Page 2894 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 17 September 2014
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Businessman, Melvin Jones, began Lions Clubs International in Chicago in 1917 as a community service mission. Helping the blind and visually impaired became a special mission after an address to the 1925 Lions Clubs International Convention by Helen Keller. Today Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organisation with over 1.35 million members around the world.
The first club here was the Canberra City Lions Club formed in 1958, a year after the Queanbeyan Lions Club. Now there are nine Lions clubs across Canberra and Queanbeyan, with the Gungahlin Club, in 2003, the most recent, joining Brindabella, Canberra Valley, Kambah, Lake Tuggeranong, Woden and Belconnen.
The Belconnen Lions Club was formed in 1970, the 672nd Lions club in Australia. Back then it met at Western Districts Rugby Club but now meets at Belconnen Soccer Club, Hawker. An estimate is that the Belconnen Lions Club has raised and donated over half a million dollars to causes, but that is besides the value of members’ time and the benefit of their community service.
Just some of the club’s activities include supporting the recent ANU Science Week,
the Hall markets fundraising for Hartley Lifecare, youth programs including the youth haven Westwood lodge and the youth exchange, sail training for youth, the vocational exchange for the handicapped, organising Christmas parties in conjunction with the Down Syndrome Association and Pegasus, helping the hearing dogs program, the sharing the vision campaign including the recycling of spectacles, supporting the save sight and public health care foundations, supporting the Lions’ peace poster competition, running the breakfasts at the balloon festival, helping with the Canberra Times fun run, supporting the Belconnen Mall Christmas parade and the ADFA oratory competition. However, there are many more activities of the Belconnen and Canberra Lions clubs that enrich the lives of Canberrans and benefit people around the world through Lions Clubs International programs. Think of that great work next time you see the Lions badge and say thanks.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
The Assembly adjourned at 7.11 pm.
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