Great speakers with new projects

The 29th District Convention for District 201 T1 was peppered with great speakers and guests. Here are just a few mentions:

The Forth Valley Lions Club adopted the 'Prostate Pete's Undies Line' for prostate cancer awareness and research support for the next three years. They wish to find enough undies with money pinned to it to stretch across Australia. If women can do it with bra's for breast cancer, then we can do the same. Prostate cancer is a bigger killer in men than breast cancer is to women. It is an important issue that all clubs in our district need to participate in!

• Sid Scruggs, 2nd International Vice President, and his wife Judy came over from North Carolina to be with us. HE had a motivating speech that made us go WOW. WOW stands for Wonderful, Opportunity (or obligation) and Winning. He also redefined LIONS: Loving Individuals Offering Needed Services.
  

• Lion Bob Korotcoff, Lions Australia Programme Consultant, spoke to us about insurance issues. Surprisingly he had an entertaining and very informative talk which had no one yawning! He insists we can all call him regarding any insurance issues relating to Lions Projects or Lions as individuals, and not forget Personal or Travel Insurance: <click>. He also reminded us that insurance cover certificates are available from their website: http://www.lionsinsurance.com.au.

• Ben Kiely, Past National Youth of the Year 2002 recipient, spoke to us about his experience post award. Ben has since studied Law and Arts at The University of Melbourne and graduated in 2008. In 2005/06 he completed a three month internship with Reprieve at the Gulf Region Advocacy Centre (GRACE) in Houston, Texas, working on several death penalty cases. Since returning from Houston, Ben stayed involved with Reprieve and has previously served as its Executive Officer. He is currently working at Mallesons Stephen Jaques in Melbourne. One thing he impressed upon us was how lucky we are to be where we are in this world.
  

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back , a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness.... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.

If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people
in the world.

If you can attend church without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death .. you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.

If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you are unique to all those in doubt and despair.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

• Carlene King, the National Chairperson of the Lions Prostate Cancer Awareness Program enlightened us with a speech about Prostate cancer; what we can and should do, and she did not use the obvious diagram:
  
  She also referred us to their award winning website: http://www.prostatehealth.org.au.

• The Kingborough's Lions Club spoke to us about the Tulip Bulb sales for Parkinson's Tasmania Inc. It is an extremely successful initiative that raised $14800 through 32 clubs in the district selling 25000 bulbs. They ran out!