August 2010 - Youth Month (LCI)

Dear fellow Lions, 

According to our LCI website, August is declared as a month where we focus on youth activities!

“Engaging Our Youth” Global Service Action Campaign.."

This is a call for us, Lions, to put a little thought into the youths of today. Be it your sponsored Leos, or youths at the age of 13-25... these are our future! The United Nations International Youth Day on August 12, 2010 is a day where people all over the world celebrate a day o significantly strengthen the base and foundations of the youths, giving them guidance, support and assistance, and I recall hearing one of the speeches by Past International Director Hjh Ellis Suriyati where she said, "Youths today, are our Future! Train them well, guide them well, and they will be your successor one day! The key to YOU being successful is not how successful YOU are. It is how successful YOUR successors are when they replace you one day! THAT.. is what I can call success!"

District Governor of District 308B2, Hudson Hah once said, in order to strengthen the youths of today, we need to teach them to SERVE with PASSION! It is only via Passion, they will only then learn to do what they like, and like what they do!

We know everyone is very busy with their hectic lifestyle, family matters, Lions Club events, business etc etc. Here are some guidelines for you to look at. If your club has some LEO Clubs under your wing, why don't you take a look at the following guidelines by LCI. Use the following resources to plan and promote your “Engaging Our Youth” Global Service Action Campaign project.

• Press Release: Send a press release to local media to encourage them to publicize your “Engaging Our Youth” Global Service Action Campaign.

• Call to Action Flyer: Get an overview of the “Engaging Our Youth” Global Service Action Campaign – and ideas to jumpstart your project.

• Planning Guide: Use this step-by-step approach to organize your very own “Engaging Our Youth” Global Service Action Campaign.

• Project Ideas: Review ideas you and your club can use to partner with youth to develop a signature service project during the month of August that will make a big impact on your community. The opportunities are endless!

An idea from District 308B2 Leo Clubs

The trick to focus on youths today is not just about doing it the "Old School" style... Youths today are no longer like before! They think quick, react fast, and their knowledge and usage of the IT gadgets these days outbeat any one of us! However, in order to be there for them.. in order to be their friend in need, how about having your Leo Advisor gather your Leo BOD one day and talk to them about organizing a project together in-conjunction with this month's Youth month? It could be a simple visit to a welfare home, or a school service project. All in all, YOUR presence as advisors to your LEO Club is essential in sending the message across to the "kids" that... YOU are there for them. Not only that, school teachers and authorities would also appreciate that the sponsoring Lions Clubs are there too!

Why not treat this as the first Lions-Leo project in this fiscal year in line with the call from LCI? For District 308B2, I have obtained some sponsors for T-shirts, stationery sets, stickers, books, etc etc.. Best for a visit to an orphanage! Limited stocks apply ya. In order to do this properly.. let's plan it this way:

i) Organize a Lions-Leo Visit to an Orphanage, ensure that both your Lions Club members and Leos are in the Organizing Committee, and not the Leos only.

ii) A minimum of 3 Lions member and your Leos to be present at the home

iii) Form a committee, and have your Organizing secretary send an email to me at alan@eventplusmarketing.com!

iv) Give me details as follow:

- Name of Orphanage and location

- Name of Lions Club and your leo Clubs

- Expected number of Lions and Leos to turn up

- Number of children in the orphanage

v) A draft programme

*Strictly on a first-come first serve basis, I have approximately 300-400 sets of goodies to be given away for you to be used in your project either as door gifts, prizes for games etc etc. Please ensure that your club submit to LCI as part of the "Engaging Our Youth" Global service campaign, and your leos submit to me for the August MAAR report. 

REWARDS

15 GCS Movie tickets will be given away to the Best Project base on most creative category (You can now take your kiddos for a movie!)

My RCCs and I will select the best project from this Lion-Leo Joint Project, and your winning Leo Club will also walk away with RM200.00 cash prize for their Project Account!!!!

 

Kindly note that my warehouse is in Damansara, Ipoh and Penang only, for Kedah/Perlis clubs, kindly arrange for pick up of the goodies!

Well .. what are you waiting for? Think Young.. Think Youth... Think Future!!!!!

Roar!!!

Regards

Lion Alan Thoo

B2 Passion Editor

District Chairperson for Leo Clubs 

District 308B2

The Beacon Awards

From the LCI website....

Lions Clubs International is encouraging Youth Activities in August..

