Fall 2019Past Issues Disconnect: The Tech Addiction ChallengeLions in Italy have decided to see for themselves exactly how addicted to technology their kids are. The Lions of District 108 TB designed an experiment with more than 500 young people from the Modena, Italy, region, challenging them to go three days without using their mobile phones. It was not the goal to demonize an instrument that they consider very useful, explained Eugenio Garavini, past president of the Vignola Castelli Medioevali Lions Club. It…more...Aw ShucksIn Iowa, the U.S. corn capital where farmers grow more than 2.5 billion bushels of corn each summer, the Clear Lake Evening Lions have found it best to stick to what folks in the heartland know and love. Popcorn and sweet corn are the tickets to their growing club’s financial success. Popcorn sales come via the famous Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, best known as the place where in 1959 the Winter Dance Party featured…more...Steam Team Revives Lost LocoIt took the advanced engineering skills of dozens of volunteers and more than 30 years of meticulous work, but the restoration of an old steam locomotive train is now complete, thanks in big part to Lions in Renwick, New Zealand. Restoration began with a collection of steam train enthusiasts, retired engineers, and Lions. They called themselves “The Steam Team” and spent long hours dedicated to the project. The origin of the steam engine’s name has…more...Eyes to the FutureEyes to the Future Lions listen to a young volunteer as they wait to board their Memorial Day float. The Lions Clubs of Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia have participated in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. for the past 11 years. More than 150 local clubs march with the float. From left is Lion Tony O'Toole and Lion Joann Bannon from Yellow Springs Lions Club in Maryland, Lion Sue Ensor from…more...Executive Summary – Oct 2019EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Milan, Italy June 30-July 4, 2019 AUDIT COMMITTEE The committee will continue to monitor and follow up on action plans. CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS COMMITTEE Denied a district governor election complaint filed in District 112-C (Belgium) and declared a vacancy in the office of district governor for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Upheld a second vice district governor election complaint filed in District 300-C1 (MD 300 Taiwan), declared the second…more...Anniversaries - Oct 2019OCTOBER 2019 100 Years: Springfield, Ill.; Marquette, Mich. 95 Years: Richmond Noon, Ind.; Hays, Kan.; Tillsonburg, Ontario, CAN; Marietta Noon, Ohio; Montclair, N.J.; Bloomfield, N.J. 90 Years: Spencer, Ind.; Wakita, Okla.; Odon, Ind.; Ridgewood-Glendale-Middle, N.Y.; Northwood, Iowa; Plainview, Texas; Wellsboro, Pa.; Thurmont, Md.; Ravenswood, W.V.; Haleyville, Ala. 85 Years: Mount Desert Island, Maine; Huntington, N.Y.; Falls City, Neb.; Buckingham, Quebec, CAN; Chicago Englewood, Ill.; East Greenwich, R.I.; Dawson, Ga.; Carrollton Host, Texas; Benton Harbor Fairplain,…more...Club News - Oct 2019In Missouri, members of the Mound City Lions Club used the District 26-M4 disaster response trailer to assist with the cleanup of flooded apartments in the spring. In New Jersey, the Fanwood Lions thank their community for 70 years of support, allowing Lions to help the blind through their White Cane Drive, and to support school scholarships through the sale of Christmas trees. The Jamestown Community Lions Club in Indiana purchased eight automated external defibrillator…more...Campaign 100 Is Supporting New Opportunities for LionsCommunities around the world are in great need, facing challenges that seem to grow and multiply. Nevertheless, Lions work tirelessly – whether it is reaching out to neighbors across town or across borders – to create lasting positive change. Thanks to grants from LCIF, Lions receive the support they need to take on some of the world’s most daunting causes. Through Campaign 100, Lions and LCIF are preparing to make large-scale, deep-rooted change by: •…more...KidSight Program Expands to Change Lives in ColombiaEsteban had never had his vision screened before. He had never seen those strange devices, but the Lions who brought them made him feel safe. He and his schoolmates lined up for vision testing, then followed the simple instructions: Look straight ahead and find the little bunny on the front of the machine. Esteban’s world was about to change. Many children are unaware they have a vision problem. With their impairment undetected, these children may…more...Fashioned for ServiceLIONS STEP OUT IN MILAN FOR THE 102ND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION It was time to gather, and even a record-setting heat wave couldn’t wilt the Lion spirit. For five days, Lions convened, met new friends and old, shared ideas, and served. They listened to speakers with inspiring stories and watched as another new International President took the reins. Lions share the love in front of Milan’s iconic Duomo. The parade of nations showcases the incredible diversity…more...Growing in the DarkLion Floyd Poruban proves life flourishes in all kinds of conditions "WELL , HOW DID YOU DO IT ?" “It’s easy,” Floyd Poruban said to his doubting professor. “One has a sticky flower and one has a dry flower.” A horticulture student at The Ohio State University (OSU), Poruban had been assigned to distinguish between an American cranberry shrub and the European variety — two plants so similar that even his sighted colleagues couldn’t see…more...What childhood hunger taught me about generosityWhat childhood hunger taught me about generosity I was five years old when my mom took off with me to the coast. She said she needed a do-over. We were starting fresh, with no belongings, no toys, no furniture. She said we had empty hands so that we could catch new blessings. We also had empty pockets, and she had no job. She’d drank our whole life away, and the booze had left us washed…more...Blood Sugar on the BrainLION DR. MARCO SONGINI INVESTIGATES THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DIABETES AND BRAIN HEALTH When we talk about diabetes, we typically talk about two versions of the condition: Type 1 or Type 2. It’s important to distinguish between the two, because the type determines the treatment. But what if there’s a new type of diabetes — one that has important consequences for the brain? Diabetes researcher (and Lion) Dr. Marco Songini believes he has made a connection…more...Summer of LunchesOn a hot July morning in the Allegheny Mountains, 15 volunteers are busy in a church kitchen, slicing cucumbers, washing apples, making and bagging and counting sandwiches – a labor of love that’s only complete when 200 healthy sack lunches have been handed one-on-one to the kids in their community. But even then the job’s not really done. The next morning they’ll do it again. And the next day, again. And again and again, every…more...Lions See a Need in VirginiaIn Williamsburg, Virginia, patients in need of eye care were often just that: in need. Without an eye clinic in town, they were referred to local practices, and because many of the people do not have their own transportation, the no-show rate for referrals was high. Patients had to wait several weeks to a few months for an appointment. Things changed for the better when the James City Lions Club and the Lions Charity Foundation…more...By the Numbers - Oct 2020“ It’s not rocket science. We know what to do. There just needs to be the will to do it.” —Dr. Tony Iton, on how to improve overall health for everyone. “There’s an inherent distrust for [the disabled]. I ran into it in college and I ran into it when I was building my house.” —Lion Floyd Poruban, who is blind and has made a life as a prominent horticulturalist. “At that moment, though, I…more...Lions Can Fill the Gaps Greetings, Lions. Regardless of where you live, the change of the seasons comes with certain rituals. For many of us, those rituals involve food. Whether it’s the smell of your grandmother’s soup or your neighbor’s hot dogs on the grill, the smells of the season fill you with warm memories. But that may not be the case for those living with hunger. For many, this time of year brings fear and anxiety. Yet another cold…more...Mending the Social FabricAcross the country people of low socioeconomic status live shorter, sicker lives. But it isn’t that poor people have worse habits than healthy people. It’s that we’ve created environments that are so stressful it alters their genetic code.more...