V2 Health & Community Update

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Sight & Hearing Conservation Foundation Update

Chairman Bill Hughes reports:

The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Foundation will be held at 10.00,am on Sunday Sept 24th at the Gold Sovereign Motor Inn, 422 Learmonth Rd, Wendouree.

BUSINESS

To receive and adopt the Annual Report to Members by the Chairman of Directors.

To accept the Financial Statements for the year ended 30-6-06 in accordance with the Associations Incorporation Act.

To elect for a period of three years, two Directors from V2 and two Directors from V4.

 Nominations for these four positions are to be in writing, signed by the proposer and the candidate, both of whom must be Members of the Foundation.

To elect Honorary Auditors for the ensuing year.

GENERAL BUSINESS

Items of general business for discussion:

Notice of motion passed at the Directors meeting, 9/07/06, that as the Foundation is no longer serving it’s original purpose a Notice of Motion to consider winding up the Foundation be submitted to the AGM for the consideration of members.

Following the Annual General Meeting there will be a short meeting of Directors, to which all Members are cordially invited to attend.

To ensure that attending Lions have a right to vote it is essential that all Lions Clubs in V2 & V4 verify who their nominated members to the Foundation are by advising Secretary Don Erck,108 Chapman St Swan Hill, 3585 before August 24^th 2006.

Note: Clubs are entitled to one nominated member of the Foundation for every ten members or part thereof.

CHILDREN'S MOBILITY

 Chairman Marg Mimmo reports

I would like to thank the Clubs who have supported the Children’s Mobility Program when disbursing their Funds this year. Thank you to the following Clubs who have paid their “Dunny Can” fine: Lions Clubs of Werribee Little River & Altona Meadows.

Opportunity for a Fund Raiser for Clubs.

Scope and Mobility have printed a Calendar for 2007 that features young people who have had the life changing gift of a walker, these beautiful photos capture the joy that a walker has brought into their lives.

Scope will sell to Lions @ $6.50 and Clubs sell at @ $10 retail price and the profit of $3.50 goes to your Activities account.

It is hoped many Clubs will help by selling these calendars & I am happy to be contacted for numbers needed on 03 5275 5945.

Lions Corneal Donation Service

Will you become a donor?

Past District Governor Doug Lyons reports:

For a moment think what it would be like to lose your sight. Think of all the things that you enjoy doing and how being blind would effect your ability to do them. The thing we fear most, next to death is going blind.

Now consider, what if for some people who have gone blind, it was possible to restore vision? The most extraordinary thing is that such a dream is possible through the donation of eyes after death for the purpose of corneal transplantation.

The need for Eye Donation remains ever present. Corneal donation is not only the oldest form of organ or tissue donation, it is also the most common form of donation and transplantation – 4 to 5 times more common than heart or liver transplantation. In Australia, donated corneas provide for approximately 1,000 corneal transplants each year, of which more than 90% remain successful and provide long term sight. In Victoria alone we perform a corneal transplant almost every working day. Our own Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital is the largest transplanting hospital in Australasia.

However, the eye donation rate is falling while requirement increases. The need for corneal transplantation remains higher than that for kidney transplantation, and long waiting lists now exist across Australia.

Yet few realise that most Australians have the potential to donate corneas after death, whilst less than one percent will die in circumstances conducive to organ donation. If you want to be a donor, if you want to continue the legacy of Karl Brauer, the 11 year old boy who was the first ever donor, tell your family of your wish to be a eye donor, tell them to raise the issue upon your death, and then register your wishes on the Australian Organ Donor Register.

Remember – Donation of corneas means you will    “Be a Hero In Someone’s Eyes”.

V2 Can Lead The Way In Eye Health Promotion

PDG Bill Duncanson, Program Development LEHP Australia reports:

You will be aware that the LEHP (Lions Eye Health Programme) program has now become a Multiple District Category B project for the next 3 years with the adoption of a motion from our District to the Gold Coast Convention in May this year.

Clubs are encouraged to become participating partners in the program by contributing $4 per member per year payable from the Club’s Activities Account. All Clubs will receive a letter within the next few weeks seeking voluntary payment for the current Lions year.

District V2 was chosen to conduct the pilot program from which the Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP) Australia has been developed, with funds to date from LCIF. V2 was chosen because of our long time Leadership in Sight and Eye Health programs, and we have a special challenge now to continue to support LEHP. Let us prove that we ARE the Premier District especially when it comes to Saving Sight by having EVERY V2 Club respond to the request to become paid up partners.

To encourage this, the Trustees of the V2 Charitable Fund with Cabinet support are willing to provide the sum of $2 per member for every Club who becomes a LEHP partner for 2006/2007. The contribution from the Charitable Trust can be applied in the following ways:

1.  A Club can simply pay the $4 per member, or make a larger “donation” to LEHP – and the Trust will provide an additional $2 per member. Many Clubs already make annual donations to LEHP, just as they do to ALDAF, Hearing Dogs, Lions Childrens Mobility Foundation, etc.

2.  Any Clubs that are uncertain about proposal No.1, but wish to support the request for 100% Club participation in V2, can respond to the request for payment of the $4 per member, and then notify the Trustees (through me) that they would like a $2 per member refund, or, nominate a another Lions Health project to which the “rebate” could be paid. If you have not been involved in LEHP to date, this is the chance to try it.  You will be pleasantly rewarded.

District Chairman Bill Addinsall is already promoting LEHP big-time. He has three back-up people who are members of the National LEHP executive. They are PDG Derek Challis, Region Chairman Wendy Hellebrand, and the writer, any of whom will be happy to answer queries. A LEHP display, and workshop (forum) are planned for Convention.

Please encourage your Club to meet the challenge of 100% V2 Club LEHP partnership.

Campaign SightFirst II

PDG Kerry Cook, District Coordinator reports:

Can you imagine what it would be like if you were suddenly stricken blind today? Can you imagine not having access to medical treatment to stop you from losing your sight? Can you imagine having no one to assist you or support you struggling with sight problems?

This is what Lions help to achieve every day. In 1991, Lions launched Campaign Sight First. It was a bold and ambitious plan to prevent worldwide blindness from doubling and darkening the lives of 80 million people. By making Sight First an exemplary health-care intervention on a global scale, Lions have assumed a leadership position in the international effort to preserve and restore sight.

Despite the extraordinary success of Sight First, much work remains. If nothing further is done, the world’s blind population could double from 37 million to 74 million by 2020. As Lions, we will not allow this to happen. Campaign Sight First II (CSFII) has been initiated to raise a minimum of US$150 million to continue the crucial work of Sight First. $US200 million is the challenge.

Lions International now needs your support no matter how small or how big that support may be. I am well aware, that some clubs do not like assisting outside of their community or outside of Australia. I would ask you to remember that we are an INTERNATIONAL association – which we promised to SERVE – that we are much more fortunate in Australia than elsewhere and above all – keep in mind that some of this money is spent in Australia.

If you have not already had on of the group coordinators speak at your club, please invite them ASAP so you can start planning to raise some funds or donate to CSFII. Your District Team has been hard at working spreading the wonderful program of CSF II. The team is made up of Ron Williams, Carol Pritchard, Harvey Price, Wendy Hellebrand and Malcolm Arnold. Your group coordinator has a kit for each club to assist you in this program and answer all questions.

Please set a goal to work towards and support the wonderful work of Lions worldwide. Think of what we can achieve as a united International community – 1.3 million lions working towards the same goal.

PLEASE SUPPORT CSF II.

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