Meetings

History

The Thamesford Lions Club was Chartered on April 20, 1961

The following information records major events by year.

1960    First meeting held to discuss starting the “Thamesford Lions’ Club”

1961    Started door-to-door canvassing for “Canadian Cancer Society”

            The “GOAT” was taken to London Central Lion’s Club meeting

             at the “Hotel London”

            “First Charter Night” at Ingersoll Community Center

            Seating stands for the north ballpark were erected

1962    Refreshment booth and storage area at north ballpark built

1964    Installed playground equipment at north ballpark

1966    Lion’s began sponsoring local “Majorette Corp.”

1967   Lion’s started annual canvassing for “Canadian National Institute for

            the Blind”

1969    Additional playground equipment installed at north ballpark

1971    Additional bleachers added to north ballpark

1972    Name change for annual “Pigskin Party” to “Ham Hassle”

            Lion’s become investors in “Park land” at South Park

            Paul Golding was elected Zone Chair

1973    Lion’s Club donates $1000 towards village swimming pool

            Lion’s Club provides manpower for umpires for local ball league

            Thamesford Lion’s Club designs first “Pin”

            Newest member introduced “Tom Turkey”

1974    The Thamesford Lions borrowed $25,000.00 for the construction

            of the Thamesford  Arena,  Loan paid off by 1977

            Paid for fencing at the Lion’s park

1975    Youth Exchange Program started

            Lion’s purchased an ice resurfacer

            Lion’s donate 300 chairs, and 30 tables to Community Center

            Club helped financially, and with labor, to install washrooms at the

            north park

1977    Paid for a One Meter Olympic diving board and stand        

1978    Club to borrow $25,000 to cover costs of renovations at

            the Community hall: new bulk head, ceiling and finished  walls, &

            Duct work for ventilation

1979    George Teather elected A 15 District Governor

            Sponsored Brenda Dinner in Youth Exchange program to England

            Helped move Senior Citizens into the New Green Manor Building

            Purchased mechanical jaws ($10,000) for fire department

            Installed new ball screen @ Lion’s South Park

1980    Purchased a new T. V. Antenna for Green Manor Building 

            $1100.00

            Thamesford Lions Club was incorporated.

1981    Purchased new Life Jackets & Equipment for the swimming Pool

            New program to collect used Eye Glasses for International Program

            Purchased New Zamboni for Arena

            Kristi Coleman sponsored to Banff School of Fine Arts

            New Lights installed at Recreation Hall

            The First Annual Trout Brunch held on Cali weekend.

1982   Presented Dr. Kosmal with “Outstanding Service” plaque

            Supported the Lions Majorettes to purchase Jackets

            Purchased and assembled Bleachers for the Soccer field

            Our Membership & Welfare committee was formed

            Bob Forbes & Jerry Pelton would be supplying Trout for our

            Cali brunch

            Committed to help build a new soccer field south of Arena

            Sponsored and received the winners Trophy of our NBC hockey

            tournament

1983    Cave Men float entered in Cali. Parade

            Wayne Greztky fund raiser night

            Purchased bleachers, bicycle rack for soccer field

            Purchased and installed Guard rails on Seldon Street by Lions Park

1984    Sponsored Lisa Johnston in youth exchange to New Zealand

            Sponsored Randy Sageman for trip to Los Angeles Olympics

            Installed a solar heating system for swimming pool

            Participated in Steve Fonyo Run across Canada

            Received set of International Flags from Lisa, Ralph & Shirley

            Johnston        

1985    Sponsored Lisa Rodenburg in youth exchange to Holland

            Child Find fingerprint and identification program started in Schools

            Appreciation Night for Harvey Beaty

            Purchased two-seater bike for Cancer ride

1986    Installed new sound system in Community centre

            Fishing Derby at Jim Alderson’s gravel pit

            Donation to Brian & Mike Kerr for Commonwealth games in

            Scotland

            Reception for Rick Hanson “Man in Motion” wheelchair across

            Canada

1987   Built Pirate ship float for Cali parade

            Participated in Olympic torch run through Thamesford

            Planted trees in South park

            Motion Passed to clean up River land South & East of River bridge

1988    Sponsored Teresa Burnett in youth exchange to Japan

            Sponsored Kristin Taylor in youth exchange to Holland

            Larry Taylor presents plan for River project

            Participated in Drug Awareness program for our School’s

            Wood cutting Bee at Don Weir’s bush for Fund raising

1989    Work party at River to start our Lions River Park clean-up project

            Visit Uplands Pheasantry farm, He gets all our Christmas trees

            Sponsored Paula Cowan, Julie McLeod & Christina Wright in our

            youth exchange program

            Purchased a Camera for the Lions club

            Assumed responsibility of Loaning Medical equipment from

            the Oddfellows Lodge.

