As the club’s 2018-19 year comes to an end, the Christiansburg Lions Club reflects upon what has been a good year that has offered some exciting developments. The Lions have had a number of good programs describing the work of various agencies in our community, such as the Community Health Center, the Women’s Resource Center, the Montgomery County Emergency Assistance Program, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s
Department, the Christiansburg Indoor Track Team Champions and a number of other community agencies.
The Lions have also had the opportunity to be involved with the Montgomery County Public Schools with our SPOT Vision Screenings in nine of the local schools. This is an annual service event for the club in conjunction with the two Blacksburg Lions Clubs. The efforts of the three club allowed SPOT Vision Screening to be offered to all eighteen of the Montgomery County Public Schools. It gives the Lions a good opportunity to be related to the children and youth of the County.
Along with the club’s work with local agencies, club members have also had the opportunity to be involved in District and International Lions Club service events dealing with Lions International’s main areas of commitment: children and youth, the environment, diabetes concerns, world hunger, childhood cancer and the initial purpose for Lionism, vision preservation. These offer club members a remarkable way to be involved in the lives of others!
The club this year has experienced the highs and lows of membership, having some of the members die and some move away. Still, the club grew by eight new members.
Officer installation for Lions Year 2019-20 is coming up, and club members are anticipating some exciting things to happen as they continue the Lions’ purpose as embodied by their motto, “WE SERVE!”
The Lions express their heartfelt appreciation to the New River Valley Community and the larger area for their support and encouragement of the Christiansburg Lions Club. They hope that they hold up the ideals and goals of Lions International as “WE SERVE!” our neighbors and community in so many and various ways.
The new President is Emily Burns, who is a disability coordinator at Virginia Tech and a recent addition to the Club. The club has changed to one monthly meeting, and at the last meeting 31 Lions were present. The Lions will gather on the fourth Tuesday of the month.
They have a Lions Club Cookout in the works for Sept. 8 at the Moose Lodge. Club members have also begun planning for their 28th Lions Club Holiday Craft Show at the Christiansburg Recreation Center the first Saturday in December. This craft show is highlighted as one of the best in the area and is really the major fundraising event of the year for the club. Traditionally, they raise some $15,000 for all of the club’s community service sponsored programs. There will be some 145 vendors, on average
about 3,000 plus shoppers and a lot of Lions working to help others
Each year the Lions make a trip to the Eye Glass Center in Roanoke to participate in the Lions International Sight Conservation Program. There are some 18 schools in Montgomery County that the Lions Clubs of the
County are asked to screen individual classes for each year as a part of the County Health Screening for school children. Along with the two Blacksburg Lions Club, the Breakfast Lions Club and the Blacksburg Host Club, the Christiansburg Lions Club partners in the annual vision screening in the schools.
More recently the club have just finished its annual Vision Screening in ten of the Montgomery County Public Schools. This gives club members a good opportunity to have contact with the children and youth of the county as they participate in the annual health screening by county nurses.
It has been a most successful and enjoyable year for the Club and the Lions are looking forward to an even greater 2019-2020!
