2010 International Lions Convention Down Under

NC’s very own Lion Sid Scruggs was elected as our 2010-2011 International President at the convention. He is from Vass, North Carolina, is a retired military and commercial airline pilot and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. President Scruggs’ International Theme, A Beacon of Hope, will make service to others the focal point of his presidency

McAdams Report
What a wonderful trip - and an experience of a lifetime! Monday, after two days of sightseeing in Auckland, New Zealand, we flew to Sydney, Australia, and met up with many of our Lion friends. Tuesday was the big parade and it was incredible to see over 200 countries represented and in their native dress. The weather was much cooler than N.C., but we adjusted and were comfortable marching the one-mile route. What a treat to represent N.C. and especially Sid Scruggs, the new International President. Sid and Judy were there to greet and thank us. We were also treated to an amazing international show featuring some of Australia’s most talented performers — fabulous. A trip to the zoo was also in our schedule and we petted and fed kangaroos and koalas and saw other exotic animals and beautiful birds. The highlight of the trip for us was seeing Sid installed as our new International President and Gary Steele take the reins as Governor of District 31-E. We can be very proud to be Lions and also proud of the leadership in our organization. We look forward to sharing more about the experience when we do a program.

McGuire Report
New Zealand and Australia were beautiful and I would definitely go back again and recommend it to anyone who might be considering the trip. There was so much to see and do and we packed as much in to the short time that we had. The convention was very inspiring to me, especially hearing about all the wonderful things that my fellow Lions are doing around the world to help those in need. A highlight of the convention, and a very touching and emotional moment for me personally, was when they talked about the local program in Australia to help special needs children by providing them with various types of equipment to help them with mobility and other types of assistance. Several of these precious children who had been helped were invited onto the stage. Needless to say, I got pretty choked up at that sight and the tears started flowing. It made me even more proud to be part of such a wonderful organization!