Well it’s the day after our Howick Lions Summer Festival as I write this. Yesterday as I stood on the stage giving the Opening Welcome with David Collings from the Howick Local Board, (without whom I would not have been standing there), I was very humbled to look over the grounds and see an amazing view of colour, people, tents and bustling activity. It made me feel proud that our club had achieved all this and provided a fun day for families to enjoy.
I know there were months and months of preparation involving many Lions and also at times some really stressful moments among individual members organising everything. There’s a lot of pressure when things don’t always click into place and time is marching on. We have to override these moments. But in the end teamwork won through and on the day there were club members working side by side to achieve something we can be proud of. Thank you all.
Of interest, that to serve our community and raise money, involves much heavy lifting. Chip cookers, BBQs, oil containers; fold-away tents, tables, are really heavy and as you get older you find that suddenly you don’t have the strength you once took for granted to lift these items. Thanks to the fit younger members. Us oldies can still help loading and unloading lighter items though. Also there are the many hours standing that takes its toll on legs at these projects and having an early morning start produced some very weary Lions at day’s end. But what we do for the community really makes it worthwhile, and the community appreciates this.
At the Summer Festival the Howick Lions received a huge amount of recognition and we raised our profile considerably. Thanks again so much everyone for your hard labour and skills in organising this event. We have a scary weekend coming up in three weeks as you all know, where we request a big turnout over two days. Once again heavy lifting and those long hours standing on sore legs, but once that weekend is over we will have served our community well and be able to take a breather. For a couple of days!
Nominations for the new Board and Officers comes up at the next business meeting so if you get a tap on the shoulder please really consider taking one of the positions offered and keep our club vibrant and alive. I feel the club is strong and has strengthened its bonds with its members. I have really enjoyed being President and have found it very rewarding personally. (Whether I have done a good job or not is totally another matter.)
President Colin
‘STRENGTHEN OUR FUTURE’