Photo: Bill Pyle, Dave Hansen and Governor Earl Oliver

Close to 150 Lions members from the 50 clubs in district A3, including members from Tillsonburg, Ont. and as far away as Pennsylvania, gathered at the Verona Lions hall on Oct. 1 to celebrate the Sharbot Lake and District Lions Club’s 60 years of service in the community.

Chartered on September 29, 1951, the Sharbot Lake and District Lions Club has been serving the community in a number of ways. First and foremost they have served people who are blind and deaf through their vision and hearing screening programs, which will begin again in area schools this month.

The evening provided members with a chance to keep current in the ongoing work of Lions clubs across the various districts and a chance to visit members from afar.

Sharbot Lake Lion Dave Hansen, past district governor and the longest serving governor at the event, has been a Lion for 46 years. He emceed the event, which was attended by no fewer than 19 white-jacketed members, each one a past district governor.

When interviewed later, Hansen recalled that he joined the Lions “because it was a fun club, a healthy club, at the time.”

Although a lot has changed since he joined in 1965, the Lions have remained true to the vision that drew him to the club in the first place.

“We do what we can for the local community. One hundred percent of the money we raise through fundraising must be spent in the community. We always said that the Lions are the best kept secret in the community, any community,” he said.

For many years the Sharbot Lake and District Lions have distributed eye glasses and assistive devices for people who needed them, and given assistance for baseball teams, among other items.

The Lions are also directly responsible for the establishment of Sharbot Lake’s Oso Beach, which at one time was the location of Allen's cottages, and was on the point of being sold for cottage lots. The Lions petitioned the then Oso Township to expropriate the land and turn it into a public beach.

Since then the Lions have built the covered picnic area and in 1999 refurbished a broken down stage into the band shell that is there today. The picnic area and band shell were donated to Central Frontenac Township.

The club has had its ups and downs over the years as membership has waxed and waned, and Dave Hansen said that it is in a strong state today, partly because of a number of dynamic husband and wife teams who have become involved over the past ten years or so.

At the anniversary dinner, Dave Hansen introduced Lion Dave Voisey of the Barrhaven Lions Club, a past council chair who was chosen as the evening’s guest speaker.

Voisey spoke of the important work the Sharbot Lake and District club continues to carry out in the community.

“The members of the Sharbot Lake & District club are true pioneers and have been fully involved in serving the community through Easter Seals, various civic improvements, school bursaries, sports tournaments, the volunteer fire department, the food bank, Christmas hampers and much more, all through a number of fundraising programs and community events. This club also has a very proud history of providing leaders, and many have served on the international and district levels. I have a sense here tonight that many will be seeking district offices in the near future.”

Voisey mentioned members Dave and Dawn Hansen in particular, who “have attended more MBA conventions, international conventions, and USA/Canada forums than anyone I know – these are truly knowledgeable Lions.”

Also in attendance was Roy Benn, who served as president of the club from 1957-58. He said he had to step down when the Lions changed their supper hour from 6 to 7 p.m., which conflicted with his schedule as a diary farmer at the time.

Asked about the biggest changes he had seen through the years, he said, “They definitely didn't have the white jackets back when I was a member but the good work they are doing in the community remains unchanged.”

Other highlights of the evening included an awards presentation. Lions Secretary Bill Pyle was presented with the Helen Keller Fellowship Award for his untiring service.

He said he was overwhelmed. “This award just shows my love of Lionism.”

Last year’s president, Dawn Hansen, was presented with the Melvin Jones Fellowship award, honouring her for her many years of dedicated service.

Betty-Anne Blyth, the club’s current president, was thrilled with the turn out at the event and stressed the hope and need for new members to join. “These clubs have existed for decades and through events like this we are striving to get the word out that our members absolutely love what they are doing. We also want to stress our need for younger members who can keep these clubs going. Sadly, if younger people don't start getting involved, a lot of the community services that we offer will not be able to continue - and that would be a very sad thing indeed.”

