Arlington Host Lions Williamsburg Leo Club
Arlington Host Lions sponsorship of the Williamsburg Leo Club, chartered in 2010, has rejuvenated our involvement in children and family-friendly activities and projects. We believe that bringing your ideas and enthusiasm, together we can make a positive difference in the lives of others, especially the young. The Arlington Host Lions Leo Club has a membership of approximately 25 students.
As part of the Club’s services projects, they have held coat drives for the homeless, shoe drives for Art for Humanity, and food drives for the Animal Shelter; sent Care Packages to troops in Afghanistan; continued their monthly sponsorship through World Vision for a young student in Sri Lanka; sent Veteran's Day thank-you cards to soldiers; sponsored their Annual Custodian Appreciation Week and planted flowers at their school; participated in Earth Day Cleanup at Potomac Overlook Park; and continued their Random Acts of Kindness program by putting thank-you's with candy canes in all of the teachers’ mailboxes.
They have taken several fieldtrips to the Eyeglass Recycling Center, Arlington Animal Welfare League, and the Powhatan Nursing Home to decorate for Mother’s Day and deliver handmade blankets.
Throughout the year, the Leo Club holds many fundraisers to help with their service projects. They include an Annual Pumpkin Sale, a Valentine's Day Fundraiser where students can buy Valentines to send to classmates and teachers, spaghetti dinners, pizza and brownies sales to name a few.
For more information on the Arlington Host Lions Leo Club at Williamsburg Middle School, contact Lion Liz Schindler, the Leo Club Advisor, at 703-598-8266 or enjschindler@aol.com.
What are Leos?
Leo Club History
Coach Jim Graver started the Leo ball rolling in 1957 and chances are that ball was a baseball. Graver was the baseball coach of the Abington High School in Pennsylvania, USA and an active member of the Glenside Lions Club. With help from his fellow Lion, William Ernst, the first Leo club was charted on December 5, 1957.
As the world's first Leo club, the Abington High School Leo Club created the Leo acronym – Leadership, Equality, Opportunity – and chose their school colors, maroon and gold to serve as the Leo club colors. Later, Equality was changed to Experience.
In October 1967, the board of directors of Lions Clubs International adopted the Leo Club Program as an official program of the association.
The Leo Club Program has continued to grow within the last 50 years. Leos now constitute an international network of over 6,500 clubs in over 140 countries. Community service remains the cornerstone of the program, fostering a lifetime commitment to helping others. Like their Lion counterparts, Leo club members enjoy serving their neighbors and watching positive results unfold.
Leo Club Objective
To provide the youth of the world with an opportunity for development and contribution, individually and collectively, as responsible members of the local, national and international community.
Leo Club Motto
Leadership – Develop skills as a project organizer, time manager and team leader.
Experience – Learn how teamwork, cooperation and collaboration can bring exciting changes to your community and the world.
Opportunity – Make friends and feel the rewards of community service.
To learn more about the Leo Club, visit: http://members.lionsclubs.org/EN/leos/about-leos.php
