Leo News

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(Note: If you have news or photos from a District 14-M Leo Club, please send them to Lion Louise. E-mail: jwinters@cobweb.net )

Notice of the winner of the 2nd Annual Ross F. DiMarco Scholarship is posted on the We Serve page.

Competition was recently held for District 14M’s Lions International Young Ambassador of the 21^st Century. The district, made up of Fayette, Greene, Somerset and Washington counties, held the competition that was open to students grades 9 through 12. Candidates were evaluated on community service involvement, leadership accomplishment, scholastic achievement, interview performance and public speaking.

Robert Heinz, a senior at Bentworth High School, represented the Bentleyville Lioness club, and won first prize of a $500 bond. A sophomore at Shadyside Academy, Anna Sabo representing the Fallowfield Lions Club won second prize of a $250 bond. The third place $100 bond went to Chartiers Houston High School senior, Jessica Tedrow who was sponsored by the Greater Canonsburg Lions Club.

The other finalists were: Alexandra Ribar from Waynesburg High School, sponsored by the Waynesburg Lions Club; Jenna Russell from California High School, sponsored by the Binnstown-Low Hill Lions Club; Stephanie Wytovich of Bentworth High School, sponsored by the Bentleyville Lions Club; Alyssa Ford of Beth-Center High School, sponsored by the BCR Lions Club; Angela Barney from Canon McMillan High School, sponsored by the Eighty Four Lions Club; and Ashton May from the Berlin Brothersvalley High School, sponsored by the Berlin Lions Club.

The sponsoring club received a traveling plaque and the winners and their parents will be honored at the Lions Banner Exchange later this summer.

Two New Leo Clubs in 14M

District 14M Leo Coordinator Lioness Sara Greenlee proudly announces the formation of two new Leo clubs in the district. After several months of preparation and recruiting members, Charter Nights were recently held for both clubs and were attended by numerous district Lions showing their support of the Leo program.

The first Charter Night was held at Hugo’s Restaurant for the Brownsville Area High School Leo Club, sponsored by the Grindstone Lions Club. Lion Bill Hudock and his committee spearheaded the organization and have provided the district with the largest club originally organized thus far in the district. Consisting of 32 members and their advisor, Lion Tricia Rohlf, a teacher within the school district, the club has already started working on community service projects.

Elected officers for the coming year are: Casey Fortuna, president; Richard Black, vice president; Rhonda Hormell, secretary; Gina Hunt, treasurer; and Zach Lemesh, parliamentarian.

The second chartered club is the ODCS Crusaders Leo Club, sponsored by the Mount Morris Lions Club. Located in the Open Door Christian Door School in Lippincott, PA the small, but excited club held their elections and will actively begin at the start of the next school year.

Elected officers for the club are Mark Piroch, president; Rhetta King, vice president; Colleen Schurr, secretary; and Jason Vizza, treasurer. Their advisor is a teacher at their school, Ms. Karen Shergi.

Both of the clubs were formed following school assemblies given by State Leo Chairman PDG William Hill and District Leo Coordinator Lioness Sara Greenlee. Membership was accepted following both presentations with applications being accepted for an additional 10 day period prior to sending in for the charter. With the addition of the new clubs, District 14M now has 16 Leo clubs.

The Brownsville Area High School Leo Club, sponsored by the Grindstone Lions Club, was chartered on May 9, 2007, with 32 charter members. The Leo Charter Night was celebrated in conjunction with the Grindstone Lions Club 60th Anniversary at Hugo's in Centerville, PA. Past International Director Sam Milliken was the keynote speaker. Past District Governor and Chairperson of the PA Lions Leo Committee Bill Hill inducted the new leos and installed the officers.

Leo Treasurer Gina Hunt & PDG Bill Hill Leo Secretary Rhonda Hormell being installed by PDG Bill

Leo VP Richard Black & PDG Bill PDG Bill congratulates Leo President Casey Fortuna

At the District 14-M Spring Party, District Governor Gloria Saloom presented the District Leo of the Year, Rob Heinz of the Bentleyville Leo Club. Leo Rob was also selected as the recipient of the Young Ambassador of the 21st Century Award.

We have 2 new Leo Clubs in the district. They are the Leo Club of Brownsville Area High School ( 34 members) sponsored by the Grindstone Lions Club, and the Open Door Christian School Leo Club sponsored by the Mt. Morris Lions Club.

During the months of February and March, the Berlin Leo Club of District 14M held a “Fuzzy Feet” campaign at school. For this campaign, students purchased slippers to donate to patients at the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. They also contacted a soup kitchen to see if we would be able to volunteer time and help for a morning. A date was chosen and the group was off to Pittsburgh. The first stop was the Jubilee Soup Kitchen in the Oakland section of the city where they spent three hours helping prepare and serve meals to those in need. Due to space limitations at the soup kitchen, some of the members were able to volunteer at the adjacent Theresa Heinz Daycare Center. The students, children, and daycare workers were really happy for the extra help. (Click on link below for photo.)

After leaving the Jubilee kitchen, they ventured on to Children’s Hospital. where they delivered 291 pairs of slippers, and got to spend some time with the young patients. The contact person at the hospital, the patients and the Leos were all extremely pleased with their project.

