Sydenham & District Lions celebrate 10 years of community service

May 29, 2014

Photo: members of the current Sydenham Lions club l-r Wray Gillespie, Velma Young and Jim Kelly received awards at the club’s 10-year anniversary event at the Grace Centre on May 24.

Members of the Sydenham and District Lions gathered at the Southern Frontenac Community Service Grace Centre on May 24 to feast, remember and celebrate their 10-year anniversary of serving the community.

For many of them, however, it was in fact a celebration of their second installment as an organization. The original 31-member Sydenham chapter ran from 1959 until 1972, but then folded as a result of other clubs starting up in the surrounding area. The present club was founded in 2004.

Claude Silver, who club members joke is a “born again Lion”, was a member of the original Sydenham club and he was thrilled to see the club start up again in 2004. He said that of the original charter members there are only six members still living.

Ron Kendrick, who is a charter member and currently is the membership chair, said he and others realized prior to 2004 that there was enough interest to get the club up and running again. The new chapter was sponsored by the Verona Lions and acquired eight members in its first year. Since then membership has increased more than three-fold, with the club today boasting 26 members.

The May 24 anniversary event, which was organized by Lion Christine Kennedy, was catered by Linda Bates of A Phone Call Away and emceed by incoming president, Dave Plumpton. It gave members and guests a chance to celebrate the good work that the organization does in the local community. Guest speakers included Rev. Vernon Scott, who gave a slide presentation about the missionary work his churches do in Haiti and Egypt, as well as numerous Lions from clubs near and far. Speakers included Lions District Governor Albert Munneke from the Millbrook & District club; District Governor-Elect Linda Duffie of the Bowmanville club; John McDougall of the Verona club who also spoke on behalf of the township; and Sam Camarelli, past president and member of the Kingston club, who spoke about the history of the new Sydenham and District chapter forming.

Steve Williams of the Newburg Camden Lions jokingly presented a $5 cheque to the club for the funds he lent them to get the club started and George Fournier of the Kingston Lions presented a much more substantial cheque to Sydenham Lions President Allan McPhail, who said it will be donated to Southern Frontenac Community Services for their seniors’ programming.

Past District Governor Dave Hansen of the Sharbot Lake Lions was given the opportunity to roast a number of the Sydenham and District members. The final presentations of the evening were given to three members of the club for their dedicated service to the community over the years. Members Velma Young and Wray Gillespie both received the Melvin Jones award and member Jim Kelly received the Helen Keller award.

In the words of organizer Christine Kennedy, “This was a project that was a year in the making and I think it was a success judging from the fellowship, laughter, and the reconnecting of numerous friends throughout the evening.”