Dinner with Lions Club of Yame, Japan!

It's always nice to renew friendship and fellowship, especially so when it's with a visiting Lions Club all the way from Yame, Japan!

Welcome to Malaysia again, Lions Club of Yame! (八女 LC)

Yame, by the way, is a city located in the Fukuoka prefecture of Japan famed for its green tea.

More importantly, Yame was also the homestay location for several of our Leos, namely Leo Jesslyn, Leo Joanne and Leo Jason Ong!

For the rest of us who met them when they visited KL last 2006, it was quite an anticipation as we organized another small get-together dinner at Hakka Restaurant.

KLCC Omega Leos, Malaysian YE's who homestayed in Yame, and Yame YE's who homestayed in Malaysia at the 2006 Reunion Dinner!

The purpose of this dinner was for ex-Youth Exchangees who had their homestay in Yame to have another reunion with their hosting families, the Lions Club of Yame, before the Yame Lions depart for home.

Finally, 21 April arrived!

Due to heavy rain and massive traffic jams, several of the ex-YE's and their families were delayed. While waiting, we introduced ourselves formally to every Yame Lion member, especially important for those who will be winging their way down to Yame come December.

Dinner began shortly and pretty soon the ice was broken, with many of the Yame Lions making heartfelt speeches about the Malaysian YE's they had hosted, and how they were happy to finally meet the parents of their YE's who were almost like their own child.

Many following speeches ensued with many 'Kampai' toasts ringing merrily in the air. Gifts from the Yame Lions were presented, and several Yame Lions even gamely sang on karaoke!

Ex-YE Skantha & his girlfriend receiving a gift from District 337-A YE Chairman 2006-07, Lion Kunitake Teruhisa

The Lions Club of Yame then formally extended a very gracious invitation to the KLCC Omega Leo Club to attend their 50th Club Anniversary on 18 November 2007.

As Leo Zetuan and Leo Teck Liet would be unable to join the December visit to Yame, they were more than happy to accept the invite.

KLCC Omega President 2006-07, Leo Zetuan together with District 337-A YE Chairman 2006-07, Lion Kunitake Teruhisa

All in all, it was an enjoyable night of reunion and fellowship. Alas, all good things must come to and end and soon it was time to say "Sayonara!". Hugs were exchanged, promises to meet again were elicited, and pictures were quickly snapped before the final adieu.

Final group snap before Sayonara!

さよなら、また今度会いましょう！　(^_~)/

We hope you all had a good time! See you all again this end of year 2007!

Youth Exchange Programme Rules & Requirements

Heads up people!

Because we've been there and done that, we know exactly how confusing it may be when it comes to finding out more about the Lions Youth Exchange Programme.

So before you rush out to apply for the Youth Exchange Programme, here are some things you ought to know about...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Youth Exchange Rules & Requirements]

• Candidates must be aged between 16-21 years old, at the time of outbound.

• Candidates must host a foreign youth for about 2-3 weeks BEFORE outbound.

• Volunteering for hosting does not automatically guarantee candidate selection for the Youth Exchange Programme. We hope you will kindly take note of this.

• Candidates must successfully qualify on the Test & Interview session conducted by the Youth Exchange committee.

• Candidates must be sponsored by a Lions Club.

• Candidates must seek consent from Parents/Guardian.

• A registration fee of RM 100 (non-refundable for administration) is to be submitted along with the application form.

• All selection decisions made by the Youth Exchange committee are final and binding. No correspondences whatsoever will be entertained. All selected candidates for the Youth Exchange Programme will be notified by mail.

• More than one candidate can be selected from each family at one point in time for the Youth Exchange Programme, provided the candidates select different countries. Both candidates are not allowed to visit the same country together.

• All successful candidates are allowed to select Japan only ONCE for the Youth Exchange Programme.

• Host families for outbound will be assigned by the Lion’s Clubs of the respective countries*. (*The departing country of the selected candidate)

• Closing date: 30 April of every year. The Youth Exchange committee will not be held responsible and will not be liable for any late application submissions.

• By submission of the application form, each candidate agrees to be bound by these Rules & Requirements.

• Airfare and all miscellaneous expenses are to be borne by the candidates themselves. (E.g. YE Blazer, Tie, etc).

• All selected candidates will purchase airfares through the Youth Exchange’s assigned travel agent. Candidates are strictly disallowed to purchase airfare on their own.

• All selected candidates for the outbound must adhere to the Youth Exchange’s programme and arrangement at all times.

• All selected candidates for the Youth Exchange Programme will be covered by insurance, which must be purchased specifically via the Youth Exchange Programme.

• Please note that the Youth Exchange committee will not entertain any special requests whatsoever. All selected candidates will be treated with equal standards.

• All decisions of the Youth Exchange committee are final. The committee reserves the right to disqualify any candidates, should they fail to abide to the above Rules & Requirements.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having said that, if you need any more information, just holler here!

