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| Club more than meets eye |
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| Community Living - Community Living | |||
| Written by Kathy Crawford | |||
| Wednesday, 27 May 2009 00:00 | |||
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Lions Clubs International is the largest public service organization in the world, said George Spengler, president of the Smithville Lions Club.
The organization has 45,000 clubs in 205 countries with 1.3 million members. All members share the core belief that “community is what we make it,” according to the Lions Clubs International Web site. The Smithville Lions Club is no exception when it comes to community involvement. The club sponsors or plays a role in regular events that the community has grown accustomed to, such as the traveling circus that came through town in the fall of 2008. “We sponsor the Kelly Miller Circus every other year,” Spengler said. Volunteers also hold an annual mum sale in the fall and are involved in the popular citywide garage sale in the spring. For the garage sale, the club raises money by creating maps for the garage sale that are available for $1. Those who want to be included on the map pay $5. Most of the funds that the club raises go toward local scholarships and international charities, Spengler said. “We give out two $500 scholarships every year,” he said. A Chicago business leader, Melvin Jones started the Association of Lions Clubs in 1917, according to its Web site. The organization became international in 1920 when a club in Canada was formed and continued to grow. Spengler, who has been a member of the Smithville Lions Club for four years, said that Helen Keller came to a Lions Clubs International convention in 1925 and challenged them to be “knights of the blind.” The Lions did so and are still very active in their service for the blind and visually impaired. However, the Lions Clubs are also dedicated to hearing programs, diabetes education, youth services, the environment, the disabled and disaster relief, according to the club’s Web site. “Anyone who desires to donate time to the betterment of mankind can join,” Spengler said. June will mark the 10th anniversary of the Smithville Lions Club, which currently has 14 members. Spengler said the club is in the process of planning a celebration now. get involved: Lions CluB What the club does: Service programs, fundraisers
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