By Stephen Smoot
The backbone of community service and improvement efforts lays in the strength of its service clubs and organizations. As the federal and state governments, but budgetary necessity, must trim back their spending and its impact, the diminishing numbers of volunteers face rising needs that they can address.
Traditionally the Lions Club across the state and nation focuses on supporting efforts to restore and maintain sight among those experiencing significant economic or other struggles. Other causes taken up include efforts to serve victims of childhood cancer, those recovering from natural disaster, diabetes, hunger, and more.
Lions Club also supports developing the up and coming generations for service and community leadership. Through the Leos, young volunteers are “reinventing service with the help of Lions” and rejuvenating organizations as they seek pathways of service in the 21st century.
In Shinnston also, the Lions Club partners with Shinnston’s American Legion Post 31 and the American Legion Auxiliary to ensure that local veterans in particular receive recognition, respect, and regard for what they gave to our nation. As Dave Minor from the Shinnston Lions notes “the Legion helps us any way they can.”
The term “LIONS” did not come only from reference to the king of the jungle, but serves as an acronym standing for “Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation’s Safety.” Through doing its part in the annual Shinnston Veterans’ Day Parade, the club fulfills all of these aspects through honoring those who protect the nation’s liberty.
Many communities across West Virginia have seen a heightened uptick in interest in traditional public events. “I think people are about back to normal,” said Minor about the recession of COVID related fears as more time separates the world from the pandemic years.
Instead of staying home, “people are excited about something going on and people are getting out there to support the community.”
Minor explained that Shinnston has had a Veterans’ Day parade yearly for about two decades. After the brutal attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon sent troops from all service branches into combat, Lions Club leaders worked to return the tradition of the parade.
Minor shared that the Lions Club in Shinnston wanted to specifically honor locals who answered the call to duty. “That’s why we started it,” he said “to honor our local veterans, our local people” who wouldn’t get recognition from a more general celebration.
That includes selection of the grand marshals, who always come from Shinnston or the surrounding area. Minor stated that the club will select four marshals and will announce their names toward the close of October.
Grand Marshals will be recognized as “Citizens of the Month” for October in the Shinnston News and Harrison County Journal, a small portion of the recognition that those who sacrifice for our country richly deserve.