Alternatively, do contact the Lions Headquarters at (+603) 6272 5399 for more information.

Cheerios and best of luck with your application! (^_~)v

Visit To Rumah Sayangan Orphanage

Perhaps some of you may recall in some of our previous posts a project called 'Sharing Hearts, Sharing Hopes'.

The brainchild of Leo Joanne Wong, Sharing Hearts + Hopes first kicked off in October 2006 where we had organized a 'Charity@Movie: Orphans' Day Out' project for 30 young friends from 3 different orphanages at Cineleisure.

Lion Thomas, Lion Wong, Lion Soh from Lions Club of KL Cheras & KLCC Omega Leos who showed up with full-on support!

Leo Jessie & Leo Joanne having fun invading McDonald's for lunch with the kids after the movie!

Buoyed by the high of that smashing success, we recently convened together again on 4 March 2007 to jump-start Round 2 with a visit to Rumah Sayangan, one of the 3 orphanages!

Located at Taman Billion, Cheras, it was quite a challenge searching for parking as we had quite a good turnout of Leos, friends, and Lions from the Lions Club of Cybercare who were keen to join in the fun and good deeds!

Given the fact that it was held on a Sunday, and the fact that we just know how much most of us love our weekend lie-in on a Sunday, we were pleasantly surprised and grateful for the great show of support.

Asides from donating useful goodies from Unilever like shampoo, liquid detergents, and foodstuffs like peanut butter to Rumah Gembira, we also wanted to enjoy some fellowship with the kids and treat them to some yummilicious lunch!

The donated goodies & the delicious lunch treat!

Lunch was packed all the way from New Paris restaurant in SS2. Thank you Leo Joanne for going the distance! Talk about 山長水遠! [Literally translated: 'Over high mountains and long rivers'. Hee.]

Leos transforming into waiters for the day, kids enjoying lunch!

Now the food we packed was a feast indeed! Cantonese fried noodles, Yong Chow fried rice, Xing Chow mee hoon! We even bought Kentucky Fried Chicken in case some of the kids had a yen for fast food instead!

So it was very gratifying to hear happy remarks on the food with "Thumbs up!", "Good!", and "Yummy!" coming from all corners of Rumah Sayangan. One thing is for sure though, and that is you can always count on New Paris to serve delicious food. Hehe! (^_~)b

Lunch over, while Leo Elaine Tham and Elaine Ang took the dirty dishes to task, it was time for some fun and games for the rest of us with the kids!

Both Elaine's washing up, Joanna having fun with the kids

Somewhere along the way, the kids took to calling Leo Joanne, Auntie Joanne! Lol! What's more, there was a sudden 'workshop' teaching the kids how to smile and pose like a Japanese according to the numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 10. (O_o)

Just.Don't.Ask. *shakes head*

Monkeying around before we said our good-byes!

In spite of some minor hiccups plus changes in dates and lunch arrangements, we all had a great time with the kids. We're so glad many volunteers came, and would like thank you all once more for your support!

We would also like to thank the people of Unilever who helped us buy Unilever products so efficiently, together with a special thanks to Leo Joanne's friend, Kok Foong for being kind enough to bring additional stuffs from Ridsect, Ambipur and Kiwi!

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

We hope to see you guys again in our next visit to the other 2 orphanages!

*BIG HUGS Y'ALL!*

Spotlighted! KLCC In The News!

Late last January 2007, a bunch of us bravely tripped down to Port Dickson to save the world do some goodness for Mother Earth by cleaning the oft-polluted beaches there.

Although we were already jam packed with plannings for Youth Exchange Programme, annual jumbo Jumble Sales and the fantastic 'Sharing Hearts, Sharing Hopes' project umbrella initiated by our very capable LeoSuperwomanJoanne, we wanted to do an environmental project.

So we sat down and cracked our heads.

Just what exactly can we commit ourselves to without compromising our existing projects? Ideas flew fast and furiously around during the few meetings when we broached this subject.

After much discussion, we finally settled onto doing a Beach Clean-up Project jointly with our sponsoring Lions, the Lions Club of KL Cheras, together with the Lions Club of Lukut 88.

Several ideas, changes and emergencies [OMG, no one brought the Coke?] later, we finally did it!

Us Leos went down to PD one day earlier with the mad idea of having some jolly fellowship before we got down to tackling the beach the day after, even though most of us were pretty skeptical if we would wake up in time the next morning! Lol.

Monkey bonding session at the balcony?

Although it was tiring, what with all the constant bending over (no puns intended) and the excruciating heat of the sun, we were quite happy and satisfied with our haul of the day - 3 huge bags of beach trash!

Nothing like water to quench our thirsts

Even Abby, Leo May and Leo Maybel's pet retriever was happy, dashing to and fro around the beach and even into the sea before returning to us to splash everyone with a huge dose of sea water treatment for our skin. Lol.