Anyone interested in joining the Sharbot Lions can contact Bill Pyle at 613-539-8190. Residents in other districts interested in joining a club can google A3 Lions for more information on how to join.

Photo: Coleen Richter, Linda and Bill Zwier, Shelly Bertrim, Ian Whillans, Andrea Thompson and Betty-Anne Blyth

Members of the Sharbot Lake and District Lions happily took empties and donations for their second annual bottle drive fundraiser at the Sharbot Lake Beer Store on August 13 & 14. Lion Linda Zwier came up with the idea and said, “It is a simple and easy way to raise funds that will be used for the our local community events. There are no expenses to run it; we only need two chairs and a sign and there is absolutely no pressure on people to donate.” Funds from this year’s two-day drive totaled $560 and will be used in the local community for a number of upcoming Lions events, including the Santa Claus parade, the annual seniors’ night, the summer swim program, the local food bank and more.

Also, this fall the Lions will be back in the local public schools performing their annual hearing and vision screening program at Sharbot Lake, Hinchinbrooke, Land O' Lakes, Clarendon Central and St. James Major schools. Trained Lions members perform the tests, which aim to identify kindergarten and grade one students with vision and hearing problems in order to give them the tools they need to properly learn. “Even if we find just one child with a problem it makes the screening program worthwhile”, Linda said.

The Lions will be celebrating their 60th anniversary this fall on Saturday Oct. 1 at the Verona Lions hall, and are currently getting ready for their annual seniors’ night, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday October 26. They are also planning their first ever breakfast fundraiser to be held at Oso Hall on Saturday October 29. For more information about the anniversary dinner contact Coleen at 613-279-2429 and for the seniors’ night contact Linda at 613-335-2053.

The Lions wish to thank Beer Store manager Laura Bush and all of her staff for making this drive such a success.

Organisers are confident that the weather will co-operate as the Sharbot Lake and District Lions Club hosts an event that will be raising money for a special cause: covering the costs of training guide dogs for use by the visually and hearing impaired, physically challenged and autistic children. For dog owners, the walk is an opportunity to mingle with their favourite people, other dog owners. And there will be treats available for the dogs, and their owners as well.

Carolyn Bond is the principal organiser of this year’s event, and she encourages as many people as possible, dog owners and non-dog owners alike, to come out and support the walk. People are encouraged to collect sponsorships for the 5 km walk, which starts at the Sharbot Lake beach and goes past the Family Health Team onto the Trans-Canada Trail for a couple of kilometres along Sharbot Lake.

People can register or donate online at Purinawalkfordogguides.com. Just look for the walk locator box at the bottom of the page and navigate to Sharbot Lake.

But if all that is too complicated for the dog days of summer, just come out to the Sharbot Lake Beach at 11:30 on Sunday, July 31, and register in person. There is no minimum donation required, and tax receipts will be issued for donations in excess of $20.

“It costs $20,000 for training and other costs through the life of a Dog Guide, and the Lions Foundation is able to put 100% of the money raised at these Dog Guide walks towards covering those costs,” said Carolyn Bond.

As an added bonus this year, one or two people who use Dog Guides will be on hand to do the walk with their dogs.

Carolyn Bond will be at the Sharbot Lake Freshmart on Saturday, July 30, to promote the Sunday walk. She will be joined by another Lions Club member, Jean Graham, and a young pup of Jean’s that is a candidate to be a future Dog Guide.

We took to the road at 7 a.m., leaving from Sharbot Lake. We made several stops along the way to pick up folks from Verona, Kingston, Bath, Napanee, Peterborough and Trenton. We were all Lions Club members and we were on our way to the Lions Foundation of Canada’s Dog Guide School in Oakville. We were kept busy along the way with trivia games and a Chinese auction and by the time we got to Toronto we had 36 pumped up and very enthusiastic people on the bus.

None of us really knew what to expect of the facilities at the school and we were all quite surprised at how small the building actually was. We would soon learn just how cramped the training areas are and why they need help in upgrading and expanding their training areas and living quarters.

