Unsung heroes

[Pubey]

The owners and moderators on Shrimperzone.

Bluetonic

never forget

 

[osymandus]

Sherpa Tensing never got as much credit as Edmund Hillary.

While Hillary was alive he certainly did . Just not from the british media .

Hmm MArie Cure nurses. Samaritans

 

[canveyshrimper]

While Hillary was alive he certainly did . Just not from the british media .

Hmm MArie Cure nurses. Samaritans

Can't agree about the Samaritans Osy. I phoned once said I was a Southend supporter and the bugger said jump mate. ;)

 

[osymandus]

Can't agree about the Samaritans Osy. I phoned once said I was a Southend supporter and the bugger said jump mate. ;)

I phoned once and the put me on hold (yes it s true )

 

[canveyshrimper]

I phoned once and the put me on hold (yes it s true )

As long as they didn't play bloody Greensleeves as the hold "music", I think I may well have topped myself if that was the case.

 

[A Century United]

I considered entering Alan Turing for the Heroes cup. Thanks to his work at Bletchley Park during the war and the Engima code breaking machines, he probably helped shave a couple of years off WW2 and saved thousands of lives.

Shamefully treated after the war by the establishment due to his homosexuality and he committed suicide by eating an apple laced with cyanide.

Have to disagree with that one. The Enigma story is one of unsung heroes, but Alan Turing isn't the true unsung hero of the story. He was shamefully treated, but he is fairly widely known. His work, while important, was built on original work by people who are almost never mentioned:

The incredibly brave and resourceful Poles who built a copy of the Enigma machine and first cracked the code back in the 30's, and who then, realising that Poland was about to fall, passed the machine to the allies. None of the great work subsequently done at Bletchley Park would have been possible without them.

Independent Article

 

[OldBlueLady]

I'm not trying to be antagonistic about this, and I fully appreciate that they do a lot for local charities and causes... however in the end the Lions is a hierachical 'club' and so I feel a bit like their altrusitic activities are really just for selfish reasons.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I don't quite see their economies of scale and what they truely offer compared to other fundraisers and individuals who do the same but without being a member of a club. Everyone knows about the Lions, which almost makes them a 'sung' hero.

Not sure I get exactly what your point is here, are you saying that people join this kind of organisation because they want to make it to the top - i.e. as District Governor (13 of them in the UK), Chairman of the Council (1 in each group of Districts) or International President?

My dad joined Castle Point Lions in 1978, they formed a Leo Club 2 years later which is where I joined. We spent donkey's years doing the grass roots stuff - weeding gardens for the elderly; decorating for people unable to do it themselves; providing parties for children from refuges and homes; visiting and collecting requests for hospital radio on a weekly basis - the real get your hands dirty type of stuff that Rotary and Round Table just don't do. This is the Community side of Lions that the public is less aware of, they don't just raise the money for local and national causes they actually DO the work for people (who are usually recommended by Social care or other agencies).

We also did our share of fund raising too, of course, every weekend throughout the summer we'd be out at fetes with stalls of one kind or another, the Lions would have their burger van. Then of course we'd have the big social events - the annual Charter Dinner (which is what PT was at last weekend), barbecues and for us Leos, discos for any reason, purely for the social "interaction"! This was all particularly strong across East Anglia, and we'd spend one weekend up in Norwich, kipping on someone's floor on the Saturday night, the next in Peterborough, kipping in a Scout hut, maybe the next in Sudbury, kipping in tents and then maybe one weekend at home, but kipping with our visitors at the church hall!

We did it because it was fun and we were doing some good in the process. For 4 years, our Leos raised the money for and physically took 8-12 physically disabled children away for a week's holiday. Yes, some of us did go on to serve at high level. My dad's been District Governor twice for East Anglia and Club President 5 times, both my husband and I have been Club President a couple of times, and he was also District President for the Leos. I've been secretary for the District and the national council (Multiple District). Everything we ever did was voluntary, no expenses - except as MD officers, when we had a small allowance for petrol costs for attending meetings in Meriden (Birmingham) 4 times a year.

Of course, there are some major projects - Journey for Sight - the collection of unwanted glasses for redistribution via sight clinics in the 3rd world; Water Wells for Africa (way before Bob Geldof jumped on to the situation in Africa, Lions were doing this); Medic Alert - this is probably the biggest single Lions backed initiative. There are others now I know, but these are the ones that have been around for 30 years within the organisation, the ones we supported during our time.

I've made some fantastic friends out of this and my retired parents are both still serving actively, driving old and infirm people as voluntary drivers for the Castle Point Voluntary Services, both still heavily involved at club level (now with Leigh). No-one I know has ever done it for any other reason than that they wanted to do something for their community and have some fun in the process.

And you'd actually be very surprised at how few people DO know about the Lions, most people think you're talking about rugby if you say it to them. They are not given to huge amounts of self promotion when carrying out activities, although they obviously have to attract new members, so publicising, yes, self promotion, no.

 

[Swiss Tony]

Sunday morning Refs,without them,mayhem.

 

[Ron Manager]

Sunday morning Refs,without them,mayhem.

and yet with them, often mayhem too :D

 

[Swiss Tony]

Slightly true,but we all know the feeling playing a game without the buggers,horrible.

 

[Firestorm]

Nurses and Social Workers

 

[please delete my account]

Terry Nutkins

 

[Pubey]

Not sure I get exactly what your point is here, are you saying that people join this kind of organisation because they want to make it to the top - i.e. as District Governor (13 of them in the UK), Chairman of the Council (1 in each group of Districts) or International President?

