WHO ARE WE?

The Lions Club of Kemptville is on of 46,000 clubs making up the largest service groups in the world.  There are over 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.  Lions enjoy fellowship, develop leadership capacity and dedicate part of their free time to help those in need in their own community first, but also in the rest of the world.

A SHORT HISTORY OF KEMPTVILLE LIONS CLUB

    THE KEMPTVILLE LIONS CLUB WAS CHARTERED ON JANUARY 22, 1958 AND IT WAS SPONSORED BY THE MERRICKVILLE LIONS CLUB.  THE FIRST CLUB PRESIDENT WAS DON ARMSTRONG AND MEETINGS WERE HELD, MOSTLY AT THE KEMPTVILLE HOTEL, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INCLUDING JULY AND AUGUST.  THERE WERE 38 MEMBERS AND THE FEE STRUCTURE FOR 1958-59 WAS $15 PER YEAR, $7.50 PER HALF YEAR AND $4 QUARTERLY.  

    BASEBALL WAS THE MAIN COMMUNITY INVOLVMENT PROGRAMME BACK THEN--LION JACK HIGGINS SIGNED A LEASE FOR “THE BALL FIELD” (RIVERSIDE PARK) AND ITS LIGHTING SYSTEM.  LIONS ALSO AGREED TO ORGANIZE A BALL TOURNAMENT ON THE CIVIC HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN AUGUST 1959.

    IN 1960 THE CLUB BECAME INCORPORATED FOR LEGAL PROTECTION OF ITS MEMBERS AND IN 1961, LION RALPH RAINA, MOVED “THAT WE UNDERTAKE SIGHT CONVSERAVATION AND WORK FOR THE BLIND AS OUR MAJOR PROJECT”.  MOTION CARRIED.

    IN THE LATE 60’S THE LIONS CLUB OF KEMPTVILLE WAS WELL-ESTABLISHED WITH MANY ON-GOING PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE FOLLOWING:  BALL TOURNAMENTS, PEACE POSTER CONTEST, SANTA CLAUS PARADE, LIONS FAMILY PICNIC, WINTER CARNIVAL, GOLF AFTERNOON, VARIETY NIGHT, SPORTSMEN’S DINNER (WITH ERNIE CALCUTT AS MC), CHRISTMAS GIFTS AND CLOTHES FOR NEEDY FAMILIES, VISITS TO SIGHTLESS PEOPLE IN THE AREA AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KEMPTVILLE HOSPITAL.           IN 1966 THE CLUB PLEDGED TO CONTRIBUTE $2000 PER YEAR TO A NEW COMMUNITY SWIMMING POOL UNTIL THE TOWN HAD FULLY PAID OFF THE POOL.

    IN 1966 THE REGULAR MEETING PLACE WAS THE ‘BRIGHT SPOT RESTAURANT’ ON CLOTHIER.  THE CLUB MEMBERSHIP ROSE FROM 40 TO 55 LIONS.  LIONS WERE INVOLVED IN A HOUSE-NUMBERING PROJECT IN KEMPTVILLE.

    IN 1975 KEMPTVILLE RESIDENTS WERE SURVEYED FOR SUGGESTIONS OF NEEDED COMMUNITY PROJECTS.  THEIR ANSWERS, IN ORDER, WERE:  SWIMMING POOL, BOWLING ALLEY, CURLING RINK.  THE KEMPTVILLE LIONS (AS LIONS AND AS PRIVATE CITIZENS) WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN AT LEAST TWO OF THESE PROJECTS.

    IN 1997 FUTURE-LION PAUL MAHABIR SPOKE TO THE LIONS ABOUT A VISION CARE PROJECT TO BE CREATED IN GUYANA.  THE KEMPTVILLE LIONS CLUB VISION CARE PROJECT IS TO THIS DAY SUPPORTED BY ZONE AND DISTRICT CLUBS.  

    THIS CLUB CONTINUES TO SUPPORT CITIZENS OF THE KEMPTVILLE AREA, THE NATION AND THE WORLD.  OVER THE YEARS, KEMPTVILLE LIONS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO LIONISM AT THE ZONE AND DISTRICT LEVELS.  

    THE KEMPTVILLE LIONS CLUB CELEBRATED ITS 60TH CHARTER NIGHT ON APRIL 28, 2018.