MD1 Lions of Illinois State e-Magazine by Dr. Austin Prabhu

The Illinois Lion & Leo

MD1 e-Magazine (Lite) Vol. 5 - Issue 6, December 2017

LIONS OF ILLINOIS FALL MD1 LEADERSHIP FORUM 2017

From MD1 Council Chair:

Greetings MD1 Lions! I’m hoping you are enjoying this beautiful Fall! Being a Lion is so exciting during this time of year…Candy Day, MD-1 Forum and Leadership Institutes. November is Diabetes

improve lives and strengthen families, in an effort to revitalize communities. Awareness and education are key. LCI is on board to do just that. 422-million people around the world of all races and socio-economic levels are afflicted. Diabetes has no boundaries! Let’s all get on this bandwagon.

Let’s halt this global epidemic by uniting Lions and Leos around this cause.

Make sure your Districts have a Diabetes Chairperson, and that Chairperson works with the Zone Chairpersons to address Lions at your zone meetings. LCI has the materials to take this “Diabetes awareness, prevention and treatment” on the road to your communities. Don’t forget to involve the Leo Clubs you have sponsored with your Diabetes service. We can affect change and engage youth.

Diabetes is the fastest growing disease, and the sixth leading cause of death in the world. Is it preventable? In some cases! So, it is time to actively try to prevent and treat this disease. As Lions, we are dedicated to fighting this epidemic to

Peace Posters and Essays are to be submitted to your District Governors on or before November 15th, 2017. I look forward to seeing today’s youth interpretation of the “Future of Peace” at the December Council meeting.

Awareness Month.

World Diabetes Day - November 14th, 2017 Worldwide Week of Service is November 13th-19th, 2017.

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Your MD-1 Forum is right around the corner. There is still time to get your registration in. This is going to be an exciting Leadership opportunity, a culmination of sessions we have requested as Lions. Don’t forget…Friday evening at the Forum will be the 2017 Host Committee hospitality reception to thank the Centennial Convention volunteers for their boundless hours of volunteering. Special Olympics will be celebrating their 50-year anniversary in July. Since Chicago is the birthplace of Special Olympics, it will be the global stage for this celebration. With our LCI partnership, Lions and Lions clubs from Illinois will play a vital role in these amazing activities. As your Council Chairperson, I will work with Special Olympics and LCI to plan this event. After a November meeting, I will inform the District Governors more specifically of what our responsibilities will consist of. At this time, I do know we will need lots of Lion and Leo volunteers.

are a super star, still you can attend and share your ideas with fellow lions. Increased member participation will make us more knowledgeable lions in our communities; it will improve our performance as a humanitarian leader. Is it one of the reasons why we are going down in membership and clubs? We had 12 districts in MD1 and now we have only 10? It is time to evaluate our leadership as Lions. We should run our clubs just like businesses by looking forward for annual growth in membership and activities in our communities. Unless we do this, our survival rate will go downhill and we do not want this to happen. Every year our PDG’s number grows as we have new governors taking place in all of our districts. Isn’t it practical thinking when we have more leaders we should see growth or our are leaders are not taking active part in lionism? MD1 PDG’s, take the challenge and help your district grow. -Dr. Austin D’Souza, PDG.ILStateEditor@gmail.com

See you at the Forum. -Pamela Graney, MD1 Council Chair pamgraney54@gmail.com

Editorial:

International President’s Message

Where are our attendees?

Dear Lion,

My memory goes back – 20-25 years ago we used to have 1,000+ lions attending Lions of Illinois MD1 Leadership Forum. Almost every club in the State used to send their members to attend this educational seminars day and go back to their clubs to practice what they learned. In recent years, our attendance become very poor and many clubs in MD1 care less to send their members to this event. Sometimes we think that we know everything, why should we go there and spend our time. Actually it is not true at all. No matter how much you think you know, you can still learn new ideas and improve your clubs and members involvement in your community. If you 3

Our Lion year is off to a great start, and I know you are eager to change more lives and achieve our LCI Forward goals. It's going to take great leaders like you to reach our goal of serving 200 million people per year and grow our membership to 1.7 million Lions and Leos. And it's going to take hard work and commitment at all levels of our great association. That's why we developed the Global Action Team. It unifies the three key areas of Lions—leadership, membership and service—to strengthen our clubs, districts and association. It's a bottom-up approach to supporting and encouraging the one thing that unites all Lions: service.

