of President of the Cabramatta/Cabra-Vale Lions Club and in her time as President has hosted numerous charitable initiatives and fundraising events and has organised and formed two Leo Clubs for whom she has remained an advisor and mentor.

Through her work, personal passion and ongoing commitment and support in promoting cultural diversity within Western Sydney and beyond, Jenny has been successful in integrating a harmonious enterprising and friendly atmosphere in the local community.

The Government’s multicultural policy, The People of Australia, recognises the breadth of our diversity and builds on our strong commitment to Multiculturalism in Australia.

As a new ‘People of Australia’ Ambassador Jenny and the other ambassadors now have a new platform to promote their good work and share their ideas and initiatives that can help inspire others.    They will also be able to provide advice to government and the Australian Multicultural Council which will assist and strengthen the government’s multicultural policy.

The 2012 ambassadors’ term commenced on January 18 and ends on 30 December 2012.

This year Bill mentions the address by his father, Mr Bill Gates Snr, to the Lions International Convention in Seattle, and compliments Lions Clubs International on its work.

“My father, William Gates, co-chair along with Melinda and me, continues to provide inspiration and guidance for a lot of our work. In June, he gave a speech to 10,000 Lions Club members who gathered in Seattle for their annual convention. The streets were closed for their parade, and then my dad spoke about the Lions’ impressive work fighting measles. Ten years ago, 2,000 people died from measles every day. Now, that number is down to 500. My father, who has always encouraged me, loved encouraging an arena full of people to keep saving children’s lives.”

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty.  (Source here)

Lions Clubs International is partnering with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support a Lions-Measles pilot program in four African countries. The Foundation is providing $400,000 and LCIF is providing an additional US$300,000 and Lions are managing and implementing the projects. In supporting the pilot program, Lions join the Measles Initiative, a worldwide effort. The partnership helped vaccinate 41 million children.

For the full letter, please select this link here. Link to Bill Gates Annual letter.

As part of the Charter Night for Lions Club of Sydney Selective Inc. they are holding a very special event in order to welcome Dr Wing-Kun Tam, International President of Lions Club International and Barry Palmer AM, International Second Vice President to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

This is a great chance to meet and greet the first ever Chinese International President of Lions Club and the first ever Australian President of International Lions for 2014.  It would be appreciated if your club could come and support of this event.

If you are interested in attending you can reply to our District Governor Steve Coleman and Organising Committee Lion Pearl Lin, Lion Patrick Chok and Lion Jonathan Yee.

Thank you for your great and continuous support in advance and look forward to seeing you there on 8th Feb 2012 at NSW Parliament.

StepAhead Australia Limited*  -   Conference Summary 2011

(*Lions Australia partnership)

From Lions PR – Diane Michael

StepAhead Australia’s Annual Scientific Conference was held at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne on 30 November and 1 December 2011.

As their marquee event for the year, it proved to be an outstanding meeting gathering together a world-class faculty of researchers who are at the cutting edge of research with speakers from North America, Argentina, Italy, Thailand, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

As in other years the theme of the conference was on treating and repairing the chronic injured spinal cord.

From their  official report:
‘Behind this theme is reflected our understanding of spinal cord injury and where the biomedical research community sits in regards to its knowledge of what occurs following damage to the cord. Remarkable advances have been made in the last decade towards our understanding of the structural, biomedical and genetic changes that occur after injury to the mature brain and spinal cord. This now puts us in the envious position to intervene to improve outcomes and develop meaningful treatments and even eventually cures. We now feel that we are able to approach this complex problem in the same manner in which an engineer approaches an engineering problem. The tools and knowledge have accumulated to the point where we now have the means to design and apply approaches that will allow us to re-engineer the damage spinal cord.’

FACTS & FIGURES

Spinal cord injury affects approximately 20,000 Australians, with approximately 300 new cases each year (2008: 137 paraplegic and 136 quadriplegic new patients).  Spinal cord injury patients suffer loss of motor function (movements of arms and legs), loss of autonomic function (control of bladder, bowel and sexual function) and secondary problems such as chronic ulcers and infections.

The mean age of injury is 19 years with five out of six being male patients.   The psychological cost to the patient is often devastating and the incidence of suicide amongst SCI patient is five times higher than the general population.

The cost to the patient’s family is often overwhelming and the rate of marital break-up is reportedly up to 50%, significantly higher than that of the normal population.

The cost to society is profound.  In Australia, (2008) health care costs for SCI is approximately $2 billion or 2% of total healthcare expenditure. These costs are borne by State Government (44%), individuals (40.5%) and Federal Government (10.6%).  Lifetime costs are $5 million per case of paraplegia and $9.5 million per case of quadriplegia.

Despite this desolate situation, the application of funds to find a cure for spinal cord injury is minimal.  Australian Government grants for SCI research (total NHMRC research funding 2000-2008) represents 0.7% of the total research budget whereas, research on all cancers, which account for 5.8% of health care budget is funded to a level of 22.5% of the total federal research budget.  That is, on a pro-rata basis to total health care costs, research funding for SCI is one tenth of that spent on cancer research. Funding of research into SCI by major pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies is also minimal.

A consequence of this deplorable situation is that patients suffering from chronic SCI have become the prey of stem cell tourism.

After the Conference some of the attendees spent time at the beautiful farmhouse of StepAhead founders George and Barbara Owen where they formalised the creation of new collaborations and friendships that will stimulate and jump-start new avenues of research directed towards repairing the chronic injury spinal cord (photo above).

“Today we need dogged researchers who will prove the value of new therapies in spinal cord injury. Thanks to their efforts today, our grandchildren will look back and be aghast that there was once a time when a spinally-injured person was told that medicine had nothing to offer them,” Dr.George Owen.



*Lions Clubs of Australia

Dr George Owen the founder of StepAhead, approached a Lions Club in 1999 looking for a donation to help the fledgling Spinal Cord Society of Australia Inc. in its search for a cure. This Club was so moved that it not only donated to the cause, it took the story to a larger audience. Within 12 months Lions had created the Lions Australia Spinal Cord Fellowship as a National project of Lion, giving all 1400 Lions Clubs across Australia the opportunity to raise funds for research into spinal cord repair.

Lions Clubs individually conduct many and varied activities in an effort to raise funds for this project including. Sausage sizzles, Trash & Treasure sales and Fun Runs.  These events along with the national recycling effort involving the collection of aluminium can ring pulls are just some of the ways the Lions Clubs of Australia raise more than $100,000 per year in support of StepAhead.

NB:  Over the last five years, StepAhead has also successfully raised  additional funds in Australia and forged a network that includes some of the world’s leading spinal cord researchers and clinicians. It is recognised by the Federal Government as the peak body responsible for coordinating research into chronic spinal cord injury.

Lions Australia Spinal Cord Fellowship

Lions Australia

StepAhead Australia