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Edwards Lions Club P. O. Box 167 Edwards, NY
13635 (315) 562-8228 |
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President - Crystal Whitford
First Vice-President - Iris Thomas
Second Vice-President - Betty Dodge
Third Vice-President - Robert Clintsman
Secretary - Bernard Gonyea
Treasurer - Donna Whitford
Tail Twister (Fun Maker) - Joe Creech
Lion Tamer (Song Leader) - Ray Norman
The Board consists of Ken McGuinness,
Fred Finley, Phil Soper, Harvey Thomas, Charlie Typhair and Pete Lawless.
FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION - call 315-562-8228, write to Edwards
Lions Club, P. O. Box 167, Edwards, NY 13635, or email stonehouse@tds.net.
Lions International was founded by Melvin Jones in 1917 and
today it is the world’s largest service organization. This is due partly because in 1925 Helen
Keller asked, “Gentlemen, would you be my Knights of the Blind?” She asked Lions to pick up her crusade and
adopt sight conservation as a major project of Lions International. Little did she realize that in just 25 years,
Lions were not only in
The
emblem of the Lions has great significance.
The letter “L” stands for law, liberty, labor, loyalty, love, and
life. The letter “L” is placed within a
circle representing the unity of each individual member with each local club,
with Lions International, and with all Lions throughout the world. The letter “L” and the circle of unity are
set against a background of purple, signifying loyalty - loyalty to country, to
friends, to one’s self, and to the integrity of mind and heart. Surrounding the purple circle is an exterior
of gold, signifying sincerity of purpose, liberality in judgement,
purity in life, and generosity in mind, heart and purse toward our fellow
man. Last, but by no means least, in the
exterior circle of gold, you will find the heads of two lions. One looks back, reflecting on our many
accomplishments. The other looks
forward, indicating our constant readiness to seize the future and make it our
own. There are no barriers in Lionism, no levels, we are all
equal as symbolized by the Lions toast, “Not Above You, Not Beneath You, But
With You.”
The
Town of Edwards Lions Club was chartered on March 17, 1962. Co-Sponsors of the club were the Clifton-Fine
Lions Club and the Gouverneur Lions Club. Charter Members of the Edwards Lions Club
were Richard M. Bachner, Ralph Boni
(First Vice-President), Neil Brown, Stanley C. Bullock (Treasurer), Gerald E. Crocka, Arnold Dean, Ralph Dier,
Alexander E. Dodds, Leon French, William W. Hurley
(Tail Twister), Carl F. Hurley, Maynard W. Hurley (President), J. Allen
Johnson, Max Lanphear, Carl A. Lashuay,
Edgar R. Lea (Secretary), Lewis E. Lumley, Peter J. Matejcik
(Lion Tamer), Clifford J. Miles, Merrill Premo,
Lawrence Tucker (Second Vice-President) and Carl M. Randall (Third
Vice-President).
The
Edwards Lions Club now has 33 members.
In 2002, the Club allowed women to join and the first three were
inducted (Crystal Whitford, Donna Whitford
and Iris Thomas). Currently there are 9
women members.
Meetings
are held at the Edwards Nutrition Center on the first and third Wednesday of each
month from September to June. Meetings
begin at 6:30 pm.
The
Edwards Lions Club has land located at the end of Hall Road in the Village of
Edwards. The field can be reserved for a
donation. There is a pavilion, a covered
BBQ pit, a small cook shack and several covered booths. There is also an old train depot. The members have been working on the field to
get a permanent bathroom built to take the place of the portable toilets. They are also considering a few campsites to
utilize the Oswegatchie River for such things as
kayaking.
The
Edwards Lions Club does numerous fundraisers throughout the ten months they
meet. The annual Birthday/Anniversary
Calendar is usually ordered by mid-September for delivery before Christmas. If you wish to have a listing
put on the calendar or want to order a calendar, contact Crystal Whitford at 315-562-8228 or email to stonehouse@tds.net. Other fundraisers
are a Mother’s Day Brunch, chocolate Easter bunny sales, fruit sales, a
Demolition derby in the spring and fall each year, and photos taken to have
either colored or sepia-tone portraits printed.
The annual Lions Festival is held in July with vendors, a chicken BBQ, a
huge parade and spectacular fireworks at dark.
See the schedule of events for those 2006-2007 happenings.
The
Lions Club gives monetary awards for Community Service to students at
Edwards-Knox Central School and donates to those in need, such as Camp Badger,
Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, St. Lawrence County ARC, and
others. The Edwards Lions Club is a
member of The Canine Companion for Independence, a program for seeing-eye
dogs. Old eye glasses and sunglasses are
collected and turned in to be recycled and distributed to those in need in other
countries. If you have any old glasses,
contact 315-562-8228.
If anyone has any questions or needs further information, you can access the
Lions International website at www.lcif.org. To contact the
Edwards Lions Club, you can email stonehouse@tds.net.
SCHEDULE
OF EVENTS FOR 2006-2007
Birthday
/ Anniversary Calendar to be ordered in September
Demolition
Derby on September 23, 2006, at noon on the Lions field
Take
fruit orders in October for delivery in November or December
Colored
/ Sepia Tone Pictures will be taken in October for delivery before Christmas
Donate
money, toys and knit items toward the Gift Baskets given at Christmas time
Sell
chocolate, white chocolate and sugar-free chocolate Easter Bunnies before
Easter
(Sell during March, Easter is April 8,
2007)
Mother’s
Day Brunch on May 13, 2007 (at Edwards Fire Hall from 7:30 to 11:30 am)
Demolition
Derby in June, 2007
Edwards
Lions Festival in July, 2007
Light
Bulb sales and Corn Broom sales will be taken throughout the year over the
phone or by email