The November meeting of the Perry Lions Club saw six guests in attendance, an indication of the club’s numerous activities in the community. Seventeen Lions also attended.
Perry Lions Club President Lou Hoger opened the meeting by leading the Pledge of Allegiance, and Lion Chris Tjapkes gave the prayer.
Hoger introduced Shirley Ehlers, the wife of the late Perry Lion Richard Ehlers, who died in 2015. Dick Ehlers was a very active member of the Perry club for many years, serving as the club’s president and holding various other offices.
Shirley Ehlers was presented with the Warren Coleman Award for Dedicated Service in Lionism, named after the longtime executive director of the Iowa Lions Club and Foundation. It is the highest award that can be bestowed on an Iowa Lion.
“This award represents a deep commitment to the ideals of the Lions Club, such as Dick always showed,” said Hoger in presenting the award to Shirley Ehlers.
She accepted the award on behalf of her husband and said the plaque will be displayed in the Hotel Pattee, the regular meeting place of the Perry Lions.
Other guests at the November meeting included Perry Middle School art teacher Jessica Brocka and her three student winners of the Lions Club’s annual Peace Poster Contest: Mirna Alvarenga, Juan Hernandez and Anthony Chavez.
Alvarenga took first place in this year’s contest with her poster, entitled “People Around the World without Conflict or War.”
Hoger presented each of the young winners, whose parents were also present, with a certificate, a check and a Lions Club ballpoint pen. Brocka received a certificate of appreciation for assisting the students with the poster contest. Nearly 75 students that took part in the 2016 contest.
Perry Lion Rich Saemisch then introduced his guest, Denny Weily, a new resident of Perry.
Lion Chris Anderson was the speaker for the program. Anderson is president-elect of the Southwest District of the Lions Clubs of Iowa. He gave a recap of all of the Lion’s Activities in the state and gave his goals for the coming year.
Anderson praised the Perry Lions for all of the local projects the club participates in and for the club’s support of projects at the state, national and international levels.
He noted 2016 is the 100th anniversary of Lions, and he said the Lions International was nominated for the Nobel Prize. He also reported that the past district president, Ardie Klemish, has been elected to the Lions Board of National Directors.
One of the national Lions Club projects is Kids Sight. Lions Clubs across the U.S. have tested the eyes of 425,000 preschool children, and 24,000 of these youngsters were referred to eye care professionals for further testing.
Anderson said that the Perry Lions have screened 1,227 preschoolers and 131 of these children were referred for more eye examinations.
“Hopefully, children’s eye problems are found and corrected before they start elementary school,” Anderson said.
He also commended the Perry Lions for their recent donation of an Amazon Echo to a visually impaired person at the Rowley Masonic Community in Perry. He said it is a very helpful device for a blind person.