My dad joined Castle Point Lions in 1978, they formed a Leo Club 2 years later which is where I joined. We spent donkey's years doing the grass roots stuff - weeding gardens for the elderly; decorating for people unable to do it themselves; providing parties for children from refuges and homes; visiting and collecting requests for hospital radio on a weekly basis - the real get your hands dirty type of stuff that Rotary and Round Table just don't do. This is the Community side of Lions that the public is less aware of, they don't just raise the money for local and national causes they actually DO the work for people (who are usually recommended by Social care or other agencies).

We also did our share of fund raising too, of course, every weekend throughout the summer we'd be out at fetes with stalls of one kind or another, the Lions would have their burger van. Then of course we'd have the big social events - the annual Charter Dinner (which is what PT was at last weekend), barbecues and for us Leos, discos for any reason, purely for the social "interaction"! This was all particularly strong across East Anglia, and we'd spend one weekend up in Norwich, kipping on someone's floor on the Saturday night, the next in Peterborough, kipping in a Scout hut, maybe the next in Sudbury, kipping in tents and then maybe one weekend at home, but kipping with our visitors at the church hall!

We did it because it was fun and we were doing some good in the process. For 4 years, our Leos raised the money for and physically took 8-12 physically disabled children away for a week's holiday. Yes, some of us did go on to serve at high level. My dad's been District Governor twice for East Anglia and Club President 5 times, both my husband and I have been Club President a couple of times, and he was also District President for the Leos. I've been secretary for the District and the national council (Multiple District). Everything we ever did was voluntary, no expenses - except as MD officers, when we had a small allowance for petrol costs for attending meetings in Meriden (Birmingham) 4 times a year.

Of course, there are some major projects - Journey for Sight - the collection of unwanted glasses for redistribution via sight clinics in the 3rd world; Water Wells for Africa (way before Bob Geldof jumped on to the situation in Africa, Lions were doing this); Medic Alert - this is probably the biggest single Lions backed initiative. There are others now I know, but these are the ones that have been around for 30 years within the organisation, the ones we supported during our time.

I've made some fantastic friends out of this and my retired parents are both still serving actively, driving old and infirm people as voluntary drivers for the Castle Point Voluntary Services, both still heavily involved at club level (now with Leigh). No-one I know has ever done it for any other reason than that they wanted to do something for their community and have some fun in the process.

And you'd actually be very surprised at how few people DO know about the Lions, most people think you're talking about rugby if you say it to them. They are not given to huge amounts of self promotion when carrying out activities, although they obviously have to attract new members, so publicising, yes, self promotion, no.

I agree with pretty much everything you say, I know they do a lot of work and for most of the grassroots people it's for the right reasons, they are unrecognised. However the actual organisation is a club, you have to be invited to be a member, there are indirect links with the Freemasons and so IMO and in the opinion of some of my friends and family is just leaves a bit of a sour taste in your mouth because you wonder how much effort is being put in for the right reasons and how much is being put in just because they want to get to the next stage up in the hierarchy. On the whole they do great work so you can't knock them, but seeing as they are always involved with so much charitable work I'm still not convinced they meet the definition of an "Unsung hero".

 

[duncan bulgaria]

Fat birds - they are always the first on the dance floor , always have a great personality , normally have got massive bangers and also a decent stop at the end of teh night if you've had no joy .

Folk just don't want to be assosiated with them ......shame really .

 

[MK Shrimper]

Fat birds - they are always the first on the dance floor , always have a great personality , normally have got massive bangers and also a decent stop at the end of teh night if you've had no joy .

Folk just don't want to be assosiated with them ......shame really .

As I understand it Ian Wright was a purveyor of the larger lady. Give me someone with curves than some bloody stick insect any day!

 

[Mad Cyril]

However the actual organisation is a club, you have to be invited to be a member, there are indirect links with the Freemasons and so IMO and in the opinion of some of my friends and family is just leaves a bit of a sour taste in your mouth because you wonder how much effort is being put in for the right reasons and how much is being put in just because they want to get to the next stage up in the hierarchy.

I have to agree with you.

Too many people want to be the grand poobah and think every new member is just another pirhana in the tank.

I bought a lion a few months ago and have been waiting for an invitation to join ever since.

I now have to keep it in my shed 24/7 because I am worried that it could nip my children or damage furniture.

If I don't hear anything soon I am going to have to dump it at a convenient layby for safetys sake..

 

[Rayleigh Weir]

As I understand it Ian Wright was a purveyor of the larger lady. Give me someone with curves than some bloody stick insect any day!

I guess it depends at what point curves become rolls?

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

I have to put forward my wife as a un-sung hero for the things she does for no reward.

 

[OldBlueLady]

You most certainly don't have to be invited to become a Lion otherwise why would they have "open" evenings and other promotional events, hand out leaflets giving meeting details and advertise when they set up new Clubs. This is a direct link from their UK and Ireland homepage, to their admin HQ, from here your details would be given to whichever is your nearest Club who would make contact and invite you to attend a meeting. It's not unusual to have someone as a kind of sponsor when you join but if you don't know anyone, then someone would act as such - just being a "friend" through the joining process, make sure you're ok for lifts etc. I know nothing about any links to the Freemasons although there will undoubtedly be some who are members of both organisations. I know my grandfather was a Mason, and both his sons declined his invitation to join. Still say the Lions are unsung heroes.

Interested in joining Lions Clubs?

You may be interested in learning more about Lions Clubs International; about contacting your local Club; or in joining the worlds largest voluntary organisation whose motto is "We Serve".


Lions Clubs International
257, Alcester Road South
Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 6DT
Telephone: 0845 833 9502
Facsimile: 0121 441 4510
Office hours 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday - Friday

 

[Napster]

The Freemasons. Unsung heroes.