Lions International News

Don't Hide Your Light Under a Bushel
Mahendra Amarasuriya, President, Lions Clubs International

We Lions don't serve others so we can gain applause or admiration. We serve because our hearts compel us to help others. But we need to recognize those Lions among us who excel at what they do. Why? Those we honor lead by example. Yes, they deserve awards and honors but their brilliance casts a light over the rest of us and helps motivate us to do more and to do what we do better. One award may spark a renewed passion for service among hun�dreds of Lions.

This year I have established the International Challenge to Change Awards to recognize outstanding Lions, club presidents, district governors, Leos and Leo clubs. We also will honor the best public relations programs, district member�ship growth, new projects, continuing projects, SightFirst program and more. What criteria will the awards be based on? Among the factors are member�ship growth, club extension, innovation, membership participation, public par�ticipation, public relations success, community impact, promoting Challenge to Change (my presidential theme) and participation in district, multiple district and international events.

The deadline for nominations is March 15. Three finalists for each category will be selected and notified before the winners are named at the international convention in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 26. Depending on the category, nominees must be nominated by district governors, council chairper�sons/international directors, or club presidents. Nomination forms (containing complete instructions) can be downloaded from the Web site of Lions Clubs International. Winners need not be present; international direc�tors will accept awards on behalf of winners from their constitutional (geo�graphic) area.

I know that Lions are enthusiastic about their service. How can you not feel good about helping others? But please also get enthused about these awards and submit your nominations. Don't do it for yourself. Do it to inspire other Lions to reach higher and bring their service to new, remarkable levels. We learn from each other and follow the path of those with ingenuity and extra dedication. Here is your golden opportunity to have your service project, vision or passion affect Lions and members of the public from far outside your own community. (2/22)

Promoting LCIF: Everyone's Job
Jimmy Ross, Immediate Past President Chairperson, LCIF Executive Committee

In July, LCIF was named the number one non-governmental organization (NGO) worldwide, recognizing what we Lions already know: LCIF is making an important impact in people's lives worldwide while also maintaining fiscal responsibility. This recogni�tion must be shared with people who are unaware of our signifi�cant achievements in the areas of sight, disability, youth and health.

To attract additional support for LCIF and other Lions' pro�grams, it is important to promote milestone achievements, such as this top ranking or when we achieve our Campaign SightFirst II goal. To do this, we need your help.

A copy of the NGO ranking press release is online, as is a copy of the advertisement placed in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and papers in Japan, England, Germany and India. Please share this press release or ad with your local media.

The best way to promote this news is within a story about your club. While garnering support for your club's projects, you can also inform the public about the good work of LCIF. This is free publicity that is good for everyone and can attract more donors and Lions clubs members. (2/22)

Quality Members Mean Quality Service
Albert F. Brandel, First International Vice President

Some of the most effective Lions clubs I know are not necessarily the biggest. So quality, not quantity, is really the key to success in service and a harmonious, happy club. Last month I talked about what makes for a quali�ty member, and that is such an impor�tant topic that I want to continue the discussion.

What makes Lions clubs so valu�able is that they fill service gaps in our community. Our work on behalf of the blind has been so noteworthy precise�ly because if Lions weren't there to provide service, no one else would have. But our service doesn't have to be vision-related. Clubs know best where their time and energy are spent.

So quality members understand the needs of their communities and their club is integrated into the community. For lack of a better term, quality mem�bers have street smarts. They are plugged into what's happening in their own town. They know who to call to get things done. They are willing and able to form relationships with not only fellow Lions but also with a wide range of community members. A quali�ty member needs the social skills and graces to network and form alliances.

This is not to say a quality member needs to be extroverted, gregarious or otherwise possess a certain personali�ty. It's more of an ability to relate to others, even if it's in a quiet way. Lions who can empathize with others can better serve others. (2/22)

Kindness to Others Defines Whio We Are
Eberhard J. Wirfs, Second International Vice President

"Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound togeth�er," the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said. We Lions know that. We call what we do service. But it's one act of kindness after another that defines what Lions are all about.

I know a few years ago that there was kind of an informal movement advocating "random acts of kindness." There was a flur�ry of newspaper and television sto�ries about people who were kind to strangers. Well, not to sound too proud about this, but Lions have been performing acts of kindness for more than 90 years. It's our stock in trade, so to speak.

We Lions know this. But I think we don't fully appreciate the value of our own clubs, Lions Clubs International and Lions Clubs International Foundation. Our kind�ness is not random. It's planned. It's organized. It encompasses many people and resources and hence it can address deep-seated problems and reach multitudes of people.

