Lara Lions Club 'We Serve'

Welcome to the Lions Club of Lara, Victoria, Australia. We are an enthusiastic organisation offering crisis assistance, financial support, and community service and development to the Lara area. We are excited to welcome new members who will enjoy friendship and the satisfaction of contributing to the life of our community. More about us ...

Childrens Charity Network (CCN)

Click on CCN Logo for links to information and downloads

Club: Up-coming Events

Club: Meetings

V2 Convention: Details

Audi Victoria Week: Roster
Christmas Cakes: Roster

Lara Lions Golfers win Major Golf Event!

The intrepid Lara Lions Club Golf team blitzed the opposition at the Torquay (RACV) Golf Club by winning the 2009 Lions Club of Torquay Charity Golf Day, a feat only previously done in 2005.

Captain Jon King said "there is no number ‘1’ player in the Lara Team” which is made up of Jon (Captain), Lawrie Plowman, Don Robinson and Herb Picker, as the excited team celebrated at the 19th hole.

Jon said, “When we needed to score a critical point, one of our team stood up. “With Lawrie's monster drives and Don's deadly putting supported by Herb’s and my own short game we complemented each other perfectly. “I will be proud to present the Perpetual Trophy at our next Lions meeting."

Each Lara Lions golfer was presented with an individual trophy, bottle of wine, pen and cap.

(The Lions Club of Lara Golf Team consisting of Don Robinson, Jon King (Capt.),
Lawrie Plowman and Herb Picker at the Lions Club of Torquay Charity Golf day.)

golf2

(Members of the Lions Club of Lara team being awarded the trophy by winning
the Lions Club of Torquay Annual Charity Golf Day competition.)

District 201V2 Convention

The Lions Club of Lara's Children's Charity Network 201V2 Literacy Project got up at the Lions District 201V2 Convention on the afternoon of Saturday 7 Nov 09.

The Club is finally getting to the end of the procedural red tape to get this project adopted nationally. The next step is to present the project to the Mutiple District Convention in Mildura in 2010. Meanwhile, the Club visits within Lions District 201V2 will continue with continuing positive outcomes.

(Pictured at the Children's Charity Network stand at Convention is CCN District Chairman Rob Eyton and the 201V2
District Governor, Bob Gilchrist not long after the vote for the project to proceed to Multiple District Convention.)

(The Children's Charity Network stand at the Lions District 201V2 Convention in Camperdown.)

And in the evening.......

The theme at the Convention Saturday Night was 'Fantasyland' which seemed to suit the Lara contingent well. Arriving at the Ball here in the carriage! is Cinders aka Rob Eyton, CCN District Chairman, carrying the coach is the Stupendously Ugly Sister aka Dennis Grant, Zone 3 Chairman, Ugly Sister aka Carol Lennon, 2nd VP Lara Lions, Wicket Stepmother aka 'Flick' Santoro looking through the window, Fairy Godmother aka Shirley Grant and not shown was Susan Eyton as Prince Charming.

No wonder DG Bob Gilchrist disowned two of his Cabinet colleages on the Sunday morning!!! However, a pleasant time was had by all who attended.

St Laurence Park

10 Years On!!!

stLaurenceScooter99 stLaurenceScooter09

It's been ten years since the Lions Club of Lara donated sufficient funding to enable St Laurence Park to purchase a Scooter for patient assessment and for loan to people when required.

The Scooter has travelled many, many kilometres and has assisted a huge number of people and is still going strong.

Pictured on the left in 1999 is Colin Allen, President, Residents Association, Allan Scott, President, Lions Club of Lara 1998-2000, Jan Taylor and Katrina Cole, Eric Hart Centre Staff.

Pictured on the right in 2009 is Jeff Cahn, President, Lions Club of Lara and Sharon O'Halloran and Katrina Cole, Eric Hart Centre Staff.

October Dinner Meeting

District Governor's Visit

The MD201V2 District Governor, Bob Gilchrist and wife Barbara came to Lara for his official Club visit. The Club put on an Old Time Music Hall style evening where everyone could let their hair down and have some fun with a sing-a-long and smorgasbord meal.

The evening turned out to be one of the best Lions nights the Club has held and together with entertainer/organist Ron Sudden, who led the evenings frivolity and fun with old time songs and jokes went down a real hit.

