With our milestone birthday in just three months, Tony Fawcett takes a nostalgic look back to the beginnings of Lions Australia
Know what the initials L- I- O-N-S stand for?
Today Lions stands for community service but back when the organisation was being launched in Australia, it was explained to potential members that L stood for Liberty, I for Intelligence and O-N-S for Our Nation’s Safety.
Apex rebuff leads to Lions
Lions Australia might not have happened but for William “Bill” R. Tresise’s unhappiness that, nearing 40, he would according to rules soon need to retire as the 11th National President of Apex.
He was even unhappier when his attempts to form a senior Apex movement were rebuffed.
Fortuitously, a chance 1946 meeting with a soon-to-be International President of Lions led him to a meeting with the Secretary-General and Founder of the Lions Association, Melvin Jones, in Chicago.
In quick time he found himself appointed a provisional District Governor, with power to form Lions clubs in Australia.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: The year was 1947 and with the encouragement of far-sighted William “Bill” R Tresise locals flocked to a Lismore, NSW hotel for the chartering of Australia’s first Lions club.
The next year Bill, the owner of a plaster and hardware business, formed a club in his home town Lismore, followed by Murwillumbah (1948).
His aim was to have a Lions club in every town with a population of 3000-plus.
By 1976 there were 1,000 clubs.
Australia was the 18th country to enter the International Association of Lions Clubs.
Lions not liars!
When Sydney lawyer Bill Berge Phillips and friend Charles Copeland heard about the International Lions movement from local founder Bill Tresise, they determined to form a club in their home city.
Their big problem early on was getting members because few in 1952 Sydney had even heard of Lions – and it didn’t help that on sighting Bill’s Lions badge many enquired what the “Liars Club” was all about.
Furore over Lions birthplace fountain
A decision to demolish a fountain commemorating Lismore as the 1947 birthplace of Lions Australia created a public furore several years ago.
Constructed 20 years after Bill Tresise founded the first Australian Lions club, the fountain had fallen into disrepair and was considered by some as not worth saving … that’s until local Lions and others got involved.
Sensing the mood of the moment, the local council quickly moved into action, working with Lions to raise funds for restoration.
The following year the revamped fountain was unveiled, appropriately on the 70th anniversary of Lions Australia, with the addition of colourful mosaics telling a visual history of the organisation.
Enthused the local mayor: “The new artwork is a beautiful tribute to the rich history of Lions in Australia and we are very excited to be able to unveil it to the general public.”
Fittingly the unveiling was followed by a sausage sizzle.
Luscious language
While the good deeds of Australian Lions have never been doubted, it’s fascinating to look back at how the language has changed since early Lions gatherings.
At the first National Convention, staged in Coolangatta in 1953, for instance, no-one reportedly raised an eyebrow when it was announced to all that Australians had much to be appreciative of, including “the lovely luscious ladies which graced its shore”.
Likely this choice of adjective was then not considered politically incorrect, given the word “male” would not be dropped as a condition of Lions membership for another 34 years.
Stickler for getting it right
DRIVING FORCE: Whether grammar or starting new clubs, Lions Australia founder Bill Tresise was a stickler for getting it right.
Australian Lions today owe much to local founder Bill Tresise for his attention to detail. As a perfectionist dedicated to personal development, he ensured the organisation’s launch ran along strict professional lines.
These demanding goals even extended to his family. As one of his sons, the late Max Tresise, would later reveal, his father disapproved of poor grammar and would have offenders among his young family repeat something until it could be recited word perfectly.
“We were encouraged to learn Rudyard Kipling’s poem entitled ‘If ’, even though it took months to memorise,” recalled Max. “We had to be word perfect before Wally and I, aged about 14 and 12 years of age, received our generous reward of 10 shillings each.”
Lion to the rescue
Early clubs were quick to realise the value of the Lions name. When Australia’s second Lions club, Murwillumbah in north-east NSW, decided it needed to act after the disastrous 1954 floods claimed an estimated 30 lives in the region, it commissioned a wooden rescue boat and named it the Lion.