Hats and glasses--lots of them! The Bentleyville Lioness and Leo Clubs recently joined forces to collect them for the VOSH program. PDG Harold 'Dutch' Dine made the trip to Bentleyville to pick up the boxes of glasses, all 728 of them! The 1,245 ball caps had already been sent to him for the three eye clinics in Peten, Guatemala City and Jutiapa. The clinics employ thrity Guatemalans, including four surgeons and two optometrists and provide eye care services for 1.5 million of the poorest people in Guatemala. It is estimated that over 85,000 children there are in need of glasses and an estimated 4,000 children are in need of surgical care for pediatric conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, corneal opacity and esotropia.

The two clubs participated in this same project last year and were amazed to find that they out did the count from then. PDG Dine plans to attend the Lioness regular January meeting for presentation of the program to the club.

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The Bentleyville Leo Club has received word that they have again won the Leo Club Excellence Award for the services that they provided for the 2005-06 club year. IPDG Ed Gursky made the presentation of a banner patch and chevron to the present club officers at Bentworth High School. The award is the highest distinction a Leo Club can achieve. It recognizes outstanding achievement in the areas of humanitarian service, fundraising, leadership, public relations and club administration. This is the seventh such award the club has received.

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At the Pennsylvania state Lions Convention held recently in Altoona, Stefan P. Sabo of the Charleroi Leo Club was selected as Pennsylvania State Leo of the Year. Stefan had first competed and won on the district level in 14M. His application was then sent on to compete with entrants from across the state where he again came out on top. His winning application now goes onto International where he will be competing against Leos from all over the world. The award is based on outstanding leadership skills; a superior record as a Leo in implementing successful projects; make an identifiable contribution to the development and growth of the Leo Club program; achieved distinction in community and/or school activities; and demonstrated high ethical standards and personal integrity.

Stefan just graduated first in his class at Charleroi High School. While there, he participated in numerous activities including serving as the president of the Leo Club for two years where he also been instrumental in founding the club. Other activities include Math tutoring; Student representative for the Gifted Program, Mock Trials Team, The Future is Mine, Teen Outreach, Student Forum and Hometown High-Q Competition; SADD; and FBLA. Scholarship achievement he has received include U.S. Senate Youth Program Finalist; PA Governor’s School for Sciences; ASM Eisenman Materials Camp; Andrew’s Leap Summer Program; Academic League; and he is an Eagle Scout. He was also an award winner for the Young Ambassador of the 21^st Century Awards in the district. His hobbies include classical piano, golf and basketball.

Stefan is the son of Lion Paul and Pat Sabo of Charleroi. He plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania to double major in mathematics and physics, with a minor in music.

BALSA Leo Club: The Balsa Leos received publicity in The Lion, May 2005, p. 47, for their efforts to help with cleaning up after the Burgettstown Flood.

Bentleyville Leo Club: Two members shopped for flowers, a memorial tree for Alexandra Loos and two park benches to be placed in the high school courtyard. Ten members helped supervise the students for the Elementary Spring Concert. Tow members competed for the Young Ambassador for the 21^st Century competition. Eighteen members cleaned six miles of highway under the PA Dot Adopt a Highway Project. Nineteen members pulled weeds in the high school courtyard in preparation for the Prom. Invited to walk with the Chartiers-Houston Leo Club for the Relay for Life walk. Gave a $20 contribution to them because of not being able to participate because it was our Prom. Fourteen members and one former member pulled weeds, cleaned, planted and mulched 16 yards of mulch in the high school courtyard. A memorial tree was planted in addition to approximately 50 other plants. Two members attended the Charter Night of the newly formed California High School Leo Club. Six members sold miniature Nike sunning shoes to profit the To Alex With Love Foundation in preparation for the Race for Alex on June 3^rd. Two hundred thirty shoes were sold for a profit of $231.

California Leo Club: The twenty member club was Chartered on the 22^nd of May 2006 at an induction ceremony conducted by PDG “Bill Hill”. New officers were installed by DG Ed. A pizza party was held at Hugo’s after the formation of the new Leo Club. Members held American Cancer Society Daffodil Sale in April and they had a Coin Collection for Cystic Fibrosis in May. Members are conducting Project IRAQ: Collection of materials for the American soldiers serving in Iraq.

Charleroi Leo Club: Members elected new officers for 2006-2007. Leo Stefan Sabo was chosen as State Leo of the Year. Congratulations Leo Stefan. Several Leos will help members of Charleroi Lions to sell brooms on the first Saturday in June. Installation of new officers is to be decided.

North Star Leo Club: The members elected new officers for year 2006-2007 and are working on a project to attract new members. They are planning a membership party and working on raising the funds for the party. The members are helping a fellow student and her family after the student had pneumonia and is in coma. Meetings are going to be held at the Lions Park in Stoystown. Four members paid their respects to the family and friends of Courtney Rummel. The club helped at Patriot Manor with the monthly Birthday Party.

Waynesburg Leo Club: The service activity involving volunteering at the local Humane Society earned the Waynesburg Leos a mention in The Lion, November 2005.