June Roundup
From President Vaughn
Lions Eye Health Program
The Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP) aims to reduce the incidence and impact of vision loss in Australia through education and awareness activities, promoting eye examinations, distributing informational publications and conducting children’s vision screenings.
Over 575,000 Australians are vision impaired in both eyes, to the extent that they can no longer legally drive, and this number is expected to continually rise.
90% of vision loss in Australia is avoidable or treatable.
80% of a child’s learning is processed through their eyes. Along with allergies and asthma, eye disorders are the most common long-term health problems suffered by children.
In fact, 1 in 5 children have an undetected vision condition. It is important to pick up any problems as soon as possible to reduce the impact on their development. Most children will accept vision problems and adapt to their poor vision. They rarely complain as they believe everyone sees the world just like they do and don’t know that they could be seeing things clearer.
All children should have a full eye examination before starting school and then regularly as they progress through primary and secondary years of their education. To help screen for undetected vision conditions in children, LEHP has purchased vision screening aids and screening cameras that can identify issues through four simple on-site activities. With the help of a matching Lions Clubs International Foundation grant, these cameras and screening aids are available in every Lions District in Australia.
In June several members of Hallidays Point Lions Club will be participating in a training program to use these vision screening aids to conduct screening sessions in schools in our region.
Vale Don Clough 5th July 1938 - 15th April 2026
Don Clough joined Hallidays Point Lions in August 2005 and resigned in January 2015 due to health concerns.
During those 10 years Don served as President 2007/2008 and also served on the Board as Vice President and Director on several occasions. He was awarded a James D Richardson Award and a Melvin Jones Fellowship. In 2016 he was Hallidays Point Citizen of the Year.
Don led through service, integrity, and a gentle strength that was unshakable. He didn’t need the spotlight; he preferred to be the steady foundation upon which others could build their own success. He believed, as I know many of you do, that character is defined by how we treat people when no one is watching.
Don demonstrated that leadership is not about accolades or titles; it's about the lives we touch and the values we uphold. He, along with his lovely wife Jan, made people feel special, like they mattered.
During his service to the community as a member of Lions Don, together with Peter Stuart, known as Los Dos Amigos, he was responsible for initiating a number of key projects and events:
Spark Plug rallies -
Car Boot Sale; initially set up on Black Head Road at John Finnie’s Real Estate Office before moving to the Shopping Centre Car Park
Grocery Grab
Gourmet Foods - set up in FoodWorks as fundraiser for Lions and Red Cross.
Contributor to ‘To The Point’ a precursor to ‘News of Our World’.
His legacy isn’t just in the projects he completed or the goals met, but in the quiet confidence he fostered in all of us. He was an oasis of optimism, showing us that even in the toughest times, we can move forward with gentleness, kindness and poise. He will be sadly missed.
Cheers, Vaughn