"Engaging Our Youth" Global Service Action Campaign

Lions have an opportunity to engage youth by developing programs they can relate to, and by encouraging their input and participation in the planning process. Engaging youth in service projects now will help determine whether they choose to volunteer as Lions or Leos in the future.

Take Action

During August, your club can plan activities in connection with United Nations International Youth Day on August 12, 2010. Or, organize projects throughout the month that engage youth and mobilize them in the process of helping their communities. Allowing youth to develop and lead a service project helps them learn valuable life skills while emphasizing the role of service.

Campaign Resources

Use the following resources to plan and promote your “Engaging Our Youth” Global Service Action Campaign project.

• Press Release: Send a press release to local media to encourage them to publicize your “Engaging Our Youth” Global Service Action Campaign.

• Call to Action Flyer: Get an overview of the “Engaging Our Youth” Global Service Action Campaign – and ideas to jumpstart your project.

• Planning Guide: Use this step-by-step approach to organize your very own “Engaging Our Youth” Global Service Action Campaign.

• Project Ideas: Review ideas you and your club can use to partner with youth to develop a signature service project during the month of August that will make a big impact on your community. The opportunities are endless!

Your Youth Project, can be filed as a Club level or District level project to go for the Beacon Awards. Click for more info. Meanwhile... in our very own District....

District 308B2 Leo Clubs

If you don't know by now... Come 2nd September 2010, the LEO Program has set foot in Malaysia for 40 years! Yes... The Leo Club of Anderson, Ipoh, was formed 40 years ago in 1970! In celebrating 40 Years of LEO Service, instead of holding a mega scale concert... or organizing a dinner or luncheon at an expensive hotel, District 308B2 (Malaysia) Leo Clubs have decided to GO GREEN in a special way! This would be to conduct what we call as the M.A.D Celebration (Making A Difference)!!!!

On the 29th of August 2010 (Sunday), we are inviting 40 Leo Clubs in the District to conduct Eco-based projects... be it School clean-up, planting trees etc etc... concurrently at 9.02 a.m. (902 symbolizing September 2nd). We invite all Leo Advisors, Sponsoring Lions Club Presidents or members to jointly do this project together with your Leos for 2 main reasons:

i) In line with the call by LCI to focus on Youth Activities this month as a Lion-Leo project!
ii) Be proud that ... 40 years ago there was 1 Leo Club... 40 years today.. MD308 combined we have & 200!!

The M.A.D project is approved and endorsed by the Ministry of Education with proper and certified letter, hence, doing this project at your sponsored Leo Clubs' school is not an issue!

Disclaimer to avoid confusion and disagreement about the celebration at MD level: 

Inevitably 2nd September 2010 is the day MD308 celebrates 40 Years of LEO Service in MD 308 (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei) but there is no direction from MD Council for a MD level celebration. Hence the M.A.D project is strictly, and I stand noted, a District 308B2 Leo Clubs initiative, led by our very own District 308B2 LEO Cabinet. This is strictly not an MD project. However, we will extend invites to other Leos in the MD base on goodwill. 

Regards

Lion Alan Thoo

B2 Passion Editor

District Chairperson for Leo Clubs

District 308B2 (Malaysia)

Bustling activities & events at the start of the fiscal year!

District 308B2 (Malaysia) Region 1 Lions Clubs recently combined energy and resources to put up a Joint Installation in G-Hotel, Penang! The event was attended by District Governor Hudson Hah and Lady Nelly. Other PIOs included PID Ellis Suriyati, PCC Jeffrey Quah, PCC Patrick Chew and more! It was inevitably a great function as this date marks the beginning of their newly installed Board of Directors who would serve the community and bring hope.

DG Hudson Hah also urged all Lions to SERVE with PASSION.. his tagline for the fiscal year for our District. This was aimed at giving unconditional love and care to those in need as well as doing what we like.. and liking what we do!

And prior to this event, jumping to the Klang Valley was the Installation and Anniversary of one of the most reputable Omega Leo Clubs there... Leo Club of Petaling Jaya Integrity (PJI)! The event saw more than 250 Leos and Lions celebrating their 10th Anniversary too, with members from outstation and overseas coming back for such an important occasion!

Leos in Perak on the other hand, attended the 1st District 308B2 (Malaysia) Region 4 & 5 (Perak) combined Regional Leo Meeting! Board of Directors from approximately 15 Leo Clubs attended the meeting!

District Chairperson for Leo Clubs Lion Alan Thoo briefed
all Leos on the submission of MAAROS
(Monthly Activities & Administration Report Online Submission)

She Serves with PASSION!

