Lions Smooth As A Rock Written by Lion Julius Toth (February 15, 2012)
	Russell Lions recently took some time off their busy schedule and enjoyed some play time. Under the direction of Lion Gord Saunders, the Lions super team comprising of Lions Peter Romme, Jim Sullivan, Raja Wysocki and George Rogers represented the Club at the Russell Curling Clubs recent Midnight Madness Bonspiel. Lion Gord ran his troops through a highly strenuous, demanding, no nonsense 10 minute curler boot camp and the “Pride of the Lions” took to the ice with fire under their feet. A fun time was held by the Lions and their supporters and the event demonstrated that Lionism is not all work and allows ample time to play as well. The Club now refocuses their energy on the ”Evening With the Lions” fundraiser to be held on February 25th at Russell High School. Tickets are $40 per person and include a sit down dinner, live and silent auction with items galore, a trivia contents along with all kinds of door prizes. Our uniquely skilled Master of Ceremonies will have you laughing off your seat. There are still a few tickets available and they can obtained from any Lions member or by calling Lion Peter Marr at 613 445 5223. Remember, If you are not there for us, it makes it makes it more challenging for us to be there for you.
Celebrate With Lions Written by Lion Julius Toth (February 1, 2012)
	Russell Lions Club First Vice President George Rogers along with Lion Peter Marr have put the finishing touches on the planning activities for the “Evening With the Lions” fundraiser event to be held Saturday, February 25th. at the Russell High School. The event, one of several to be held this year to celebrate Club’s 65th anniversary of community service will feature a formal sit down dinner, both a live and silent auction, trivia contest, door prizes and a barrel of laughs. Tickets are $40. per person and can be purchased individually, or reserved tables of eight from any Lion member or by calling Lion Peter Marr at 613 445 5223. Also ready to go is our Master of Ceremonies! Firmly back on two feet and fully experienced with the nuances of working on a live stage “The MC”, also known by various other names, will entertain you throughout the evening as the events unfold. History has shown that anything can happen when our beloved host has possession of the microphone. You simply do not want to miss it! Lion George has raised the auction quality bar to a new level. Items large and small; extravagant or practical; for him or her or, both of you....... all will be available at the live and silent auction. Auctioneer Stewart James will engage you throughout the live auction as he masterfully yodels through each highly sought item. Then, there is the trivia contest. The title of “Smartest Person of the Evening” will be bestowed upon you should you satisfy Connie Johnston with the highest score. There may even be a prize !? You have to be there to find out. An “Evening With the Lions” is a celebration of our milestone year of service as well as a fund raiser to increase our coffers to ensure that we will be there when you need us. There are only 200 tickets for sale and we look forward to seeing you. Come on out and support your Lions and enjoy a great time doing it.
Lions Busy During Christmas Season Written by Lion Julius Toth (December 8, 2011)
	The Russell Lions have been very active during this Christmas season. We started off by leading the the Christmas Parade. Lions Jim Sullivan, Ken Beaman and Dean Benson did a great job of judging the floats and we enjoyed seeing all of you during our hosting of the free hot chocolate and cookies event at the arena upstairs hall while you all met Mr. & Mrs. Claus Judging by the excellent turn out everyone seem to enjoy themselves both during the parade and the reception. Lion Ken Beaman and his dedicated Lion crew decorated the Christmas Tree the Lion Park on Craig Street for your viewing pleasure. The lights will remain lit into the new year. Lion Jack McLaren once again organized our annual Christmas Cake distribution to the seniors. In the above picture, taken by Lion Ken Beaman, Evelyn Ritchie and Carmelle Laurin are just two of the seniors being presented with the Christmas delight by Lions President Ted Morrison, Jack McLaren, George Rogers and Jim Sullivan, Also under the leadership of Lion Jack we are in the process of preparing our Christmas Baskets which we will be distributing to our neighbours who may have “hit a bump on the road” this year and, otherwise would not be able to enjoy a Christmas meal. The Lions would like to thank Urban Country for once again acting as the focal point for the toys drop off and, as well, express our appreciation to those of you who donated the toys. Lion Marni Thompson will ensure that every toy gets included in the appropriate Christmas Basket. To finish off 2011 the Lions are once again co-hosting a New Year’s Party with the Legion. This end of year bulie will be held at the Lions/Legion Hall. Tickets are $45 per person and includes a full dinner catered by Desjardins Catering. Cocktails are at 6:00pm, followed by dinner at 7:00pm. Music will be provide by “ Odd Man Out” . Tickets can obtained from both Lions or Legion members. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Lions Plan 65th Year Celebrations Written by Lion Julius Toth (December 7, 2011)