As we stepped off the bus, a wonderful young woman was waiting to greet us. She said, “They told us that a group of Lions was coming this afternoon and I just wanted to tell you how much we all appreciate your support. Thank you.” She had been waiting with her Dog Guide specifically to show her appreciation to Lions and it made the entire four-hour trip worthwhile just to hear those words.

After lunch our tour guide, Angela, explained that it takes 3 years of full time work at the dog school to become a qualified trainer. They work very long hours because there has to be a staff member in the living quarters, on call for any emergency or questions, 24 hours a day.

The dogs are matched to prospective clients by assessing the needs of the client and by matching the personalities of both the dog and client. The pair then train and live together at the Oakville facility for six weeks to ensure bonding and a team approach to work and on-going care. Their room has an extra bed if the client is bringing a caregiver. The dogs learn how to open doors, get things from the fridge, open and take clothes from the dryer and alert the owner to doorbells, sirens, telephones, & fire alarms. We were thrilled to watch some of the dogs demonstrate their amazing skills. One dog could even read lips!

A typical dog guide is born at their facilities in Breslau, ON and is taken into a foster home for its first year of life to learn normal puppy behaviour. Foster parents are encouraged to socialize their dogs in as many real-life situations as possible. The dogs then come back to the school where each dog’s skills and personality are assessed. Not all dogs are suitable to be dog guides and not all are accepted to continue on. Training programs are both generic, to meet the general needs of all clients, but also specific to the needs of the individual client to whom the dog guide is assigned. A dog’s working life, once it is fully trained, is about 8 - 10 years and finally the dog will be retired and becomes available for adoption to qualified families in the general public.

There is no government funding for this facility. Money comes mainly from Lions clubs and through donations from corporate and private donors. From the birth of a prospective dog guide puppy, through its foster home, to its training and working life, and final retirement, costs about $20,000. This also includes the transportation of the recipient to and from the school, extensive training and room & board at the school. There is no cost to anyone who needs a dog guide and the foundation retains ownership of the dog until it is retired.

It was a long but very rewarding day on the bus. On the way home we reminisced about the devotion of the staff at the school and, of course, the wonderful dogs who dedicate their lives to working for a disabled human who really, really needs them.

Your participation in the Sharbot Lake Lions Walk for Dog Guides is critical to the continued success of this extraordinary facility. There is always the need for another dog and for more space at the school. Please be generous. This year the walk will take place on Sunday, July 31 at noon at the Oso Beach. There will be free food & drinks for registered walkers and prizes for the dog with the longest tail and a dog/owner look-alike contest. To register or make a donation please call Lion Carolyn Bond at 613-279-2502 or visit www.purinawalkfordogguides.com.

Photo: Dick Miller in The Maircroft Enigma

Verona Lions Hall was the scene of a crime on March 26 when Partners in Crime of Inverary presented “The Maircroft Enigma” by Robert Lawton as a fundraiser for the Verona Lions. This was the first time the Lions hosted this kind of mystery/dinner theatre event and judging from the crowd, it will likely not be the last.

The cast included Verona resident Dick Miller as Brewster Worthing. Diners were invited to help solve the crime that took place in 2003 at the Maircroft Hotel in Torquay, a seaside resort in Devonshire where a plethora of strange, suspicious and potentially fatal happenings had recently occurred.

Vice-president of the Verona Lions, Louise Day, was thrilled with the turnout and said, “It's going really well and I can definitely see doing this again.” All the funds raised will go towards a number of community projects that the Verona Lions are undertaking in the community.

Photo: Donor Melanie Fyfe with Lions members Ed Warren, Bill Pyle, Ron Hollywood and Dave and Dawn Hansen

Sharbot Lake held its first Blood Donor Clinic of the new year at St. James Major on Feb. 3 and regular donors were once again pleased to be able to donate blood close to home.

