On the 28th – 30th April 2011, 28 Leos from the Leo Club of SMK Assunta along with their Lion Advisor, Lion Ivan Ho attended the 38th Multiple District 308 Leo Forum 2011. At 5.00 a.m. everyone gathered at ANW to board the bus together. After one-by-one placing our bags at the side of the bus, all who was present which were Leos from Assunta, La Salle PJ and Taman Petaling boarded the bus. Not long after that, majority of the Leos dozed off as it was still early in the morning. The bus left ANW at 5.45 a.m , along the way we made two stops and arrived at the Zon Regency Hotel by the Sea at 10.15 a.m.
As the Leos stepped foot into the hotel compound, they were mesmerised by the incredible structure of the hotel. Upon our arrival, each Leo received their name tags and a goodie bag containing two t-shirts, a certificate, a metal badge, a notebook, a digi phone package, sunsilk conditioners and a programme book. Next, the Leos placed their bags in a room then proceeded to the grand ballroom for the opening ceremony of the event. Before the ceremony could begin, the house rules and safety regulations were strictly announced to all Leos present.
The opening ceremony began with the arrival of all Lion Dignitaries, special guests and the organising chairperson for the 2011 Leo Forum. Right after that, all the special guests were summoned to the stage to initiate Leo Forum 2011. Next were a few speeches by Lions and the organising chairperson which was followed by the acknowledgement of all clubs present at the Leo Forum. An opening performance by a group of enthusiastic traditional Chinese drummers was then showcased. After the meeting was adjourned, all Leos from various schools moved to the exposition hall for a motivational talk.
This motivational talk was about the importance of setting your goals. Due to the speaker’s positive energy throughout the talk, the crowd has a different perception on how to set achievable and reasonable goals. As the talk ended, the hotel room keys were distributed to each school respectively. Everyone had some time to rest and prepare for the fellowship night which was set with the theme “Wild, Wild, West!”.
Once all the cowboys, cowgirls, bandits, red Indians and others were gathered in the grand ballroom, the emcees started the night by acknowledging all Lions and special guests who attended the event. Soon it was time for dinner to begin. Each course was accompanied by a series of performances by our very own Leos which included dancing, singing, beat boxing and more. A short game was also played by all the Leos in the ballroom. This game was called ‘Find Your Family’, the purpose of this game is so Leos would be able to mix around and get to know one another.
After all the Leos settled down, desert was served to calm things down. Soon after the last course, the Organising Committee of the Leo Forum stepped on stage to perform a square dance, the floor was open to any Leos who wanted to join them.Therefore, the floor was crowded with people. As the night went on, it was time for the event to end. However, there was still a footloose session if anyone wanted to stay to dance and let loose. Lastly, all Leos went up to their room where they spent the rest of the night.
On the second day of the Leo Forum, everyone woke up early to have breakfast in the exposition hall. After fuelling up, Leos headed to the grand ballroom for the Forum Talk : “Youth – Beacon Of Change”. This talk was filled with inspirational stories and videos which were meant to instill confidence in each Leo so that they will be able to expand their potential to make great changes in the world. When the talk ended, there was a short teabreak where Leos could be refreshed with coffee, tea, sandwiches and curry puffs.
Once the teabreak was over, Leos assembled in the grand ballroom for a workshop called Leos - Together We Make Changes! It started with a game that required all Leos to play a simple game (Scissors, Paper, Stone) . After that, Leos got into groups of 40 where they had to connect straws together then slowly lift it up high and lower it down to the ground. These games managed to build communication, team work, determination and friendships among the Leos.
After forming friendships in the grand ballroom, everyone adjourned to the exposition hall for lunch. Right after that, all Leos from their respective districts adjourned to the venues where their Sub – District Forums would be held. The District 308B2 forum was held in Auditorium 2. Despite the malfunction in the air conditioner and lack of space in the auditorium, Leos showed their incredible team spirit by overcoming these obstacles. The Sub – District Forum was a success.
As everyone left the auditorium and got some fresh air, they headed to their rooms in order to prepare for the banquet night with the theme “Enchanted Fairyland” . As it was time for all Leos to gather in the grand ballroom, all the dashing guys and beautiful girls began to show. Everyone dressed up according to the theme. When everyone was seated, dinner was served. It was also accompanied by a series of wonderful performances.
The presentation of awards to the Leos was the highlight of the event as all the hard work put in by the Leos from their respective clubs was acknowledged by the Lions. After that was over, all Leos were encouraged to get up on stage for a group photo. It was the last night for all Leos to interact with each other, therefore the Leos stayed up to bond a little more.
On the last day of Leo Forum 2011, breakfast was served in the exposition hall early in the morning. However, not all Leos woke up to eat breakfast due to their late night. Next, Leos gathered in the grand ballroom for the closing ceremony of the Leo Forum. It started with a few speeches that stated what a success this Leo forum was. Last but not least, a group photo with all Leos who attended the Leo Forum 2011 .
When the closing ceremony ended, all present started to feel down as Leo Forum was coming to an end. Lunch was served in the exposition hall for the last time and Leos sat down to enjoy their last meal together. Before the Leos left, all the members were exchanging phone numbers, giving out name cards and making sure they keep in touch on Facebook.
Overall, this Leo Forum was a great way to get to know other Leos from various schools. Teamwork was instilled, confidence was built, lessons were learnt and best of all, friendships were formed. This Leo Forum will definitely be remembered.
Report by,
Leo Krystle Tan
