Many times throughout the year residents of Cannon County hear of some of the activities that the Woodbury Lions Club is doing. October 2012 has been a little more than average but its activities have an effect on local, state, country, and the world. On Monday, 1 October the officers and directors met for a monthly board meeting. An amended budget was proposed and passed to go before the club members. Lion Sue Patrick proposed a new community service project “Coats For Cannon” of collecting coats to give to those who need them for the winter, the board passed the project and Lion Sue is asking the members of the club and the community to bring in their coats that they are not using to give away to those who need a coat for the winter.
On Tuesday, 2 October Past International President Austin Jennings was among more than 150 Lions from around the world attending an event at the White House that recognized Lions Club members as Champions of Change because of their nearly 100 years of volunteer service in communities around the world. The Lions were able to gather with government officials to share information and ideas and to honor the men and women who are serving their communities in every state and around the globe. This day-long event, co-hosted by the White House and Lions Clubs International, included an in-depth briefing session on issues pertaining to community service between Lions and key government agency officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, U. S. Department of Education and others. The day also included panel discussions with 11 men and women Lions who were selected to represent the 1.35 million Lions members worldwide as Champions of Change.
On Wednesday, 3 October Lions Carl and Patsy Hirlston, and Lion Bobby Bogard was at the Alvin C. York VA Hospital in Murfreesboro, running a booth at the annual VA Carnival. The Woodbury Lions Club along with Murfreesboro Lions Club, Smyrna Lions Club, and the Milton/Lascassas Lions Club each had booths along with many different Military groups and churches. Patients of the hospital are escorted around to the different booths where they receive fruit, cookies, candy, hand-made blankets, pillows or something. Some booths provide a game or information. Woodbury Lions Club had a roulette wheel where each patient put a chip on a number, the wheel spun and always landed on their selected number making all that played a winner and received a red, white, and blue ball cap which said “I’m A VETERAN” plus a couple of pieces of candy.
On Friday, 5 October many members of the Woodbury Lions Club was making scarecrows for the square. Lions Sue Patrick, Lois Larimer, Danny Miller, Bruce Steelman, and Heath Nokes put one together for the Woodbury Lions Club. The Scarecrow had a Lions Mop for hair, recycled glasses, a white cane, a vest, apron, and bucket. Lion Sue also made one for her business, as well as Lion Randy Barrett (Joe’s Place), and Lion Connie Rigsby (Cannon County Senior Citizens Center), Lion Tim Spry (First National Bank), Lions Paul and Mike Reed (Paul Reed Furniture), and Lion Keith Young (Woodbury Medical) had their businesses represented with a scarecrow on the square. This event was sponsored by Lion Mike Gannon. This event was a downtown business project and hopefully will be one for different seasons and done for years to come.
On Monday, October 8 the Woodbury Lions meet at their regular meeting. Lion Sue Patrick presented her project to the club, also the club was provided with an amended budget which was passed. Reports about recent projects and upcoming events were given.
On Monday through Friday, October 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, Lions Carl and Patsy Hirlston and Lion Glenn Steakley conducting eye screening for the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 9th grades at West Side, Auburn, East Side, Short Mountain, Woodland, Woodbury, and Cannon County High School, plus sight and hearing screening at the Cannon County Senior Citizens Center. Seven hundred and forty-one students and senior citizens were screened with 129 referrals to be seen by a specialist. Lions across the world screen children and adults for sight and hearing problems. In 1925 at the first “International” Lions Convention, Helen Keller spoke to the Lions present and challenged them to be the “Knights for Sight”. The delegates there voted to accept the challenge and from that time on, Lions have assisted the blind and those needing glasses, and have worked towards preventing blindness throughout the world. The “White Cane” was one of the first projects that Lions around the world started. Lions everywhere started giving white canes to everyone who was blind, they were instrumental in having laws passed where blind pedestrians who had a white cane identifying that he were blind had the “right of way” at intersections and crosswalks. Later Leader Dog schools was founded and supported by Lions around the world.
On Friday and Saturday, 12 and 13 October, Lion Lois Larimer organized the annual “White Cane” roadblock. Lions 2nd VP John Basinger, Charlie Brown, Mitch Burke, Joe Hawkins, Patsy Hirlston, Richie Hunter, Andy Jacobs, Danny Miller (double shift), Bobby Moore (double shift), Phillip Mote, Carolyn Motley, Heath Nokes, Mike Reed, Secretary Connie Rigsby, Greg Rogers, Jackie Rogers, King Lion Nathan Sanders, Tim Spry, 3rd VP Glenn Steakley, Bruce Steelman, and Past District Governor Cliff Swoape volunteered to stand out in the traffic for a two hour shift asking for donations. Monies collected from this road block is given to the District and then divided up for different groups. Middle Tennessee Lions Sight Service received about 80%. This provides for diagnosis and eye surgery for indigents done mostly at Vanderbilt Hospital. Monies also goes to the Tennessee School for the Blind supporting students work programs, Christmas Gifts, low vision clinics, and Boy and Girl Scout programs for the blind; Lions Communication Service which keeps the mobile sight and hearing vehicle which visits communities, screening for vision and hearing problems; Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic which prints books in large print and/or makes recordings of books and other literature for the blind or dyslexic; Lions World Services for the Blind where vocational training and rehabilitation for blind adults including training for jobs with Internal Revenue Service. One of the programs teaches the blind how to break down a lawn mower and other small engines, clean, repair, and put back together; Lions KidSight Screening which screens children from 6 months of age up 5 years old with an instrument that can detect a potential serious eye problem or eye disease that could result in loss of vision if not treated; Hearing Aid Project which provides a hearing aid to indigent that have a hearing disability; Drug Essay Contest which encourages school students to think how drugs destroy lives; Leader Dog School which trains Guide Dogs at no cost to the blind, to aid and give mobility to the sightless for their everyday lives; Ed Lindsey Industries for the Blind which hires handicapped individuals to do industrial work. In the past they have made brooms and mops of all kinds. More recently, they have had a contract with the armed forces and made all the chin straps for the helmets used by the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force, National Guard, and Reserves personnel. Most every Lions Club in Tennessee has a fundraiser just for “White Cane” and jointly the monies collected is able to provide for thousands of needy people.