Arden batik artist Sarah Hale was sipping tea after making her donation and said, “I really appreciate having the clinic here and really, I just would not go all of the way into Kingston to donate. It's just too far.”

Sharbot Lake resident Melanie Fyfe has been donating blood regularly for years now and started when she relocated to the Sharbot Lake area. “It's important because there is such a huge need for it. And because I missed out donating for a number of years I think I am trying to make up for it now.”

Melanie has also convinced her husband and children to donate as well. “I would say to anyone who has not done it - do it. It's painless and the best part is that it really makes you feel good.”

Megan Hiebert, a registered nurse who was assisting at Thursday’s clinic said, “We find that rural areas are great supporters of Canadian Blood Services and we need absolutely every donor we can get to meet the needs of the hospitals. Whether it’s going to an accident victim or to someone needing surgery- there is always a need for blood, every single day and one person’s single donation can help three different patients who are in need.”

The Sharbot Lake clinics are regularly supported by the Sharbot Lake and District Lions, who bake up treats and serve coffee, tea and juice to donors.

“For us it is just something we feel is very important to support,” said Lions president Dawn Hansen.

The next Sharbot Lake clinic will take place on Thursday, September 29. For more information on how and where to donate please call 1-888-2- DONATE.

Frontenac County Lions clubs have been working together to raise money for the “No Child Without Program”, a program that allows each child who requires a Medic Alert bracelet or pendant to receive one free of charge as soon as they enter kindergarten.

The Lions clubs provide money to Medic Alert to cover each school for a number of years’ worth of service, which is priced on the basis of a formula that is provided by Medic Alert.

Over the past few years, the Sydenham Lions have teamed up with the Storrington Lions to cover Perth Road School, have covered Loughborough School themselves, and have teamed up with the Verona Lions for St. Patrick’s school in Harrowsmith. The Verona Lions have covered Prince Charles Public School on their own.

On June 17, the Sydenham Lions held a golf tournament at Rivendell Golf Club to raise funds for Medic Alert services at Elginburg Public School. With 19 teams participating, the tournament was a success, and a 30-minute rain shower did nothing to dampen the spirits of the hardy golfers.

Enough money was raised to cover the cost for Elginburg with some left over for other Lions programs.

But aside from the fundraising element to the tournament, there is a question of bragging rights for the winners.

The winners in the men’s category were the foursome of Gary Goodberry, John Steele, Wayne French, Henry Otenhoff, a team from the Verona Lions Club. The winning women’s team included Jennifer Linton, Muriel Laird, Linda Lauritsen, and Gerri Derue – Inverary Golf Club

Finally, the winning mixed team was made up of Carolyn and Jim Smith and Irene and Ken Johnston from the host Rivendell Golf Club.

A good time was had by all.

(Medic Alert bracelets inform authorities about underlying conditions, including medical conditions, allergies, medications, implants or devices, and special needs or requests.)

Photo: 10-year-old fiddler Jessica Wedden performed at the Sharbot Lake & District Lions Senior's Night

This year's line up of entertainers made the Sharbot Lake & District Lions' Seniors' Night a notable and memorable one. The annual event has been taking place for 36 years but this was its final time at the soon to be closed Sharbot Lake High School. The night began with opening remarks by Lions president Coleen Richter. Marcel Giroux of W.A. Robinson and Associates, who sponsors the event, spoke of his close to 32 years of teaching at the school. He addressed the audience of close to 100, many of whom he had taught, saying “You survived me and I have survived you”. The night began with a performance by a young fiddler, 10-year-old Jessica Wedden of Tichborne, who is a member of the Blue Skies Fiddle Orchestra and is also the recipient of the 2012 Beacon of Hope Award. Jessica played three selections from her impressive repertoire.

