An open window on the excellence of our territory, positive events characterized by friendship and solidarity, too often overlooked, which contribute to making our Community better. The Lions Clubs, the largest humanitarian organization in the world, present in over 200 countries, follows this ethic: Demonstrate, with the excellence of the works and the diligence of the work, the seriousness of the vocation to service.
The Lions Club Perugia Host, faithful to a tradition that has been perpetuated every year since 1956, has also given a precious legacy to its community in 2023/24. Thanks to the intuition of President Letizia Mezzasoma, not only did she offer her testimony and services, but under the banner of “The Beauty of Giving” she testified how wanting to dedicate oneself to others is beautiful in itself and in every sense.
The 47,000 Lions Clubs in the world place themselves at the service of their respective communities (We Serve) with concrete actions, with productive initiatives and above all with: Demonstrating the seriousness of the vocation to service through the excellence of actions and the diligence of work.Therefore not words, but facts, actions and behaviors that set an example. And this is why we are here to talk about how much beauty has been donated, not out of vainglory, but to testify that more can and must be done for others, who, after all, are us.
We know well that every discovery, every innovation loses meaning, it simply does not exist, if it is not accompanied by precise, detailed, detailed communication. It must become public knowledge, be able to be known, evaluated, criticized. Only in this way, to quote Popper, can it be falsified and corrected. Only in this way can it be overcome and improved and contribute to progress and common growth. In our small way, this is what we have proposed: to offer ourselves to everyone so that they can do better than us and improve the material and spiritual well-being of our Community.
The Perugia Host, which with its 121 members is the largest Club in Italy, has moved compactly and with conviction in many fields, to contribute 360 degrees to improving and growing our Community.
For this reason we wanted to carry out initiatives on the protection of health and the environment by participating in the National Breath and Respiratory Diseases Day (September); offering a free diabetes screening day (November); with participation in the national study topic Let’s Save Bees and Biodiversity, at World Bee Day 2024 and the creation of the January Conference Let’s Save Bees and Biodiversity-let’s save honey, inventing the Buon Respiro Park in Perugia which has already seen the planting of the first 13 tall trees (February) and the Urban Bee Park in Ponte San Giovanni; proposing a reflection on the engines of yesterday and today with the conference (February): Petrol, electric, diesel or what… And last but not least, the prevention day The Lions in the Square for health (June) of which the Our Club is the promoter and it is now in its third edition.
To once again say a No, loud and clear, to oppression and violence (not just gender violence) by presenting the Lions Rosa project (February); organizing the conference (April) From the Culture of Rights to that of Duties, and the related competition for schools; promoting Youth Exchanges (January) between young people from geographically distant countries, holding the A Poster for Peace competition among very young people: so that ethics, legality, peace are not empty words of rhetorical phrases. To participate in the care of the children of the Seraphic Institute of Assisi with the organization of a Padel Tournament (November) and the donation of the proceeds from the purchase of clementines thanks to the now traditional Clementina Day, now in its twelfth edition. To promote the priceless asset of Culture with the conference at the Academy of Fine Arts (October); the visit to the Moretti Casellati studio/museum (November); the Christmas Concert with an exceptional pianist: Maurizio Mastrini; the collection of school supplies (September) to donate to Caritas; il Libro Sospeso and the collaboration with the Biblioteca degli Arconi (April). The increasingly synergistic collaboration with Caritas, crowned with the awarding of the Melvin Jones (the highest honor of the Lions) to the Director of the Diocesan Caritas Don Marco Briziarelli, took shape with the Stars in the Street initiative and the day dedicated to the needy at the Charity Village (March). The closeness to those who suffer and in need was also enriched by the day dedicated to collection with Il Banco Alimentare (December).
Attention to those who are disadvantaged was the push to participate in Real Eyes, the campus dedicated to visually impaired children (August) which began the Lion Year with a clear and unequivocal signal.
A year which for the Perugia Host does not constitute an exception, but the confirmation of a commonly recognized practice, so much so that, for the third time in the last ten years, for the Lionistic Year 2022/23, with the presidency of Pino Famà, received the Silver Lion (huge recognition for the activity of a Club), after that of 2014/15 with the leadership of President Antonio Ansalone and that of 2017/18 with President Ketty Savino.
On June 14th, the Charter Night celebrated the delivery of the Constitution Charter (therefore the birth of our Club) and the Passing of the Bell, which with its touch begins and closes every Lions meeting, symbolizing the handover between the President Outgoing (Letizia Mezzasoma) and the Incoming President (Giorgio Guercini). One year ends and another begins.
The writer had the honor of recounting facts and events that were the result of an ethic that pursues success with dignity, honor, loyalty, altruism, friendship, solidarity and a constructive spirit. It was a privilege. It is therefore impossible to conclude without thanking the entire editorial staff of AboutUmbria, and in particular Sonia Bagnetti and Eleonora Cesaretti for their invaluable collaboration, and the Director Ugo Mancusi for offering this space to the Perugia Host; President Letizia Mezzasoma who believed in the modest resources of the writer; all the Friends of the L.C. Perugia Hosts who, unlike the narrator, did not spend words, but actions, effort, time, industriousness, skills, creativity and solidarity.
Filippo Vincenzo Maiolo
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