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As the Global Action Team district chairperson, you will support your clubs by serving as a conduit between clubs and the multiple district. You will ensure that your district's Global Action Team coordinators are collaborating to keep your clubs energized and engaged, and that every member, hour and dollar is serving as many urgent needs as possible. You will determine the success of the Global Action Team and Lions. Your clubs are counting on you. And so am I. Let's do everything in our power to make the Global Action Team a success. Then the world will truly see the Power of Action. Looking for a way to start

impacting diabetes but

page to learn more and start planning your service project today!

Share Diabetes Resources with Your Clubs Getting good information and resources into the hands of Lions is critical to our success in the fight against diabetes. Here are some great resources to share with your clubs:   

don't where to We've got covered.

know begin? you Download

25 Diabetes

Project Ideas for a list of service projects that can help any club anywhere get started. Plus, you'll earn special Centennial Service Challenge recognition when you report your diabetes service project on MyLCI. Download the project ideas today to get started!

Impact Diabetes this November The fight against diabetes isn't just our new global service focus, it's also a part of the Centennial Service Challenge. The Worldwide Week of Service to Halt Diabetes this November 13-19 is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of diabetes throughout your community. There are so many ways to support your friends and neighbors who have been affected by this global epidemic. Visit the Worldwide Week of Service to Halt Diabetes



Service Framework Diabetes page 25 Diabetes Project Ideas pamphlet How to Organize a Diabetes Screening Apply for a Core 4 Diabetes Grant

Make sure to talk about diabetes on every club visit this year! Sincerely, Dr. Naresh Aggarwal Your International President

Global Leadership Team:

PCC Fred Peska

MD-1 GLT Report for State Magazine – November: We have a GREAT Forum planned for the Lions of MD-1 this year! With ‘service’ as the theme, we have a speaker from LCI, Andrea Maurey, doing a session on the My Lion app and one on My LCI also covering Centennial Reporting. We have Marlie Pykelney coming from the American Diabetes Association to give us all some direction on how we can best serve this organization. We have Beth Slade from Leader Dogs for the Blind who will be holding two sessions, one covering the services Leader Dogs provide and the other on how to make a client’s video which is

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part of their application process. Lions of Illinois Foundation, Executive Director Mario Gumino will cover their programs and services. We also have Maureen Mall from the Center for Sight and Hearing doing a session on their services. Jama Wahl will be holding a Guiding Lion training session, along with a session on the Global Action Team. A session on LCIF Grant Writing will be given by PID Bud Wahl. We are also working with HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield to provide a speaker for a session on Pediatric Cancer. We have worked hard to bring you new presenters as well as different ideas for service to support the areas of focus designated by LCI at the 100th Convention. And don’t forget the Hospitality for Friday night – provided by the 2017 Host Committee! If you are planning to attend the Forum and stay at the Abe Lincoln Hotel, you must reserve a room by Friday, the 27th of October to get the $99 per night rate!

Also, if you are planning to attend the Guiding Lion training, please provide that information on your registration form so Lion Jama can have enough materials available! If you have already sent in your registration and plan to attend this session, please let Lion Jama know! Respectfully submitted, -PCC Fred Peska, MD1 GLT Coordinator diamondp@mchsi.com

Send your articles, pictures and news to: ILStateEditor@gmail.com Let the world know what you are you doing in your club!

