The Estevan and District Lions Club celebrated their past achievements and spoke about their future plans, at a supper at the Nicholson Centre, on May 13. The event celebrated the club’s 59th year of operation in Estevan, and the help of the many members and volunteers who brought the club to that point.
Marvin Chambers of Filmore, a past international director of the Lion’s Club, said that in all the conventions he visited, that none had as many children present as last Friday’s supper. He added that was what the club needed — future prospective members to keep it going.
“Forty-five years ago, I joined the Lions, in 1971, on an invitation from my father. My father told me ‘You’re going to join the Lions Club, because the Lions need you,’ but as I grew as a Lion, I realized I needed them even more,” said Chambers, describing how valuable on a personal level, joining the club was to him.
Chambers told guests that when he joined the club in 1971, he was put in charge of a committee responsible for paying back a large loan the club took out at the time to keep running. He noted that due to the generosity of the support the community gave them, he and the committee were able to pay the entire $11,000 they owed in six weeks.
Chambers went on to become the president of the Filmore Lions Club, and eventually district governor, serving as a spokesperson for clubs in the southeast area, before moving onto the international level.
Chambers emphasized how important it is for new members to join, citing recent achievements of the organization, like the $1.2 million donation the Saskatchewan Lions Clubs recently made toward the Red Cross relief efforts in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
“Keep working for the community and world, look for new member and ideas,” said Chambers. “Celebrate not only what we’ve done, but what we’re going to do in the future.”
Representatives from many local groups and organizations were in attendance to receive cheques from the club. Organizations that received cheques included the Estevan Family Centre; the Estevan Special Olympics; Creighton Lodge; the Estevan Salvation Army Food Bank; Envision Counselling and Support Centre; the Estevan Regional Nursing Home; SMILE Services; St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation; the Souris Valley Theatre; Estevan Diversified Services; the Estevan Humane Society; STARS Air Ambulance; the Southeast Newcomer Services and Estevan Family Resource Centre’s International Kitchen; the Wylie-Mitchell Air Cadet Squadron No. 30; the 2901 Estevan Army Cadet Corps and the Lions Clubs International Foundation.
Students in Lion Brian Hayes’ Grade 1 class at Hillcrest School made a collaborative presentation to thank the club for the $750 in support the club gave them, as part of the fundraising for care kits. The students came up with the idea of care kits after a local student had to stay in the hospital, with cancer. The students described the kits, how the idea came to them and what sorts of items were in each kit.