            Supported Catherine Hallard at Skating competition in Europe

1990    $1000.00 to Woodstock Lions Club to purchase Van for Child

            & Youth Services

            $2000.00 for Family, Children Services of Oxford County

            Building Project

            Acquired ownership of Medical Equipment from Thamesford

            Odd fellows Lodge

1991    Monthly Bingos were our largest Fundraisers

1992    Financial support to Ingersoll for purchase of an Ambulance

            Sponsored Patti Capling, youth exchange to Belgium

            & Catherine Pollock to Australia

1993    Purchased & named two Swans, Salt & Pepper

1993    River Boat Float best in M.D.A. Kitchener Parade,

1993    Sponsored Lisa Young,youth exchange to Finland, & Lynn Knox

            to Sweden 

            Purchased fencing for Lions South Park

            Made a $ 8000.00 Commitment over Four years to Lions Clubs

            International      

            Foundation Sight First Program

            Purchased a T V for dialysis patients at Victoria Hospital

            Purchased Zamboni for Arena ,1994

1994    Sponsored Brad House, youth exchange to Sweden

           Sponsored Jennifer Martin, youth exchange to Australia

            Sponsored Christine Broadfoot, youth exchange to Switzerland

            Adopted Road Side Cleanup Project from our District A 15

1995    Moved Bill & Georgiena Kerr into Thamesford

            Sponsored Kerry Van Loon & David Capling youth exchange

            to Italy

            Our Lions Club 2nd District Governor--- Larry Taylor 95/96

1996    Sponsored Mike Knox in youth exchange to Austria

            Purchased through Jerry Pelton and work done by Beal High

            School a 1974 Toyota for use in all our Lions Club Parades

            Purchased Play Ground Equipment for Thamesford Public School

            - $2000.00

1997    Sponsored Erin Ball, youth exchange to Australia

            Sponsored Adrian Baker, youth exchange to Norway

            Sponsored Michael Glover, youth exchange to Hungary

1998    Supplied Manpower & Money for relief of Oxford County Tornado

            Held our Lions Club Bike Tour

            Sponsored Neil Tuttle, youth exchange to Norway

            Sponsored Jill Payne, youth exchange Australia

            Financially supported the Thamesford Legion in there renovation

            work

1999    Built Gazebo for Green Manor Centre on Brock street

            Sponsored Patricia Healy, youth exchange to England

2000    New uniforms purchased for TPS Jr. Girls basketball team

            Hillary Brown – youth exchange to Belgium                                                       

2001    Jesse’s Journey visits Thamesford- $ 500 donation

            Trust account is closed and $ 40,000 paid to library; $10 000 more

            over 2 years

            Kate Lockhart- youth exchange to Ireland

2002    Grand opening of new Thamesford Library- Nov. 23, 2002

            Lions club assumed responsibility for running Great Ride

            for Cancer

            Charlie “Spiffy” Clipperton awarded Bob McFarlan Memorial

            Trophy for receiving $2200 in pledges

            Lions Den name approved for meeting room in new library

2003    Participated in Great Canadian Expo in Woodstock

            Became the Sponsor of the Thamesford Scouting groups

2004    Donation of $2000 made to Canadian Red Cross for tsunami

            disaster relief

            Miranda Payne- youth exchange to Hawaii; Ryan Moore- youth

            exchange to Japan

2005    Pledge of $ 10 000 to Lions Sight First II program over five years.

            Supported Children’s Healing Garden in London at LHSC

            Jack Broadfoot was elected as Zone Chair of 37 South 

            Special project fund for future major projects established

            Lions members tour elk farm- J.McFarlan

2006    Detailed, extensive research into viability of purchase of

            Thamesford mill property; vote to offer a tender rejected

            in March, 2007  

            4 new members inducted, including the first two female members

            of the Thamesford Lions Club, Diana Clark & Judy Meldrum 

            Design for space shuttle float presented in April, ‘07  

             First walkway completed in South Park in November,’07      

            Lindsay Thornton- youth exchange to Austria;

            Hillary Warwick- youth exchange to Australia   

2007    Oxford Library Board considers Lions’ Gazebo plans & built in 2009

            Lion Harald Rosenfeld prepares a DVD re Lions activities

            Lion Jim Keron prepares the Thamesford Lions website

            Lion Bob Fisher oversees soccer goal post construction

            Lion Jack Broadfoot was elected Region 37 Chair

2008    Second walkway completed in South Park

            Sponsored Heather Bell in Youth exchange to Austria

            Sponsored Katelyn Koots in Youth exchange to Colorado, USA

            Financially supported the start up of the Block Parent program

2010    -We installed Paul Wein as our 50th Lions Club President

            -Donation of $10,000.00 for procurement of a Doctor

            -Started our Monthly Bingo’s at the Library

            -Plans were made to build a new walk way from River Bridge

             to the Dam

2015

Sakura House Generator Project. This project, completed in 2015, involved coordinating clubs from across Oxford County to fund the installation of a generator with enough power to run Sakura House in the invent of a major power outage.  Sakura House is a palliative care unit located east of Woodstock Ontario. Their back up plan in the event of a power outage was to move the patients to the local hospital disrupting their lives considerably. We recently received a thankyou note from Sakura House where the generator functioned seemlessly when a power outage of several hours occurred. Total raised was in excess of $100,000 which funded the generator install and provided a trust fund for ongoing maintenance.  WE SERVE!

https://flickr.com/photos/thamesfordlionsclub/52717466696/in/album-72177720306235500/

2015

Dr. Kosmal Park - This is the newest park project of the Thamesford Lions Club and is located beside the river north of Highway 2.  We recently planted a row of trees to block the view of the wetlands further north so as to improve the appearance of the village when entering from the east.  We recently constructed a bridge over a storm drain and a trail will be built from the bridge along the river to the Grace Patterson Park.

Lions constructing the bridge for the new walkway

Lions River Park

This park runs along the east bank of the river south of Highway 2 and the dam and has a walkway paralleling the river.  This park is used for Weinerfest in June and other events.

Entrance to the Lions River Park

South Park

This park is located of Seldon St on the south side of the village.  It contains a ball field, a play area and has a trail running through it maintained by the Lions.  

Lions constructing the South Park Walkway

Grace Patterson Park

This park runs along the west bank of the river north of the fire hall.  There is a pavilion that is frequently used as a rest spot by travelers.  Thamesford Lions are involved in the clean up along the river bank.

North Park

This park is located at George and McCarty Streets on the north side of the village.  There is a large ball diamond used for both recreational and competitive teams and another small one used for house league games.

Thanks to Joe & Ellen Wallace, Don & Linda Knox,  Gord Pike,  Jack Broadfoot  for compiling this Thamesford Lions Club History.

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