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. Lions members can join as young as 18 and we have no age limit, there is no expiry date on the giving of service to our community. 

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 local 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 18 years).

FUND RAISERS:

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

LIONS CHRISTMAS CAKES

Christmas is now over for another year, but our Lions Fruit Cakes are available all year round - they are ideal to keep in the cupboard for when unexpected guests arrive. 

Below is listed the prices and ingredients for our 1.0 kg and 1.5 kg Premium Dark Fruit/Christmas Cakes

Lions Fruit/Christmas Cakes are Premium Dark Fruit Cakes made with 50% fruit.

Recommended Retail Prices of Lions Fruit/Christmas Cakes and Puddings are:

1.0 kg Lions Fruit/Christmas Cake – $10.00 each or1.0 kg Lions Fruit/Christmas Cakes – Box of 12 $120.00

1.5 kg Lions Fruit/Christmas Cake – $14.00 each or 1.5 kg Lions Fruit/Christmas Cakes – Box of 10 $140.00

Cakes make an ideal present for friends and family, one that everyone can share and enjoy.

Cakes have a shelf life of two-and-a-half years and once opened will keep well in an airtight box.

Since the Cake program started in Australia it has raised about $48 million nationally.

If you wish to buy a Lions Fruit/Christmas Cake at any time throughout the year, then we can accommodate you. Lions Fruit/Christmas Cakes are made right here in Brisbane and they are produced from February to December ever year. Once Christmas is over, we sell the cakes as Fruit Cakes. So if you are looking for something for when unexpected guests drop in for a cuppa, then a Lions Fruit Cake would be ideal to keep in the cupboard as they have a very, very long shelf life.

Every year Lions Christmas Cakes are donated by Lions Australia to Australian Defence Force personnel serving overseas, this year to our troops serving in Afghanistan over the Christmas period.

Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel serving in Afghanistan on Operation Slipper are currently tucking into some of the 1350 Lions Christmas Cakes generously donated by Lions Australia to ADF personnel deployed overseas on operations during this Christmas period.

Lions Christmas Cakes are also being distributed to those personnel who are currently working alongside their Afghan National Army colleagues in forward operating bases.

BBQ's:

On going Market Days at the Forest Lake Village, Carols by Candle-light on the Lake every year, A-Mart, Delfin Builders, Mountain Terrain, Bunnings, Masters Home Improvements, and various Sausage Sizzles and BBQ's for fund raising. (If they need feeding, then you can count on the Lions being 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.

The Quest is a community project designed to encourage, foster and develop leadership qualities in young Australians. More than 2,000 people compete in the Quest each year, with winners making their way through zone, region, district, state and national finals.

Are you interested in entering Youth of the Year?
If you are a young person and will be between the ages of 15,16,17,18 and under 19 years of age as at June 30th of the year of the national final of the quest, then you are eligible to enter the Youth of the Year Quest.
The Quest is a prestigious event for young people, having been in existence for more than 46 years and boasts many high profile Australians amongst the ranks of former entrants, including our former Prime Minister Mr Rudd.
The Quest will give you an unequalled opportunity to experience an interview situation - in a friendly atmosphere - and a change to practice your public speaking skills.

The Lions Medical Research Personality Quest is the main fundraiser for the Lions Medical Research Foundation. The Quest has a proud 45 year history with women focused on raising funds in their communities to ultimately save lives of others. Not only was this the entrants main focus but also each has benefited professionally and personally from their Quest experiences.

Entrants gain by being involved in personal development, improvements in their confidence and self esteem, public speaking, community support and importantly, social awareness thus enhancing the opportunities in their chosen career paths and in their personal lives.

In 2010, the Quest, formerly the Lions Miss Personality Quest, was rebranded to become the Lions Medical Research Personality Quest. It has moved on to a fresher and relevant format aligning it with current trends which will continue to evolve.

The main focus is to raise money so that the Lions Medical Research Foundation can continue to fund 4 medical researchers per year. Each medical researcher is funded for a 3 year term so the Quest works diligently to raise this money, see www.lionsmedicalresearchfoundation.org.au

Lions Medical Research Foundation

"The Research of Today Could Be The Cure of Tomorrow"
The Lions Medical Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing funding for world class medical research. The importance of scientific research mainly cancer research has become increasingly important in today's society.

Since it began in 1963, the Lions Medical Research Foundation has supported internationally recognized medical research in a diversity of areas. Some examples of research: Kidney disease, Asthma, Urodynamics, Anti-venom, Immunology, Ophthamology, Toxicology, Perinatal, Schizophrenia, Diabetes, Skin Cancer, Cord Blood, In-vitro Corneal Transplant, Cancer therapies, Bone & Joint Disease and many others.

This research has given a greater understanding of disease, its causes and treatments. Not only improved methods of treatment but also methods to prevent diseases. The foundation has provided important funding into health and cancer research that has assisted greatly in the search for cures.

FOREST LAKE COLLEGE LEOS - Known as: The St Johns Anglican College Leos.

LEO's are a project of Lions and as such, the LEO's Club of Forest Lake are sponsored by our Club.

The St Johns Anglican College Leos Club, have won for the 4th time, the Leo Club of the Year Award for our District for the year 2010-2011. This is especially impressive as the club has only been going for 5 years. A huge congratulations from the members of your sponsoring club, the Lions Club of Forest Lake Inc.

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 Diane Maloney our Membership Chairperson  on 0423 018 969 or send her an e-mail at: diane.maloney@ato.gov.au 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!

ARE LIONS CLUBS FOR WOMEN TOO?

Lions Clubs are for everyone – men and women, people from different cultures, and anyone over 18 years of age. Lions Clubs recruit for skills, ideas, interests and labour.

Sure there are some clubs that haven’t invited women to join, (fewer and fewer), but with more than 1400 clubs in Australia, there is every chance that we can find a club for you.

We value the contribution of women in our organisation – great leaders, skilled business people and consummate networkers.

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.

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 :

Diane Maloney

0423 918 969

E-Mail: diane.maloney@ato.gov.au

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.

Please click on the following U-Tube video clips below to learn more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LIQ7-p-hjg&feature=player_profilepage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzBV0077UIo&feature=relmfu

Australian LIONSONOZ Lions Club

This is a Lions Club for the Grey Nomads amongst us who are constantly on the road and cannot make it to normal Lions Club Meetings.

http://www.lionsonoz.nsw.lions.org.au/

Australian Lionsonoz is a very special and different type of Lions Club.

Australian Lionsonoz was set up to cater for those Lions who have become "Grey Nomads". It gives wandering Lions the opportunity to stay in touch with like minded Lions and to attend Club meetings on the Internet.

Our meetings are through Windows Messenger and we "meet" at 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start on the third Monday of the month.

Members are constantly in touch throughout the month through Windows Messenger.

Australian Lionsonoz is also valuable to Lions who find themselves in a town without a Lions Club or a town which does not accept women members.

Members are entitled and encouraged to attend Lions meetings or projects in the towns they visit.

At the end of their travels, if they wish they can transfer back to a Lions Club in the area in which they choose to settle or remain a member of Australian Lionsonoz.

Australian Lionsonoz was presented with their Charter at the Multiple District Convention in Melbourne by the International President, Lion Al Brandel on Friday 1st May 2009.