Summer 2022Past Issues The Many Ways We ServeHello, Lions! Just like we are all a little unique (or maybe even a lot unique) so is the way we serve. We are so diverse as Lions, and the people we serve are equally diverse. How I approach my service is based on what i saw my father do as a Lion and what my town needs from me today. How you approach service will be based on your background and what is needed…more...Together We CanBecause we know that together we are more. Together, there are no limits. A presidency that took flight in Bird Island To know Brian Sheehan is to know Bird Island, a small town in Minnesota where family and community are nearly one and the same. Families take care of one another, and neighbors look out for each other. It’s safe. It’s trusting. It’s close-knit. “Everybody knows everybody, and everybody watches out for you,” said…more...A New FrontierThat’s one small step for man, one giant leap for vision. Brian, a Lion, was the very first participant in a groundbreaking project in vision research. In early February, 2022, a team of researchers successfully implanted a first-of-its-kind artificial vision system into the brain of a blind volunteer. The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis (ICVP) bypasses the retina and optic nerves and connects directly with the visual cortex, creating the potential for those without vision to gain…more...The Task of Lions“Pain. We feel pain. We’ve packed up our lives in one suitcase.” Marina wears a black turtleneck sweater and glasses as she sits in a comfortable flat in Ausburg, Germany. The pain she describes is evident on her face. She is a kindergarten teacher and, until March, she lived with her young son and husband in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. “Everything was great,” she says through an interpreter. “And one morning it was announced that the war…more...O Pioneers!In early May 2022, Lion Corinne Masters saw a hint of green in the landscape. Someone else reported seeing a few flowers blooming. A few farmers near Masters’ family land had cattle grazing. Lion Corinne Masters lost miles of fencing along her property in the Paradise fire. On an ordinary spring day this would not have qualified for conversation among the tight-knit people of north-central Kansas, where the pioneer spirit has tied families to the…more...Mud and MayhemMembers of the Almaguin Highlands Lions Club don’t mind getting down and dirty for a good cause. The club based in Strong Township, Ontario hosts an annual bush race every August at Copeman Tree Farms in Sundridge, Ontario.“Past district Governor Bill Copeman owns the land and graciously lets me dig big holes for water and mud,” says Jocelyn Modl, charter president and current club president. Those words “mud,” “water,” and “holes” should be signs that…more...Catching FrogsAn hour or so after arriving at summer camp, seven-year-old Brian* is in tears. Spotting Kathy, Brian launches himself into her arms, repeating, between choked sobs, “I want to go home.” Kathy has a son named Brian, but he isn’t the blond little boy who has wrapped his arms around her – he is the boy’s father. This younger Brian is her grandson. Kathy doesn’t take her grandchildren fishing or for sleepovers on Saturday nights…more...More than a memory: ‘Mayfield strong’On an abnormally warm December night in the United States, a series of devastating tornadoes whipped through dozens of communities in the states of Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, and Indiana. The tornadoes ripped through homes and businesses, pulled powerlines straight from the ground, and spread debris miles around—leaving destruction in their wake. “It looked horrific; it looked like a bomb had gone off,” said Council Chairperson Judge Kevin Bishop of Mayfield, Kentucky, after witnessing…more...Lions Clubs International Honors Dr. Helena Ndume with Humanitarian AwardFor her dedication to humanitarian service and medical contributions to the world, Dr. Helena Ndume, Chief of Ophthalmology at Windhoek Central Hospital in Namibia, and partner with SEE International, was presented with the 2022 Lions Humanitarian Award during the 104th Lions Clubs International Convention in Montreal, CA, on June 28, 2022. Forced to flee her homeland in the Oshikoto region of Namibia at 15, Helena lived in the South West Africa People’s Organization’s (SWAPO) liberation…more...We Are ConnectedAnja Rožen, 13, from Ravne na Koroškem, Slovenia, is the Grand Prize Winner of the 2021-2022 Peace Poster Contest. Shreya Zoy, 13, from Kerala, India. “Peace is very important,” said Rožen. “There is inner peace, which is finding happiness and contentment no matter how stressful your life is. Peace is also freedom from violence. When there is peace, nations and the whole planet can be stable and promote cultural growth. I don’t understand wars, how…more...Walking the WalkLions in District 35-N (Florida, Bahamas, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) felt the 35th anniversary of women in Lions deserved some flair. They designed a commemorative pin that they say “represents feminism but also strength in leadership, professionalism, and service to Lions Clubs International.” Says Second Vice District Governor Jane Colona, “I challenge you to take a walk in our stilettos for a day and you will understand how important women are to the strength of…more...On the Road AgainAlvin Bouchard may be miles from home and days away from seeing family and Lion friends in Nova Scotia, Canada. But he carries his Lion heart in his big rig, delivering kindness all over North America. The owner and operator of Total Logistics Trucking in Prince Edward Island, Canada, has been a long-haul trucker since 1994. About 18 months ago he became a charter member of the Nova Scotia Cyber Lions Club where club president…more...Super GrandpaI was a member of the Stephenson Lions Club for eight or nine years before I really became a Lion. I regularly attended club meetings, I had flipped hundreds of pancakes, and I had grown to be a committed club member. I faithfully paid my dues, contributed to LCI, and was drawn to future Lions leadership when my tile business calmed down. But it was just a few years ago that I had the experience…more...The World Needs LionsChanging the world. It’s why the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF)—a global foundation—empowered service through its most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history. June 30, 2022, officially marked the end of Campaign 100: LCIF Empowering Service. Thanks to support from Lions, Leos, partners, and other donor support, Campaign 100 is completed and Lions and Leos across the world can celebrate reaching the goal of raising more than US$300 million to support the foundation for generations…more...Together We Are Team LionsHello, Lions! Boy, am I excited to be addressing you for the first time as your new International President. If you know me, you know I like making everything just a little bit fun. And if you don’t know me, well, I hope you will come to know and love my approach to service—which is to do everything with a whole lot of energy and a smile. People say I have a lot of energy,…more...Two Decades of Helping the World See ClearlyFive-year-old Breisy struggled to recognize letters and objects at school. Thanks to support from the Sight For Kids program, a program co-founded by the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) and Johnson & Johnson Vision, Breisy enjoys a new pair of glasses and—now—she finally sees clearly. Maria, Breisy’s mother, described her daughter’s free vision screening and pair of eyeglasses, provided through the Sight For Kids program, as a blessing after economic hardships that prevented her from…more...