Creating Harmony Through Service
As I write this on April 7, our world is still upside down in the grasp of the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking beyond the human tragedies, what a horrific effect this virus has had on our Lions club service activities and the fundraisers to support those community-helping projects. Many of our clubs have taken on projects still possible in the time of social distancing, including the creation of masks for those not directly working in health care but in need of safety and helping out at food banks to safely deliver needed nutrition to community members.
Although two of our district conventions have been cancelled and, at this writing, the decision regarding the MD 36 Convention has not yet been made, Lions business is continuing as planned. Club elections have been held using one of several e-communication platforms. Many clubs are holding meetings over Zoom or other group communication methods, doing their best to stay in touch with each other. We Lions are a creative group and we’re finding ways to be connected!
At this time, it does appear that the “Ah Ha Moment” stories will be collected and judged in a different way than previously planned. Perhaps DG Bob Chaney will find a way to assemble the book of stories into which he has put so very much planning time or perhaps the project will continue through the next Lions year. In either case, I want to share my story with you here, because we all need to read something to lift our hearts just a bit!
“Have you ever seen a vision impaired little guy just light up with excitement? I had the pleasure of watching Cody, a third grader living with albinism, do just that. Along with some of the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing staff, I was privileged to watch Dr. J. P. Lowery, the OLSHF Low Vision specialist, as he worked with kids in his traveling clinic, in this case an unoccupied classroom. Cody could not see the white board at the front of the classroom, even with his eyeglass correction. Dr. Lowery fitted his need by providing Cody with a monocular scope, an instrument much like one half of a pair of binoculars. It was just amazing and incredibly heartwarming, to see the 8 year old’s response when he put the monocular up to his best eye. He even got up and went to the back of the classroom to test his vision with the new instrument’s help, excitedly laughing and telling us that now he could sit anywhere he wanted in the classroom! And, just so happy, he told Dr. Lowery and we Lions, that this was so cool and that he’d be the only kid with a space age scope! That was the day when I became a Lion in my heart.”
We’re Lions and WE CONTINUE TO SERVE – AS BEST AS WE CAN!
Council Chair Sharon