Lions Conference

On Thursday 23^rd April, MedicAlert packed up many leaflets, banners and fuzzy bugs and headed off on the four-hour drive from London to Southport in North West England for the annual Lions Convention.

MedicAlert attends the Convention each year, meeting Lions, running an information stand and giving presentations about our work. One of the highlights of the Convention is presenting a special MedicAlert Shield to the most active Club of the year. Each year, the Lions Convention is held in a different part of the British Isles and Ireland. This years host was the popular seaside resort of Southport.

The days running up to the Convention were a hectic time in the office at MedicAlert. The team were busy racing round central London getting prepared for the event, making sure the Emblems were polished, awaiting a delivery of fuzzy bugs and ensuring that the leaflets and catalogues were all packed and ready to go. On Wednesday morning the dinner suites arrived, with Jamie and James forced into a fashion parade throughout the MedicAlert office. A highlight of the day for many, with howls of laughter and jibes of being "shaken, not stirred" going around in abundance.

Thursday 23^rd

The car was packed, we've said our goodbyes and we're off! Chris in the driver's seat, James navigating next to him, and Jamie in the back with his feet up catching up on some sleep. The journey was straight forward, traffic was light and the sun was shining. Radio 1 kept us entertained as we followed the motorway up in to the North West. After a quick stop in a pub on the way to refuel, we were soon approaching sunny Southport.

Once there, we found the Convention centre, dropped all the MedicAlert literature under the stall and checked in to our hotels. Before too long we were settling down for a few pints of Lancashire's finest in a pub that came highly recommended by Vera Duckworth, apparently.

Friday 24^th

First thing Friday morning we were up bright and early and in to the Lions Den. What we had failed to realize was Friday is arrival and registration day, so at 9am we were the only stall holder to have arrived. Oh well, this did mean we were there for the few Lions that were wondering around before heading off for Brunch in town.

Slowly the place started to pick up and more and more groups of Lions arrived to register for the Convention and came over to investigate our wares. Soon we were being greeted by old friends and new faces, all keen to have a look at the latest jewelry designs and grab their supply of leaflets.

Among those Lions we met were David Pye from EA, who came over to tell us the fantastic news that of the 10,000 Green to be Seen wristbands we had sent him for the Royal Norfolk Show this summer, 4000 had already been used at other events! Other familiar faces that came to say hello, such as Alan Ingram, John Banks and Bryan Yeoman. Neil Rutter, our District Officer in SW, came over to see us with the exciting news that he had been appointed to the position of 1st Vice DG - with effect from July 2009. We also had the pleasure of being introduced to the main man of the Convention, the international guest Past International President Jimmy Ross.

As the Friday drew to a close, we packed up our bits and bobs and headed to Casa Italia, as recommended by Alan Ingram, for a spot of pasta and a glass of vino, preparing ourselves for the start of the Convention proper.

Saturday 23^rd

Sore heads and tired eyes were the order of the day on the first morning of the Convention, but we soon got into the swing of things as the Convention foyer was buzzing with activity and the Lions 58^th Multiple District 105 Convention was truly underway!

The meetings had begun and after the initial opening ceremony, wives and partners were off on a shopping trip to Liverpool while the Lions got down to business. In between the sessions the stall was regularly surrounded by people interested in the life-saving service that MedicAlert provides. The new range of Emblems were very popular, with the new trio sets that have matching earrings, necklets and bracelets for lady Lions and the first showing of the prototype, Elite, the new bracelet for men.

Just before lunch the first of two MedicAlert presentations that weekend took place with Chris Lunn addressing the Lions on the benefits of MedicAlert and how we rely on the support the Lions provide.

Chris discussed the ways in which Lions provide support through sponsored membership and leaflet distribution, describing some case studies showing the impact that Lions support has on people's lives and introduced the uninitiated to the Green to be Seen campaign, providing temporary green wristbands to children at pubic events. He was given a warm reception and a cheerful send off as he closed the presentation with an announcement that he was off back to London to run the Marathon.

