The Creston Lions Club is delighted with the formation and charter of a new Leo Club in Creston. The new Leo Club officially received its charter at a recent Lions Club banquet held at Jimmy’s. Lions district governor Bob Yeoman, along with zone chair Roger Shelby and Creston Lions president Ray Zimmerman, presented the charter to the club’s founding members. Also in attendance were the RCMP, who congratulated the young community minded members, wished them well and offered RCMP assistance if they ever require it.
The Leo (leadership, experience and opportunity) Club is essentially a young Lions club and is supported by Lions International. Its members are currently organizing a benefit concert in partnership with House of Rock for the Fort McMurray, Alta., fire disaster from 2-6 p.m. Sunday at Millennium Park.
Recently retired Adam Robertson Elementary School principal Rod Giles joined the ranks of the Lions as a part of a promise to help Henry Schoof, as he had been a steady help supporting young readers at ARES for several years.
Giles was so grateful for Schoof’s unwavering support of students that he determined he would return the help when he retired. Schoof did not hesitate in answering how he could help by immediately signing Giles and his wife, Julie, up as Lions. It did not take long for Giles to realize that there was no connection to young people by the aging Lions and when he asked if the club would support him in his efforts to start a young Lions Club, there was a unanimous and resounding yes.
Giles still knew most students and, in particular, some that were especially interested in helping others. He had worked and supported Dylan Smith since Dylan first began organizing remote control car rallies and glow stick dances at the school, so called his parents and asked if they would be supportive of Dylan and himself putting a Leo club together. Dylan was looking for a place to grow his leadership skills and Leos were an excellent fit given the sponsorship of the Creston Lions Club.
Together, it did not take long to find other names and students who might like to join. Most students are helpful and nice mannered, but it is a special kind of student that is willing to step out and give their time to helping others and in so doing feel the intrinsic reward and satisfaction that comes from volunteering.
Soon they had a strong core of eight students who were, with the help of Prince Charles Secondary School administration, meeting twice monthly at PCSS. Students elected a president, two vice-presidents, a treasurer and chief recruiter. Later they were lucky to find Abigail Nelson who took on the role of secretary. The Leos cook a meal together, and get on with their business meeting of discussing matters of importance to them, such as who they can help and how, how they can be identified, how to run meetings, where they will find a secretary, how they can increase their numbers, what fun things they can do together and the most effective way of ensuring communication between each other is effective.
To date, the Leos have helped with the spring children’s festival and the community Dash for Trash, located and delivered two area rugs for Grizzly Bear Out of School Care, started a literacy project in conjunction with the PCSS art department and the Creston Valley Public Library, had the Therapeutic Riding Program as a guest speaker in consideration as a future partner, participated in the Creston Valley Blossom Festival parade, and organized and provided activities for the children’s picnic on Blossom Festival Monday. They are also organizing the dunk tank with the fire department for Canada Day at Centennial Park for children to go on. (Any child with parent permission can go on it for a $2 fee.)
The Leos belong to the larger Lions International organization and Giles sees opportunity in this with a Leo club in Priest River, Idaho, to the south and in Golden to the north. As part of the ongoing mandate of leadership, experience and opportunity, he sees meeting and working with other Leo clubs as integral to development in those areas, and hopes to take Creston Leos to a conference in Castlegar next spring.
While the Leos members are young, ranging from 11 to 18, they have really become an action-oriented club. The Leos have an excellent executive headed by Dylan Smith, Andreas Kamp and Aiden Madsen, with Abigail Nelson as secretary, and treasurer Tanner Banman. Young people learn so quickly and already the quality of the meetings is far higher than it was when we started, Giles reports.
They are still looking to grow the membership, and know there are still young people out there who enjoy helping others and growing leadership skills. The Leos are officially in recess over summer and look to begin formal meetings again in September. Anyone interested in joining the Leos can speak directly to any Leo or contact Giles.
—CRESTON LIONS CLUB