Lions efforts looms large in Caribou County
The Lions are involved with many events throughout the year. The officers recently met at Grumpy Guys.
Lions Clubs are extremely important civic organizations across the country, and indeed internationally. Caribou County is fortunate enough to have at least three chapters, with Grace, Bancroft and Soda Springs all being represented. We are hoping to speak with the representatives from Bancroft and Grace very soon, but had the pleasure of meeting with the Soda Springs Lions last week.
According to President Ted Young, the Lions typically meet at one of the outdoor locations which has been created, worked on, or maintained by the Lions outdoors. The pavilion/banquet area at Hooper Springs is probably the most visible of those places, though certainly not the only one.
Being winter, however, the Lions opt for a warmer den. Last week, they held the first meeting of its type at the new Grumpy Guy’s Pizza location on Main Street in downtown Soda Springs. The executive members of the Club—Ted Young, Greg Torgesen, Gary Warren, Marilyn Warren and Randy Johnson (mysteriously not pictured, though we promise he was present)—all came together to discuss the Club’s business and begin preparing for the year’s many events.
During the meeting, it was determined that the chapter dates back to July 13, 1949.
Every year, the Lions help make sure that the DYW program is able to provide scholarships to county participants.
The Lions Club is involved in a lot of events throughout the year, with the most high profile probably being the Distinguished Young Women event held in the spring, grilling food for the Fourth of July and other community holidays, Trunk r’ Treat, Patriotic Essay contests, and a range of ongoing charitable work. The Lions also donate, support, or fundraise for various high school clubs, the Food Bank, the Library, the hospital,
The Distinguished Young Women just held their initial orientation meeting at the end of January, under the direction of Myra Leatherman. The program allows high school juniors to compete for academic scholarships and hone their interpersonal skills and talents in the course of the competition. The result is a good head start for the women as they head into their senior years and start looking at college and post-high school programs. The scholarships that create that headstart are provided through the fundraising efforts of the Lions Club, who are one of the program’s most critical sponsors.
The Lions are currently coordinating donations to the DYW program, with an eye toward a March 28 donation deadline for sponsors, in order for them to be fully included in the DYW program and materials.
While DYW is the flashiest of the events the Lions are involved with, a walk around most communities in Caribou County will bring the Lions Logo to your eye more than you might at first think. Donation boxes for eyeglasses (one of the things the Lions are most noted for internationally) greet you just as you enter Caribou Medical Center, for instance. Plaques affixed to outdoor recreation building proudly attest to the work and legacy of the Lions. Perfect Fourth of July food after the parade comes courtesy of a friendly Lion. And so on. As the year rolls on, we’ll check in with the Lions in the various Dens and keep you posted!
