Leo clubs

The Leo clubs are the independent youth organization of Lions Clubs. There are service clubs, so charity clubs that are run by young adults aged 16 to 30 years. Its members call themselves Leos. The international headquarters is now located in Oak Brook, Illinois.

• 7.1 Germany
• 7.2 Austria
• 7.3 Switzerland

History

The Leo - movement arose in the Abington High School in Pennsylvania on the initiative of Lions Clubs and limited their activity initially only on the baseball team in the school. It was founded on December 5, 1957.

In 1964, the previously existing Leo clubs have been recognized as an official activity of Lions Clubs International. Within the first year 200 Leo Clubs were organized in 18 countries. On July 1, 2013, 158 475 young people engaged in 6,339 Leo clubs in 141 countries and regions.

In Germany, the first Leo club was founded on 12 December 1970 with the name " casting Lahn -Dill ". 1 July 2013 there were in Germany 193 Leo clubs with 3,314 members. In Austria, the oldest continuing Leo Club " Vienna opera" was founded in 1970. In Switzerland, Lugano Leo is the oldest club.

General

Leos give themselves politically and denominationally independent. They support styles for children, the elderly and the sick, the homeless, the disabled, or for example by disasters damaged people. The engagement is purely honorary.

The local Leo clubs involved, especially at local and regional level. In addition, there are also regional and international scale actions and meetings.

The term " LEO " is the English terms Leadership, Experience and Opportunity. By this is meant that the personal commitment as a member provides the ability to take responsibility, to gain experience and to seize opportunities for engagement. This is preferably done in teamwork.

Since Leo club shall not be registered as an association by Articles have many clubs aid agencies, which are recognized as non-profit associations. Supra-regional activities of the German Leos see the roof of the auxiliary of the German Leos eV, Wiesbaden, instead.

In Austria, Leo clubs registered associations.

Officials

Each club has the following officers, who are seeking a global definition of the Leojahres annually from 1 July to 30 June of the following year in office:

• President
• Vice - President ( and possibly 2nd Vice - President )
• Last year's President ( Past President )
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Club Champion

The Executive Board, various club officers ( eg for Activities, Members Questions, Public Relations, Webmaster, International Relations, recruitment, environmental protection) are at your side. The leadership positions (President, Governor, International President ) are purely honorary basis and are usually taken only for a year.

Activities

Club Activities

The Leos call their social actions " Activities". At club level, a wide range of Activities are planned by the members and guests and performed. Usually the purpose is redefined for each activity, with many clubs also Acitivity frequently for the same purpose to perform ( so-called continuous activity ). Typical examples of Activities are:

• Food collections
• Flea markets
• Regular visits to a nursing home
• Schoolyard beautification actions
• Charity Advent Calendar
• Eyeglass collection for the Third World
• Sporting events (eg disabled people)
• Clothes drive for the homeless
• Benefit Concerts
• " A free wish " ( seriously ill children wishes be fulfilled)

If the partly gathered at these Activities revenues and donations can not be passed immediately, such as food donations to the local boards, the money is fully passed on socially engaged and charitable organizations.

Germany -wide activities

There are also two Acitivities at the national level, coordinated each supported by almost all the local Leo clubs: Leo - service day and Leo Relay Activity.

Since 1995, the Leo - service day, the nationwide held on the first Saturday in May each year. All participating clubs Leo occur uniformly and collect only on this day for the nationwide defined purpose. The uniform fundraising goal is first democratically determined by the Leo members at the Annual General Meeting (multi - district meeting ) itself. Each club can independently choose its fundraising activity with which he contributes to the proceeds of the joint fundraising goal.

Leo - service day

Leo Lions Service Day

In 2009, a common activity was calculated from the Leo - service day under the name of Leo Lions Service Day. Thus, the first Germany -wide activity was born. The Lions - Leo - service day was held under the theme " Youth", each club was able to determine its donations end itself. Leo Germany this supported the Federation of Youth art schools and cultural education facilities eV ( bjke ). Likewise stood as donations end, the youth programs of Lions Club International (Lions Quest, Klasse2000, Kindergarten Plus ) are available. The Lions - Leo - service day is a synthesis of the Leo -service Days and the Lions Day of Action to the partnership of Leo and Lions to promote. Since 2011, all on this day occupied donations to a pre- selected organization specifically to increase the common bond of activity again.

Leo Relay Activity

When Leo Relay Activity, which was launched in 2004, the Leo club gather for a common purpose distributed over the calendar year.

