Recruitment Drive

"WE NEED YOU"

The Lions Club of Gerringong are currently seeking an infusion of new members. We are looking for those people who are interested in supporting their local community, both directly and indirectly through participation in this long standing service organisation, which has served the Gerringong community for 30 years. We are part of Lions Clubs International, which is the world's largest service club organisation and the only service organisation in the world to have a seat at the UN. The 1.4 million members in over 200 countries around the world are dedicated to bettering the quality of life for the handicapped, the poor, the sick, the aged and those in need. The motto of Lions Clubs International is “WE SERVE,” and Lions live this motto with enthusiasm, friendship and good fellowship.

Service with Lions is more than just sausage sizzles and raffle tickets.

After last years momentous milestone of a million items processed through our return & earn project earning $100,000 in just over 5 yrs, the ensuing 12 months to April this year has seen 435,590 items processed raising a further $43,559. At this increased rate we’ll reach our next million items in just over 2 years, which is phenomenal! With the increased amount of items collected and processed, approaches were made to Tomra, and we were able to have additional facilities installed at the Gerringong RVM. This has greatly improved our capacity to process the return & earn items. Although, we are really going to be on the go when wine bottles are fully rolled out for R & E. Our R & E project was the subject of a presentation we entered in the Lions ‘Top Service Club’ Award, which achieved success in gaining top position in our district before going on to compete against all the other 19 districts at the Darwin Convention.

Our annual MotorFest car show, despite some setbacks with the weather, was still a successful event for the club, raising $10,000 for the Australian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation.

Our club added an extra $5,000 to enable a $15,000 donation towards this vital research. This year also saw a successful transition from our previous meeting venue to the Blue Goose Cafe for our Board and dinner meetings.

Through our Raffles we were able to make substantial donations to worthy causes. Our Fathers Day raffle raised $2,000 for SALT Ministries - Men’s Support Service, Nowra. The Mother’s Day raffle raised $3,000 for SAHSSI (Supported Accommodation & Homeless Services Shoalhaven Illawarra) Women’s Refuge, Nowra. Our Christmas raffle raised $3,994 in funds to sponsor 2 local youths in the Outward Bound Australia Youth Development Program. Also, I’m pleased to highlight our new assistance program to aid victims of domestic violence through financial support to Shoalhaven Women’s Group – South Coast Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Support Group. Domestic violence is a cause needing much help.

Our club service activities encompass a large range of community support projects and fund raising activities plus social events. As well as the before mentioned raffles, R & E plus MotorFest, we have landcare and maintenance programs for Cooke Park at Boat Harbour, the headland Lions Whale Watching platform + Lions Commemorative Garden and ANZAC Memorial site. Other sites include Arthur Campbell Reserve and Dune Care on Werri Beach.

BBQs have always been a regular activity for Lions and we’ve always had a good turn out of willing volunteers for such events as our Australia Day breakfast, monthly IGA free BBQ, plus frequently requests to do breakfast for local Golf Club events, Werri Beach Caravan Park, Soccer 7s Tournament and other local events.

We help CMRI with their annual Quilt Show set up and take down, supervise the gates at the Berry Show and assisted those in need with clean ups around private gardens and minor house repairs and maintenance as needed. Even though many of our activities can be very social with good fellowship and camaraderie between members, we organise social activities for members and partners like a curry night, pizza night, prawn & chicken night and other outings including a dolphin watching harbour cruise and visit to Parliament House in Sydney with Gareth Ward MP. We also endeavour to attend other Lions Club meetings and events such as recent attendance at Junee and Bomaderry/Nowra Changeovers, business meetings at Shoalhaven Heads, Kiama Business networking event and combined meetings.

*** For more information about joining Lions...

Talk to a local Lions member or contact Club secretary -

Peter Jeffries on mobile 0407401022, or P.O. Box 257 Gerringong NSW 2534