Success! Mission accomplished!

After the beach clean-up, the Lions sprung a surprise invitation to us, graciously inviting us to attend an Open House party of one of the Lukut 88 Lion members.

Several months later, we received an even nicer surprise~!

A short feature of us in Nan Yang Siang Pow newspapers! (^_~)v

Lukut 88 Lion, KL Cheras President Lion Thomas, KLCC Omega Leos, Abby the (almost) club mascot, and Lion Au Yong of Lukut 88

Once again, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the Lions Club of KL Cheras and the Lions Club of Lukut 88 for their help, support and warm hospitality!

It was a successful project from many angles, and who knows, we might be able to hold this project regularly again come future?

*Grins*

We'll keep you posted, guys!

KLCC Omega: What We Do

If one were to ask us to explain about our club, it is perhaps safe to say that to join the KLCC Omega Leo Club, is to stand well between both the local and international scene.

For while we actively organize activities like fund raisers and visiting the local needy homes, the International stage demands much more from our members.

This is because besides holding the conventional duties and objectives of an Omega Leo Club, KLCC Omega stands unique as we primarily focus onto the Lions International Youth Exchange Programme.

As most of our club members consists of ex-Youth Exchange students, our experiences gained stand in good stead as we strive to assist the Youth Exchange Chairman of District 308-B in ensuring the success of the Youth Exchange Programme for both inbound and outbound Youth Exchange students.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[INBOUND YOUTH EXCHANGE DUTIES]

Because we understand how it's like being in a foreign country on your own, it is our desire to enhance the cultural exchange and experience for the visiting Youth Exchange students and make them feel comfortable quickly.

As such, every Summer and Winter, we are on hand to greet the Youth Exchange students as they arrive at the airport.

In addition, we also organize various activities such as Youth Camps and Farewell Dinners to promote easy & fun interaction among the Youth Exchange students from various countries and their host families.

What's more, as the majority of the Youth Exchange students visiting Malaysia are from Japan, we also realize and understand the need for good communication skills.

Hence several of our members are fluent in Japanese, while most of us are able to communicate reasonably well in simple Japanese and English.

This is to ensure there will be no communication breakdowns between the exchange student and his/her host family, and if need be, to assist in the capacity of a translator.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[OUTBOUND YOUTH EXCHANGE DUTIES]

Together with the Youth Exchange Chairperson of MD308-B, we are also responsible for shaping up young Malaysian ambassadors for their visit to their country of choice.

Test & Interview Sessions are held to choose capable and suitable candidates as Young Ambassadors, a most important aspect as our ambassadors will reflect our future leaders to the world.

Subsequently, an Orientation Day would be held for successful applicants, whereby the experienced past exchange students (often from KLCC Omega) are invited to provide experience sharing, tips and advice.

This is also the time where the future ambassadors can ask questions about their interested countries during the Question & Answer Session held during the Orientation. These are very important events, as our future ambassadors should prepare themselves well with the knowledge of both their own countries and the countries they will be visiting.

Currently, the Malaysian Youth Exchange Programme offers Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Italy as countries for exchange.

Come Summer 2007, Finland and France will also be available for exchange opportunities.

KLCC Omega: Club Objectives

Through the trails of the past 10 years, the faces at KLCC Omega have blurred and changed with the ebb and flow of time. Yet throughout every new generation, the spirit of the club still runs true - holding firm to our club objectives to:

• Create and foster a spirit of understanding among the people of the world

• Provide youths worldwide with opportunities to develop and contribute, both individually and collectively, as responsible members of the local, national and International community

• Provide leadership training and personal development opportunities

• Promote international understanding

• Assist in organizing the Youth Exchange Programme in Malaysia, District 308-B

• Promote and introduce Malaysia to the communities of the world

KLCC Omega: The Birth

It was the year 1997 that marked the birth of the Leo Club of Kuala Lumpur City Centre Omega (KLCC Omega).

With the installation of the founding Board of Directors on 29th June 1997, this successful establishment was contributed predominantly to our founding members, majority which are ex-Youth Exchange students - a fact that remains true even until today.

Having gained vast experience, knowledge and cultural savoir-faire regarding the Youth Exchange programme and other countries through our own Youth Exchange adventures, we are well-equipped to assist the Lions Club of Malaysia in myriad ways to render the Youth Exchange Programme a success.

At the same time, we are gifted with the opportunity to learn and contribute towards the enrichment of the programme and our community - gaining a keen sense of responsibility, leadership and dedication amongst many other values of similar importance along the way.

With an aspiration to craft a legacy of dedicated service to the Youth Exchange programme, it has, and still is, our sincere hope to leave a lasting and meaningful memory to all the youths worldwide, both visiting students and fellow Malaysians, whose paths we have crossed and have formed bonds with.