Austria-wide activities

For some years there are in Austria the " Leo.Lions.Aktionstag " whole of Austria takes place on the first Saturday in May each year. Exclusive in all MERKUR markets throughout Austria, the Austrian LEO LIONS clubs and ask customers to buy at least one product more and to donate - either long-lasting staple food or hygiene items. These products are directly from the LEO LIONS Clubs and deprived persons in the respective region. The action was initiated several years ago by the LEO clubs and is very well received. In 2009, the Austrian LEO clubs gathered for the first time together with the LIONS clubs across the whole of Austria and were able to help due to the great success of many in need. This action around 150,000 products are collected and it can thus about 6,000 needy families are provided for one week.

Switzerland-wide activities

The Swiss Leo clubs run annually through various events. Since 2010, a common social activity, the LEO National Activity ( LENA ) is performed. In this Leo accompanied in 2010 and 2011 blind and partially sighted people at an open-air concert. 2012 and 2013 accompanied Leo children of a children's home in the Europa Park. Other national meetings is the annual National Convention, in which all clubs together determine the officials in the cabinet and make important decisions. In order to drink a toast to the new year to meet each 30 to 40 Swiss Leo the traditional New Year food on the second Saturday in January Bern. The LEO Ski Weekend is held every year in February in the monastery instead.

From 5 to 7 December 2012, at Leo international meeting was held with the SwissLi Weekend in Switzerland, took part in which around 110 Leo from 14 countries. As is usual for a Leo event, the program included both sightseeing, parties and a social activity.

Members

For membership of Leo clubs, there are no special requirements. Leo clubs are therefore (unlike Lions Clubs) basically open to anyone who belongs to the age group and would like to volunteer.

The membership structure is generally very mixed, with each individual club has frequently certain priorities. In some clubs this focus is on students, students ( especially in university towns ) or young professionals or trainees; other clubs are rather heterogeneous.

Celebrate

In addition to the charitable projects can be found regionally and nationally throughout the year instead of several parties where meet Leos Club and guests to celebrate.

Structure

The organization is divided Leo analogous to the Lions Clubs in districts. Worldwide, there are July 1, 2007 102 districts and 18 multi- districts, 5,620 Leo clubs in 137 countries and 140,500 members.

Germany

Germany is the Multiple District 111 (MD 111), which meets once a year in May at the so-called multi - district meeting (MDV ). In addition to the MDV is available in Germany with the multi- district seminar, which takes place regularly in November, another annual meeting. In Germany, the clubs are divided into 16 districts.

Austria

Austria is the Multiple District (MD 114 ) and consists of three districts:

• East ( Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland)
• Center (Upper Austria, Styria )
• West ( Salzburg, Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg)

In Austria there were in the club year 2013/ 14 30 clubs with 400 members.

Leo Clubs exist among others in Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Gmunden, Steyr, Wels, Baden near Vienna, Stockerau, St. Pölten, Fürstenfeld, St. Veit an der Glan, Klagenfurt, Eisenstadt, Gaenserndorf, Linz and Mureck.

The individual LEO clubs in Austria, the overall district board team and the LIONS clubs are closely related to each other.

Annually select the LEO clubs their overall district board, which then acts on the Austrian level and represents, among other things, the interests to the LIONS clubs Austria and creates a common basis for communication.

The President of the LEO multiple district also has a firm place in Govornorrat, Austria's highest LIONS body. The three LEO district representative exchange in the respective districts Cabinet of East, Central and West with the LIONS friends from. At club level, the interface between LIONS Club LEO and the respective LEO ( at LIONS Club ) or LIONS is ( at LEO Club ) officer.

Between total district board and the individual LEO Clubs is communicated mainly through the three district representatives who visit virtually the most LEO club at their club nights and share information.

Switzerland

The Switzerland is the MD 102 In Switzerland, there are 11 clubs ( Alvier, Baden, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Lugano, Neuchâtel, Rapperswil, Winterthur, Central Switzerland and Zurich ), which form the district 102L. Other clubs are currently in the start-up phase. In Switzerland, there are about 190 active Leo. The Swiss Leo meet annually at the National Convention, on New Year's food, the ski weekend and at the Leo National Activity ( LENA ). LENA was first carried out in 2010 and has been integral part of the annual program.

In other European countries Leos are also strongly represented, particularly in Italy and Finland.

Editorials

• Service Clubs: Quality is more important than vitamin B. Simon Hage in conversation with Dr. Sebastian Gradinger In: manager- magazin.de, November 16, 2006 ( online).
• Achieve a lot with little effort. Interview on BusinessNews.com (online)