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Lions Continuous Response to Disaster Relief Efforts Dear Lions, Thank you for your most generous donations to LCIF. Just this year, your donations have enabled LCIF to respond to the disasters from Japan to South Asia to the U.S. Gulf Coast, Mexico and several Caribbean islands. Earlier this month, Hurricane Harvey devastated the south central coast of Texas and areas of Louisiana. More recently, Hurricane Irma struck Florida and other areas of the Southeast United States, and laid waste to islands in the western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. Mexico has been rattled by its strongest earthquake in 100 years. Together, LCIF and Lions are supporting relief efforts for all of these disasters. We have been working directly with Lions in the affected areas to ensure they have what they need to respond in these emergencies, and disaster relief funds have been made available for Lions in all of the affected areas. In turn, Lions are coordinating their efforts with local agencies to determine the greatest need and how Lions can address those needs. Your donations allow LCIF to respond to disasters at the moment they happen, and ensure we can respond when called upon for future emergencies. Together, we are making a significant difference. Disaster Relief Overview LCIF’s commitment to disaster relief goes back to our beginnings, when we awarded our very first grant for flood relief in South Dakota, USA. Whenever and wherever disasters strike, Lions are often among the first to offer aid—and LCIF is right there with them, ready to support their efforts with funding assistance through Lions disaster relief programs.

September 11th and the Haiti earthquake. Lions know that disaster can affect anyone’s community, whether it’s halfway around the world or right at home. That’s why in the last 10 years, LCIF has provided more than US$100 million for disaster relief programs worldwide. Thanks to the support Lions provide to LCIF on an ongoing basis, Emergency Grants are available to provide for basic immediate needs including food, water, clothing and medicine. We have learned from experience that when a disaster victim receives aid quickly, it provides strength needed to survive the shock and loss and even a little hope for the future. To date, more than 3,000 emergency grants have been awarded. After immediate needs are met, victims of disasters are not forgotten. LCIF remains committed to the important rebuilding of homes and lives that must happen, often long after a disaster occurs. Through Major Catastrophe Grants, LCIF helps with long-term reconstruction projects to help victims begin to return to their lives and regain their independence. At the heart of LCIF’s disaster relief programs are the individuals and families your donations reach. Donate to LCIF’s ongoing disaster relief fund. Find out how to apply for an Emergency Grant. Very truly yours,

Working together, LCIF, local Lions and Lions leaders assess the urgent needs and quickly deliver the aid most required by victims. This grassroots model has proven effective in tragedies around the world, such as the Southeast Asia tsunami, 12

MD1 Lions & Leos e-Magazine

Chancellor Bob Corlew Chairman, Lions Clubs International Foundation

Celebrating Lions' Celebrating You!

100th Anniversary,

It's Going to Be a Banner Year! Our enormous Centennial banner, proudly displaying signatures from our worldwide community of Lions, was a focal point at our recent Centennial convention. We still have one year left to celebrate, so now is the time to organize your club's participation in the Centennial Service Challenge, Membership Awards and Legacy Projects for 2017-18!

Lions' New Service Framework As we begin our second century of service, the Global Action Team (comprised of the Global Leadership Team (GLT), Global Membership Team (GMT) and Global Service Team (GST) will enable us to expand on our motto, "We Serve." The Global Action Team will take on a new and unified approach to service, membership and leadership development at all levels of the association, with Service central to the team's vision and mission. You will play a key role on our journey to serve 200 million lives per year by 2021. In the coming year, we plan to significantly increase the number of Lions who serve and the number of people we serve. By working together as one team, "The Global Action Team," we can achieve our goal. More information and resources on the Global Action Team and your role are available thru the link below. 13

Dear Club LCIF Coordinator, The new Club LCIF Coordinator position is crucial to the success of Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF). Thank you for volunteering to serve in this important role! Your passion and dedication make you the ideal person for the job. You will be asked to share LCIF stories, provide opportunities for your fellow Lions to support LCIF, and enable LCIF to advance its humanitarian work both locally and globally. You will serve as a bridge between LCIF and the Lions in your club, and we are excited to have you on our team. It is our goal that every Lions club will receive a presentation on LCIF this year so we can grow the number clubs and individuals who support our Foundation. We have designed a new webpagefull of tools and resources to help you engage your club members and support the mission of LCIF. Be sure to add this page to your web browser bookmarks and check back often for exciting new content you can share. Sincerely, LCIF Development Greetings Fellow Lions, As you are probably aware LCI has added Diabetes as a service area related to the Centennial Service Challenge. So during the final year, clubs can complete four or five areas to obtain diamond-level status. Within my own district, I have had clubs ask about potential service projects related to the area of Diabetes. To help provide information, I put together the attached document with potential service projects that LCI suggests.