	To commemorate our 65th milestone year of community service the Russell Lions are planning several major activities in the months ahead. First up is a ”Night With The Lions”. This event will be held on Saturday, February 25th at the Russell High School. Club First Vice President George Rogers along with Lion Peter Marr (pictured above) are firming up the plans for the evening. “The Night With The Lions” will feature a succulent sit down Roast Beef Dinner complemented with all the trimmings. A cash bar will be available throughout to wet your whistle. Once amply fed you will be able to participate in both a silent and live auction both of which will both have numerous highly sought after items up for grabs. There will also be numerous door prizes. There is more! Russell’s chief inquisitor, Connie Johnson will test your knowledge with a variety of trivia questions. Of course!.... there will be prizes for the winners as well as several surprises throughout the evening. On February 25th , the depth of winter, beat the frigid weather with the unlimited warmth of Lions hospitality. The cost for the meal is only $40.00 per person. Once the dinner has started the doors will be closed and no one will be allowed to enter. Contact Lion Peter Marr (613 445 5223) to get your dinner tickets and/or to reserve a round table for 8. If there are any items in your attic that you would like to donate to the auction please call Lion George Rogers at (613 445 3729). The money raised from this event will go the Russell Lions Club to be used towards our continued community commitments. If you are 65, or you have already been 65 or, at one point in your life you will be 65 then come on and spend a “Night With the Lions” on February 25th. It will warm your heart..
Lions Double Donation Written by Lion Julius Toth (November 23, 2011)
	In the summer of 2009 Russell Lion Henry Staal took note of the fact that Dr. Gerry Heymans was  celebrating his 30th anniversary of serving our community. Understanding the significance of this milestone Lion Henry solicited some community members  that included Mr. Chris Therkelsen, Mr. Harold Staal, Mr. Scott Cameron as well as  Lions  club members Ted Morrison and Marc Bourque. Under Lion Henry’s leadership this group, along with Doctor Heymans formed the DocFest Committee  and  arranged a highly successful  celebration at which the good doctor was duly recognized  by a grateful  community for his efforts over the past 30 years. In keeping with his high level of community dedication  Doctor Heymans  suggested that the amount raised from this event ($33,567.11) be turned over to the Winchester Hospital. The DocFest committee subsequently made the donation to the hospitals Ophthalmology unit, an area of the hospital actively supported by the Lions. Notwithstanding this donation,  Lion Henry  undertook the initiative and necessary steps to work with Lions A4 District Chairperson Helen Porteous and Past District Governor Andy Cheverton to prepare a grant  for  presentation to Lions Club International Foundation to request their consideration to match the original donation. LCIF receives numerous request from Lions clubs all around the world and they are very stringent as to which applications they approve. With the great job done by Lions Henry, Helen and Andy  LCIF approved the request at their annual meeting in Chicago this past spring. They agreed to donate $74,696.63.  This included matching the original donation made by the DocFest committee as well as some additional sundry funds. The Lions are known as the “Champions of the Blind”  and  eye related issues are treated with the utmost seriousness by the world wide Lions organization. So far the  11 Lions clubs  in District A4 have donated a total of $124,442.29 to the Winchester Hospital Ophthalmology unit, with the Russell Lions Club being the main contributor.   With the inclusion of the LCIF the total  donated amount  is now at the 200k mark. On November 18th representatives of the Lions clubs from District A4 along with Past Governor Andy Cheverton and A4 District Chairperson Helen Porteous gathered at the Winchester hospital  for the LCIF cheque presentation to the grateful representatives of the Ophthalmology unit.  Included in this group and  pictured above are the original DocFest Committee members,  Lion Marc Bourque, Mr. Chris Therkelsen, Mr. Harold Staal, Mr. Scott Cameron, Lion Henry Staal,  Lion President Ted Morrison, and Doctor Gerry Heymans. Past District Governor Andy Cheverton and  District A4 Chairperson Helen Porteous also joined in on the photo. The Russell Lions remain  grateful to Lion Henry and  his DocFest committee for their excellent work and particularly thank Doctor Heymans, Mr. Therkelson, Mr. Stall and Mr. Cameron for their significant contribution towards such a worthy cause.