Just 15 days after its launch, the Lion, which cost 745 pounds, was in action evacuating flood-bound people from low lying areas of South Murwillumbah.
Crews worked into the night on that mission of mercy, which won wide local praise.
Not even its sinking after being holed by a submerged fence post could stop the Lion’s ongoing rescues in the flood-prone region. It was quickly repaired by local company C Hawkins and Son that had built it and returned to service.
A story of hope
/in HUMANITARIAN, NEWS /by Elise MurrellOne of the positive things to come out of this lockdown craziness is the opportunity that an increasing use of technology gives us to meet amazing people.
One of our Lions, who is very interested in helping the Afghan refugees that supported our defence forces, introduced me to Doug Abdiel, an ex-US Marine who now lives and works in Australia. Like our Lions, Doug saw a need and rather than sit back, decided to do something about it.
Doug spent most of his career as a military officer which took him to Afghanistan and Haiti. After coming to Australia with his Australian wife, he felt compelled to reach out to the people he had worked with in those countries who were fortunate enough to make it to Australia. With the help of his very understanding wife, he purchased a paper tube manufacturing company in Melbourne that has employed 25 refugees in the last four years and put over $1M into their pockets.
Although this is not a Lions project, I thought it may be of interest to some Lions members who are close to this issue.
Through the Not-for-profit organisation, “Purpose and Growth”, Doug’s project has three elements to help Afghans that now call Australia home.
Firstly, they have an initiative to provide a simple, discounted laptop to each new family, simple technology to help the family engage with the community for education, business and support.
Secondly, to help newly arrived refugees to get a job. They provide free, multilingual induction courses, and Purpose and Growth will cover 75% of the cost of certifications required for employment (e.g. forklift tickets).
Thirdly, Purpose and Growth directly helps refugees through employment in a small paper factory in Victoria.
Purpose and growth would love to tell this story of how they employed 25 refugees in the last four years (read here in The Australian). This might be a great opportunity for the next online meeting of your club.
Rob Oerlemans
Executive Officer
75th Anniversary – Snapshots from our founding years.
/in NEWS, OUR STORIES /by Elise MurrellWith our milestone birthday in just three months, Tony Fawcett takes a nostalgic look back to the beginnings of Lions Australia
Know what the initials L- I- O-N-S stand for?
Today Lions stands for community service but back when the organisation was being launched in Australia, it was explained to potential members that L stood for Liberty, I for Intelligence and O-N-S for Our Nation’s Safety.
Apex rebuff leads to Lions
Lions Australia might not have happened but for William “Bill” R. Tresise’s unhappiness that, nearing 40, he would according to rules soon need to retire as the 11th National President of Apex.
He was even unhappier when his attempts to form a senior Apex movement were rebuffed.
Fortuitously, a chance 1946 meeting with a soon-to-be International President of Lions led him to a meeting with the Secretary-General and Founder of the Lions Association, Melvin Jones, in Chicago.
In quick time he found himself appointed a provisional District Governor, with power to form Lions clubs in Australia.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: The year was 1947 and with the encouragement of far-sighted William “Bill” R Tresise locals flocked to a Lismore, NSW hotel for the chartering of Australia’s first Lions club.
The next year Bill, the owner of a plaster and hardware business, formed a club in his home town Lismore, followed by Murwillumbah (1948).
His aim was to have a Lions club in every town with a population of 3000-plus.
By 1976 there were 1,000 clubs.
Australia was the 18th country to enter the International Association of Lions Clubs.
Lions not liars!
When Sydney lawyer Bill Berge Phillips and friend Charles Copeland heard about the International Lions movement from local founder Bill Tresise, they determined to form a club in their home city.
Their big problem early on was getting members because few in 1952 Sydney had even heard of Lions – and it didn’t help that on sighting Bill’s Lions badge many enquired what the “Liars Club” was all about.
Furore over Lions birthplace fountain
A decision to demolish a fountain commemorating Lismore as the 1947 birthplace of Lions Australia created a public furore several years ago.
