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History of the Program
The Multiple District 201 (Australia and Papua New Guinea) Christmas Cake Program had its beginnings back prior to the 1965 International Convention in Los Angeles where the late PDG Captain Philip Lusher was to be inducted as District Governor, District 201B. PDG Philip, whilst in North America prior to the Convention, visited a number of Clubs in Canada, and whilst attending a meeting of the Lions Club of Montreal, heard of the "Lions Christmas Cake" program, and returned to Australia with full organisational details for the information of his fellow Governors.
The following year, Lions of the Multiple District were seeking a National fund raising project to support "SAVE SIGHT" activities and the Council Chairman, the late PDG Jamie Jamieson, called for ideas for a project to fund the campaign. Lion Ern Smith suggested to his District Governor, that Lions should sell Christmas Cakes and the project brought back from Montreal Lions Club by PDG Captain Philip Lusher should be expanded to a National program. His Governor told him he was crazy. The Council Chairman noted the exchange and called on District Governor Ken for comment, who said "This clown of a Cabinet Secretary of mine has suggested we should sell Christmas Cakes!" It was immediately formulated, moved, seconded and adopted that Lion, later District Governor, Ern Smith, be given one week to formulate a plan to bring his idea into being. The first "LION SAVE SIGHT CHRISTMAS CAKES" were baked by Big Sister, part of the Reckitts and Coleman group of companies, and were three pound cakes.
In 1975 the cake became "metric" and converted to 1.5kg and reduced in packaging from twelve to ten per carton. This resolved many headaches for Club Chairmen with stock control records and book keeping made so much easier. In 1986, Council adopted a recommendation from the National Cake Committee that the cake be manufactured to a lower, larger profile which has proved popular. Cakes have been baked by Australia's leading food companies, including Big Sister, Gartrell White, Arnotts, Sarah Lee, and since 1983 by the present manufacturer, George Weston Foods Limited, formerly The Webster Biscuit Company. 1998 saw the introduction Nationally of the 1kg Lions Christmas Cake to the program. The 1kg cake program has been successfully conducted by District 201 N5 (formerly District 201 N2 and N5) for many years and in 1999 the Iced Cake was introduced.
Sales Nationally in 2005 will exceed $6,000,000.00 and the profits available to the Clubs and Districts for save Sight, Health, Welfare and Humanitarian projects will exceed.... $2,000,000.00. It is estimated since the inception of the programme as a Multiple District Project profits have exceeded.... $21,000,000.00. This is an outstanding result and reflects the enthusiasm of the late PDG Captain Philip Lusher in presenting the idea to the Council of Governors, and the late PDG Ern Smith in taking the idea to a National level. Cakes can be purchased by contacting Lion Phillip Innes on Ph. (02) 4730 3727 or by e-mail contact (Click Here). Cakes are delivered free locally. A document setting out risk management guidelines for Lions Christmas Cakes has been released by the manufacturers of the product, Top Taste of Kedron in Queensland. This file can be downloaded here.
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District Governor 201 E, the late Ken Fenwick and his Cabinet Secretary the late Lion Ern
Smith introduced the program to their District with home baking and packaging of Lions
Christmas Cakes in the Goulburn, NSW area.
The project immediately proved successful, and sales have been constant over the past two
decades, after reaching astronomical sales on the inception of the program.
All cakes are baked to an identical recipe by the manufacturer, ensuring a uniform, high
quality product.