Lions Club gives chapter a new name

The Taiwan Chapter of Lions Club International (LCI) was temporarily mollified yesterday, after being informed that LCI headquarters had decided that the chapter would be addressed as "MD300" -- the chapter's district number -- during the club's annual international convention.

The chapter said that the decision was reached after the club's international board of directors discussed a complaint over the name lodged by the Taiwan chapter at its meeting held in Osaka Japan this past week.

"We see it [the decision] as a goodwill gesture by LCI," Denny Hsu (徐明德), former chairman of the Taiwan chapter, told the Taipei Times. Hsu was among the approximately 580 Taiwan chapter members who arrived in Osaka yesterday to attend the convention, which begins today and will last until Friday.

Hsu said that the use of the chapter's district number is just a temporary solution, and that the chapter's members would proceed with their plan to protest in Osaka at the annual convention.

Hsu said that they would display protest banners that say "Taiwan-Yes, China Taiwan-No" during the their parade walk at the convention, as well as distribute 8,000 hand-held fans printed with protest messages to all convention attendees.

"LCI gave us permission to carry out our protest, except that it asked us not to [protest] during the opening, when Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito is present," said Hsu.

Aside from informing the chapter of its decision regarding the name, Hsu added that LCI has also promised to discuss the issue after the convention.

"LCI told us that it would review its original decision concerning the Taiwan chapter's membership name in October, when the International Board of Directors meet for the first time after this week's convention," Hsu said.

Hsu was referring to the organization's original decision made in April, when it decided to change the Taiwan chapter's moniker from "ROC Lions Club" to "China Taiwan Lions Club."

Protesting that the decision was made without the chapter's consent, the Taiwan chapter then decided to take legal action against Chicago-based LCI.

The chapter said that LCI's April decision was made under pressure from China. In May, the first two chapters in China, in Guangdong and Shenzhen, were added to LCI's more than 44,600 clubs in 189 countries, and were to be named "China Guangdong" and "China Shenzhen."

Prior to LCI's International Board of Directors meeting in October, Hsu said that an informal meeting would likely take place in August or September between representatives from the Taiwan chapter, the China chapters and LCI to discuss membership name and flag issues.

"We don't know where the meeting will take place yet," said Hsu. "Though we would like it to be held in Taiwan this time."