(District Governor Bob Gilchrist and Lara Lions President Jeff Cahn, exchanging bannerettes after the DGs speech.)

dgvisit01

(DG Bob Gilchrist presenting his bannertette to Rob Eyton, District Chairman,
Children's Charity Network and Dennis Grant, Zone 3 Chairman.)

dgvisit03

(DG Bob Gilchrist presenting an AJ Holding Memorial Award to Gaye Smedley, Volunteer Worker, St Laurence Park.

For 23 years, Gaye has provided volunteering support at St Laurence Aged Care Facility as a hydrotherapy aide, shopping escort for the elderly, visitor, driver taking elderly residents to the doctors surgery and has also been a carer for three ladies during the past 15 years. In addition, Gaye has been a volunteer for ‘Friends of Geelong Botanical Gardens’ in the tea house for 10 years, a Red Cross Appeal collector and president of Lara Lake Primary School Mothers Club.

Gaye is a private, consistent and low profile person by choice. Her decision to join husband Lion Alan, other Lara Lions members and a volunteer chef working to provide catering for emergency service crews in the aftermath of the Kinglake Fire disaster is typical of Gaye’s caring community spirit. Gaye is a deserving example of quiet achievers.

(DG Bob presenting an AJ Holding Memorial Award to Vivian Fry, CEO Lara Community Centre.)

Vivian Fry, Manager of the busy and successful Lara Community Centre, has clocked up many hundreds of extra curriculum hours in support of Lara community projects over almost 10 years.

Vivian is the Lara Chamber of Commerce Representative for the Community Centre, and an active committee member of the Lara Spring Fair (formerly the Lara Heritage Festival), Australia Day Breakfast Committee, Lara Food and Wine Festival Committee and a Geelong based bereavement support group. Vivian has a very positive, supportive and dynamic attitude, reflected in her family with children involved in Scouts and Leos. For her all encompassing involvement in the Lara Community, Vivian is also a worthy recipient of this award.

(The evening's entertainer, Ron Sudden, who did an extremely wonderful job of
sing-a-long and jokes and making the evening a fantastic success.)

dgvisit06

(Guest Robert Fry cutting into a delicious looking Birthday Cake presented to him by the Club.)

dgvisit07

(Yes, the DG DID Sing for his supper tonight, here we have pictured DG Bob Gilchrist, wife Barbara with long time
friend organist Ron Sudden, sing a duet which was absolutely fabulous... literally brought the house down!!)

dgvisit08

(A close up of the dueting couple giving the audience fantastic entertainment.
Apologies for the poor quality picture which is due to lighting.)

A Lions Club of Lara delegation went to visit the the Lions Club Bannockburn & District regarding the roll out of the Children's Charity Network throughout the V2 District.

Below is a short extract from 'Books for Kids'

The Problem

Children who live near or below the poverty line have much lower average reading scores than their peers.
Lack of basic literary skills is linked with academic failure, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency, unemployment, low productivity, and welfare dependence.
Parents who can not read tend to have children who struggle with reading, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

The Solution

Providing books to children is a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to promote language and literacy growth.
Owning books is a critical feature of every child's intellectual development.
Reading aloud to children is the single most effective parent practice for encouraging language and literacy development.
A child's pride in learning to read is a key element in achieving literacy. By providing children with new books to keep, Books for Kids enhances the relationship between parent and child and the relationship between child and book.
Children with books at home are eight times more likely to list reading as one of their favourite activities.

By buying a book and placing it in our bin in Griffiths Bookstore at 96 Ryrie Street, Geelong, the Lara Lions will ensure that your book will end up with a child that desperately needs it.

Working Roster for Austin Park, Centreway BBQ & Monthly Raffle

Jul/Jan	Aug/Feb	Sep/Mar
Peter Foster	Neville Gillett	Alan Smedley
Dennis Grant	Bill Berkeley	Jeff Cahn
John Klowss	Doug Willey	Maurie Ryan
Carol Lennon	Scott Thompson	Sep Hergstrom
Bryan Walker	Jeff Sollory	Paul Wilson
	Tom Elevato

Oct/Apr	Nov/May	Dec/Jun
Herb Picker	Stewie Walker	Joe Walshe
Ian Basham	Jon King	Sue Eyton
Brian Harris	Lawrie Plowman	Byron Willey
John Wilson	Don Robinson	Rob Eyton
Jen Wilson	Peter Kuchenmeister	Mick Daffy
		Peter West

Captains are in Red

Jobs to be done:

Austin Park Clean up and BBQ
Centreway BBQ
One or more to assist Marion Meyer with the Monthly Raffle