Constructed 20 years after Bill Tresise founded the first Australian Lions club, the fountain had fallen into disrepair and was considered by some as not worth saving … that’s until local Lions and others got involved.
Sensing the mood of the moment, the local council quickly moved into action, working with Lions to raise funds for restoration.
The following year the revamped fountain was unveiled, appropriately on the 70th anniversary of Lions Australia, with the addition of colourful mosaics telling a visual history of the organisation.
Enthused the local mayor: “The new artwork is a beautiful tribute to the rich history of Lions in Australia and we are very excited to be able to unveil it to the general public.”
Fittingly the unveiling was followed by a sausage sizzle.
Luscious language
While the good deeds of Australian Lions have never been doubted, it’s fascinating to look back at how the language has changed since early Lions gatherings.
At the first National Convention, staged in Coolangatta in 1953, for instance, no-one reportedly raised an eyebrow when it was announced to all that Australians had much to be appreciative of, including “the lovely luscious ladies which graced its shore”.
Likely this choice of adjective was then not considered politically incorrect, given the word “male” would not be dropped as a condition of Lions membership for another 34 years.
Stickler for getting it right
DRIVING FORCE: Whether grammar or starting new clubs, Lions Australia founder Bill Tresise was a stickler for getting it right.
Australian Lions today owe much to local founder Bill Tresise for his attention to detail. As a perfectionist dedicated to personal development, he ensured the organisation’s launch ran along strict professional lines.
These demanding goals even extended to his family. As one of his sons, the late Max Tresise, would later reveal, his father disapproved of poor grammar and would have offenders among his young family repeat something until it could be recited word perfectly.
“We were encouraged to learn Rudyard Kipling’s poem entitled ‘If ’, even though it took months to memorise,” recalled Max. “We had to be word perfect before Wally and I, aged about 14 and 12 years of age, received our generous reward of 10 shillings each.”
Lion to the rescue
Early clubs were quick to realise the value of the Lions name. When Australia’s second Lions club, Murwillumbah in north-east NSW, decided it needed to act after the disastrous 1954 floods claimed an estimated 30 lives in the region, it commissioned a wooden rescue boat and named it the Lion.
Just 15 days after its launch, the Lion, which cost 745 pounds, was in action evacuating flood-bound people from low lying areas of South Murwillumbah.
Crews worked into the night on that mission of mercy, which won wide local praise.
Not even its sinking after being holed by a submerged fence post could stop the Lion’s ongoing rescues in the flood-prone region. It was quickly repaired by local company C Hawkins and Son that had built it and returned to service.
The countdown is on – Lions volunteers are celebrating 75 years of always being there for the community
/in ENVIRONMENT, HUMANITARIAN, NEWS /by Rob OerlermansFrom bushfires and floods and even the spread of COVID-19, Lions volunteers are always there for the community and this is the theme as Lions Australia gears up for its 75-year anniversary next year.
With just 12 months to go, the countdown is officially on and volunteers across Australia are kickstarting celebrations in their communities. In coming months many clubs will be hosting special events and the organisation is aiming to plant at least 75 commemorative gardens across the country before the official anniversary in September 2022.
Since the first club was formed in Lismore in 1947, Lions Australia has grown to be the largest service club organisation in Australia, with over 1200 clubs and 25,000 members giving back through an array of community-based programs and initiatives.
Some Lions are on a mission to cure childhood cancer and Alzheimer’s, others to help support those affected by droughts and floods and many are working together to make their local community a better place to live.
Lions Australia CEO Rob Oerlemans says the anniversary is a wonderful opportunity to not only celebrate the impact of Lions over the past 75 years but also recognise the growth and evolution of the organisation as it looks ahead to the next 75 years and beyond.
“From drought, fires and floods to the spread of COVID-19, our country has faced many challenges in recent years, which has really highlighted the power of community service.”
“We are so proud of what we have achieved to date and are well positioned to make an even bigger difference in the future.”
