WHO ARE THE LIONS?

Ordinary people like you and me, that's who the Lions are, Male, Female, the young and the not so young.

Our Slogan -- L I O N S -- Stands for Liberty - Intelligence - Our - Nations - Safety. This great service organization - in fact, the world's largest Community Service Club organization, known as -Lions Clubs International? was founded by a young Insurance Salesman, Melvin Jones in America in 1917.

This great warmth of Lionism encircled the globe and first touched Australia, when the late Bill Tresise (an ex Apexian) formed the first Lions Club in Lismore on the 1st of July 1947. Since that time Lionism in Australia has rapidly advanced and today we have 28,618 Lions members in 1330 Clubs, 855 Leos members in 64 clubs and 1957 Lioness members in 113 clubs throughout our nation, so that makes it around 31,430 men, women and our youth who proudly wear the Lions Badge.

The second Lions Club in Australia, Murwillumbah, was formed on August 3rd, 1948, but it was after the formation of the third club, Melbourne, on March 19th, 1952 that the rapid development of Lions Clubs, throughout Australia began, and by 1976, there were 1,000 Clubs.

IN THE BEGINNING

The Lions Club of Forest Lake Inc. was formed on the 29th of September 1993 and chartered on the 27th of November 1993 with 30 members. The Lions club of Forest Lake Inc. are extremely grateful to our Sponsoring club - The Lions Club of Inala for helping to make it all happen.

OUR LIONS CLUB'S LOCATION

Forest Lake is situated in the western suburbs of beautiful Brisbane the capital of Queensland, Australia. We are approximately 25 kilometres south west of the city of Brisbane. Where the weather is beautiful one day and perfect the next, but don't tell anyone, because we want to keep it to ourselves.

The Lions Club of Forest Lake Inc. is one of over 80 Lions Clubs in Lions District 201 Q3

Our district covers the areas:

* East to the beautiful Sunshine Coast & Hinterland.

* South to the Brisbane River (& a little beyond - 25Km to where our club is located)

* West to the mountain ranges of Toowoomba, and on to the sheep & cattle country of the far west at Roma, Cunnamulla & Quilpie.

* North to the home of the "Ludwig Leichhardt Tree" at Taroom.

CLUB PROJECTS

The club conducts a BBQ at the Forest Lake Village markets alternating each week with the Inala and Jindalee Lions Clubs and now the Sea Scouts, it has been a project of the club since the club was chartered and has been a good source of revenue over the years for the club. Why not come up and say "Hello" the next time you are at the markets, we are always looking for more members to help us serve our community while having some "Fun" doing so. You will find that we are a really great bunch of people.

Other Projects conducted over the years by the club: New Residents Day at Forest Lake, Lark at the Lake, Lions Identify Kid Project, Letters to Santa, Carols by Candle-light, Clean Up Australia Day, Lions Skills for Adolescence Training Program, Junior Diabetic Fun Run, Journey for Sight, 19,000 plants delivered to Forest lake residents, Lions Park, Spring Carnival, Lions Cord Bank fun walk, Easter Rabbit project, State School Golf Day, Hart Walker Project, Lions Hearing Dog Program, Girl Guides, Lions Peace Poster Competition, Heart Foundation, Lions Drug Awareness, McIntyre Centre, East Timor Appear, Sponsorship of a Car for the Qld Blue Nurse's, Lions Emergency Accommodation at Nambour, Lions MS Foundation, Childers Appear, Cubby House for Special Children, Oxley Ambulance, Lions Miss Personality Quest, Youth of the Year Contest, Children of Courage Project and catering for the veterans on ANZAC Day. (Just some of the projects that the club has been involved with over the last 14 years).

FUND RAISERS:

Various BBQ's, Fertilizer Drive and Distribution, Christmas Cake Drives and delivery, Lions Mints Sales, Carol by Candlelight evenings, Easter Raffles, Fathers Day Raffles, Mothers Day Raffles, Christmas Raffles (If it does not move we raffle it).

BBQ's:

On going fortnightly Market Days at the Forest Lake Village, Delfin Builders, Mountain Terrain, Bunnings, Various Sausage Sizzles and BBQ's for fund raising events. (If they need feeding the Lions will be there).

SOCIALLY:

Barefoot Bowls Days, Ten Pin Bowling, Car Rally, Bus Wine Trips, Progressive Dinners, Maori Hungi Night, Fancy Dress, our annual Fish Days, trips away to annual Conventions. (A club that members mix socially on a monthly basis with emphasis on Fun, Fun, Fun).

YOUTH OF THE YEAR

Over the years our club has been actively involved in the Youth of the Year Quest and is involved in it again this year, with students from the two local high schools in Forest Lake competing, we wish them all every success and thank them for giving up their time to compete in the competition.

LIONS MISS PERSONALITY QUEST

The club has been a very keen supporter of the Lions Miss Personality Quest with their very first entrant in the quest being in the first year of the club's existence, Sharyn Barr (a Lion and daughter of two of the club's members) was the club's very first entrant.

