Corio Bay Lions Club Geelong _ Lions Pride

Chartered 1963 August 2018

Corio Bay Lions Club Geelong Zone 4, District 201 V2 Newsletter for Members, Family, Friends, Partners and Supporters.

Full of information and good stuff! Serving the community for 55+ years.

Secretary: Elaine Anderson President: Annaisse Novak Treasurer: Helen Bollenhagen The Club News

Our Annual General meeting was incorporated into Already our new President, Lion Annaisse, has set her our 1st meeting of August. Being an Incorporated body mark and style upon our club, as do all Presidents. we need to fulfil our legal responsibilities. The steep learning curve of a new treasurer, Lion Hel- The first board meeting of this Lions year is to be held en, is greatly softened by the unstinting support of Thursday 23rd August. Great new board with a mixture past treasurer Lion Alan Dowler. of experienced Lions and with new Lions full of new Lion Elaine has quickly settled into the position of ideas. Always refreshing to engage with new ideas and club secretary, no surprise there. visions. The mail box, physical and electronic, has been con- The Geelong Eisteddfod is underway and the Lions stantly filling with information from LCI, District team assisting are doing a great job in support of this 201V2 and other clubs as well as external organisa- wonderful organisation. tions. There has been and will continue to be many The Geelong Show, Christmas cake sales and a Bunning calls on our club for assistance in a variety of ways. BBQ in October to raise some funds for ongoing com- Each request is carefully considered after due dili- mitments are just some of the commitments coming gence is given to the requesting organisation and or up in the next few months. person. We have limited resources and our largesse Lion Biddy Weel, the District Governor, is to visit, 20th is, we hope, directed by you the members to where it September, a major event for any club. will do the most good. Page 1 Index Partnerships Page 1 Top: Banner. Building partnership, as any business person will Page 1 Club News tell you, is important to success. Long term part- Page 2 left: Index, Date to remember…. Right: Lions nership are essential. Page 3 Top: Presidents report Corio Bay Lions club have constantly built partner- Page 3 Bottom: Meetings and You ships directly and indirectly. The benefits are Page 4 Top left& right: Lions sometimes not obvious or immediate other times Page 4 Bottom: Some reminders. there is a clear and instant gain. Page 5 Top: Lions Page 5 Bottom: Lions We like to create partnership where there is equal Page 6 Top: Lions Clubs international Foundation. gain. An example is with North Geelong Secondary P6 Bottom: NGSC. College. We provide a substantial scholarship an- Page 7 Top: Geelong Eisteddfod. Bottom: GAT. Spon- nually. Each recipient is supported over a four year taneous Volunteers in Emergencies period, years 9 to 12. The benefits are sometimes Page 8 Top: Lions Club Directory not seen until after the student leave NGSC and go Page 8 Bottom: Lions Alert. (Red Cross). on to further education of go into the workforce. Coming Events: Oft times we, the club, do not see the end result. 16th August: Club Meeting But we know we were of great assistance. 23rd August: Board Meeting Students who may wish to pursue a career in liter- 6th and 20th September Club Meeting ature or journalism now have an opportunity to 18th –22nd October Geelong Show Roster reminder: make a submission to The Pride. Sam Warelow was the first in last months edition. Who knows one It is your responsibility to ensure that if you cannot make a shift that you replace yourself. It is as simple as ringing day one of these students could win a Walkley around! Award for journalism. I can hear beginning of the Meetings are held at: Queens Park Golf club, speech now: “I got my start in journalism with Li- 19th hole Gather at 6.30pm for a 7.00pm meeting ons”. LCI and Club Dates Another partnership is with the Geelong Australia October 2018: Lions World Sight Day Day Committee. This is one of over 40 years and as October 2018: Royal Geelong Show a result of this partnership we have created many February 2019 : AirShows International May 2019: Multi-District 201 Convention—Geelong other partnerships Example being; SES, CFA, Scouts, Guides, Red Cross, CREST, Kerr’s Hire and many more. Pride Editor: Lion Colin Anderson

