Lions expands its clubs to China

Lions International, the largest service organization in the world

with 1.4 million members, and Rotary International, the oldest

service organization in the world, are establishing clubs in mainland

China. The Lions Club in Shenzhen and a second club, the Guangdong

Lions, were officially chartered in May at a ceremony in the Great

Hall of the People in Beijing that followed a meeting between

then-Lions Clubs International President J. Frank Moore and Prime

Minister Zhu Rongji. The two clubs are the first branches of an

international service organization allowed to recruit Chinese

citizens in China since the 1950s, when late Premier Zhou Enlai

allowed the YMCA to reestablish branches in 10 cities, according to

Susan Lawrence of Lions International.

Close behind are two provisional Rotary Clubs, one in Beijing and

the other in Shanghai China, according to Rotary District 5320 Gov.

Jim Parsons of Newport Beach.

Indigenous non-governmental organizations still struggle to win

any legal status in China because of party fears that they could

become cradles for opposition. But the Lions say that Zhu told them

he hopes to see Lions Clubs expand across China. The Shenzhen club

alone plans to have at least 88 branches in the city by June, each

with at least 30 members. The Shenzhen club has 165 members so far,

and 100 on a waiting list, notes Lawrence.

A key to the Lions Club’s success in winning approval for clubs in

China is its cooperation with the government since 1997 in a campaign

to restore eyesight and prevent blindness. The campaign has supported

more than 2 million cataract operations in China. It has sent 260

medical teams to remote regions to perform the operations and has

trained 12,000 eye-care personnel working in rural areas.

Rotary, on the other hand, has joined with the World Health

Organization and UNICEF to provide polio vaccine to 600 million

Chinese children over the past 10 years. Parsons expects the Chinese

government to formally approve the Rotary Clubs during the coming 12

months.

Yours truly is off to China in November on an eight-day Chamber of

Commerce-sponsored tour and will visit the Rotary Clubs in Beijing

and Shanghai. I will provide an update upon my return.

CATCHING UP WITH

NEWLY ELECTED OFFICERS

While we did the five-week series on service club codes of ethics,

I missed announcing the new officers and directors for our local

Rotary Clubs. So here goes: Newport Beach retailer Roger McGonegal

has been installed as president of the 60-member Rotary Club of

Newport Balboa for 2002-03. Serving in leadership positions with

McGonegal in the area are Ed Rennie, president elect; Bob Krone,

treasurer; Danny Frankel, club service director; Terry Rousselot,

community service director; Todd Anderson, international service

director; Dick Dickson, membership director; Steve Speer, program

chair; Nancy Raney, vocational service director; and Wendell Sawyer,

vice president for policy and ethics.

Insurance executive Jeff Heileson has been installed as president

of the 40-member Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise. Assisting in

guiding the club in 2002-03 are Rob Williams, secretary; Calvin

Wallace, treasurer; John Clark, club service director; Syd Lucas,

community service director; Craig Kennedy, membership director; and

Greg Todd, vocational service director.

Engineer Bob Ramsay is presiding over the 100-member Rotary Club

of Newport-Irvine in 2002-03. Jim Coleman is the president-elect;

Bettie Lou Sechrist, secretary; Junius Jaubert, treasurer; Jerry

Rekers, club service director; Marlene Woodworth, community service

director; Robert Little, foundation director; Edward Smith,

International service director; Henry Catrow, membership director;

Lucy Walther, vocational service director; and Cecil Hess, youth

service director.

Software designer Truck Smith has been installed as president of

the 20-member Rotary Club of South Coast Metro. Working with Smith

are Lisa Allen, secretary; Jim Washington, treasurer; Dale Bixler,

community service director; Howard Kuboto, international service

director; Joe Bann, foundation director; Teresa Sasnett, membership

director; and Michael Lawler, party animal (really, that is his

title!).

WORTH REPEATING

From Greg Kelley of the Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council:

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when

you give of yourself that you truly give.” -- Kahlil Gibran

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS SCHEDULED THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will meet at Five

Crowns restaurant.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The 20-member South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet

at the Center Club (www.southcoastmet rorotary.org), and the Newport

Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the University Athletic Club.

Noon: The 35-member Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht to hear Winter Bonnin discuss Crystal Cove

recreational services.

6 p.m.: The Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Kathryn Haze discuss the Adopt A Social

Worker program (www.newportbalboa.org).

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-plus-member Costa Mesa-Orange Coast Breakfast Lions

Club will meet at Mimi’s Cafe for a business meeting.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn (www.kiwanis.org/club/ costamesa), the Newport

Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club will meet at the Bahia Corinthian

Yacht Club for a program by John Brown on the Media Alliance of

Orange County, the 80-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor will

meet at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum for a Ladies Day program

by Olympic champion Pat McCormick, and the 100-member Newport-Irvine

Rotary Club will meet at the Irvine Marriott Hotel to hear television

personality Stephanie Edwards. (www.nirotary.org).

* Community & Clubs is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (949)

660-8667; e-mail to [email protected] or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol

St., Suite 201, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.