She was followed by seasoned performers the Old Habits Band (fronted by Guy Cooke, Gilbert Riddell and Glenda Nicol), who were joined by Ellis Wolfreys and Jim Whan. They won over the crowd with their solid and highly polished old timey country favorites, which got a few couples up and dancing. Other highlights of the evening came in the form of comedy, with Lions president Coleen Richter's hilarious incarnation of Patsy Cline and the stash of romantic memories she unearthed from her under garments. Equally amusing were numerous skits put one by Lions members including Linda Zwier's version of the poem “A Little Mixed Up” and the “under the covers” antics of Bill and Celine Pyle. Interspersed throughout the evening was the giving out of 20 plus door prizes. The Old Habits took to the stage for a few final few tunes and one very vocal fan managed to convince the band to play an encore. Lions president Colleen Richter spoke the final words of the evening and made note of the Lions' next upcoming event, a pancake breakfast at Oso Hall on November 24 from 8-11am. Proceeds will be going towards the local Diabetes Chapter in Kingston.

Photo: Young turtles, toads, tadpoles were front and center at this year Verona Cattail Festival parade.

Green was the colour of the day at this year’s Verona Cattail Festival and kids dressed as various pond dwelling creatures were front and center at Saturday's parade. The festival, which relocated last year to the Verona Lions Centre, had activities for the whole family and as usual a stellar line up of musical entertainment.

New to the festival this year was an environmental display in the Lions hall, aptly renamed Cameron's Cattail Centre. It housed representatives from numerous groups and organizations promoting local environmental awareness and health. Hands-on educational displays were set up inside, with reps from the Toronto Zoo promoting frogs; from the Ontario Geological Survey highlighting local geography and minerals; from the Gould Lake Conservation Area displaying an array of live pond creatures; as well as reps from Frontenac Provincial Park, and the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority.

Gerrie Baker, a.k.a. "The Worm Lady", was also on site promoting her worms and composting, as was salamander conservationist Matt Ellerbeck with his display of four live salamanders. Wilma Kenny demonstrated how to make cattail visors and hats and was also promoting the book “Cattails and Bulrushes-Wetland Neighbours”, which was written and illustrated by Dionne Nolan and gives a detailed explanation of the plant and its many uses.

There was a plethora of hands-on activities to take part in around the grounds, great food and a stellar line up of musical entertainment to enjoy on the stage all weekend long.

Debbie Lingen and Dick Miller were joint emcees and they held down the stage area at the Lions site, keeping visitors informed of the ongoing events. A shuttle bus ran every half hour transporting visitors from the Lions Centre hub to the beach, where other popular events took place over the weekend. As always the duct tape boat races held at McMullen beach on Saturday afternoon were a huge draw and not surprisingly the Olympic theme was front and center for the boat builders of all ages. Wayne Conway, who co-managed the festival year along with Ron Bruyns, said the steering committee took on added responsibilities this year, which made for a broader and better organized festival. Also new this year were 50 birdhouses donated by RONA for kids to build, and the motor bike and boot and bonnet displays, which drew a steady crowd. Back by popular demand were the horse drawn wagon rides. Though rain forced the entertainment to go inside the Lions hall on Friday night, the festival enjoyed clear skies for Saturday and Sunday. Hats off to all of the organizers and volunteers who made the weekend a memorable one for all who attended.

Photo: l-r, Jessica Crain, Stephan Hiller, Sydenham Lions Tail Twister Wray Gillespie, Tim Smith and Thomas Cabral at Rivendell

Jim Kelly of the Sydenham and District Lions club was thrilled to report that their recent golf tourney fundraiser, which took place at the Rivendell Golf Club in Verona on June 15, was by far their most successful to date.

The tournament raised over $5,000 for the No Child Without program, which provides MedicAlert bracelets to students in need. This year’s proceeds will assist students at Harrowsmith Public School.

Kelly said the tournament’s overwhelming success this year was largely due to the generosity of the many sponsors and prize donors, as well as the many neighboring Lions Clubs members who made the trip from Tamworth, Verona and Amherstview to participate in the tournament. The Sydenham and District Lions have supported the No Child Without Program in many of our local area schools over the years.