Dear Fellow Lions, Lionesses and Leos

From the DG’s Desk

Dear Fellow Lions, Lionesses and Leos,

How true the saying – ‘Time flies while one is enjoying one’s self’. I am amazed and find it difficult to believe that it is almost a year since I took up the role of District Governor for 105NE. Both Lion Muriel and I are grateful to everyone for the friendship and cooperation that we have had over the months and hope that you will extend the same to DGE Roy Chambers and Janet when he takes up office in July.

At the beginning of my year in office, I set us some objectives. These were spelt out in the August issue of Spotlight and so I am taking this opportunity to report our progress.

• Membership – At the last count, we have increased our numbers but have lost as much as we have gained and so have remained static. On the bright side, we have 33 clubs out of 48 with lady members. Of these 15 are in the English sector and 18 in Scotland. The lady members now make up 10% of our membership in England and 23% in Scotland. This gives an average of 15% of the total membership in the District.
  
• The Leo Clubs in Aberdeen were thriving when I made a visit in March and I was delighted to witness their enthusiasm. Since then the older group has folded. To make sure that the younger group continue to thrive, every effort is being made to establish a Branch Club in the new Lions year to ensure that the Leos needs are met. I wish them well.

• Youth – we have maintained the high standard in the Peace Poster Competition, the Young Ambassador and Youth Football. My congratulations to our youth and all those officers who continue to guide them.
  
• Sight First, CSFII, LEHP are progressing well and so are the other Lions projects.

Will Club Treasurers please protect their club’s active status by paying all bills in a timely manner. Effective July 1, 2007, clubs with past due balances beyond 150 days, equal to as little as one per-capita, could cause the club to be placed on automatic suspension and automatic cancellation within 90 days. If there are any questions about your clubs payment status please contact Lions Clubs International at or Please do not leave it to the DG to contact you about non payment on time.

The highlight of any District Governor’s year of office is usually the District Convention. As I couldn’t attend ours, I made the most of the MD Convention in Torquay where I had the privilege of having a photograph taken with the International President, Lion Jimmy Ross who in his usual manner filled us with enthusiasm and high hopes for the future of our organisation.

Finally, let me leave you with the following words – ‘Ask not what your organisation, your District or your Club can do for you but what you can do with fellow members of your Club, District, and organisation in the SERVICE of humanity and those less fortunate than yourself. You are called to ‘SERVE’ and we can do this better ‘TOGETHER’. The future of our organisation is in yours and my hands and let us have FUN while we SERVE.’

Wishing you ALL a happy end of term

DG Lion Abayomi Sobo

National Glaucoma Awareness Week 11-17 June 2007

Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the UK today.

It is a silent condition gradually causing loss of sight and can be present for many years before the sufferer is aware of it. Glaucoma is caused by raised pressure in the eye, which then damages the nerve taking images to the brain. Because your brain initially compensates for the lost images, up to 20% of your vision may be lost before you become aware of the condition.

Some people are more at risk of developing glaucoma, these are:

People over the age of 40yrs

People who have a close relative with glaucoma

People who are of African Caribbean origin

People who are short sighted

People who have diabetes

If you are in a risk group then you should have regular, two yearly eye tests with your local optician. Ask them for the three tests that can help early diagnosis of glaucoma. The effects of glaucoma are not reversible but it is treatable, early diagnosis can help protect sight. Please spread this message amongst your family, friends and work colleagues.

Sight loss is preventable - it’s your choice.

Awareness posters and leaflets are available on the IGA website. These can be downloaded and printed for notice boards in offices, supermarkets, clubs etc, please help spread awareness, thank you.

We also have superb Lions posters available which would support the LEHP awareness initiative of encouraging eye examinations.

Annandale Lions Club

A recent fundraiser which had the potential to turn to disaster through lack of support was turned into a fantastic FUN night which produced a small profit for charity by the dedication of friends of the Club. One past member travelled over 150 miles to reprise his role as the Club card shark while Dumfries Lions arrived in force. Lion President Sheila and Club members would like to thank Dumfries Club and especially PDG Lion Bill Walker and Lion Jim McCormack (can it be coincidence who won the prize for the most chips at the end of the evening and who was spinning the roulette wheel?) for their help both during this event and over the past few months.

Lion Beki French

Secretary Annandale Lions Club

Message in a Bottle Launched in Redcar

Redcar & Cleveland Primary Care Trust has launched Message in a Bottle with the assistance of Middlesbrough Teesside Lions Club. The launch presentation, led by the Chairman of the Redcar & Cleveland PCT, took place in front of the Mayor of Redcar & Cleveland and over 50 members of local emergency services, carers’ organisations and many of the charities who are involved with vulnerable people in the area.