Members and their friends have enjoyed some wonderful activities over the years that our committees have arranged for us all with the fund (Fun) raising for the Miss Personality Quest. Not only did we have some great fun, but we also raised much needed funds for this very worthy cause. (Funds raised go to the Lions Medical Research Centre at the PA Hospital in Brisbane, which will benifit all Australians with some of the medical break-throughs).

So you can see that right from the very beginings of the club it has been actively involved with the Lions Miss Personaliy Quest which raises much needed funds for Medical Research. We do not have an entrant this year but are still actively involved in selling the quests art union tickets. Do you know a young lady who would make a worthy contestant? If so we would love to hear from you.

BECOME A MEMBER

Would you like to know more about joining our great organisation, if so, then please phone Julie Bar our Membership Chairperson  on 0438 279 840 or send her an e-mail at: juliebarrqld@hotmail.com she would love to hear from you.

Why not come along to a couple of meetings to see and hear about what we do, there is no obligation to join. By becoming a member of Lions you increase your circle of friends while being involved in some very worthwhile projects within your community. Membership is open to both Men and Women over the age of eighteen years and there is no age limit to having great fun and fellowship with likeminded people.

Do you want to increase your circle of friends while doing something worthwhile for your community? If so, then we would love to have you as a member!

WHAT"S ON?

Go to the "EVENTS" button on the navigation bar above and click on it, you can then scroll through the calendar to see any upcoming or past events the club has.

The "motto" for the Lions Children of Courage Awards is: Aiming for the Stars

CHILDREN OF COURAGE

This wonderful programme officially became a District 201 Q3 project at the "Outback in the City" Convention on 12 October 2002 and has since been adopted as a project by the Lions Club of Forest Lake Inc.

The Children of Courage Project is supported by the President and members of the Forest Lake Lions Club which supports and promotes disabled children from the ages of 5 to 15 years.

History

The program was introduced in Western Australia in 1983 by District Governor Joe Mason to provide for an awards program through which Lions Clubs in Western Australia could recognize a very special group of young Western Australians and their families.

At that time there were many awards that recognized the achievements of young people, but children with "special needs" were not catered for.

Purpose

The Lions Children of Courage Awards are NOT a competition. Every recipient of an award is a "winner" in his or her own right, as the recognition of these young people's achievements:

1. Acts as an encouragement for their future;

2. Helps them to believe in themselves;

3. Helps to increase their self-worth.

All children just want to be accepted by others regardless of any special needs they may have. These awards portray them as children who have successfully overcome additional barriers which face them in this world.

Categories of Awards

A. Special Needs

Children with special needs who have shown courage in the face of adversity. Such children include those who are confined to wheelchairs, who are sight, hearing or speech impaired or have undergone long periods of medical treatment, surgery or hospitalization which has brought pain and trauma to their young lives. Nominees in this category will be those children who have attempted to overcome these obstacles and who have striven to improve the quality of their lives.

B. Courageous Act or Deed

Children who, without regard for personal safety, have been instrumental in the preservation of life and/or property, or have rendered assistance at an accident, or whose concern for others is worthy of recognition.

C. Outstanding Sporting Achievements Children who have overcome personal hardship and/or disadvantage to achieve a high degree of sporting prowess, as an individual or as a good team member.

There is a need to ensure that there is a uniformity of approach to these categories when looking at nominees. However, it is allowable to add a category should the need arise, for individual cases. For example: the case where the nominee is a twin, and the healthy sibling has willingly foregone normal activities and pleasures, to ensure their brother/sister receives treatment etc., a category of "Family Recognition" could be applied.

Immediate Past District Governor - Heather Short - a member of the Lions Club of Forest Lake Inc.

Lions meet the needs of local communities and the world. Our more than 1.35 million members in 206 countries and geographic areas are different in many ways, but we share a core belief – community is what we make it.

We conduct vision and health screenings, build parks, support eye hospitals, award scolarships,assist youth, provide conduct vision and health screenings, build parks, support eye hospitals, award scholarships, assist youth, provide help in time of disaster and much more.

Join us in making our communities and the world better places to live.

Membership Chairman :

Julie Barr

0438 279 840

E-Mail: juliebarrqld@hotmail.com

Lions club members are men and women who strive to make a difference in their local community as well as in communities worldwide. Their volunteer efforts go beyond the support of vision care, to addressing unmet health and education needs worldwide.
 

Interested in becoming a member? Click Here

Lions Clubs Members

Lions are groups of service-minded men and women who are interested in improving their communities. We are young people, families and Baby Boomers alike. To become a Lion is to become an active volunteer, a member of a respected international organization, a leader in your community and a friend to people in need. Learn more about what we do.

There are many reasons to become a member. As a Lion, you'll:

• Help your community and gain valuable skills
  Make an impact on people's lives – locally and internationally
  Learn to be a leader – and lead a respected organization
  Network with business people in your community and around the world
  Energize your life and have fun
  You'll grow personally and professionally. And you'll know that what you do is worthwhile and appreciated.