FEBRUARY 2023 NEWSLETTER

District Governor - Lion Lesley Chudley

In this month’s issue

DG’s message

Derek Mead drop-in Easter quiz

Callington Lions

MD105 convention

Osmosis plant appeal

Budleigh Salterton Lions

Exeter West Lions

Plymouth Lions

Torpoint & Rame Lions

St Austell Lions

Paignton Lions

Weymouth & Portland Lions

In memorium

Weston-super-Mare Lions

Service recognition awards

Message from the editor

The last month has been a little like living through A Tale of Two Cities, It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. On one hand there have been reports of fantastic outings with the big man in red, bringing joy to so many and raising some quite fantastic sums with which to carry out our service projects. On the flip side of that coin, we lost 9 Lion members to Higher Service and several others have had life changing medical procedures and diagnoses. Please remember the families and loved ones of these Lions will need your care and support. I have recently visited two clubs. Hayle and Clevedon who make it a regular part of their remit to check in on widows of past members and invite them to social events, as I am sure many other clubs do too.

It has been so encouraging to hear of many tales of clubs reaching out in a variety of ways, to the neediest people in our communities over the festive period with food, warm clothing, toiletries, gifts and entertainment to bring a little cheer to those who appreciate any extras they can get. I delivered several hampers from Crewkerne Lions to families supported by a charity called Safe Families for Children. One woman burst into tears and said she thought she was going to have to serve beans on toast for Christmas dinner. The 8lb chicken in the hamper was just beyond her wildest dreams. It is a fantastic privilege to be a Lion!

One topic I would like to raise is Lions and social media, something that I personally am a complete amateur with. Before visiting clubs, I always look on my computer to see what I can find out. One thing that is frequent is redundant websites and Facebook pages that have been set up by a member in a club who has the expertise but fails to pass that knowledge on when they leave the club and so they quickly get out of date. This creates a negative impression when viewed by the public. More seriously, we have recently had an issue where someone no longer a member of a club posted inappropriate material on a club’s Facebook page which, if reported to the Charity Commission, could have seen the club stripped of their charity status. Serious steps had to be taken to protect both the club and Lions International’s reputation. We will be publishing some safety guidelines which will be sent to all clubs and are looking at providing some workshops to help clubs understand how to extend their social media profile safely. In the meantime, please look at all your club’s websites, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tic Toc, and any other social media platforms you may use and make sure that there are at least two up to date administrators and that their names, any passwords or access codes are recorded somewhere in the club’s archives. Social Media is a fantastic tool and, in this day, and age vital, but, like all tools, must be used safely.

In other news, Convention is happening!!! I’m so thrilled. I can’t wait to see as many of you as can make it at Croyde Bay. Have a fantastic start to the New Year.

Lion Wendy Broom would like to thank all those who have sent their kind wishes following the double stroke before Christmas that has left her severely visually impaired. She is managing to cope well at home remarkably well.

Fred Broom