A petite lady with a big heart.. that's what she is proudly known as amongst most Lions and Leos in our District! Lion Shirley Koh, has Lionistic hours that date back 37 years ago when she joined the Leo Club in her school. Even in her daily professional working life, she works for the largest NGO in Malaysia, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) of Malaysia. as the Fundraising Director. Her duties are to raise funds amounting to no less than RM5 million a year for the needy to continue leaving. 

Happily married to Lion David, Lion Shirley Koh is a highly reputable Lions member as she has received numerous awards and pins (picture on the right) that included three time International President Certificate; Top awards for her roles as Region Chairman, District Chairperson for a few portfolios and not forgetting a Top President too! Lion Shirley has attended 15 OSEAL Forums, 3 International Conventions, 22 Multiple District 308 Conventions and safely say, all Leo Forums to date! She has also been a District Trainer since 1998 for Multiple District 308. B2 Passion Online Blog managed to get hold of her amidst her busy and hectic schedule for an exclusive interview.

How long have you been with NKF?

Since 1998 -  12 years and 5 months!

What kept you going all these years?

I believe its the passion to serve. Sicne 1973, the Leo Club and then the Lions Club later... I knew I was part of the world's largest Service Organization! This made me realize that many people need help and if we can make a difference in our lives by providing the service to make the community a better place to live in.. why not?

What is the most satisfying thing that you have achieved throughout that 12 years?

This is when we are able to achieve the collection of funds on a yearly basis! In NKF, we need no less than RM 5 million per year to maintain our operations. This will help us help those in need. Achieving our target means we get to give hope to the kidney patients.

As a member of the Lions Club, would you find it a conflict of interest when it comes to fundraising for other NGOs by your Lions Club, as well as your work, of which both are also charity based.

I don't find this an issue at all. Lions Clubs are service clubs which are meant to help the needy ones, and NKF does the same thing. In my Lions Club, we also organize projects for other purposes and at the same time, contribute in terms of financial and support to NKF too. There is no conflict of interest as long as we are professional in dealing with both parties. 

What is your formula in making all these happen? i.e. Work, Lions, Training.. etc etc

I believe you have to have the passion for this. Not forgetting also time management! If you believe you can, YOU CAN! We need to care in order to share and we need to share in order to care! This was the theme that I adopted when I was the President of my Lions Club in 1994/1995.

As a District Trainer, what are the common challenges you face?

The typical late confirmation by participants and the last minute requests!

As an experienced Lions Club member, what do you think are the Top 5 most challenging tasks of any District Governor when it comes to the management of the Cabinet.

I would have to say its getting the right and knowledgeable person for the right job to begin with! Next would be the chaing of the MMR reports and dues! The third would be to urge the support of Lions for District Projects or conventions. In addition to that, let's not forget that it is important to make the Cabinet Officers understand their role properly and to ensure the attendance of the Cabinet Officers at retreats or training schools as some or most might not turn up, just like this year. Lastly, I would say it is a challenging task to conduct effective membership growth and install a good retention programme!

1st District 308B2 Lions Cabinet Meeting

18th July 2010 marked yet another great start to the fiscal year of 2010/2011 as Cabinet Officers attended the 1st Cabinet meeting led by District Governor Hudson Hah. Also present were PCC Jeffrey Quah, PCC Patrick Chew and PDG Jason Lee.

District Governor Hudson stressed on the fact that this fiscal year, his theme is SERVE with PASSION. One of the major pointers of this is to serve with "Pleasure" rather than "Pressure". He added that it is essential for us not to force ourselves to do something that we do not want to, but rather doing something that WE want to. His inspiring keynote opening address set a basic guideline to all Cabinet Officers. Later, respective Cabinet Officers reported their plans.

After a quick brunch, cabinet officers and several BOD of Lions Clubs that attending the school for in-coming officers had the privilege of attending the District Theme Talk ~ Serve with Passion!

 Y.Bhg Dato' Lawrence Chan, who is a famous international speaker, rushed down to give this talk despite of his hectic schedule. His credits included the success stories of the Malaysian Hockey Team, the badminton team that brought home the Thomas Cup (those days...) and several other corporate firms that rose from nothing to something to ... THE THING!!!!

His wit and wry humour certainly was a high ice-breaker for all. Not forgetting his sarcasm, his method of revealing the ugly truth about facts of life certainly captured the attention of all and throughout the hour, no one felt bored, sleepy or restless as everyone was just captivated listening to Y.Bhg Dato'.

