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CLUb MEETing information
Club Dinner Meetings are held at "Sharkies" on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month (except for public holidays). A two-course meal is served - the current cost to members is $22.00 - special dietary requests can be met if arranged in advance - drinks are available at club prices. Meetings hear reports on past projects and activities, and future ones are planned. A guest speaker is arranged for each dinner meeting.
Visitors are welcomed to our meetings. Please book in by Sunday morning by contacting the Club Secretary. Click here to contact the Club Secretary. Meetings are friendly and informative, and are usually finished by 9.30pm.
YOUTH activities
The youth of our locality have always displayed an easy-going, active, outdoors type of energy, which the Club has been keen to foster. Support of sporting teams; individual high-achievers in the sporting arena; surf clubs and scouting has always been reflected in our donations lists.
However, there are some specific areas where the Club has been especially active:-
Youth of the Year.
This Quest is open to students of Years 11 and 12. It evaluates leadership skills, community involvement and public speaking.
A steady stream of young people, boys and girls, have participated in the contest. Schools have varied, but Caringbah; Endeavour Sports; Woolooware: Gymea; Port Hacking; Sylvania and De La Salle (Cronulla) have featured prominently.
The Quest still runs, and is a successful feature of a Caringbah Lions? year.
If you wish further information on Youth of the Year CLICK HERE.
Youth Exchange.
The Youth Exchange Program sponsors young people to visit overseas countries, and we host exchange students from many foreign lands.
A pleasing aspect of Youth Exchange is that some of our own members? children have enjoyed an overseas experience through the program
If you wish further information on Youth Exchange CLICK HERE.
Other: The Club has a history of involvement with Special Needs Children ? helping in the establishment of the Sutherland Handicapped Children?s Centre (now Sylvanvale); the Children?s Medical Research Foundation; Bear Cottage; Children?s Eye Clinic at Sydney Children?s Hospital and the like.
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Working with SENIORS
Highlights of projects with our aged citizens - projects which also give great satisfaction?are difficult to limit, but the following show some of our activities:
Club involvement, back in 1968, with the opening of extensions to the Thomas Holt Village, Kirrawee.
The Easter Wish project during the ?80?s. This was a Regional project, giving assistance to many frail and lonely seniors in the area. The support of the St George & Sutherland Shire Leader was instrumental in the success of this scheme. Its popularity caused its demise, as Clubs were unable to meet the overwhelming demand. Could this project be reintroduced?
The Annual Seniors? Christmas Party, which started in the early 1980?s, is still going strong. Now associated with Shire Food Services (Meals on Wheels), this special day involves the whole Lions family, plus performers from local schools, or from dance and vocal groups.
Caringbah Nifty Knitters - A couple of years ago, the Club took possession of a large quantity of wool (don?t ask how?it?s too long a story). There was a lot of challenging debate as to what we should do with it, until someone suggested that we should knit something.
Two major results:
Someone had a pattern for Trauma Teddies (we didn?t know that this actually belonged to the Red Cross?so we handled that problem later).
We created a group of senior ladies, not previously associated with Lions, whom we called our Nifty Knitters.
Meetings are held monthly, and attendance ranges around the 12-14 mark. They have morning tea (sponsored by Hartwood Property Maintenance), a speaker, and a good talk while they knit, sew and stuff Teddies. However, this is the tip of the iceberg?there are over 45 ladies busily knitting for the group, and their output is delivered to the monthly meeting, or to the home of our President, who is the project convener.
They also knit ?Wraps With Love? (a Lions project for Third World countries) and knee rugs for local hospitals.
Output in the two and a half years is a staggering 9000+ Teddies distributed through Red Cross; and over 1000 Wraps and Rugs.
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Health Projects
As well as our support of the local hospital, the Club has conducted medical screenings for diabetes (no longer permitted), amblyopia and glaucoma.
We support the various Foundations and Projects of the Multiple District and of our own district; and we have supported life-saving and resuscitation groups.
We received a grant in 2005 from ALF to assist a local man purchase a wheelchair.
A few years ago the Club sponsored a Hearing Dog named Melody, for a local lady with impaired hearing.
Since Sutherland District Hospital opened in 1958, Caringbah Lions have been generous supporters. A heart monitor was an early gift, followed by a specialised water chair; an intensive care waiting room; a bilirubinometer; and playground equipment. The new hospital has already received invaluable equipment for their intensive care unit.
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Lions and the Environment
Leadership in local environmental issues can result in a permanent legacy for the community.
One, of which the Club can be proud, is ?Hyfields Gardens?, which is the park on the left hand side as you enter Caringbah from Sydney along the Kingsway. The creation and beautification of this garden was a labour of love in the early years of Caringbah Lions.
?Clean-up-Australia?, the project initiated by Ian Kiernan, has attracted Caringbah Lions, both as ?cleaner-upperers? and as site organisers. Parts of Taren Point and the Kurnell Peninsula have surrendered loads of rubbish because of Club efforts.
One notable cleaning day occurred at Homebush Bay Park prior to the Olympics. We travelled over by bus, and joined in the mammoth effort to clean the swamplands.
National Tree Day often coincides with the Sutherland to Surf Fun-run, so our efforts have been divided. However, successful plantings have taken place, particularly at Gannons Park, where we had over 50 helpers, and we almost depleted the stocks of the Council Nursery. This project was run in conjunction with Sutherland Shire Council and the Burraneer LandCare group.
We developed a novel approach to overcome the clash between the fun-run and tree day. With the assistance of Stewart Automotive Group, we set up a stall at Wanda Beach where a hybrid, fuel-efficient Toyota was displayed, and we presented competitors with a tree to take home for planting. This was well received.
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LIONS IS ALSO A SOCIAL CLUB
Lions enjoy fellowship, and Caringbah Lions have always had the capacity to enjoy their Club. We can remember successful progressive dinners; pool parties and get-togethers in members? homes.
Picnic grounds have rung to the laughter of our children at play, whilst popping corks and tasty food accompanied the adult activities. We can recall many restaurant dinners, some with overseas friends, others with Lions from other Clubs.
Conventions?Sydney District and National?have been well-attended?some even organised by Caringbah Lions. Many members support the Sydney ?88 tours which follow MD Conventions, and tours to Walcha Picnic Races have proved popular for some. Weekends away have been popular. Bream Beach, on St Georges Basin, was a favourite venue for many years?members learned that they really couldn?t wind surf, or canoe without a paddle. | 
