Lions Club Camera

The Canal Fulton Lions Club has been around for a long, long time.  Most of the members are older now, although they are starting to sign up a few younger ones.  They're going to have to continue recruiting younger members or the club won't be able to function in 10 years.  And they are not alone; there are a lot of service organizations that are in the same boat.

The mission of the Lions Club International is preserving sight.  When you see one of those Lions Club containers for used eyeglasses that are placed in various businesses, it means that someone is going to make good use of the frames and perhaps even the lenses.  Certain uncorrected eyesight problems increase the decline of vision.  Eyes that don't work together can increase the chance of lazy eye.  Uncorrected lazy eye that goes past maybe around the second grade can lead to blindness in that eye.

A company called Pediavision has invented a device called the SPOT camera.  This device that costs right around $7,000 scans the eyes of anyone from six months of age and onward, and gives readings for five different conditions:

• Nearsightedness
• Farsightedness
• Astigmatism
• Lazy Eye
• Gaze Problems

It takes only a few moments to scan the eyes, so it is very efficient in terms of time.  The camera functions like a computer and then sends the scanned information to a printer.  Parents/schools can get immediately readouts from the scans.  A few weeks ago a scan done at a pre-kindergarten event discovered a child with some serious vision problems previously unknown to his family.  His eyes were not working well together at all.  His parents took him to an eye doctor and the scan information was verified almost exactly!!  He will have a much better kindergarten experience now, and it will certainly change his life from this time forward.  Isn't that amazing?

The camera is intriguing to anyone who sees it in action.  The high school students who acted as chaperones for the pre-kindergarteners were very, very interested.  It is extremely easy to operate.  The information entered is first name, last name, sex, birthdate, and if the person is wearing glasses or contacts at the time of the scan.  For school aged children wearing glasses, the scan will let the family know if the child's prescription is still doing the job.

The State of Ohio requires school aged children to be tested in certain grades.  The State of Ohio as yet does not endorse the SPOT camera, because they are concerned about accuracy.  Sometimes the arms of government move way too slowly, don't they?  The Lions have been using the SPOT for two years now for pre-K and daycare children, and as far as anyone knows, children who have been found with vision problems and went to the eye doctor, were verified as having those vision problems.  This camera is a marvel of ingenuity and progress, since the technology that has been used for all of this time (the lettered eye chart) is still being used in the schools. 

The CF Lions are going to buy a SPOT soon.  It is a great investment for them, since they really believe in the organization's mission and not only talk it but live it.  It may also function as a recruitment tool to sign up more members.  Today's salute is for the Lions Clubs who do a worthwhile service in our schools for free.  They show by this how much they care for the children in the communities they serve.

We are all called to do service as Christians.  There is nothing that gives live more meaning than doing service.  It is a fulfillment of our commitment to God.  When we pray, we should always pray for opportunities to do service, and for the guidance to know our calling in this area.

Have a great Tuesday!!