We have a great thing going here. Who doesn't want to change the world for the better? By being a Lion and joining with other like-minded people we maximize our kindness. Let's fully appreciate our membership. And let's invite others to join to extend the reach and depth of our kindness. (2/22)

Campaign SightFirst II Update

ID Joe Gaffigan

WE, the Lions, Lionesses and Leos of MD22 should be very proud. So far we, together have raised over $600,000 for Campaign SightFirst II. Do you know what that means? That means that you have helped save or restore sight to 100,000 people. Think about that. That is power. That is impact.

What people you say? Our family members. Our neighbors. Anyone who is blind and needs rehabilitation. Anyone with glaucoma. Macular Degeneration. Diabetic Retinopathy. Refractive error. Kids who need their eyes checked. There are so many who need us. So many. Much too many for any one club to handle even within it's own area. But together, joining hands with all our fellow members and clubs world wide, we will defeat these enemies of sight wherever they are: halfway around the world, and right next door.

My goal is for us here in MD22 to be able to say we saved or restored sight to 170,000 people by the time we are done. We can do that. I see and feel your power. Your compassion. Please, contact your CSFII District Coordinator or Group Coordinator. If you do not know who that is, e-mail me, or call me: 240-460-9328.

Let's make MD22 an unwelcome place for the enemies of sight.

Start Planning to Recycle For Sight

What would you pay for good vision with a new pair of glasses? A day's wages? A week's? For many people in developing countries, one month's wages will barely cover an eye exam�assuming they can even secure an appointment. Lions have recognized the urgent need for corrective lenses and continue to fight the problem with the Recycle For Sight program.

Recycling a pair of eyeglasses costs as little as 8 cents, and with nearly 37 percent of all clubs participating and almost 30 million glasses collected last year alone, eyeglass recycling is one of Lions' clubs most popular activities. Officially adopted by the association in 1994, the collection and donation of used eyeglasses enables many in developing countries to see well for the first time. Costs for an eye exam and new glasses are often prohibitive and the scarcity of qualified eye doctors is another barrier.

The need is still present. As many as 90 percent of adults need glasses by age 40 in order to read. According to the World Health Organization, the vision of one in four people could be improved with a pair of corrective eyeglasses. That equates to 500 million people who could easily have improved vision.

Starting an eyeglass collection program can be easy. Use Recycle For Sight Month in May as motivation to begin your club's program�doing so helps fight correctable vision loss and makes your club visible within the community.

Many businesses will allow donation boxes or permit club members to hold donation drives at their entrances. Schools, libraries and places of worship are also excellent donation box locations. Optometrists or ophthalmologists are also likely to assist your recycling efforts by placing collection boxes in their offices.

Don't forget to inform the community. Visit the Resources section of the Lions Clubs International (LCI) Web site to download a copy of the "Lions Recycle for Sight Activity Guide" and ready-to-use press release mate�rials, which can be sent to local newspapers, radio sta�tions and television stations. Public Relations also offers free radio public service announcements.

Clubs across the world have taken dynamic approaches to recognizing Recycle For Sight since the association officially adopted the program in 1994. Here are just a few:

In California, Rockland Lions attribute the club's ability to collect 11,725 pairs of eyeglasses in under nine months to the inspiration of sightless club member Alien Richard, who continually collects eyeglasses outside of the Rockland community.

Lions from Multiple District 13 in New Jersey received a proclamation from Governor Jon S. Corzine declaring May 2006 "New Jersey Lions Eyeglass Recycling Month."

East Baton Rouge Lions Club members took a page from the fast-food playbook by creating a drive-up eyeglass depository. The club collected more than 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses last year.

Mesquite Virgin Valley Lions collected 4,200 pairs of used eyeglasses and gave them to the Las Vegas Blind Center for worldwide distribution as part of the Nevada club's recycling efforts.

The "Lions Recycle For Sight Activity Guide" (PR-782) can be downloaded from the Resources/Publications/Vision section of www.lionsclubs.org or ordered by calling (630)571-5466, ext. 358. Be sure to complete the collection total form and send to headquarters.

Club Supplies has collection boxes, box stickers, ban�ners and the video "New Glassses, New Life" (PR-28V) available for purchase through the Club Supplies catalog or Web site.

Recycle at Convention�bring your recyclable eyeglasses to the International Convention in Chicago to participate in the attempt at the world's largest eyeglass recycling effort.