Local Lions impress at Multiple District 410 Convention
The Nelspruit Lions Club (NLC) dedicated the four prestigious awards they recently won in honours of the Lions Clubs International Centennial birthday.
MBOMBELA – Nelspruit Lions Club walked away with four awards at the Lions Club International Multiple District 410 Convention which was held in Cape Town.
The awards included the Knights of the Blind, secretary of the year, the Mandela Day and the Promotion of Lionism awards. They were also highly commended for their entry for service project of the year.
Lions Clubs International, a service membership organisation of over 1,4 million members worldwide (as of April 2015), was founded in the United States on June 7, 1917 by Melvin Jones, a Chicago businessman.
The Lions motto is: “We serve”. The club’s programmes include sight conservation, hearing and speech conservation, diabetes awareness, youth outreach, international relations, environmental issues, and many other projects. Lions Clubs are apolitical and non-denominational.
The NLC was chartered in 1970, and had been a vital part in the community’s growth in the past five decades.
When Helen Keller challenged the Lions to be “Knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness”, her plea was taken up with enthusiasm by those listening to her speech at the 1925 International Convention in Ohio, and has been a major part of the Lions International programme ever since.
NLC contributed to the cause on October 22, 2016 when over 500 people were screened and 429 pairs of spectacles were distributed.
The club had purchased the spectacles from a wholesaler through Lion Dr Abraham Varghese, former head of Eyecare Services in Mpumalanga. For this project only two optometrists were available.
NLC extended the initiative to Mandela Day, and provided the spectacles and cases worth R10 500. More than 400 pairs were issued over a six-hour period.
For the secretary of the year award, efficiency, organisational skill, communication skills, enthusiasm, reliability, dedication and knowledge and love of Lionism is needed. Lion Val Graham proved to possess exactly those qualities, with her hard work and dedication to the cause.
In October 2016 Lion Val celebrated 20 years of being a Lion with 100 per cent attendance. She was the first female president of the club, and under her presidency NLC was awarded club of the year. She has held various board positions, convened many projects and now serves as zone chair. She fully embraces and embodies the motto of Lionism.