The PCT obtained some internal funding with the balance of the initial outlay coming from donations from external organisations. The scheme started with 22,000 bottles but with the high levels of interest expressed at the meeting, an additional quantity is a distinct possibility.

Lion Giles Bolitho, the Mayor of Redcar & Cleveland Wendy Hall, DGE Lion Roy Chambers and Val Lambert, Leader of the Redcar & Cleveland Health Promotion Team

The Lions Club operates the central accounting and ordering point for all the materials and will be involved in the restocking of bottles in the display units at pharmacies and GP surgeries. It is hoped that the scheme will be taken up by the adjacent PCTs in the Club’s area of operation.

Thanks are due to DGE Lion Roy Chambers for his help in getting Message in a Bottle under way in Redcar & Cleveland.

Lion Giles Bolitho

Middlesbrough Teesside Lions Club

Recycling for Sight

The Lions Club of Chichester are now the only Lions Club in MD105, functioning as a collection point for receiving "Recycling for Sight" spectacles. I am assured by Lion Ron Cross (MD Sight Officer) that Chichester Lions Club have the facilities and capability to cope with all the MD requirements. Details of address etc. are available from "Spotlights Past" and on the District Web Site. There is no other UK. Lions Club acting as centralised collection/sorting points. Please continue this extremely worthwhile task and "Recycle for Sight". Our Lions Club International President Lion Jimmy Ross states that six hundred million pairs of glasses will provide glasses to all who need them.

Thank You.

Lion Larry Collins Chair 105NE SightServices

Hello again, Stan

In a past Spotlight you will have read of Morpeth Lions Club and the legacy from former member and tea-totaller Stan Sullivan. Last weekend there was a further twist in this story when seven members of the Club visited Castricum-Heemskerk Lions Club in Holland.

Our Dutch friends provided excellent hospitalityincluding a visit to a windmill being built to old plans by one of their members. In an adjacent windmill that was crushing rocks for dye, Lion Simon Pringle got chatting to an English couple on holiday. Explaining where he was from and why the Lions were there, Simon was surprised to hear this question. 'Do you know Stan Sullivan?'

It transpires that the English couple were neighbours of Stan's in another part of England to the extent that they looked after each others houses. Obviously they were sorry to hear of Stan's death but their memories were happy ones of this larger than life man.

Fittingly this meeting took place in Holland as Stan had been a commando at Arnhem and is attributed in 'A Bridge too Far' as having written on a blackboard beforethe retreat 'We will return'.

It is indeed a small world, but when it comes to being a Lion we come to expect the unexpected.

Ponteland Lions Are Sitting Pretty

To commemorate the 25th charter of the Ponteland Lions Club in 2006 the members donated two seats to Ponteland Park for the use of visitors and residents. The seats had been made by a Tyneside firm who provide employment opportunities for the less able and the Parish Council paid for the stone slabs and fixing. The Chairman of the Parish Council, Frank Harrington who is also a member of Lions, performed the opening ceremony to a small crowd of donors, councillors, Lions and Friends of the Park.

From left to right: Joint President John Harvey, District Governor Yomi Sobo, Parish Council chairman Frank Harrington and Joint President Jim Robertson.

Lion Muriel Sobo

PRO Ponteland Lions Club

DeafBlind Scotland

This year DeafBlind Scotland have been forced to cut back their expenditure giving them an operating margin of less than £10k in £1.2m. This has been achieved by severe cost savings, for example the COE position remains unfilled for some four months. Other positions have been left vacant and the NumLit program has been cut.

They are adamant that they maintain their specialist trainers for deafblind tuition; this is a specialist area and they cannot be replaced. Many of these trainers are deaf and either partially sighted or totally blind themselves. One of the reasons for the current crisis is the growth of the Guide Communicator programme. This has gone from approximately 1,000 hours a year in 1995 to the current level of approximately 48,000 hours a year, using around 60% of the annual budget of £1.2m.

Of the £1.2m annual spend only about £250k comes from local authorities throughout Scotland. However (and this is sensitive information) two of the local authorities have not increased their donations since 2001. This, in real terms, means a reduction in contributions from these two authorities of approximately 30%. Negotiations with one of these authorities look set to produce results; however the remaining authority refuses to talk. They could go to press and create a stouchie but this may have the effect of causing the existing funding to be stopped. This last authority is unfortunately the largest in Scotland and therefore makes the most use of DeafBlind Scotland.

The organisation intends to concentrate more on fundraising in the next year to try and make good the shortfall of between £75k and £100k. This will permit the employment of a CEO. It is worth noting that the rates provided by the local authorities to cover the specialist trainers are less than those provided by the same authorities for home helps.

The main programme which has currently been cut is NumLit (numeracy and literacy). This will be reinstated when funds become available. The programme was cut at the end of April and I understand there was a very emotional farewell when the DeafBlind customers held a party for departing staff.