Facebook Administrator: Lion Emily Ander- Airshows Downunder is another example, 20+ son: https://m.facebook.com/coriobaylions/ years we have worked with them. Webmaster Lion Scott Harrison: www:geelongcoriobay.vic.lions.org.au/ It is not just about the organisations we partner

with. Club Contact (Secretary): [email protected] It is all about the people we partner with. Lion President Annaisse has her say...

was at a loss about what I would contribute to my monthly blog in The Pride until a former president informed I me that I could write about anything I wanted. So this month I'm writing about something that has bothered me for a while: How one member of a club can hold all the others hostage because of their constant need to big note themselves and their contribution to their club. It is pure ego and a need to hear the sound of their own voice, in my opinion, completely oblivious to the effect their constant rambling has on the other mem- bers!! I think this behaviour is toxic and has been a regular source of complaints by other members who have felt powerless to rectify this ongoing issue. belong to one such club and am thoroughly sick to death of this situation. I have, in fact, almost resigned I about 4 times because of this one person's constant monopolizing of our meetings to the detriment of the group morale as a whole. But I will not relinquish my power because of ONE person's behavior, so I kept hanging in there. I have no intention of leaving because I am valued and I contribute as much as I can. Not to mention, I love being part of this group of wonderful people with well developed social consciences. e all know how much has been achieved by this one member. In fact, we have been constantly remind- W ed about it by them at almost every meeting!! It is absolutely wonderful that a member has done so much for our club and the community, but I do NOT feel like a "less than" because of their mammoth contribu- tion. Every member does the best they can for the club with the time they have available, taking into account their family and work commitments, etc. No one is superior to anyone. NO ONE. I don't care how much they've done. It was THEIR choice to do big stuff. A Nelson Mandela style of humility would be my preferred choice of behaviour for them, and would undoubtedly elicit respect from members, rather than animosity, which is the sta- tus quo. hich brings me to this point: What the hell can one do about this kind of demoralizing situation? Well, W we tried everything, to no avail. Hints and suggestions failed. So, I made my own personal decision to avoid this person at all costs because their toxicity was detrimental to my well being. Easy peasy. I have had no contact from them for months now because I blocked them on my mobile and emails, as well as on FB. PEACE AT LAST. ut only for ME. Other members still get calls, emails and, wait for it, visits to their homes, which has an- B noyed them intensely!! These visitations to one's residences in order to aggressively argue with them is a gross violation boundaries. I am appalled by this behaviour, but will let others deal with it cos I've done the best I can and don't want to be part of sorting this mess any longer. started to wonder if any of our Aussie Lions Clubs have members that manifest behaviours like those I have I described above? And what can, if anything, be done about them? I'd like to think that there aren't any such members, but I am far too realistic to expect that every club is all peace and love, putting good works and com- munity contribution above all else, as I suspect Melvin Jones intended. Lions has been successful for a century and I put this down to the 99.9% of members always putting their clubs FIRST, not their egos. In my opinion, if egos take over, clubs may fail. Just my opinion folks, not gospel. Annaisse Novak (President, which is, after all, just the noun for the verb "to preside")

‘’! SkyHooks 1975. Written by . Sung by Shirley Strachan, Producer Ross Wilson. Ed. Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don’t talk back. Remember; no one can feel inferior without your consent! Those who never make mistakes never make discoveries. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope...Helen Keller