“Our goal at Lions is that the demographic makeup of our clubs matches the demography of the community in which they operate and our organisation has really adapted and evolved over the years. We’re so proud to have a growing number of speciality clubs across Australia ranging from young Leo clubs, virtual clubs, ethnic clubs, special interest and autism clubs and an incredible range of projects and foundations making a real difference in the community.”
“Many clubs are planning special events in their communities in coming months. We are delighted to see so many jumping on board with our 75 commemorative garden project. At Lions, we pride ourselves on doing our bit to nurture our local, national and global environments. It’s one of Lions’ five key global focus areas.”
For anyone in the community interested in doing some volunteering, Rob says it’s a great time to join Lions.
“If you see your local Lions volunteers out and about in coming months make sure you stop by, says hello and see how you might be able to get involved. We know there are many people
out there looking to make a difference in the community right now, and it’s a great time to join us,” says Rob Oerlemans.
Lions volunteers pay annual membership fees to cover admin costs which means 100% of funds donated to your local Lions Club goes directly towards the cause.
Lions volunteers say thank you to our COVID Healthcare Heroes
/in HEALTH, HUMANITARIAN, NEWS /by Rob OerlermansFrontline health staff are working under extreme conditions right now, but local Lions volunteers are on a mission to recognise our COVID-19 Healthcare Heroes and they’re asking for the community’s help!
Coogee Lions Club volunteers are working closely with Prince of Wales Hospital to recognise and reward nurses in the COVID ward on a weekly basis.
Healthcare Heroes will be acknowledged for their hard work and will each be presented with a special certificate of thanks and a $50 shopping voucher.
Coogee Lions Club Co-President Sari-Elle Kraemer says the project is a wonderful way for the community to come together and show healthcare workers how much they are appreciated at this difficult time.
“Lions are local volunteers passionate about doing what we can to help others and make a difference in the community. Right now, we’re on a mission to recognise the hardworking frontline healthcare workers who are going above and beyond to look after the community during COVID-19.”
“Many are working longer and more frequent shifts in physically challenging environments, having to perform their role in double layered Personal Protective Equipment and endure the stress and trauma of increasing case numbers.”
“We know there are many others like us who would like to say thank you, so we invite the community to help us. We’ve set up a Gofund me page and each week we would love to give our Healthcare Heroes a $50 shopping voucher or gift to show our appreciation for their incredible work. We encourage the community to jump online and make a donation. The more funds we receive the more Healthcare Heroes we can thank.”
For more information on how you can help thank our COVID-19 Healthcare Heroes visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/coogee-lions-healthcare-heroes
Every dollar raised will go to the Healthcare Heroes.
Lion Hero – Paul McInnes
/in Lion Hero /by Rob OerlermansPaul McInnes is a tireless worker across a range of local and international community and charitable projects. He is proud to have chartered the Blacktown Ponds Lions Club Inc. and was the Charter President. The Club would not be where it is today without his knowledge, tenacity, support, intelligence and hard work.
Lion Hero – Peter Garnham
/in Lion Hero /by Rob OerlermansLion Peter Garnham has been a member of the Lions Club of East Maitland for 26 years and is a founding member of the Maitland Men’s Shed and a former Deputy Mayor of Maitland City Council.
Passionate about service, and dedicated to the community, Peter lends a hand to many diverse community groups and causes, as well as Lions.
Thank you to our Lions Hero.
Heartbreak behind Lions mission of mercy
/in EMERGENCY RESPONSE, HUMANITARIAN, OUR STORIES /by Elise MurrellHe might be a reluctant hero but Need for Feed founder Graham Cockerell takes pride in the $30 million hay bail-out for struggling Aussie farmers. Tony Fawcett reports.
Graham Cockerell knows well the heartbreak that can affect Australian farming families.
As an 11-year-old, PDG Graham, founder of Lions-based Need for Feed which in 15 years has delivered $30 million worth of hay to ailing farmers, suffered the loss of his father to farm-related suicide.
