Lions Club SERVES Montezuma community
The Montezuma Lions Club has been a leader in providing community service for 60 years.
Lions are men and women who volunteer their time to a wide range of causes, with emphasis on the local community.
Lions help others and by doing so, they help themselves!
The Lions motto is “We Serve,” and by serving, members gain personal satisfaction, expand personal skills, make new friends – and they have fun!
Service to the blind and visually impaired has been a key Lions activity ever since the national organization was challenged by Helen Keller in 1925. Recently, Lions established SightFirst, a global blindness prevention program that has been of profound benefit to millions.
Lions also support activities that emphasize:
- Diabetes awareness, education and research
- Work with the physically and mentally challenged
- Environmental issues
- Community welfare
- International understanding
- . . . and more
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service organization, with 1.4 million members in 200 countries. They answer some of the toughest needs that challenge the world’s communities.
Locally, the Lions Club has supported dozens of projects and hundreds of people.
Just a few major projects over the year have included:
- Recently paying for food trays to make it possible for Meals on Wheels to become an all-local project
- Donated $5,000 to the new Montezuma Public Library
- Played a key role in Montezuma’s successful hosting of RAGBRAI in 2001 and 2006.
- In 2006, participated for the fourth year in conducting vision screenings of local pre-school children. Local Lions took special training for conducting the screenings.
- Contributed more than $4,000 – and raised more than $18,000 – and built the original bike trail from West City Park to the west entrance of Diamond Lake Park.
- Purchased “Jaws of Life” equipment for the Montezuma Volunteer Fire Department
- Purchased more than 30 tables and table carts for the school
- Built shelter houses in two city parks and re-roofed the shelter houses
- Sponsored the Honor M banquet at the school for more than 40 years
- Since 1967, has contributed more than $36,000 to the Iowa Lions Foundation. One segment of that, the Iowa Lions Eye Bank, has restored the sight of thousands of Iowans.
- The Montezuma Lions have been a financial supporter of Lions-supported causes such as Leader Dog, diabetes research, emergency food relief, blindness prevention and sight restoration.
- And . . . the list goes on.
Membership in Lions is by invitation. We’re growing! Membership is open to all persons over 18 years of age having high moral character and a good reputation, with an interest in service.
Meetings – Are the second and fourth Monday evening of the month, starting at 6:30 p.m. in The Apple Basket.
Regular attendance is encouraged but not required. In addition to a nice meal and fellowship and the conducting of club business, short programs of interest are often presented.
Current Main Fundraisers
Pancake Breakfast – on the opening day of pheasant hunting season in October.
Toy and Craft Show – held at the school, usually the last Saturday in January.
Chicken Barbecue Dinner – held as a key part of the community’s “Let Freedom Ring” fourth of July celebration.
2007-2008 Montezuma Lions Club Officers
President: Jerome Sheets
Secretary-Treasurer: Don Mobley
First vice president: Pat Montag
Second vice president: Rocky Wallace
Third vice president: Richard Boynton
Tailtwister: Paul Keferl
Lion Tamer: Eric Johnson
One-year directors: Virgil Scott, Linda Neels, Linda Boeding
Two-year directors: Mike Princer, Jim Tafolla, Ron Sheetz
Three-year directors: Bill Douglass, Roger Allen, Boyd Sparks.
Membership chair: Pete Ross
Note: The “tailtwister” adds lighthearted fun to Lions meetings, often along with a quarter fine and some education. The “lion tamer” maintains club equipment.
The Iowa Lions state website is: www.iowalions.org
“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes he circle and comes back to us.” – Flora Edwards
Our thanks to Roger Allen for compiling the information used in this story.