New Clyde Lions Club to hold first meeting

By BECKY BROOKS

Enterprise Editor

clydenews@bizwoh.rr.com

Lions Club International has set a meeting for 6 p.m. Thursday, March 11 at the Clyde Public Library in the Whirlpool Room to discuss creating a new charter club in Clyde with more than half of the people needed to start a new club.

"It's open to anyone who might be interested," commented Horst H. Herzog, past district governor for District 13-B. The Lions need 20 charter members to form a local club and had at least 13 registered last week.

Organizers said Monday that a total of 17 local residents have pledged to be charter members thus far.

At the March 2 Clyde City Council meeting, Herzog and two other Lions officials attended and spoke about trying to charter a new club in Clyde.

"We've never had a Lions Club in Clyde, but we've got Lions clubs all around your community," Herzog pointed out to council.

"We deal mainly with kids, sight and surgery," he said about the organization.

A Port Clinton resident, Herzog commented that Green Springs has a Lions Club. "I know that Green Springs is buying glasses here in this community," he said and noted a city of over 6,000 should have a club of its own.

"This new addition of the Lions Club will be helpful to this community," he added.

John Pinkerman, New Club Development consultant for the Lions Club International pointed out the group planned to begin with 30 charter members.

The two men invited council members to join the group.

Mayor Scott Black commented, "To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about the Lions Club...What I have heard is good."

Herzog said the Lions officials would like to meet with each council member about the organization.

Councilman Gary Beamer questioned, "With other organizations in town struggling to keep things going, how are Lions going to keep things going?"

Pinkerman responded, " We tell the people it's their club"

He said the meeting times are set by the members. He pointed out that the Lions now have clubs that hold online meetings three times a month and then get together at one meeting a month.

"Some of the people we have signed up already are young people, young business people," he pointed out about the proposed Clyde club.

Herzog added that the Lions Club also has family-friendly clubs where children come to meetings.

Councilman Ken Dick commented, "As a long-time member of the Exchange Club, I find that service clubs, civic clubs are one of the backbones of a community volunteerism. The more that are out there the more give more choices." erzog pointed out that the Lions Club does include both men and women in its groups.