Westport Lions Planning a Busy Spring

Westport Lions President Michael Harris, left, presents a certificate of appreciation to volunteer Toby Stewart for his years of dedicated work with the Lions’ Medical Mobility Service.

Westport Lions Roar

By Lion Bob Reddick

President Michael Harris started our last Zoom meeting on February 23 by announcing that he intends to step down as the club’s president at the end of June. Lion Michael has done an outstanding job of leading the club through the difficult times of Covid.

This year is shaping up to be busy. The club has been invited to participate in the Gananoque Lions Club’s Rockin’N Rollin’ Casino Bonspiel on March 12. Westport members have participated in this event in the past and always had a great time.

This year’s District A-4 Convention will be in Ottawa on April 22 – 24. Several members are looking forward to attending in person and reconnecting with fellow Lions. The convention promises to be exciting with motivational speakers, educational seminars, and numerous fun activities.

The Westport Lions have agreed to provide lunch to the Zone 30 Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, June 11, 2022. Later in the day, the club will host its annual fish fry at the Lions’ beach.

During the business portion of the meeting, Lion Joanne Norris agreed to take on the job of booking clubhouse rentals. The club is optimistic that it can resume renting the clubhouse soon. Please check our website, westportlions.ca, for information on available dates, contact information and the rental agreement form.

Lion Gary Warriner gave the treasurer’s report, and Vice President of Finance Lion Larry Arsenault presented the financial report for approval. Lion Larry reminds all community members that submissions for financial aid are due on April 1. There will be information on the process in future articles, or you can obtain information by clicking on Applications for Funding Requests on the club’s website.

The club agreed to allow the township to operate its swim program at the club’s beach again this July. It was a huge success last year, and the Westport Lions received several positive comments about the program, the instructor, and the beach. Further information about the program will be published once all the details have been determined.

Lion Jim Scala, manager of the Reuse and Recycle Centre, obtained approval to proceed with improvements to the centre. The club plans to invest in areas that would improve financial returns or enhance volunteer working conditions. These improvements will include:

Possible installation of a toilet to replace the porta-potty.
Additional shelving and display fixtures.
Conversion of attached garage into a reception area to improve efficiency and allow staff to clean and price items before going to the sales area.
Better access to the loading dock at the rear of the building.
Instituting Moneris that would allow customers to use credit and debit cards.
Recycle containers to be aligned more efficiently.
Parking will be better defined and marked to improve safety.

Lion David Blair is in the process of planning the club’s annual Medical Mobility Service breakfast with The Cove. Details will be forth coming. Lion Dave also told the membership that the club has purchased roadside assistance for all volunteer van drivers.

Lion Marty Hawkins reported on the Family Day bonfire held at the beach on February 20. The participants were warm on the inside thanks to the hearty food provided by Ragu and Raman Sharma and Betty McInnis. The bitter wind coming off the lake did not deter the children from playing in the snowbanks but kept the adults close to the bonfire. A special thank you to Lisa and Willy Colford for their donation to the mobility vans and Marlene Thake for her donation in memory of her husband, Bill.