Top Ten Youth Camps and Exchange Chairperson Award
The success of the Youth Camps and Exchange (YCE) Program can be attributed to the unwavering dedication of Lions members around the world who serve as YCE Chairpersons. They not only serve as travel, activity and safety coordinators, but as mentors and confidants for the youth and families participating in the YCE Program. The annual Top Ten Youth Camps and Exchange Chairperson Award recognizes and honors those Lions who go above and beyond their duties as YCE Chairpersons.
The following individuals were selected by the International Board of Directors for their service in positively impacting the lives of young people around the world and fulfilling the Lions Clubs International mission to encourage peace and international understanding through Lions clubs.
2022-2023 YCE top ten chairpersons
Leila Terezinha Lucas Fernandes
District LD 8
Brazil
“One of the best parts of being a district Youth Camps and Exchange chairperson (YCE) is telling participants that their dream will come true, enabling them to discover other places in the world, cultures and people who share the same values — freedom, experiences and opportunity that unites us. I love seeing the harmony, happiness, music, dance and the common purpose of everyone at camp: Cooperation, friendship, global understanding, and peace that are so essential in current times.”
Werner Abriss
District 111 MS
Germany
“The nice thing about youth camps is international understanding.”
Zina Gocheva
District 130
Bulgaria
“The amazing YCE summer brought me new friendships, exciting adventures and thematic workshops among the charming and rich nature of Bulgaria. I loved being a YCE chairperson because it gave me the chance to motivate young people to travel, explore the world, communicate with each other and search for new perspectives. They always come back full of new ideas and ready to share their experiences!”
Sanjoy Kanti Saha
District 315 A2
Republic of Bangladesh
“YCE is a combination of learning and delight. A seminar on leadership and various competitions made the camp a success.”
Hidenori Kawashima
Multiple District 334
Japan
“The youth respected each other, exchanged information on their cultures, and worked together for this program. The YCE program was not just an exchange, but also a good opportunity to develop leadership skills. As a YCE chairperson, I was deeply moved by the fact that I was able to contribute to international exchange after seeing youth from different cultures and countries working together and nurturing friendships through the camp program.”
Geoff Moor
District 201 Q3
Australia
“The Youth Camps and Exchange Program is a perfect example of a Lion’s purpose in action because the camps create and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world. Our international youth have always wanted to learn about other people’s cultures, and they eagerly learn from each other. The most gratifying part was seeing the relationships built at camp grow into life-long friendships, not only with youth but also the friendships I have developed with our visitors.”
Valerie Grandet
Multiple District 103
France
“What touched me the most as a YCE chairperson is the friendship between the participants, the possibility of meeting each other during forums, and the links created with my team of YCE district chairpersons. I loved the thank you letters from parents and young people upon their return from a YCE camp trip. Mission accomplished with the happiness spread by discovering new cultures and friendships, often for life!”
Suzanne Newton
Multiple District 201
Australia
“I love interacting with the other YCE chairpersons around the world, becoming friends with them and then working towards creating the opportunities for our youth, their families and the host families to bond, become friends and then family. This creates and fosters that spirit of cultural understanding among us all, no matter where we come from in the world. The YCE program just doesn't create and foster that understanding among the youth, it certainly also fosters that understanding among the YCE Chairpersons.”
Marco D’Auria
District 108 IB4
Italy
“One of the best things is interacting with young people — understanding their needs and trying to help them achieve them. Being in contact with the youth and being able to do something for them is a great satisfaction, and makes me love being a YCE chairperson.”
Ana Lila Gonzalez de la Cruz
District B 4
Mexico
“My favorite part about being YCE chairperson is providing scenarios that allow bonds and friendship to develop among young people. I love motivating club members to support the YCE program by sharing the experiences of youth learning Mexican culture and traditions, contributing to global understanding and respect.”
Nominate Your Youth Camps and Exchange Chairperson!
All official district and multiple district YCE chairpersons are eligible for the Top Ten Youth Camps and Exchange Chairperson Award. Immediate past council chairpersons and immediate past district governors of single districts are encouraged to nominate an extraordinary YCE chairperson that served during the camp and exchange period in the previous fiscal year. Some considerations for this award include:
- YCE Chairperson must have been registered in Lion Portal to be eligible.
- Promotion of peace, international understanding and goodwill through the YCE program.
- Number of youth hosted and sponsored for Lions youth camps and/or exchanges
- Innovative ways to include service, Leos and/or LCI Global Causes into YCE programming.
- Previous winners of this award are not eligible for nomination.
How to Nominate?
Nominate your exceptional YCE Chairperson by sending this form to Lions International at the youthexchange@lionsclubs.org address.
Please note that nominations will only be accepted by Lions International if the nominee has officially been nominated through Lion Portal by their District Governor or Council Chairperson.
