Nov. 11, 2015 Veterans Day
Eight veterans who are members of the Andalusia Lions Club on Wednesday shared briefly their experiences while serving the country. To read veteran's comments, go to:
http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2015/11/12/local-veterans-talk-service/
Pictured are Lions John Howard, Buddy King, Charles Studstill, John Vick, Bill Patton, Carroll Mullis, Dr. Fred Winkler, and James Beaman.
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Dec. 3, 2014 .....
New Blue Lake Methodist Camp Director Steve Lewandowski said this week he is working to make changes to the camp to provide a safer environment, while seeking accreditation from the American Camping Association.
Lewandowski spoke to the Andalusia Lions Club on Wednesday, and said the improvements being made include bringing Pinewood cabins up to fire code.
see more: http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2014/12/05/blue-lake-seeking-approval-from-aca/
Dec. 03 2014
In his 94 years, Opp’s Tubby Hall has made his mark on many people in Covington County and throughout the state.
Hall, who was active in the Lions Club for decades, was also part of the Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Program since the early 70s.
See more:http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/andalusia_al/page-8.php
Covington County rape response advocacy program
A group of local women have joined forces to hopefully establish a Covington County rape response advocacy program, local Lions Club members learned on Wednesday @ http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2014/11/20/rape-victims-could-soon-have-help/
New Lions Club launched for visually impaired
A new kind of civic club has sprung up in Andalusia, and the unique group is the result of the vision of several local residents, none of whom can actually see.
“We’re starting something innovative,” organizer Wanda Sasser-Scroggins said Wednesday at the regular meeting of the Andalusia Lions Club. “We’re staring a Lions Club for the visually impaired.”
Sasser-Scroggins, who is also involved with the Covington County Blind and Low Vision Outreach Group, as well as with the annual Extreme Experience Retreat at Blue Lake, said starting a Lions Club chapter for visually impaired people just made sense, considering the club’s worldwide commitment to helping people with little or no eyesight.
Learn more @: http://www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/covingtonvip/
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Low vision baseball coming to county
By Blake Bell andalusiastarnews.com
Published 12:00am Thursday, May 22, 2014
Members of Covington County’s visually impaired community will soon receive a unique opportunity to get involved in sports, thanks to a local civic group and a new twist on American’s favorite pastime.
At the regular meeting of the Andalusia Lions Club Wednesday, Lion John Vick presented the club’s newest contribution to its continuing goal of enhancing the lives of visually impaired persons – the game of Beep Baseball.
“Beep Baseball is so big, there are professional leagues,” Vick said, as he explained the sport. “They’ve even have a Beep Baseball World Series since 2008. But, we’re not proposing a league.”
What Vick is proposing, or rather donating, is a way for the blind and low vision community to play a game going on nightly this time of year on baseball fields across the county.
Vick said he knew Lions Club was the perfect avenue for such a venture.
“Almost a year ago, Lion Wanda (Sasser-Scroggins) was talking about the Extreme (Experience Retreat) Camp, which the Lions Club supports,” Vick said. “I got the idea for Beep Baseball when I read about how it got started in Colorado. I knew it would just be easier for (my wife) Faye and I to donate the equipment to Lions Club and then give it to Blue Lake (Camp).”
What equipment? Vick said this unique form of baseball is meant for the visually impaired and utilizes their sense of hearing through a beeping noise produced from the ball itself.
“The pitcher and the catcher are sighted people,” Vick said. “If the batter is only visually impaired, they are blind folded so everyone is on a level playing field. They have to listen to the beep, beep to hit the ball.”
Vick said, at that point, the batter will listen for another beeping sound, this time emitted from one of two “bases” located where first and third would normally be set.
“The bases are four-foot tall Styrofoam upright pylons,” he said. “The beep will come from one or the other of them and the runner will literally fall over them.”
Vick said the defensive players will consist of six other blindfolded players that use the beep of the ball to attempt to locate it.
“If the runner reaches one of the bases before one of the fielders reaches the ball, it’s a run,” he said. “I think, in the leagues, they’ve had something like five balls that have been caught in the air since 2008, so it takes some skill.”
Vick said there are other rules that differentiate Beep Baseball from the original version – the biggest being its ability to include everyone.
“It was only natural for the Lions Club to do this, because our project is sight conservation,” he said. “We also sponsor the VIP (Visually Impaired Persons) Lions Club.”
