LIONS CLUB OF FULHAM - club formation

In November 2004, over a cup of coffee, the germ of the idea of a new Lions Club was floated. Lion Kamaljit Sood of Ealing Lions Club was enjoying a coffee with PDG Lion Ram Jaggi at the latter’s office one fine early afternoon. The discussion soon centred around the membership development of Lions club. Lion Ram suggested to Lion Kamaljit that the latter should try to form a new club and threw a challenge. Being someone who loves challenges, Lion Kamaljit took it upon him this challenge and decided to start the formation of the club.

The early stages were hard going. But soon, Lion Kamaljit roped in his colleague Lion Kanwalnain Singh Gabrie at Ealing Lions club. Lion Kanwalnain S. Gabrie showed keen interest in the new club. It was early December 2004. Through the combined efforts of both of us, we decided to have our first formation meeting in January at a restaurant in King’s Road, Hammersmith. We estimated that we will have about 12 members who could attend this meeting. The meeting could have been better attended, but the quorum was sufficient for us to  move ahead. Getting new potential members was hard work. We scheduled the next few meetings at The Coach and Horses (Kew Bridge), a beautiful pub. But to our regret, the pub was on the “wrong” side of the river for our club to have legitimacy according to the rules of district 105A. Lion Kanwalnain, a pub aficionado, then located another beautiful pub, the London Apprentice at Syon Park (Old Isleworth), on the river front. The potential membership was growing and it was decided to give the new grouping a chance of autonomous existence. The mother club, Ealing Lions club decided to set up a branch club which could meet autonomously. And so the branch club was launched in June 2005 at function held at the Chahal’s restaurant in Hounslow.  The then District governor Lion Max Mongia adorned the branch formation meeting. The 16 new members got tremendous encouragement from the district leadership. The branch soon evolved into 26 members. And so, having surpassed the requirement of 29 members for formation, at a meeting held at Bukhara restaurant, the club was formed in October 2005. By this time the new district Governor Lion Erach Amaria had taken over. The meeting was attended by 26 members and the entire leadership of District.105A. It was a wonderful event, full of excitement. The new members came brimming with ideas of how to advance the cause of Lionism through their efforts.

The new members started enjoying the newly found fellowship that Lions Clubs generate. There was great energy in the new members led by Lions Anil and Anjali Soni, Lions Amarjit S. Panesar and Gugan Panesar, not to mention the ebullience of Lion Kanwalnain S. Gabrie. They started planning their course with the active help of the mother club and its President Ranjit Singh Mangat. And in April 2006, the club received its charter from the Lions Club International at Horizons Bar & Banqueting. This was a proud outcome for the guiding Lions Kamaljit, Kumar Acharya and the Charter President of the newly formed club Lion Kanwalnain S. Gabrie.

Many lions from various clubs participated in the launch of the club. The gratitude and the efforts of the mother club were invaluable in the support that the new club was given.