On Saturday, 20 October Club President King Lion Nathan Sanders, Club Secretary Lion Connie Rigsby, and Lions Carl and Patsy Hirlston attended a District Meeting at the Unionville United Methodist Church, located between Shelbyville and Eagleville. Lions from Bedford, Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Grundy, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Moore, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Warren, and Wilson counties meet. King Lion Nathan presented a check over $2300 to the Districts White Cane Chairman 1st Vice District Governor Tom Irwin from the Southside Club in Gordonsville. Club reports from clubs, zones, and region chairpersons were given. It was reported that District 12-S had the best Hearing Aid program within the state, and that the Woodbury Lions Club was responsible for getting 4 hearing aids already and another 2 in process. Another announcement made was that the goal of 10 million dollars to be raised for Measles Vaccinations had been achieved. Over 200 children die each day in 3rd world countries. Lions Club International along with the Gates Foundation (Bill Gates of Microsoft fame) partnered together to help stop children from dying of this disease. $1 will provide a shot to a child and save a life.
On Monday, 22 October the Woodbury Lions Club held its regular meeting at “The Corner”. Lion Barbara Parker and husband Grady invited and entertained the Woodbury Lions Club to meet upon Pleasant Ridge. The main part of the meeting was awarding the Peace Poster winners and the Drug Essay winners. Auburn, Cannon County High School, East Side, Short Mountain, West Side, Woodbury, and Woodland submitting entries, the top six was selected then a first, second, and third place was chosen. Third place winners received $10, second place $25, and first place winners received $50. First place entries will go to District with a first place winner chosen and entry goes to State entries, one from each of the 5 districts. The Winner of the State Drug Essay and the Peace Poster will then go to International and a winner will be chosen from entries around the world. The winners of the Drug Essay contest were: 1st Tyler King from Auburn, 2nd Rebeckah Pence from Woodland, 3rd Caitlin Bowman from East Side, other contestants were Benjamin Cole George from Woodland, Ashley Ritter from Auburn, and Cody Walton from East Side. The Peace Poster winners were: 1st Katie Gunter from East Side, 2nd Samantha Weigh from West Side, 3re Makayla Underhill from Short Mountain, other contestants were Emily Nave from Woodbury, Austin Taylor from Woodland, and Dale Thompson from Auburn. After the program Grady hooked up the tractor to a trailer and all who wanted went for a hay ride and came back to a bonfire. All that came had a great time.
On Thursday, 25 October Lion Carl Hirlston attended the Lions Communication Service meeting Canonsburg, Murfreesboro. Scheduling the Sight and Hearing Van for the different clubs and problems with the van were addressed. After the Lions Communication Service meeting Lions Carl and Patsy Hirlston attended the Middle Tennessee Lions Sight Service meeting at the same location. Ongoing projects within the state to raise money to pay for eye surgeries at Vanderbilt Eye Center were discussed and the amount of surgeries now needed but no funds to do them.
On Monday, 29 October the Rookies (members having less than five years membership) hosted a 5th Monday night meeting. A Chili Contest was held and all could enter. Admission cost and an auction of sport items was the main program. This was a family night for members of the Lions Club to enjoy. All money received went into the administration fund. All money received from the fund raiser open to the public, Horse Show, Pancake Breakfast, Road Block, Parking, Broom, mops, and light bulb sale, Christmas ornaments and nuts always goes into the charities account and cannot be used to cover any administration cost. On Monday the Woodbury Lions Club “Head Nuts” Lions Clyde and Kitty Bush and Mark Vance, received a shipment of nuts then distributed them to different areas in town. Pecans, Cashews, Walnuts, and Fruit and Nut mix are in. Look for them when you go through town or ask a Lions Club member to reserve you some.
October 2012 has been a good month for the Woodbury Lions Club with members being able to participate in whatever projects they wish. November has the Lions working on a float to enter into the Veterans Day Parade. November 10 will be busy with a pancake breakfast, Coats for Cannon giveaway, and the Veterans Parade. November 15 will be a special blood drive to honor local warrior Branden Schwartz. Christmas ornament of the Adams Library will be sold along with past ornaments and the nuts. Then December 1st, another Pancake Breakfast, the Lions Club Christmas Parade, and Tour of Homes. On 14 December members are invited to the Tennessee School for the Blind for a Christmas Program them a tour and lunch at Ed Lindsey Industries for the Blind.
Woodbury Lions Club members are proud of the long and productive history that it has, and continue to serve locally, the state and country, and the world, living up to the Lions Club International motto “We Serve”.
