Springfield Lions seek new members with passion for service
SPRINGFIELD » Some members of the Springfield Lions sat around a table at Anthony’s restaurant in Drexel Hill recently, discussing upcoming events and reflecting on the mission of their organizations.
“Our mission is to serve,” explained Joe Saunders of Springfield, the Lions’ new president for 2017-2018. Saunders recently succeeded Kathy Lawless as club’s president. His term runs from July 1 to June 30.
“Involvement of residents in their community is what makes a community strong and prosperous, helping to make it a truly great place to live and raise a family,” he continued. “A community’s volunteer organizations are the heart of a desirable place in which to live. The members of Springfield Lions Club are your neighbors, men and women, proud to be members of an organization dedicated to serving Springfield and the surrounding communities and especially those less fortunate among us.”
The Springfield Lions fulfill their mission 365 days a year. The group of men and women, mostly from the Delaware County community, generously volunteer their time for humanitarian causes in local, regional and world-wide communities.
Lions Club International, a network of 1.4 million men and women in 205 countries, is currently celebrating its centennial, its 100th year of service. The Springfield organization, which currently numbers about 78 members, meets 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday at Anthony’s Ristorante in Drexel Hill. The club also holds a breakfast meeting at 8:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of the month at Country Squire Diner in Broomall. Meetings include activities planning, project updating, fellowship and a guest speaker. “We need more members to join and get involved, and to keep this organization relevant in the community” Saunders said. “We need new members’ ideas, talents and most importantly, their involvement as active members in our club.”
“Joining provides a chance for people to demonstrate their hidden leadership talents, implement ideas to make our community better and expand Lions’ activities to enhance the quality of life in Springfield and the surrounding boroughs and townships in Delaware County,” added Lion member and past president Larry DeMooy of Middletown.
“You don’t have to live in Springfield to become a member of our club,” chimed in Lion Bill Lavery of Springfield, who served twice as the club’s president and is currently its treasurer. “It’s becoming harder and harder to attract volunteers and understandably so with all the distractions and responsibilities in our complicated world of today. Our membership is growing older and thinner in numbers and it would be such a loss for this community that in the not so distant future if we are no longer to serve as effectively as we do now. We are extremely active here in Springfield and the Delaware County community.”
In addition to sponsoring Springfield’s annual Fourth of July Parade and activities, the Springfield Lions also sponsor the adult evening school programs and provide recognition and scholarship money to dozens of students at Springfield High School and Cardinal O’Hara each year. Additionally, the Lions work with the Springfield Minis-
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