Melvin Jones Fellowship

Lion Bruce Glover

5^th August 2008

Address by Evan Kingston

The International Association of Lions Clubs began as the dream of Chicago businessman Melvin Jones. He believed that local business clubs should expand their horizons from purely professional concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world at large.

Jones' group, the Business Circle of Chicago, agreed. After contacting similar groups around the United States, an organizational meeting was held on June 7, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The new group took the name of one of the invited groups, the "Association of Lions Clubs," and a national convention was held in Dallas, Texas, USA in October of that year.

From this beginning in 1917 Lions has grown into an international network of 1.3 million men and women in 202 countries and geographic areas who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world.

Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) is Lions helping Lions serve the world.

Donations from LCIF provide funding in the form of grants to financially assist Lions districts with large-scale humanitarian projects that are too extensive for the local Lions to finance on their own.

Grants from LCIF provide both

· immediate assistance following natural disasters and

· long-term disaster relief for reconstruction efforts.

Grants help

· preserve sight,

· combat disability,

· promote health, or

· serve youth.

Every dollar donated to LCIF goes toward a grant.

By ruling of LCIF's Board of Trustees, all of LCIF's administrative and promotional expenses must be paid from interest on investments.

Donations are used solely for grants.

Lion’s clubs support is crucial as donations from Lions provide the majority of LCIF's revenue. LCIF receives a small amount of funding from foundations and corporations.

LCIF receives no club dues.

Since LCIF began in 1968, it has awarded 9,000 grants totalling US$640 million.

The Melvin Jones Fellowship was established in 1973

The Melvin Jones Fellowship is the backbone of LCIF by providing 70 percent of the foundation's annual revenue.

A Melvin Jones Fellowship is a recognition of humanitarian work and is presented to

· those who personally donate US$1,000 to LCIF or

· worthy people for whom a donation was made by others including donations by Lions clubs in the name of one of their members.

The Melvin Jones Fellowship is Lions Clubs International Foundation's highest honour

Our club has in the past recognised four of our members for their services to the Lions Club of Moggill Mt Crosby and to Lions generally by awarding to them Melvin Jones Fellowships.

These are

· Lion Lindsay Stewart

· Lion Bob McGregor

· Lion Brian Farrow and

· Deceased Lion Keith Matheson

The board has decided that it is time to again present another Melvin Jones Fellowship to one of our worthy members.

Earlier this year the club made a donation of US$1000 to the LCIF save sight 2 campaign.

It had been our intention to present this award at the change over dinner however we were not able to because the member and his wife were in Europe for a couple of months.

It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce that tonight we are awarding a Melvin Jones Fellowship to Bruce Glover.

Address by Lindsay Stewart

Tonight it gives me great pleasure in saying a few words about Lion Bruce and his wife Heather and the tremendous contribution they have given to our Club.

Bruce was introduced as a member in our club in 1990 by then Lion Greg Packer. Bruce, Greg and a few of our new members at the time came to Lions after becoming friends in the Moggill Scouts.

I remember one of the Glovers first achievements in this club only after about 8 weeks from joining was to take out 1^st place in the Club’s Annual family car rally, which was held each year on the Ekka holiday. This traditionally was won by longer serving families in the club such as the Cooks or need I say the Stewarts. Suddenly a new force was here in the Glover family, which could get through the car rally without any of the normal family arguments that usually occurred on this day. I could see then that we had in our club a well organised couple which one day would win the car rally again which they did in 1994, but also our club had gained a good new Lion.

Over the past 18 years Bruce has been a very active member in our club, having been on the club’s board for most of that time, holding various positions. In 1998, Bruce then became President of the Club. On the Administration side of our club, for many years Bruce has arranged a variety of guest speakers at our dinner meetings and an important part for any member has introduced a number of new members into our club.

Both Bruce and Heather have supported the numerous projects the club has undertaken. One would say that for any Club Bruce is the ideal Lion. Whenever asked to take on a job or task, Bruce will volunteer without hesitation. If help is required from our ladies, Heather also is there.

In the past 8 years we have seen the tremendous efforts that Bruce has put into our annual Bike Ride, doing a number of things including the route layout and signage. He was also instrumental in designing the Bike Ride brochure/entry form, the format which is still used today some 8 years on.

Another task that Bruce has taken on for many years is the liaison between Zoe’s Place, a respite centre for children, and our club. One of the first projects Bruce had the club involved in was their 2001 Bike Hike around the centenary suburbs. Fresh from our first bike ride at Ipswich, we helped with a lot of input in the running of this event for Zoe’s Place.

I remember after our first Gardening Expo down at the Pony Riding for the Disabled, Bruce suggested that we change the layout for the stall holders to make it more flowing and that we should print up a large plan on paper. Not having any planning skills of my own I wondered just how we were going to do this. We arranged a day and Bruce turned up with some long ropes and measuring tape, laid out the plan with rope and came up with this great layout which we used then for the rest of the Expos life.

In many other ways Bruce has always been available when asked.

For many years he arranged to borrow the trestle tables from the Scouts and Girl Guides for our Garden Expo and the Bike Ride.

In 1995 Bruce and Heather hosted a dinner at their place for 3 young teenagers from Canada we sponsored in a 3 week Youth Exchange Program. The list can go on.

As mentioned before Bruce and Heather are great organisers, and this has been evident in the many social outings they have organised for the club. Heather in particular in organising the monthly ladies get together dinner meetings.

In closing, Bruce, I know I speak for all our Lions members that this Melvin Jones award is presented to you in appreciation for what you have done for this club over the past 18 years.

Our congratulations