October 2017 MD1 State of Illinois Magazine

The Illinois Lion & Leo MD1 e-Magazine (Lite) Vol. 5 - Issue 4, October 2017

Whole Orion Community participated in Orion Lions Fall Festival which raised $4,500 for Disaster Relief

From MD1 Council Chair: Greetings MD1 Lions!

What about this beautiful weather? I hope everyone is enjoying our extended summer!

Welcome home Lions from the USA-Canada Leadership Forum!

We look forward to you sharing what you’ve learned with the Lions who couldn’t make it to Portland.

PCC Fred Peska and his GLT committee have been working to plan an exciting and interesting Lions of Illinois MD-1 Forum. Their goal is to have a session that will appeal to every Lion! This year’s Forum kicks off on Friday night with “Thank you, Volunteers” hospitality, hosted by the 2017 International Convention Host Committee. You must be registered for the Forum to attend. You will be receiving registration forms from your Governor or Cabinet Secretary.

The 2017-2018 Peace Poster Contest is in full swing. What a wonderful way to encourage students ages 11-13 to share the “the Future of Peace”. I had the privilege of meeting last year’s winner at the United Nations. What an amazing young woman!

I would like to challenge all MD-1 Clubs to choose a Legacy Project and complete it by the end of our Lions year in June, 2018. Please e-mail me to let me know what you are doing. Don’t forget to report your project on MyLCI. Lions Worldwide Week of Service in Sight happens October 9 - 15, 2017…

A special worldwide week of service dedicated to ending blindness and visual impairments. What an opportunity to save sight and serve your community.

It is a great way to support the Centennial Service Challenge, too.

Organize a vision screening, donate white canes, plan an event to raise money for LCIF or your community Center for Sight, adopt an adult or student who needs eyeglasses, set up recycle boxes and collect eyeglasses or purchase an assistive device for a community member. Contact your LEHP State or District Chairperson for a program on Eye Health.

Lions World Sight Day - October 12th A day to unite Lions to improve sight and prevent blindness.

International White Cane Safety Day - October 15th Wishing all Lions a productive October serving your communities and the world!

The power of we…WE SERVE! -Pamela Graney, MD1 Council Chair pamgraney54@gmail.com

Editorial: Fall is here!

We experienced ‘Chicago Weather’ in Illinois with 90+ degrees near the end of September. Now fall is here to stay; leaves will fall from the trees, many annual plants will die and chilly weather will demand us to wear coats to cover.

Many businesses in the US are already displaying Christmas trees, ornaments and figurines. Even though we still have to finish Halloween and Thanksgiving Day, it is odd to see Christmas so early – still we have three months for December 25th. I think we lions also use this strategy in bringing new members to our clubs. Start well in advance, push as much as we can and grow our clubs in our communities.

Unless we bring some aggression just like these businessmen and women, we will not be able to reach our goal to make our world membership 1.5 million. We bring new members every year and for

Plan a project, promote it, and report it on MyLCI! 2

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some reason we also lose them a lot in big numbers.

One of the reasons for our membership loss is – we do not have proper orientation when we bring new members. Many join just for someone’s obligation and friendship and they leave as they do not find personal interest in staying in lions clubs. We, lion leaders should take more responsibility and get them involved in our service activities so that they can spend their valuable time in lionism to serve their communities.

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.

In this fall season, let us make it sure that none of our lions club members are falling away from lionism.

-Dr. Austin D’Souza, PDG.ILStateEditor@gmail.com

International President’s Message Dear Lion, 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.

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, 3

Looking for a way to start impacting diabetes but don't know where to begin? We've got you covered. 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

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of Service to Halt Diabetes page to learn more and start planning your service project today!

A quick preview on some of the sessions being planned: The My Lion app – we are working with LCI to provide a presenter who knows all the nuances of this application and who can help Lions become more familiar with its features.

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:    

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

My LCI – we need to make sure our service projects are getting reported correctly. This seminar will help all Club Officers become more familiar with this website feature.

Our LIF programs and partnerships – what can we expect from our Foundation over the next few years.

And for those attending the Forum, we are making some fun plans with the 2017 Host Committee for Hospitality on Friday night! They would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped over the past several years with the 100th International Convention – so the hospitality that night will be on them! You just need to attend and enjoy!

Registration for the Forum is required to enter the Hospitality room!

So – watch for the registration form, coming your way soon. The Forum is Saturday, November 18th, from 8:30 to 4:00. It will be held at the President Abe Lincoln Hotel in downtown Springfield.

Hello MD-1 Lions: -PCC Fred Peska, MD1 GLT Coordinator The MD-1 Fall Forum is just around the corner!

The District GLT Chairs from around the State have been working on the details and planning a Forum you won’t want to miss! The year’s Forum will be focused primarily on service!

In following with the International theme of ‘we serve’ along with the ‘power of We’, meaningful service projects throughout our organization is the number one way of recruiting new members.

People join a service organization because they want to give back, and be involved in helping those less fortunate, in their communities and around the world.

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diamondp@mchsi.com

Welcome mobile Lions.

We’re proud to send you this first edition of MyLion Connect, a monthly newsletter designed to help you get the most out of the MyLion mobile app. Each issue will be filled with tips, hints, statistics, and inspiration. We encourage your participation and feedback, so we can make MyLion a powerful resource in our mission to change the world.

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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.

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.

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.

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, 10

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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.

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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.

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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

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

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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 Dear Lions: It is hard to recall a time recently when so many major natural disasters occurred in such a short period of time. Over the past several weeks, natural disasters have struck in several places, with particularly devastating results – flooding in India and Japan, hurricanes in the United States and Caribbean islands, and not one but two earthquakes in Mexico. Most recently,

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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 much-needed 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.

Together we are making a difference.

Sincerely, Chancellor Bob Corlew Chairman, Lions Clubs International Foundation

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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 Mail your articles, pictures and news items to above e-mail address.

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