Hello everybody. This is Lion Dotty here today with Lion Jen and Lion Len, our first couple in this series. I would like to find out from you why you became a Lion.
Well, I guess I’ll take the first question. I became a Lion basically because all my life I’ve been visually challenged. I know that Lions were known as the Knights of the Blind but never really had the opportunity or took the opportunity to join a Lions Club. So when I moved out here 18 years ago to become the director of the School of Piano Technology for the blind, one of the first things I did was to seek out a Lions Club and joined it to become part of that group, and I haven’t looked back ever since. A great experience.
After about five years as a Lion, I was asked to serve as President of the club. Which I did, but a little bit of a hickup happened when the Club Secretary had to resign for personal reasons. So almost mid year, I was caught without a Secretary. So as they do in some of these instances, I turned to my best friend, Jenny. Who stepped up and became a Lion.
So, I became the Secretary of Record and so I also had to join the Lions Club. So I became very familiar with the LCI database because, although I couldn’t attend the meetings because they were during the day, and I was full time, I got all the data from one of the other Lions members and then I would put all of the data into the LCI database. By that mechanism I was able to help Len, and in doing so I really enjoyed being a Lion because of some of their service projects that we got involved with and also some of the people that became very close friends. So it was a good it decision.
So it sounds like you became a Lion by default.
Yes.
And Len you joined about 18 years ago. Is that right?
Yes. That’s about right.
Okay, so we kind of know why you joined. Can you tell us why you stayed Lions?
I can. Basically in a word, the people and the projects, two words I guess. We really enjoy the people that we are have come to know that we associate with and we enjoy the projects.
Let me tell you about one of them. My favorite project is the Washington State School for the Blind track meet. Every year for probably about the last 40 years, our Lions Club has provided the opportunity for blind and visually impaired people at the Washington State School for the Blind and other blind children throughout the state of Oregon and state of Idaho. They all come and meet at this school and participate in the track meet. We do all kinds of track and field events. Running races of various lengths, they do the shot put, the modified shot put, the high jump, the long jump.
All these great events that these children haven’t had a chance to participate in, at least not on a competitive basis, but here they’re competing against their peers. It’s kind of a fun thing and a fair thing and they love to do their best and we always give them two or three tries on every event that they seem to urge themselves to get better with each to try. They try to throw a little bit further for the next time so that they seem like they are improving. It’s been just a wonderful event to be part of. So happy and confident. There’s an award session at the end. And the Lions during the midday provide a lunch for everyone involved.
Yeah, I’ve participated in that several times and it’s a super fun event.
It is and it’s not only fun, but it just makes your heart warm. To know that these young blind children have got to experience a more normal experience. You know, when Len and I first moved out to the state of Washington. We’re both Runners. We love track. We love track events. And to be able to help with an event like this was just was just phenomenal.
I would say for myself, what keeps me a part of Lions, and the the project that I love, I actually have two additional ones. I love participating in Walk N’ Knock. And when we first started participating in Walk N’ Knock, we would just go out and collect the food and just do what we needed to do and the whole Walk N’ Knock project for the community was actually, it started out being a Lions project. It was never a community-wide event. So we love participating. And now we’re actually Captains, co-captains of our own area. So it gives us the opportunity to go out there and assign areas and really be team leaders, which we really enjoy.
And the last thing I would say is that we love the Santa store. And the Santa store, you know working with Washington Elementary School. We actually get some funding to buy gifts. So that the young children at Washington Elementary can come to Santa store and buy gifts for their family. To make them feel a part of Christmas. And again, it’s just a heartwarming opportunity.
Well, it sounds like Lions Club has given you lots of service opportunities. Lots of friends all of that. If there’s someone that’s listening to this that is considering joining a Lions Club, Is there any piece of advice that you would give to them?
Yeah. I think that what I love about Lions Club is that it’s non-political. It’s a non religious organization that works with and for the community. And as a part of being a Lion you not only get to know other community members, but, I think one of the real gifts that we’ve had is that there’s a social thing to it.
Of course we’ve made a lot of very good friends and we’ve actually made some of our best friends in our life. It’s just been a wonderful experience from that perspective.
I would agree with the people and the projects are the reasons that you might go. And the other thing is, it’s kind of an interesting thing that you don’t do a project every week. But we do have a meeting every week. And at the meetings there’s usually an interesting speaker that comes. And so for 15 or 20 minutes you get to learn something new, share someone else’s experiences. Sometimes we’ll have the Mayor of Vancouver come and she updates us as to the state of the city. Other dignitaries come and to talk to us as well as business owners, authors, and all kinds of people that our program committee puts together. So it’s an enjoyable meeting and as well as a social meeting. We do a little bit of business. But yeah, It’s a fun time, and a social time for us during the week.
Well, thank you so much for allowing me to interview you and you guys have a fantastic day.
Thanks Dotty, you too, take care.