For more information on the charity and its work please either contact me (details as directory) or visit their website:

PDG Lion Hugh Kershaw

Speech & Hearing

Health & Safety

Clubs will be aware that the Lions Club Health and Safety Manual is now on the website. This could explain the relatively few inquiries I have had on the matter. In addition to this a great deal of information is on the internet on all types of health and safety concerns. In addition the local authority and health and safety inspectorate can provide the information you require to stay safe and within the law.

Your local Fire & Rescue Service Community Fire Safety Officers will be glad to provide advice on all matters of fire safety. Don’t hesitate to ask them otherwise it is the Fire Prevention Enforcement Officers who call or the Police. I was recently told by Lion Yomi and others about a situation where fire escape doors opened inwards. This has always been a definite breach of regulations and insanely dangerous. Fire-fighters have in the past found piles of bodies behind such an escape route.

If you have outdoor equipment machinery children’s rides, trailers and vehicles make sure they comply with legislation and avoid all accidents. The obvious things at Christmas make sure children are neither running into traffic to see the sleigh and Santa nor trying to jump on when the vehicle is moving. Another particular concern of mine is invertors and generators to use mains electricity to power equipment outdoors. Low voltage 12 or 24 volts is best.

Check with the District Insurance Officer that your event is covered by Lions Insurance. You all know by now a risk assessment must be prepared for every activity. Health & Safety is at its simplest common sense.

Lion Ron Murray

Health & Safety

Old meets new

Members of one of the oldest Clubs in 105NE are pictured with members of the newest Lions Club in Region 4 on the occasion of a Club visit to Allendale Lions Club (chartered 2003) made by six members of Consett Lions (chartered 1963) Lion George Nash (a charter member of the Consett Club) is pictured with Lion Ann Potter Club Secretary, Lion President Rosemary Granger and Lion Olive Norris of Allendale Lions Club. Ideas were shared and good fellowship enjoyed before the Consett contingent had to head back over the hills to Derwentside.

Lion George Dawson

Morpeth Lions

Despite a threatening day, 44 hardy anglers recently entered Morpeth Lions Club's Tenthannual Fishing Festival at Fontburn Reservoir.

There were some good weights recorded with the heaviest individual fish tipping the scales at 5.25lbs.

Organising Lion, Graham Tait who presented prizes in the various entrant categories said ' Congratulations to the winners and all others taking part; Morpeth Lions Club appreciates the support. We have had tremendous help from Northumbrian Water and their Fontburn staff. Additionally we are grateful to Game Fishing Supplies of Morpeth and Barbour who have sponsored the event.'

Winning entrants with Graham Tait - far right - at Fontburn

Gathering Day

For many years Morpeth Lions Club has taken to the streets on Gathering Day with their collecting cans. Usually they can be seen wearing colourful hats and costumes for the benefit of the Club and the Gathering Committee.

Whilst the agreement is that the proceeds are shared, the Lions always donate their share to the Gathering in recognition of all the hard work done by the few for the benefit and enjoyment of so many.

This year saw a record collection of £676.85 presented to Gathering organiser, Kim Bibby Wilson and Treasurer, Janet Brown by Lion President Chris Offord and Collection organiser, Lion Simon Pringle.

Two for One at the Black Bull

CSFII Officer Lion Larry Collins recently attended a meeting of the Northallerton Lioness Club at the Black Bull Inn, Northallerton. During the meeting Lioness President Susan Ripley presented a cheque for £350.00 in aid of CSFII and Lion Mike Shores of Thirsk Lions Club presented a cheque for £250.00 also for CSFII.

City of Edinburgh

Lion Brian FotheringhamLion Bill Fraser

Lion Thomas JamiesonLion Bill Fraser

Dumfries

Lion Sandra PottsLion Graham Lindsay

Gatehouse of Fleet

Lion John HughLion Arthur Brown

Lion June KennedyLion Arthur Brown

Lion Rob MenziesLion Arthur Brown

Lion Michelle MenziesLion Arthur Brown

Islay

Lion Indra MockunieneLion John McNeill

Scarborough

Lion Alan BoothLion Ron Collier

Lion David ClarkeLion Alan Deacon

School Outreach

A few weeks ago, Morpeth Lions Club members Simon Pringle and Les Brindley were invited to address Newminster Middle School’s morning assembly. The children were told a little of the history of Lions Clubs, but particularly about the work done internationally.

Deputy Head, Stephen Johnson was looking for a cause to which the proceeds of a forthcoming non-uniform day collection could be donated and at the same time involve the school even more in what goes on in the community.

Simon talked about Lions helping the blind, assisting a school in the Philippines, WaterAid in Africa, looking after Street children in various parts of the world and improving medical conditions in Bosnia. Les had produced forms for each class in the school to enable all the pupils to vote for whichever particular project appealed to them most.