Dear Fellow Lions,
I am so glad that July is over!! It was a month of ups and downs and dreadfully hot days and nights. And at least for the time being, the temperature has gone back to “normal.”
The month began on a sad note with the passing of Lion Margaret Duvall who will be missed by us all.
Then we had the gaiety of Celebrate Damascus with our participation in the parade, the wonderful fireworks and the very successful flea market. Thanks to Lion Tess for providing the tractor and trailer for us to ride in the parade. We had a good showing with Lions in the parade. Lion Tony drove for us and didn’t toss a single one off the wagon. Good job, Lion Tony! And kudos to Lion Charlie Hertel for braving the heat as our cute little mascot. There’s nothing quite like the faces of the children along the parade route when they see the lion. They just light up. On Saturday, Lions Tess and Jerry were up and at ‘em early for the flea market. The weather was dreary in the morning and the car show cancelled for the first time ever, dropping attendance to an all-time low. Even so, booth rentals were prepaid and about half showed up for the day. Lion Jerry was on to a great idea with a Lions booth for ‘fleas.’ A steady stream of donations came in and kept the merchandise “fresh” and just begging for someone to make a great deal. Thanks to all who participated in the events of the weekend.
17 club members, along with 38 friends and family descended on Frederick on the 27th to take in a Keys baseball game (see pictures on page 4). The weather was just right for a ball game and a good time was had by all. At least within our group. The Keys struggled against the Lynchburg Hillcats and were soundly beaten. It was a busy night at the stadium with the appearance of Bryan Voltaggio of Top Chef fame. If you didn’t mind standing in line for an hour or so, you could sample his wares. The first 1000 fans got a bobble head doll of the chef. To the best of my knowledge, no one in the club got a doll. But we were fortunate in that Robert Legard, a member of the Lovettsville, VA Lions Club, was seated directly in front of us. We struck up a conversation, gave him a club visitation and he gave us one of his bobble head dolls. Now I just wouldn’t feel right keeping this cherished collectible for myself, so look for it in the auction in the spring. And before you ask, no, I did not stand in line for an hour to get it signed.
We ended the month back on a sad note as we said our good byes to Lion Kenneth King. It is my sincere hope that the rest of the club members enjoy good health for a very long time. It’s tough having two services so close together and to lose two such fine Lions as Margaret and Kenneth. Keep their families in your prayers.
So August can only get better, right?? We’ll start off with our traditional fried chicken and veggies at our only dinner meeting in August at Montgomery United Methodist Church. Partner in Service, Kate Warfield, made special effort to be sure we were returning to Montgomery for our August dinner as a tribute to Lion Albert. Much thanks to Lion Roy Stanley for providing the corn for dinner this year. And also thanks to Lion Gary Rogers for providing the ice cream to help the cake go down a little easier. PDG Bill Lynch will be our speaker for the meeting, bringing us all up to date on Lions Camp Merrick.
Our second August meeting will be at the fair on the 17th as our ice cream dipping day. Lion Gary and crew have spent weeks readying the Dairy Barn for this year’s fair. Be sure to call Lion Charlie Hertel to let him know you are coming to help dip or run a register or herd the crowds. This is a fun day at the fair and it really is good ice cream. On Thursday, we will man the mobile health unit. We’re looking for volunteers to work shifts that day also.
For our September meeting, we will be returning to our “home” base at Wesley Grove.
I am working on finalizing committee chairs and assignments. This year, we are developing each committee to have two chairs – a mentor/mentee (is that really a word??) setup so that we are in a better position as a club to function. Additionally, we are setting up committee members so that everyone knows what committees they are serving on and can be focused on the events and activities they are most interested in. Please sign up for the committee(s) of your choice.
Let’s hope we don’t have the prolonged heat wave in August that we had in July.
See you at the fair!!
~King Lion Marcia