By Leigh C, Merrifield
Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with members dedicated to serving their particular areas with all sorts of involvement. The Shinnston Lions Club tends to focus on helping their own community, and this year, their emphasis seems to be concentrating on schools – Big Elm Elementary in particular.
The proceeds of the pancake breakfast recently sponsored by the Shinnston Lions were all donated ($1,200) to Big Elm to be utilized for special student projects.
In addition, Lions member Steve Glass proposed that members participate in a school reading program. Members volunteer to take their turn reading to 1st, 2nd, 3rd graders as well as special education students. Vice Principal Bobbi Jo Harbert stated that they have formed a new and very strong relationship with Big Elm students, and it has been beneficial to not just the students but to staff and faculty as well.
Shinnston Lions have also begun visiting the first grade classes on Flag Day, offering an educational introduction to the U.S. flag, its history, what it represents, and the significance of its colors. They also provide weekly readers to third graders for social studies and current events.
Their ‘service’ doesn’t end there! The Shinnston Lions are among the many Lions Clubs that frequently visit schools in their areas as part of the Lions’ global mission to support child vision health. Shinnston Lions regularly offer free eye screenings for third graders at Big Elm Elementary.
As you can see, this school and local Lions seem to have formed a very tight bond – with staff and students. Once again, Vice Principal Harbert stated, “We love having the Lions here at our school, and seeing the impact they make is beyond any expectations we could have imagined! Their involvement here has been such a blessing and we are so appreciative.”
One Big Elm student, 11-year old fifth grader Raelynn Yost, prepared an essay after having done a LOT of research, and she e-mailed it to the Vice Principal. She had seen online a vending machine for books that she thought her school should have, but it was quite costly, making such a purchase unattainable. Her remedy was to design and draw a ‘book borrowing box’ that would be positioned outside the school and available for students to use – at any time but particularly during summer months or holiday breaks when school is not in session. Students could borrow books to read during those times and perhaps also donate books of their own for the benefit of others. With encouragement from Vice Principal Harbert, Raelynn delivered a detailed presentation of her idea to Shinnston Lions Club members, and they were impressed enough to donate to her project; they will either purchase or have some of their members skilled enough to build it make her borrowing box become a reality.
Shinnston Lions also donated to an endeavor led by Alexis Williams, a 2024 Lincoln High School graduate, who will graduate this month from UHC’s School of Radiologic Technology. In this case too, local Lions ‘connected’ with this young woman due to both parties’ compelling respect for Veterans. Shinnston Lions are the ones who line the streets of Shinnston with American flags for Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Veterans Day; they also take charge of the community’s Veterans Day parade. Honoring veterans has always been one of their priorities. And the same is true for Miss Williams, who got involved with a project honoring Veterans while she was in high school.
“When I attended Lincoln High, a fellow member of the National Honor Society, Santino Loretta, originated the idea of placing American flags on Veterans’ graves at the Shinnston Memorial Cemetery, and I participated in that. When he graduated, I was a Junior, but I continued to carry on with this with the help of members of my family – sometimes with help from the Girl Scouts. Now, out of high school for two years, this is still ongoing,” Alexis stated. “I take this very seriously because my family suffered some losses from military service, so I deeply consider this an opportunity to show lasting respect for those who served.”
This is not a simple endeavor; volunteers walk each and every aisle at the cemetery and flags are placed by each headstone that is marked as a Veteran’s resting place – totaling nearly 1,000 flags! With a LOT of volunteers, it takes about three hours, she noted; with fewer volunteers, it may take five or six hours!
“Graveside flags will be visible throughout the Memorial Day weekend,” she added, “and seeing them waving in the breeze is breathtaking to me.”
Shinnston Lions gave her the funding needed to order the flags. When they are removed after Memorial Day, she and volunteers wipe them down, try to keep them cleaned, roll them up and store them so they can be reused. Some will last several years, depending upon the weather they endured during that weekend.
“I truly feel honored to do this and I would like to see this grow in the future to include those Veterans buried in the Enterprise Cemetery. I love to have the scouts participate in this too because it is a way to teach the younger generation to show their respect for our Veterans, many of whom paid an unrepayable price,” she concluded.
YES, LIONS DO SERVE, and perhaps by helping at the schools and lending a helping hand to young people with good ideas, they are setting an example that youth will want to emulate. Who knows – they may some day pay it forward by becoming Lions themselves!
Keep your eyes open in Shinnston; you will soon be seeing flags positioned on Pike Street in celebration of Memorial Day. And, in the near future, look for the Lions at their usual location in front of Alpha Tint conducting their traditional fundraiser – selling mops and brooms. Try to support their efforts the way they support their community!
