The Ginkgo Tree

Since 2005, Lion Mike Baldwin, Past District Governor and member of the Bletchley club, has waited for his Gingko tree! He has finally received and could plant it at Bletchley Park. A year earlier, Past District Governor of Lions in Israel, Shimsham Marron, organised a meeting with Lions from Germany/Israel/Poland. The idea was to meet in Auschwitz and hold a memorial service for the Jews, who died there during the war. Each delegation was presented with a Gingko tree by the German representative, as a sign of friendship, but as Mike had been invited to attend by the Lions from Poland, they were one Gingko tree short. This has now been rectified, as Mike, who has spent a lot of his time promoting internationalism, was given the friendship symbol and included in this special group. The Gingko tree is said to be the only tree that grew after the atom bomb was dropped in Japan.
This international group has since met in Rome, Israel and Bethlehem and formed two new clubs; The Lions Club of Oswiecim/Auschwitz, City of Peace, and Lions Club of Bethlelem, City of Peace, Palestine, thereby actively living "to create and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world", which is part of the Lions' creed.