Elmira was home to a sea of purple and yellow last week as local Lions hosted the club’s district convention. Last Saturday, however, it was a decidedly black tie affair at Lions Hall for the formal governor’s banquet. The dressy event was part of a convention that members from some 54 clubs in south-central Ontario in attendance.
“We are very happy with the turnout this weekend, as we had 565 registrations,” said Elmira Lion Art Woods, past international director for Lions Club International and convention chair.
The convention is held annually to elect new officers for the club in the coming year, including voting for a new governor. This year Norma J Peterson from Fergus will be replacing Todd Wilson.
“We also hold it to renew old friendships make new ones and have some fun and review our programs for the coming year,” said Woods.
Four main speakers were scheduled to talk at the convention, including a presentation about the Lions Foundation of Canada, the club’s dog-training program that provides service dogs for people who are blind or visually impaired, and to meet the needs of Canadians with hearing and other medical and physical disabilities.
A representative from Lake Joe, a camp on Lake Joseph in cottage country where people who are visually impaired can go with their families and have a holiday, also spoke to the conventioneers.
“We also had a speaker from Camp Dorset, where someone with kidney disease and is on dialysis can take their family up to the camp for a holiday explain what they have planned for the coming year, as well as Camp Kirk who help with handicapped children and offer then a summer vacation,” said Woods.
The official opening ceremonies were held May 6 as everyone gathered to greet one another.
During the weekend a musical jam session was held inviting members of the club to show off their musical talents.
“It has been a great weekend, we have had no major issues.”
Woods said he was very encouraged by the out come of the convention and looks forward to next year’s.
This week the Lions Club with help from Maple Leafs Forever, a foundation that assists organizations in by paying half the costs of acquiring trees, will be planting trees along the Kissing Bridge Trail.
“We are going to be planting 100 Canadian seed maple leaf trees,” said Woods. “These are not little saplings; these are six- to eight-foot trees. It should be a lot of fun.”