The memory and sadness of that event, which forced the selling of the family farm, has never left him.
Looking back on Need for Feed’s phenomenal record in helping drought, fire and flood affected farmers, Graham confirms his father’s death was a catalyst in the project’s 2006 founding.
It was around the 40th anniversary of his father’s death that Graham got involved. “It was the middle of the Millennium Drought and in Victoria, “ he recalls, “we had drought and fires at the same time and there were media reports that three farmers per week were taking their own lives. That all came home to me and I was in a position to be able to help somebody, which I did.”
First off, he delivered a load of his own hay to bushfire-ravaged Cowwarr in Victoria’s Gippsland. “That was going to be all there was to it, but it’s the old story … when I saw the enormity of the problem I felt I had to do something,” he says. “So we rounded up those we thought could help and the starting point was my own (Pakenham) Lions Club.
Before Need for Feed’s launch, Graham was unable to even talk about his father’s suicide. “I just wasn’t able to have a conversation about it,” he admits.
He first publicly revealed details when interviewed on Need for Feed by former Melbourne ABC radio presenter Jon Faine. “I had to go home and tell my grown-up daughters about how my father, their grandfather, died – I hadn’t discussed it with anybody before. But now I’m able to talk to others about it, and we feel that what we are doing is really making a difference.”
Like so many of today’s ailing farmers, Graham says his dad’s suicide was not due to him being a bad farmer. Through no fault of his own he was simply faced with hurdles he felt he could not overcome.
“There are a lot of good farmers out there, and I suppose some bad ones too,” says Graham. “But even the good ones get caught up in events that go for way longer than expected, whether a one-in-100-year drought or the latest floods on the NSW mid-north coast.”
ON THE ROAD: In 15 years Need for Feed convoys have delivered approximately $30 million worth of hay to ailing farmers.
Although reluctantly in the Need for Feed spotlight and ever anxious to deflect praise to his colleagues, Graham takes pride in the project having donated about 5,000 truck loads of hay or 180,000-200,000 bales, the equivalent of about $30 million, in 15 years.
Often a delivery has meant the difference between a farmer walking off the land and not.
Need for Feed has few problems finding volunteers. “It is getting bigger but it’s getting easier to manage in that we’ve got more people helping,” says Graham.
“Once most people try it they enjoy it and they’re hooked and keep coming back to help.”
Two-thirds of volunteers are Victorians, yet now many are based on the NSW mid-north and central coasts with hay runs in nearly all states. Just over half the volunteers are female.
In March the operation had grown so much a specialist Lions club was formed to relieve the Pakenham club. Regular volunteers were approached to become founding members of the Lions Club of Victoria Need for Feed, and of the 30 approached 29 happily joined.
Today Need for Feed is the only fulltime rural aid group among the big five Australian farm charities run totally by volunteers.
News of its efforts has spread wide, with donations from as far away as the US and UK, with 8,000 UK pounds recently donated by young Isle of Mann farmers, to be split between Need for Feed and St Vincent de Paul for bushfire relief.
Now a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, it provides corporates with a tax deduction when they donate.
Recent activities have been concentrated on NSW flood areas, with a run on average every month.
The project’s biggest run to date involved 90 trucks from Dubbo to as far as the Hunter Valley and the centre-west.
Along with hay, Need for Feed donates care packs and food hampers, including food for our canine mates (every farm has at least one dog!)
At 66, Graham, who runs a garage and spray-painting business with his partner and Need for Feed secretary Claire Johnston, acknowledges he has “probably spent too much time helping others and not enough building up a bank account” – but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Retirement, he says, will have to wait.
To volunteer/donate to Need for Feed, visit www.needforfeed.org
Story by Tony Fawcett.
Feature Image – FARMERS’ SAVIOUR: Need for Feed founder Graham Cockerell … his farmer father’s suicide was a catalyst in a Lions life devoted to others. Picture courtesy Andy Rogers & The Weekly Times
Lions continue to go above and beyond to help the community through COVID-19
/in HUMANITARIAN, NEWS /by Rob OerlermansWhilst the spread of the highly contagious Delta strain of COVID has changed how community service groups meet and fundraise, there’s one thing that hasn’t changed and that’s the determination of Australia’s volunteers to make a difference.
