Environmental development…Local Lions contribute to global tree-planting

Nov 12, 2011 News

Earlier this year, Lions Club International challenged Lions around the world to plant one million trees this year to demonstrate the strength of global networking.
The Lions Club of Durban Park carried out the tree planting activities yesterday in four schools in their jurisdiction, North Ruimveldt Secondary, East La Penitence Secondary, Lodge High School, and Tucville Secondary.
The several Lions organisation in Guyana are responsible for the schools in their jurisdiction.
According to the Lions Club, more than 80 percent of the forests that originally covered the earth have been lost or degraded.
According to Lions Club International Director, Douglas Alexander, who is visiting from New York, International President Wing-Kun Tam sent out a challenge to Lions worldwide. By yesterday over 2.5 million trees were planted.
He said that many individuals are not aware that trees give off oxygen, and by planting many trees one improves the air quality worldwide.

Lions Club International Director, Douglas Alexander (Centre) planting a tree in the presence of schoolchildren and fellow Lions in the North Ruimveldt Secondary School yesterday.

District Governor of Guyana’s International Association of Lions Club, Terry Singh, said that Guyanese Lions are hosting a conference for the Districts that include the English-speaking Caribbean countries, St Maarten and Suriname this year. The conference attracted past and present International Directors to Guyana.
Singh said that the agenda will be on improving training between Lions, based on membership and leadership capabilities.
Adding that the meeting is also about the fiscal year, Singh said the organisation plans to donate Optometry equipment to the Ministry of Health to give service to the outlying areas in the country that cannot be served by the National Optomology centre.
He said that under the theme for this year is “Building communities, Empowering people” the Lions organisation wants to do major projects to develop communities.
Both Singh and Alexander, commenting on the prevalence of women in the Lions Organisation, agreed that this year the organisation plans to attract even more women, since they make up 25 per cent of the membership, globally.
Noting that there were 20 female international directors, Lions Club International Director, Douglas Alexander said that soon there might also be a female international president.
He explained that at first there was a lot of resistance to women in the clubs. However, after it was realized how much work and potential women offered to the organisation they were gladly accepted.
“A lot of clubs have survived because they have opened their doors to women. So it has really been a win-win situation.” Alexander said.
Guyana’s International Association of Lions Club, Terry Singh noted that in Guyana there was a 50-50 ratio of women to men in the Lions. The women are far more efficient in doing their work, he said.

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