Schomberg Lions History
Schomberg Lions - Then and Now
On the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Schomberg Lions Club...
Anniversaries are always a good time to pause and reflect on the past and dream of the future, and Schomberg Lions can look back with pride over the last 60 years of Service within the community and take personal satisfaction of being one of over 225 people who have been members.
Over the years the Club has been responsible for organizing the Boy Scouts and providing them with a clubhouse; sponsoring Minor Hockey, Baseball and funding the Ball Park and lights; donating over $40,000 to building the Community Arena and then in 1997 providing the inspiration and drive to build Kitchen-Breedon Manor:
“A 32 unit senior’s residence situated on beautiful grounds between the community Library and a meandering stretch of the Schomberg Creek. The grounds host a raised flower garden and community playground and are complimented by a walking trail, bridge, and Gazebo along the river".
To this day we continue to donate to most of the local Youth and Sports groups and have funds set aside to be used for the extension of Osin-Lion’s Park on Western Avenue.
Funds are generated through a mixture of the Annual Cash Draw, catering to local events, and Pop Can recycling.
To become the Caterer's to the Community the Club has invested money and considerable time in a Cooking Trailer which, this year will be seen at such events as the Tottenham Blue Grass festival, the Sprucewood RC Car rally, the Agricultural Society’s Community Spirit Day and many other places.
Service is one of the goals of Lions Clubs, the other is Fellowship, and, a major step was taken in the last 10 years to enhance fellowship when women became Lions resulting in Marlene Koppens becoming the first female President in 2004
Working together on Pop Can Crushing, Cooking, and selling Cash Draw tickets outside IGA encourages Fellowship and while a lot of it is hard work most of it is a lot of Fun, and very rewarding!
And that is the satisfaction of being a Lion: Serving, Friendship and having Fun!
John Bradbury President (2007)
______________________________________________________
A Brief History of The Schomberg Schomberg Lions Club
(The First Sixty Years)
The above statement will most certainly be a very difficult goal to fulfill.There are many projects that have become the status quo in our town that the Lions have assisted with, this is a known fact, but there are some things that are not known or have been forgotten over the years that we shall try to bring to the forefront, such as when the Lions gave $10,000 to the victims of the gas explosion in 1989, and that the Community Hall has undergone several facelifts with the assistance of the Lions Club.
Many members still remember the oiled floors, and the metal walls that were there many years ago. How many of you know that the Library was at the back of the building where the Piercy room now exists?
Do you remember when the washrooms were a chilly trek to the out door john? Sometimes you may be lucky enough to use a pail a day washroom upstairs.
Our commitment to the Community Hall has been in excess of $35,000 for renovations. We have also contributed to the playground equipment at both of the Schomberg schools as well as to the Pottageville Community Center.
In the past sixty years the Lions have made regular donations to the C.N.I.B. camp for the blind, the camp for the Deaf, and the Dialysis Camp at Dorset Ontario.
The Lions of Schomberg have been responsible for many changes throughout the Community: the addition of the second floor at the Arena, the club house on the fair grounds, and the transformation of Burnell Grahams property to a playground.
1982 saw the completion of the Kitchen Breedon Manor, (Schomberg Lions Club Non - Profit Housing Corp) there are 32 units but we all know that we could use more for our current seniors.
The vision of Lions Jim Kitchen and Bill Breedon was brought about by a committee of Lions that included Jim Kitchen, Bill Breedon, John Bassel, Don Coffey, Tony Greco, Barry Matson, Joe Huson, George Leo.
We are almost at the end of our Lions year and it has been a very busy one, our cash draw ticket sales have enabled us to purchase a Defibrillator for the Community Hall, and we are looking forward to next years projects what ever they may be, but one thing you can count on is that Schomberg Lions will not be far away in having a hand in the continuous building of the Community.
All we need now is to have the Osin-Lion's Park get under way, when it is completed it will be an attraction for all of us to be very proud of.
You would wonder what dear ole Elwood would say if he were here with us today to see just how far his dream has traveled.
Everyone of our Lion members past and present can be justly proud of carrying on with Elwood's wishes and to fulfill the club motto, which is
"WE SERVE"
Paul Feeney (2007)