Lions Prepare For Christmas Parade Written by Lion Julius Toth (November 9, 2011)
	Russell Lions First Vice President George Rogers along with Lion Jack McLaren (both pictured) take a breather outside the Lions Den before going over the plans for this year’s Lions Christmas Parade Float. The Lions along with the Fire Department will again be co-hosting this popular annual event. The Christmas Parade will be held on Sunday, November 27th. starting at 1:00pm. It will leave the arena parking lot, make its way down Concession Street then turn on Mill Street before it winds its way back on Castor and up First Avenue back over to the Fair Grounds. This years event will feature numerous floats and an assorted variety of participants from local businesses, sport clubs, and other entities. The parade will set the stage for the impending festive season and instil the Christmas spirit in everyone. A panel of three judges will also be on hand to evaluate each of the floats. After the parade the Lions and Fire Department invite one and all to come upstairs to the arena hall and greet Santa Clause, as well as to be on hand when the awards are given out for the best floats and, to enjoy free hot chocolate and cookies courtesy of the Russell Lions. During both the parade and the arena hall festivities the Russell Fire Department will be collecting non perishable food items and they will be pleased to take your donations which will be deliver to the local Food Bank. Both the Lions and the Fire Department look forward to seeing you and yours along the parade route..
Lions Get Ready for Heritage Day Written by Lion Julius Toth (September 14, 2011)
	The Russell Lions Club is getting ready for our participation in the Village Heritage Day Celebration which will held on September 24th. The Lions Tent will be located on the empty lot adjacent to Dr. Ruth’s Vet Clinic on Concession Street. The Lions recently eyeballed the property to determine the optimum location of the tent. Lion President Ted Morrison, (centre) is flanked by (left to right) Lions Bruce Woolsey, Wayne Simon, Jack McLaren, 1st Vice President George Rogers, along with Peter Marr and Karl Bowles. As part of Heritage Day we will be holding a Lions trivia contest at the tent and the lucky winner will receive a $50 dinner voucher for a local restaurant. The Russell Lions have been a fabric of our community for the past 64 years and we have contributed significantly to the its betterment. Come on by and visit us between the hours of 9:0am – 5:00pm. Find out about many of our activities and some our lesser know but equally important accomplishments. For example, do you know what the Club and former NHL Hockey great Larry Robinson have in common or, do you know the role the Lions Club played in securing the Olympics for Russell. How about the day we Lions captured the Sasquatch. Have you heard any anecdotes about our three immortal “Rum Dummies”? All of this and many more are waiting for you to be discovered. As an inseparable part of the Village it has been our pleasure and our duty to serve you and we look forward to continuing our efforts in the years ahead. As the population of Russell skyrockets the need for continued services increases. Russell is fortunate that there are people in the community who recognize this growing demand. Such are the ladies and gentlemen who recently banded together and formed the Kin Club and to whom the Lions extend congratulations and welcome as they embark on their journey to expend their efforts for the betterment of our community. Russell Heritage Day 2011. Reflect, Participate, Enjoy and Be Proud. Visit us in “The Lions Tent”.