CEO of Lions Australia, Rob Oerlemans says he is delighted to see how volunteers across the country are continuing to support their communities through COVID-19.
“At Lions we pride ourselves on the work we do to help others and make our communities better places to live. Right now, our service is needed more than ever.”
“From raffles, sausage sizzles and trivia nights, to environmental work and supporting the deaf, blind and vulnerable, our volunteers are traditionally very hands on and involved in their communities. It’s been wonderful to see so many of our clubs adapting to support each other and their communities through the health pandemic. This continues today, even through the lockdowns and restrictions resulting from the spread of the highly contagious Delta strain of COVID.”
“Lions volunteers across the country have been reaching out to those less vulnerable in their community and offering to purchase and deliver essential goods. We have been seeing many clubs supporting local health care workers through cooking and delivering food hampers to hospitals and vaccination hubs. Some clubs in Western Australia have also been brightening the lives of children in hotel quarantine through delivering care packs with toys and books to keep them entertained.”
“Our Lions volunteers here in Australia have also been doing what they can to support those in need overseas. The Sydney Sri Lankan Lions Club have been doing some incredible work. To date the club has donated over 20 Airvo2 Highflow Oxygen Machines to hospitals in Sri Lanka to help with the country’s fight against COVID.”
Lions encourages anyone interested in getting involved to consider joining their local Lions Club.
“It’s a very rewarding experience to give back to the community and help others in need. It’s also a great opportunity to meet new people. Some Lions clubs for example may not be in a position to offer assistance to the community right now but they are determined to keep in touch to support one another. This is one of the many benefits of being a volunteer in a service organisation like ours – you meet other likeminded people in your community and across the global Lions network who often become your closest friends,” says Rob Oerlemans.
COVID EMERGENCY – Indonesia & Sri Lanka! How you can help through LCIF.
/in HEALTH, HUMANITARIAN, NEWS /by adminHELP our Lions in Indonesia during the pandemic
Although we are all challenged during this pandemic, we are aware of the very dire straits being faced by our colleagues in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. In Indonesia today there were almost 40,000 new cases with over half a million active cases. Our Lions Clubs in Indonesia and Sri Lanka are doing the best they can to support their communities but they need our help.
Lions Clubs International Foundation has made available a special process to enable clubs to dedicate donations to assist Indonesia and Sri Lanka during this emergency, in the same way that Disaster Grants operate. In order to ensure that your donation goes to assist Lions in these countries, please follow this special process.
1. Make your donation to LCIF through your Cabinet Treasurer. (Donations to the Lions Australia Fund for LCIF do not apply)
2. Advise your Cabinet Treasurer AND your District LCIF Coordinator that the donation is specifically to assist Indonesia or Sri Lanka during the COVID crisis.
These specific donations will be eligible for Campaign 100, Melvin Jones Fellowship and Lions Share recognition. Don’t forget that a donation of US$1,000 can also be used to acknowledge one of your own members through the LCIF 201 Heroes for LCIF campaign.
LCIF will reserve the funds for Lions in these countries who can apply for matching grants to purchase medical equipment, personal protective equipment and other support.
That’s all you need to do and if you need guidance, your District LCIF Coordinator is always happy to help you. You will find them on page 14 of your Lions directory!
Brisbane teenager recognised on global stage as winner of Lions Clubs International Peace Essay Contest
/in NEWS, PEACE CONTEST, YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES /by adminThe theme of the 2019-20 Peace Essay contest was “Peace Through Service” and Year 8 Brisbane student, Joshua Wood has taken home the grand prize. The announcement was made as part of Lions Day with the United Nations.
The Brisbane Camp Hill Carindale Lions Club sponsored the local contest that gave Joshua the opportunity to participate in this global event and share his words of peace with the world.