Phyllis Murray, director of Blue Lake Camp, where the equipment will be utilized, said it will be wonderful new tool for both the visually impaired and sighted campers.
“All the space at Blue Lake is multi-functional,” she said. “This will also be a great way for kids to get sensitivity training, because everyone knows someone who is sight impaired.”
Murray said she is looking forward to incorporating the new equipment into the camp’s activities with the help of both the Andalusia Lions Club and the Andalusia VIP Lions Club.
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Erin Byrd pitches the ball to one of the participants at Sunday’s Beep Baseball tournament.
Blind, low-vision participants play in 1st Beep Ball game
Published 1:37am Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Members of Covington County’s and the surrounding area’s visually impaired community on Sunday got a unique opportunity to play America’s favorite pastime in an innovative way.
Led by Perry Dillard and Dr. Laura Carpenter, more than 12 participants in the week’s annual Extreme Experience Retreat at Blue Lake Methodist Camp had an opportunity to play Beep Baseball.
Lion John Vick, who donated the equipment in May, said he was pleased with the event.
“It went well,” he said.
Despite the rain, the event was held inside the gym at the camp.
Members of the Andalusia Lions Club, along with other members of the community, served as volunteers to help with the program.
Vick said this unique form of baseball is meant for the visually impaired and utilizes their sense of hearing through a beeping noise produced from the ball itself.
“The pitcher and the catcher are sighted people,” Vick said. “If the batter is not visually impaired, they are blind folded so everyone is on a level playing field. They have to listen to the beep, beep to hit the ball.”
Vick said, at that point, the batter will listen for another beeping sound, this time emitted from one of two “bases” located where first and third would normally be set.
“The bases are four-foot tall Styrofoam upright pylons,” he said. “The beep will come from one or the other of them and the runner will literally fall over them.”
Vick said the defensive players will consist of six other blindfolded players that use the beep of the ball to attempt to locate it.
“If the runner reaches one of the bases before one of the fielders reaches the ball, it’s a run,” he said. “I think, in the leagues, they’ve had something like five balls that have been caught in the air since 2008, so it takes some skill.”
At Sunday’s game, Dillard’s team defeated Carpenter’s team 3-0
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Lions Club appreciates help
Published 1:07am Saturday, October 11, 2014
On Sep.28, 2014, the Andalusia Lions Club held it’s inaugural Beepball Game [softball for the visually impaired] for the Extreme Campers at Blue Lake Methodist Camp. The Andalusia Lions Club was also the sponsor of the new Lions VIP [Visually Impaired Persons] Club which was chartered on that date.
Besides the Lions Club, there were several people in the community that assisted with the Beepball game. The club would like to thank Perry Dillard and Dr. Laura Carpenter for being managers for the two teams. Probate Judge Ben Bowden was the head umpire assisted by Sim Bowden and Bill Patton [a Lions member].
Several members of the Pleasant Home ladies’ softball team helped by guiding team members to and from home plate when they batted and to their fielding positions. Also, making up
the pitching and catching battery for both teams were Emily Byrd and Erin Byrd Roland [Pleasant Home alumnae who are attending Faulkner University].
John Vick
Andalusia Lions Club
July 2014........
Revenue candidates debate issues for Lions
Published 12:00am Thursday, July 3, 2014 By Blake Bell
The runoff race for Covington County revenue commissioner will come to an end with the July 15 election, but candidates Meredith Peters and George “Chuck” Patterson are still hard at work on the campaign trail.
Both candidates spoke to the Andalusia Lions Club Wednesday, mapping out once more why each one is the right choice for the office.
Learn more @:http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2014/07/03/revenue-candidates-debate-issues-for-lions/
June 2014........
Lions show compassion, common sense
By Blake Bell
I’m still learning things I didn’t know about Andalusia and Covington County every day. Being around during an election year tends to help that process along too, for better or worse. But, I recently found myself in room full of people discussing politics to an extent, and I have to say – I was pleasantly surprised.
It happened during a normal Wednesday lunch with the Andalusia Lions Club, where I’m a member. Lion Kylan Lewis won’t mind me telling you he had the program that day and was telling us a heart-wrenching story about his adopted son meeting his birth mother as an adult. I thought his message was centered around the joys of adoption – and it sort of was. But, when I realized it was also about the fact that the birth mother had chosen not to abort her unborn baby, but rather to put him up for adoption, I’ll admit, I clenched up a little.
Read more @:http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2014/06/04/lions-show-compassion-common-sense/