One of the many areas he touched on is... "To do something... you must first be able to like what you do.. and do what you like. Otherwise.. what's the point of doing what you're doing!"

His method was to train the mind and change the paradigm mindset of his students, and for the Lions that day, the Y.Bhd Dato' certainly have sparked a little something in each of our minds to think, then act! He certainly have motivated us to continue doing what we are doing, and be proud of it too! It is only then, we will be able to share and give love and...unconditional love!

We have recorded snippets of his talk and once it is edited, we shall post it up here!

Roarrrr!!!!!

As for the write-up and photos for the Inauguration of the District Governor the night before, we will only be able to upload later.

District 308B2 Lions Cabinet Retreat & Fellowship

On the 16th of July 2010, it was the first time where the Lions International District 308B2 Lions Cabinet held its first gathering for a retreat where cabinet officers were given a chance to get to know one another, especially there were several new faces in the Cabinet! This started out with an ice-breaker game and later followed by a speech by our new District Governor, Hudson Hah. 

Inevitably, this session has proven useful as it gives a generic outline of the expectation and directions of the district, as well as created a platform of reminders on the roles for returning Cabinet Officers and provided valuable information to new ones too! With experience trainers and speakers like PDG Kenneth Saw, Lion Shirley Koh and DC Lion Dr. Anthony Ng, the open-floor talks were very fruitful.

PDG Kenneth Saw touched on the Protocol topic while Lion  Shirley spoke about the roles and expectations of Cabinet Officers in general. 

The closing of the session before the distribution of Lions Cabinet T-Shirts was a brief Q&A session to sum up the talks of the day. Thereafter, fellow Lions were given an opportunity to take a rest before the Fellowship dinner at Onn Kee Chicken & Beansprout, Ipoh's famous local delicacy. Ipoh is famed for this where tons of tourists throng the Ipoh Town at night for a sumptuous dinner, and these restaurants are always full!

The dinner ended at approximately 9.00pm. Everyone is eager for the 2nd day of the retreat and the Inauguration Dinner of District Governor Hudson and the installation of the International Lions Clubs District 308B2 Lions Cabinet the following day.

-Lion Alan Thoo-
Passion Editor

DC for Leo Clubs

District 308B2 (Malaysia)

Message to Club Officers from International President Sid Scruggs

Dear Club Officer,

Congratulations on being elected to the leadership of your club.  I know that you will find it an exciting and rewarding experience as, together, we encourage Lions to shine our light of service into the world and rededicate ourselves to the ideal of We Serve.

As you may know, my Beacon of Hope theme is all about service.  This year we will build on our recent success by renewing and, most of all, expanding our service.  To accomplish this goal, I am asking each Club to have a significant or signature service project.  This type of project will define who you are in your community.  No longer will we be "the best kept secret".

Each club and each member represents a light of hope to someone in need.   Together, the light that shines in every one of our nearly 1.35 million Lions becomes a bright Beacon of Hope for all to see.

As you can see below, we have some exciting new activities planned to help your club shine its light even brighter and to expand its service in a world of ever growing needs.

We are just beginning our term as keepers of the light, but the lamp is already lit and there is much to be done. There are fast-approaching deadlines for us to meet.  Please take note of the upcoming events detailed in this newsletter and be sure that your club is well-prepared to take part in these worldwide initiatives.

I thank you for all you have done as an active and dedicated Lion and for all you will do in the coming months as a leader of Lions.

Best wishes,
Sid L. Scruggs III
International President

For more information on our IP, please click HERE.

 

International Lions Convention, Sydney Australia

The International Lions Convention held recently from 28th of June to 1st of July 2010 saw many familiar faces from District 308B2 attending the events like PCC Jeffrey Quah, PCC Patrick Chew, and Lion Shirley Koh and also many senior Lions. First timers myself, Lion Alan Thoo and Lion Simon Leong from IMNC Lions Club also attended the event too. Most who enjoyed the cold breeze of the Australian winter loved the Parade that took approximately 2000 Lions delegates from all over the world including USA, Mexico, Europe, India, Pakistan, Japan, Korea etc etc along the streets of Sydney from Hyde Park (Popular park in the middle of downtown Sydney) all the way to Circular Quay where the famous Sydney Opera House was located! District 308B2 Lions joined other MD308 Sub District Lions members and formed the MD308 Contingent to march down the streets

There were a lot of seminars, workshops etc taking place throughout the entire convention and the branding for the event was superb! Even Channel 10 news (Australia) claimed "the major traffic jam is now over as we believe the Lions Clubs International Parade just ended!