Lions on the Prowl for New Members

Bill Pyle | Feb 11, 2010

It’s grrrreat to be a Lion. And what a grrrreat feeling to know that you can positively affect some aspect of another person’s life. Many hands make light work and we have a lot of work to do. Whether you have a few hours a week or only a couple of hours a month, your Sharbot Lake & District Lions Club needs YOU. Wouldn’t you want to help?

We have many important projects of which we are very proud. We started our “Vision Screening” program in 2004 and since have been testing the eyesight of local kindergarten and grade one children in the elementary schools of Plevna, Mountain Grove, Parham and Sharbot Lake using equipment purchased with the monies we have collected through our various fund raising activities. Beginning in September 2010 we will be adding a hearing test with a newly acquired instrument designed specifically to be used with younger children. We are also happy to provide funding for the “No Child Without” program, in which your local Lions Club works hand-in-hand with the Medic Alert Association in providing bracelets to every child in our area who may need one to keep them safe at school, in the home and everywhere in between.

Some of our other duties are the Santa Claus and Canada Day parades, Blood Donor Clinics, Adopt-A-Highway, and our ever-popular Seniors’ Night, to mention a few. Among our fundraising activities are Chocolate Easter Bunny sales coming up on February 27, Gas-O-Rama in early June and our on-going raffle tickets for $500 worth of gasoline. And watch for a new Murder Mystery Dinner coming up on March 27.

Lions Clubs International (LCI) has mobilized almost $2 million, so far, to help in the Haiti relief effort. A little-known fact is that over the past several years, many thousands of dollars have been provided to communities right here in Eastern Ontario. When help was needed a few years ago during the Peterborough floods and during the Ice Storm of 1998, LCI provided funds to help folks through difficult times, in Sharbot Lake and throughout the Frontenacs. Lions Clubs provide many needed services to their local communities and a wonderful sense of pride and accomplishment to each of its members. Our 45,000 clubs and more than 1.3 million members in 205 countries and geographic areas are different in many ways, but we share a core belief – community is what we make it.

The Sharbot Lake Club, founded in 1951, will be celebrating its 60th Anniversary next year and yes, it would be grrreat to start our 7th decade with some fresh, enthusiastic, hard working, new members! The club is actively looking for community-minded people who want to make a difference in the Sharbot Lake area and even around the world. We will be hosting an information night on February 17 at 7 PM at the Anglican Church Hall in Sharbot Lake. Join us for coffee and dessert to learn more about our club. Both men and women can become Lions and in fact, we have several couples who enjoy Lionism as a rewarding family activity. We do work hard but there is also a social aspect to membership and we enjoy many fun activities with other Lions clubs, especially those from nearby communities in Eastern Ontario.

Would you like to make a difference in your community and have a lot of fun doing it? To get involved with your local Lions Club, contact any local Lions member, join us for coffee on February 17 or call 613-375-6318 or 613-279-2502 for more information.

The Lions Club – We Serve! And You Can Too!