Lions Get Back To Work Written by Lion Julius Toth (September 14, 2011)
	With the summer now over the members of the Russell Lions Club pictured above gathered at the Lions Den on September 13th and resumed our bi-monthly general membership meeting. Requests for assistance of various nature continue to arrive at a steady pace and we anticipate that our 65th year of community service will be busier than ever. Don’t forget to drop by and visit us on Heritage Day this Saturday between 9:00a.m - 5:00p.m. at our Lions Tent which will be located on Concession Street beside Dr Ruth’s Vetenary clinic. Plenty of good cheer, coffee, and juice for the kids await you along with an opportunity to win $50. if you get the most correct answers in our Lions Trivia contest.
Scotiabank Supports Lions Milestone Event Written by Lion Julius Toth (August 3, 2011)
	Scotiabank donated $3,000 to the Russell Lions Club in support of our 25th Annual All You Can Eat Lobsterfeast that was held last May. The bank did not limit itself to just a financial donation. Some employees also volunteered to work with us during the event thus providing a double benefit. Presenting the cheque to Russell Lions Jack McLaren (Lobsterfeast Ticket Sales Manager), Gord Saunders (Lobsterfeast Chairperson) and President Ted Morrison are Scotiabank representatives Lynne Rochon, Peggy Marshessault and Suzanne Bolduc. The Lions thank Scotiabank for its sense of community spirit which in this case helped to defray some of the associated Lobsterfeast costs as well as reduced our labour burden through the hard work of its staff.
Lions Celebrate Charter Night Written by Lion Julius Toth (June 15, 2011)
	The members of the Russell Lions Club along with their wife’s & partners celebrated our 64th Annual Charter Night on June 11th at the Lions Den. Lion President Ted Morrison enthusiastically presided over the evening which consisted of a full course meal, a review of the years significant events and an award ceremony recognizing the exceptional dedication to Lionism and the community by club members. In the last four years the Lions have selected a dedicated member of our community to be the recipient of our Lion Danny Proulx award. Lion Danny was an exemplary Club member who passed away at much too early age. This year Diny Achtereekte was the award recipient which is accompanied with a cheque for $500. payable in Diny’s name to a charity or organization of her choice. Pictured above, Gale Proulx presents Diny with her award. Characteristic of Diny’s sense of community concern she selected the Winchester Hospital as the recipient of the $500. Lion President Ted along with Awards Chairperson Lion Jack McLaren commenced the awards portion of the evening by advising the members that Lions Frank Thompson and Jean Lauzier were recent recipients of the Ontario Government Service Volunteer Award. They then continued with the presentations to the following Lions. Reaching Perfect Attendance milestones were Lions Jim Sullivan, 46 years, Gord Saunders, 38 years and, Jack McLaren, 25 years. Marking significant membership milestone years were Lions Denis Poirier, 25 years and Club Secretary Sylvia Smith, 15 years. Lion Foundation Of Canada Fellowship awards were presented to Lions Marc Bourque and George Rogers. Helen Keller Fellowship award was presented to Lion Peter Marr. President Award plaque recipients included Lions George Rogers, Sylvia Smith and Julius Toth. The most distinguished award in all of Lionism, the Melvin Jones Award was presented to Lion Jim Sullivan. In the 64 year history of our club only three previous Lions have received this award (Lions Dr. Frank Kinniard, (founding member), Jack McLaren and Gord Saunders). Like these three Lions, Lion Jim is a well deserving recipient of the highest honour Lionism can bestow upon a member. Governed by his unselfish dedication to help his fellow man he represents the best of the best and remains a continued driving force in helping our Club to continually do better in our service commitment to you. We congratulate Lion Jim on this personal milestone achievement and look forward to his continued involvement with the Russell Lions Club for many years to come. In the above photo a proud Lion President Ted Morrison is pictured congratulating award recipients Lions George Rogers, Jim Sullivan, Peter Marr, Gord Saunders, Frank Thomson, Sylvia Smith and Jack McLaren.

 

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