There’s going to be a different type of roar coming from the Innisfil Lions clubhouse this weekend.
On Sunday afternoon, 16 young men and women will be inducted during a charter ceremony to form the Innisfil Leo Club. The offspring of the global service organization is aimed at youngsters aged 12 to 18 who are interested in community service, says Sharon Hunt of the Innisfil Lions, who is acting as an advisor to the group, along with members Linda Haskin and Linda Jones.
The local Lions hosted an open house last October to gauge the level of interest among youth in starting a chapter of the Leos, which stands for “Leadership, Experience, Opportunity.”
Response was immediate and an inaugural meeting was held Oct. 21. Since then, the Leos have met alternate Sunday afternoons at the Lions clubhouse on Innisfil Beach Road.
“I’ve been hoping for the past few years to start a Leo club,” Hunt says. “In our district, there’s one in Barrie South and a few in Muskoka. We now have enough Leo chapters to form a district.”
There are a variety of worthwhile activities in which Leo members can choose to participate. Improving the environment, promoting drug awareness, visiting the elderly and holding special events for youth are just a sampling.
The Innisfil organization plans on hosting a bike-a-thon in May and will participate in the annual Mayor’s Pitch-in Day, too.
Benefits of membership include the chance to meet new people while performing community service while being part of a worldwide organization. Club twinning, exchange programs and camps are also perks that come with being a Leo.
For local president Dallas McEllistrum, a Grade 9 student at Nantyr Shores Secondary School, joining the club was pretty straightforward.
“I’ve always thought about being a Lion,” he said. “It sounded fun. I’ve enjoyed Lions events like the annual pancake breakfast.”
Victoria Abdelmessih, also a student at Nantyr Shores, is serving as treasurer for the club.
She said she first learned about the Leos from her mother.
“I liked the idea they fundraised to help others in the community.”
Guests at the Sunday ceremony will include MP Peter Van Loan and both the past and present district presidents of the Lions Club.
“These young people will be running their own club once they have their charter,” Hunt says. “It will be their ideas what to do and we’ll be there to help them. From our perspective, it’s nice to have young members coming into the club – it gives us some fresh blood.”
For more information about joining the Leo Club, call Hunt at 431-6168.
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