MD1 Lions & Leos e-Magazine

If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

club about LCIF and the opportunities available to you.

potential

grant

Lion Jeff Bathe, Multiple District Centennial Coordinator Jeffrey.bathe@gmail.com

Dear Lions, As a leader of this organization, something I want you to know is that Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) stands with Lions. LCIF helps Lions' projects reach more people and benefit more communities. Have you ever thought about if the service project in your community could have reached more people if provided additional resources? Have you ever been involved in a project that you wish could have helped more people? LCIF grants are available to help you do that. Receiving a grant for your service project may seem like an abstract idea, but it is possible to accomplish this for your own community. The donations that LCIF receives go directly to Lions who apply for grants and meet the required criteria.

New Grant Categories:

As the needs of this world continue changing, LCIF must also evolve to provide support to those in need. With these changes come new grant categories. The new categorization will keep the foundation's mission in mind and will encourage Lions and LCIF to focus on more sustainable projects. In addition, a new, very exciting grant is coming soon. Leos will be able to plan and implement their own service projects with assistance from an LCIF grant! You can expect more information on these changes soon. With brand-new options, Lions are now going to be able to impact more people than ever. Still Recruiting Club LCIF Coordinators

Think about the service projects your club is participating in. Can a grant make your projects more impactful to your community or the community you are serving? In addition, think about this the next time you consider giving a donation to LCIF. We have some exciting changes happening to our grants framework, so I hope you will talk with your

The Club LCIF Coordinator is an ambassador for LCIF at the club level. This position is crucial to the

MD1 Lions & Leos e-Magazine

promotion of our foundation. This Lion shares LCIF stories, motivates fellow Lions to support LCIF, and enables LCIF to advance its humanitarian work both locally and globally. Club LCIF Coordinators will be equipped with resources that will allow them to champion the goals of the foundation to Lions. This position is truly an exciting role and is of great importance to LCIF. If you would like to serve in this position for your club for the 2017-2018 year, tell your club president today!

Share Your Stories

Lions are working hard every day to create change around the world. Some Lions are volunteering their time in schools, some are planting trees, assisting communities after disasters, or spreading the word about safe and effective vaccinations. Whatever your project is, share it with LCIF and all Lions! Stories and pictures not only let everyone know about the good work you are doing, but they inspire others to create projects of their own. Share your stories today!

LCIF Awards Major Catastrophe Grant to Lions in Puerto Rico

but two earthquakes in Mexico. Most recently, Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) awarded a US$100,000 grant to support relief and reconstruction in Puerto Rico in the wake of another destructive hurricane. Your Foundation has responded with emergency and major catastrophe grants to allow Lions on scene to provide muchneeded supplies. In all cases, LCIF coordinates funding for emergency and major catastrophe grants with local Lions. Lions in the disaster area then work with local government officials and other agencies to ensure the right supplies are getting to areas most in need, without duplication of effort. Since its founding in 1968, LCIF has awarded more than 13,000 grants totaling over US$1 billion. LCIF will continue to work every day to support humanitarian service projects all over the world and give hope to those who need it. In 2015-2016, LCIF awarded over US$9 million in disaster grants, which helped more than 500,000 people around the world. LCIF relies on donations from compassionate Lions. These donations provide the vast majority of the revenue received by LCIF, making the Foundation a leading humanitarian organization. Lions know their donations matter and that funds entrusted to LCIF will support initiatives that impact communities and change lives. Your donation – whatever the amount – allows the Foundation to respond when called upon, and has a direct impact on the lives of millions of people.

Along with your donation, I know you join me in keeping the victims of these most recent natural disasters in your thoughts and prayers.

Dear Lions: It is hard to recall a time recently when so many major natural disasters occurred in Together we are making a difference. such a short period of time. Over the past several weeks, natural disasters have struck in several Sincerely, places, with particularly devastating results – flooding in India and Japan, hurricanes in the Chancellor Bob Corlew United States and Caribbean islands, and not one Chairman, Lions Clubs International Foundation MD1 State Monthly e-Magazine Edited & Published by Dr. Austin D’Souza, PDG for Lions and Leos of Illinois. e-Mail Address: ILStateEditor@gmail.com 15 pictures MD1and Lions & Leos e-Magazine Mail your articles, news items to above e-mail address.