As the afternoon drew to a close the Lions began to retreat to their dens to freshen up for the evening's entertainment at the legendary Banquet & Ball.

All the Lions dress in their finery, men in dinner suits, ladies in gowns, converged on the Southport Convention Centre for a banquet for over 700 people. Brian Yeoman made an excellent compere for the evening, while Bryan Riley led the dinner guests in prayer. The meal was wonderful, and the speeches, thankfully, non-existent. After dinner Jimmy and his wife Velda, led off with the first dance of the Lions Banquet and Ball 2009.

Sunday 24^th

The last day of the Convention had arrived. The closing session with the induction of the new Governors was eagerly anticipated by all, and there was a buzzing atmosphere in the foyer of the Southport Convention Centre. This day is always special for MedicAlert as it's the day of the annual presentation of the MedicAlert Shield to the most active Club.

From the start of the day Lions were queuing up to grab the last of the MedicAlert literature and see the fine new jewelry one last time before it's shipped off back to London. The news Emblems had gone down a treat with the Lions, even NE District Governor, Bill Frasier, agreed to finally join and get himself a bracelet, but soon diverted attention from himself by promising to buy his wife Anne a Sweetie Bracelet. Let's hope Anne holds him to it.

Soon the thunderous noise of celebration of the incoming District Governors was underway. With whistles and cheers galore, we suspect the Lions could be heard across the water in Blackpool, let alone across the floor in the foyer.

Soon it was time for the MedicAlert presentation. For the last few years MedicAlert has included with the Shield presentation a commendation for a few individual Lions for dedicated service to our life saving work with a certificate presented to them. This year those commendations went to Lion John Banks and Lion Colin Beckett.

Lion Colin of Kirkham & Fylde Lions Club has been a Champion of the MedicAlert cause for years and served as District Officer for 105BN for over seven years! Thanks to Colin's sterling efforts MedicAlert has been widely promoted throughout the North West in hospitals, doctor's surgeries and pharmacies. Colin has been the beacon of encouragement for many Lions across 105BN and thanks to his work literally hundreds of people have received the protection they need through sponsorship by Lions Clubs in that district. We also gave a special mention to Colin's wife Pam who recently passed away. Pam really was the driving force behind all Colin's great work for MedicAlert, helping him distribute the literature, organise the sponsored memberships and support him in all his work as District Officer. Under her own steam she found time to work with a whole host of good causes and act as secretary of her Club. Pam will be sorely missed

Lion John Banks, who has been a loyal and dedicated supporter of our work for many years now, has served as District Officer for 105SE as well as MedicAlert's Multiple District Officer. John has spent a great deal of time traveling the country giving presentations to various groups about MedicAlert, including a very enjoyable trip to a Women's Institute Convention in Yorkshire where he received a wonderful reception from the ladies there, or so he tells us. John can always be relied upon to lend a hand with all MedicAlert's activities and was very influential, along with his friend Lion Alan Ingram in helping develop MedicAlert's relationship with the Parkinson's Disease Society, and it is for these reasons we gave John our most sincere thanks.

And the winner of the MedicAlert Shield in 2009...

The winner of the Shield this year is a Club that has been in regular contact with us throughout the year, helping to distribute our literature throughout their community. They have also given the gift of MedicAlert security and peace of mind by sponsoring several individuals in need of our service. And they have also raised nearly a thousand pounds by organising a swimathon in their community!

The winner of this years MedicAlert Shield....Stowmarket & District from 105EA!

All presentations were given out by MedicAlert's Chief Executive Jeanette Allen and Chairman, PID Lion Phil Nathan, and all recipients came up to the stage to collect them. A tearful Colin Beckett even received a standing ovation for his years of dedicated service.

As the final session drew to a close the MedicAlert team packed up its wares and prepared for the four hour drive back to London. Some boxes of literature and fuzzy bugs were put together for those who requested while the leftovers were packed into the boot of the car and we were off home. Another Lions Convention, another Banquet & Ball, another roaring success!