Rosebud Lions Club celebrates 60 years

Times Contributor 

 

Seventy-five people celebrated Rosebud Lions Club’s 60th anniversary at a banquet in Rosebud’s Encana Centre on Nov. 9. The crowd included 20 members and spouses, as well as prospective local members, and practicing Lions from Rockyford, Standard and Strathmore. Three of six surviving charter members – George Comstock, Bob Comstock and Bob Hymas – were also present.

Rod Hymas – Bob Hymas’ son and a long-standing member – made a toast in honour of the charter members. Hymas senior gave the reply. George Comstock, the only charter member who maintained active membership for all 60 years, presented a brief history of the club. Peter Lauridsen, current president, also shared club memories.

District Governor Bill Baux, the guest speaker, spoke about Lions’ work around the world. Laurisden said, and that “tens of millions of people are able to see now,” because Lions have provided cataract surgery and treatment for of river-blindness. 

“Eyesight is a big part of what Lions do,” Laurisden said, and Baux emphasized the need for the work to continue. He also encouraged the group “to continue to work to recruit people and build our clubs, and make sure they’re strong going forward.”

The Rosebud Lions Club began Oct. 15, 1953, with the election of nine officers, including Robert Heberling as president, and a total of 51 members. In their first two years, Rosebud Lions prepared the site for a public park at the Severn Creek Dam, and held a coyote hunt. They sponsored 4-H club banquets and took on the annual task of flooding the community skating rink.

In those early years, they began hosting community events like wrestling matches, community dances, pancake suppers and sports days. Other early projects included maintaining public parks, building a kitchen shelter for the ball diamond, hosting exchange students, and organizing a “Stop Smoking” campaign.

In the 1960s, they acquired land and a building for the Rosebud Museum, and in recent years, “Lions did a lot of work on the museum expansion,” Laurisden said. 

Lion volunteers also “played a role in the construction of the fire hall, and most recently, they contributed significantly to getting the elevator in the Community Centre.” Numerous times over the years, Lions have upgraded and renovated the Rosebud Community Hall.

In addition to restoring and protecting eyesight around the world, “they also step in when there’s natural disasters,” Laurisden said. “There was a big one-time contribution they made to the flood relief in Alberta here earlier in the year. And they’re certainly working now to assist people in the Philippines with that horrible disaster.”

Rosebud Lions hold regular fundraisers to support these causes. 

“We have a golf tournament and an auction, late summer, and that’s our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Laurisden said. “Then we have a Vegas Night, which is a fun kind of card night, earlier in the year.” 

The club has occasional, smaller fundraisers as well.

Rosebud Lions welcome all local men and women as members. If you’re a Rosebud resident who wants to serve your community through the Lions, contact Peter Laurisden at (403) 677-2378 or speak to any local Lion. Learn more at www.lionsclubs.org.