Cash For Cows Funds Here is the follow up on the story of assistance for the Last Lions years our club directed many thousands of farmers affected by the St Patrick day fires. The Com- dollars into a variety of projects. These funds did not munity Engagement group from North Geelong Sec- just appear. In the main they were gained by our mem- ondary College (NGSC), who I wrote about in the June bers working on a variety of projects. Pride are following up their fund raising efforts with Coming up in the next few month are two key fund rais- some hands on work. ers. The first being the Royal Geelong Agricultural & You will remember that Lion’s Cub Tywren wrote to Pastoral Show. This is a hard working hands on effort the club asking for funds ($500) to assist farmers feed that requires the entire club roster, for it to be success- their cows. At that point the group had raised $1,600. ful. The added benefit to the thousands that we earn is That fund has grown and now they are going to get that we have a number of other Lions clubs assisting their hands dirty. and they share in the earnings. Being Lions earnings the Blaze Aid was the recipient of the money and the money is very quickly directed back into the communi- NGSC students are going to Cobden for three (3) days ty. We need you to lock in the show dates and rope in to assist Blaze Aid. This is one of those great projects. family and friend to assist. Community building and character building all rolled The other event is the Lions Christmas Cake sales. There up into one package. are many opportunities to sell cake in the lead up to Lion’s Cub Tywren is very excited to see the effect that christmas and Bunnings is a willing partner. The sight of his and his fellow students fundraising has on the lions selling cake in the Bunnings foyer does double du- quality of life of those farmers and their families. ty. The is an opportunity to make some money and pub- licise what Lions do in the community. One of those very special people a NGSC teacher, James Cowen-Clark, will be in charge of the group. He Our community need to know what we do! How can we is one of those people creating our future through the expect the public to support Lions if they do not know incredible work he does with students. what we do? Tywren will report to the club on the event. A few hours on a Bunning cake roster is all we ask.

With the new Lions year there are a few basics that need reiterating.

You MUST let the secretary know if you cannot attend a meeting. Our caterers, at Queens Park golf Club, are great people. They will, and do, go the extra mile for this club. Still they need to turn a profit and it is rude not to let them know if you are to dine or not. That means at least 48hours (2 days) notice. Please bring a guest, or many guests, any time. Same notice rules apply. Yes we know, due to, exceptional, circumstances you cannot give due notice and we will understand.

There is a very important ‘Key Principle’ involved in Lions generally and especially in our club which we want you to follow and it is as follows:

 Family comes first… you are no good to Lions or the community if this rule is ignored.

 Employment next… Well some are lucky enough to be retired but if not you have a living to be earned, and

 Lions is next... But not last, if you work at family and employment harmony you are generally a better Lion. Geelong Eisteddfod Happy Snaps Bottom Left: Lion John Olsen putting on aGold Medal performance at the dance venue in-between cooking for the canteen. Bottom centre: The Geelong Eisteddfod Banner. Bottom right: Lion Alan Boyd assisting the Eisteddfod staff in the office. Lion Alan described himself as the floater and undertook many menial tasks. Such as cleaning up wet patches on the stage caused by a nervous, very young, competitor. Serving the community is not all beer, skittles and glamour for Lions. When we put our hands up to serve and assist sometimes the essential tasks can be vey domestic. Never-the-less Lion Alan undertook his task with good humour and enthusiasm.

Meetings and You Your say! That is a key reason an organisation has meetings. Especially in Lions and even more so in our club. Your opinions, beliefs and knowledge are a critical part of the club’s decision mak- ing process.

Over the year we have had many robust club discussions and debates on a very wide range of issues. Oc- casionally a member has been upset because their idea has not gained enough support when it came to a vote. Fortunately in our club such disagreements are soon forgotten and the final motion, once passed, is then almost always supported by all. The greater good is high in our members minds. However if you are not attending meeting we are not gaining the benefit of your experience and knowledge. Not only is that a loss for the club but could well be a loss for a community project. We have been meeting at the Queens Park Golf Club’s 19th Tee for some time now. A vey friendly venue for meetings such as ours. The service is efficient and friendly. The food and drink is very well priced. Lots of good extras when we need them. Audio visual equipment for presentations. Lectern for guest speakers. The ability to configure the seating to suit a particular need. So if you have been a bit busy with; work, family, life, school etc. and missed a meeting or two have a think about fitting in a meeting. Your voice in the debate is essential. What is in your head is of such value to this club when all decisions are made. When an issue comes to a vote your vote is important. Your presence as a friend, colleague and mem- ber is even more important to all of us.

How to you tell when you run out of invisible ink? Shin: a device for finding furniture in the dark.

Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) is the grant-making body of Lions Clubs Inter- national, the world’s largest volunteer service club organization. The LCIF SightFirst pro- gram, Lions’ flagship initiative, builds comprehensive eye care systems to fight the major causes of blindness and care for blind and visually impaired persons. Since 1990, the Sight- First program has helped restore sight to more than 30 million people around the world. Li- ons have raised more than $415 million to provide surgeries, to improve of hundreds of eye care facilities and train of thousands of eye care professionals. For more information, visit www.lcif.org.

.‘Kindness Matters’ Immunization saves millions of lives and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Yet, there are more than 19 million unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children in the world, putting them at serious risk of these potentially fatal diseases. Of these children, 1 out of 10 never re- ceive any vaccinations, and most likely have never been seen by the health system. World Immunization Week – celebrated in the last week of April – aims to highlight the collective ac- tion needed to ensure that every person is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) is proud to participate in World Immunization Week. Eve- ry day, Lions are mounting social mobilization campaigns, talking to parents and community leaders, and helping to save the lives of countless children from measles.

LEO’s is a young person’s Lions club. The ‘O’ The topic in each case is ‘Dystopia’. represents opportunity and here are two ex- Mia and Sam deserve Opportunity with this amples of extraordinary writing. quality of writing.

The gunshots were fireworks. No warning, and no I was born in this city. I grew up in this city. This hell- safety. The cognizance on the frozen faces as there hole of a city was part of me. Now this city is war- bound, full of fighting and conflict. Glass is scattered ample eyes stare around the room. Perception finally across the streets, along with rolled cars and dead hits in and people start to move, hustling to help the bodies. Every second is like hell, with the gunfire ring- others who are still blank in space. Everyone now has- ing in your ears, like it’s trying to pull you in. The smell ty on their feet moving away from the deafening is worse than a tip, like a graveyard with the dead bod- sound. People starting to scream, the sound of claws ies lying on top of their graves. I can feel heat as strong scraping down their vocal cords. Fire alarms now as the sun tied in with the coldness and loneliness I face. No friends, no family, no nothing. Hiding out is as sounding, still not half as loud as the desperation of mentally painful as breaking a bone, and having no- people trying to escape. The gunshots and the icono- one to go to is dragging me further into a hole that clast are impending faster. The fate that if you turn never ends. Running is not an option, as the city is full around, you see innocent bodies slumping to the floor. of the monsters that have overthrown it. It’s dark in Now’s the time where you make that life changing here, where I hide, and you can feel the hot air burn- ing through your skin. Perception is the key to survival choice; are you going to run, or are you going to help? in this apocalyptic city. Mia, year 8 Sam, year 8 Geelong Eisteddfod

Well the Lions team has been out and about, since July 21st, at the venues, Piano at Geelong Grammar and Dancing at Centenary Hall, assisting the Eisteddfod group. Long days for some but enough Lions have put their hands up to ensure the load is somewhat lighter. This event is one that lives on the edge. It is always in danger of falling over due to the aging of the Eisteddfod group. Yet if it were to fail, and therefor discontin- ue, thousands of young people would miss the opportunity to display their considerable talents. So if you are reading this and feel that you have some spare time and wish to contribute to their future of some of our youth. Join the Geelong Eisteddfod group. Simply contact this Lions club and we will connect you with that group. You will be welcomed with open arms by a group of friendly people and given a task that satisfy the soul. There is a big payment for the job, as a bonus, thousands of SMILES, from talented chil- dren and their dedicated parents. Meanwhile this Lions club will continue to assist and support the Geelong Eisteddfod as long as they exist. It is, for us, a worthwhile partner- ship which we hope will continue into the far distant future.

Spontaneous Volunteers In a country famous for the culture of Global Action Team volunteering it is sometimes difficult when you are told you can not assist. Such is the case with emergency ser- vices. Emergency services is a field Recently the clubs went through their annual change over process. where specialist training is now man- datory. Many new Presidents, Secretaries and Treasurers and Board members That means spontaneous volunteers were elected. will be thanked and directed else- where. It is a hard call to tell someone The district support these Lions with Forums where the technical ins who through the goodness of their and out of running a Lions club is made very clear. heat turns up at an emergency and volunteers their time. New processes such as: The Global Action Team (GAT), are made clear. It is about trained personnel. The SES/ CFA/Red Cross and others take However clubs who attend need to ensure that they just don’t go back months to bring a member up to the skill level required by legislation and to their own club and carry on they way they have always done things. regulation to provide expert assis- tance to people in an emergency. The Global Action Team process is being instigated at all levels of lions That is why Volunteering Victoria no and we at Corio Bay Lions need to ensure that we are a part of the GAT. longer accepts people who spontane- ously volunteer in emergencies. Our Zone Chairman Lion Morrie will be expanding on the GAT at his That is not to say we do not want vol- Zone meeting. unteers in emergencies. There are many support NGO’s in For any Lion going to the Advanced Lions Leadership Institute 11-13 emergencies that need hands. St Vin- September in NZ you will have the opportunity to be immersed in this nies, Salvo, Food Bank etc. fantastic initiative. Or Join Red Cross and get trained! The Corio Bay Lions Directory

This little booklet has grown over the years. It began as an idea to assist fellow members with some basic information about the club. Meeting days and times. Contact information of fellow members. A list of who is who in the club.

It was and still is a private members ‘Love’ project (Lion Elaine). There is really nothing official about this directory as far as the club is concerned, never has been. Never-the-less it is important that the information in the directory is accurate. This has over the years been an issue for some. The information is, by enlarge, a result of information given by the members. So often members have failed to update details when they change. Lion Elaine is not a mind reader and can’t know unless you inform her of a change. Sometimes something is overlooked or a mistake is made. OH Well! To err is human. There has been some criticism of the directory from time to time. I suggest that the critics should read the Lions Ethics. Sug- gestions have been made for inclusions in the directory and they are all taken on board. With suggestions remember that this is about basic club information. We know that there could be a great deal more added in a whole range of club projects and programs. The directory is currently 22 pages long. This will grow if we induct new members and the page of Past Presi- dents will need to go an extra page next year. The 2018 directory now includes recognition of the numbers of new mem- bers (Key #) introduced to our club only by individual Lions in the contact pages. Apart from the organic growth it is very unlikely that further sections will be added in the future. At the end of the day it is merely a tool to assist members.

The Bargain Hunters First Variable: No matter how early you arrive at a sale, they are out of the item you want!

Lions and Red Cross in Partnership Lions Colin And Elaine Anderson

Preparation is the big BUZZ word in the world of Emergency Services. So it should be. The MFB, CFA, SES, Police are just some of the first responders who constantly practice their particular skills in preparation for a disaster, either natural or man-made. Red Cross Emergency Service Teams do the same across the entire country. A repre- sentative of these teams attend Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee meetings (MEMP) across the state i.e. in all 79 Municipalities in Victoria, every quarter. Exercises are conducted, annually, with lo- cal government and state and national government departments to fine tune responses. Red Cross personnel attend conferences and training sessions on a very regular basis to keep up to date with the latest methods and technologies in emergency Services. However all this training can be ineffective if the public do not understand or have forgotten what to do in an emergency or have failed to adequately prepare for an emergency. Notification Local Red Cross team members are now actively visiting organisations of all sorts; sporting, social, service, employee groups, schools, just to name a few in an effort to assist the community with Emergency Prepara- tion. Often these Red Cross personnel are giving the presentation in conjunction with the SES or CFA. These are relatively short presentations with an element of FUN involved. To have a presentation in the Barwon Region (Geelong, Surf Coast, Queenscliffe, Colac Ot- way areas) it is as simple as calling: 0429 402 639 or emailing: [email protected] the Local ‘Divisional Operations Officer (Red Cross) , Elaine Anderson, and arrange a presentation. Who knows your initiative in calling may save your life or the life of a family member or of a friend or neighbour.

Volunteering: If is about you, you are getting it wrong!