It was a packed house at Khoury’s restaurant for Sunday’s luncheon where many of the nations’ leading Lions, along with Australian International Lions president Barry Palmer came to share insights, laughter and fellowship.
Seal Beach Lions president Lindsay Safe and Past District Governor Ellen Liebherr helped welcome President Palmer and his wife.
In perhaps a once in a lifetime event, President Palmer visit was to commend the success, development and growth of the Seal Beach Lions & Leo clubs. More importantly, his visit was also to focus on what Seal Beach does right in a very uncommon way – growing the Leo’s program for youth and creating a successful Leo to Lions pathway.
As Scott Newton said in his remarks, “Seventeen years ago, three courageous Lions presented to our Board a proposal to start a Leo Club. In the words of one of the founding Leo Advisors, Lion Nancy Grgas, ‘Instead of just telling teens what not to do, we need to give them something to do’ – and the Seal Beach Leo program was born.”
Now the club is over 235 members with 175 Leos. The Seal Beach Lions Club has more Leo-Lions than any other Lions club in the Continental United States. In California, there are only 26 Leo-Lions in a population of approximately 20,000 Lion members. 21 of them are in the Seal Beach club.
Nick Bolin, now a successful member of the City of Seal Beach marine safety team shared some of his story about his Leo to Lion transformation. He said, “I have been involved with the Lions club for the past 9 years, joining shortly after I turned 21. I would probably not have joined Lions at that young of an age if I hadn’t first been involved with the Seal Beach Leo’s club.”
Nick credited the connection, relationships and camaraderie that he experienced as a Leo, pull him back into a life of service and giving back. He continues to help the Lions and Leos grow in a variety of ways.
President Palmer then took to the stage and presented the International Leo of the Year award to one of the newest Leo to Lions members, Evan Jenkins. Palmer praised the clubs’ dedication to service and also focus on the youth of our community and beyond.
Scott Newton received the Presidential Medal of Honor for his tireless efforts to develop the club and in particular the Leos.
Part of President Palmers’ key take away was the incredible vibrancy of the Seal Beach Lions supporting three separate Leos clubs – the Seal Beach Leos, the Vacation Bible School Leos and the Braille Institute Leos.
His view encouraged all of us to pursue our dreams and ensure that they are big enough. He used the illustration of Mount Everest and the Pacific Ocean, “Everest will never get any higher, nor will the Pacific Ocean ever get bigger, but Lions can.”
Lions International is one of the world’s largest service organization with over 45,500 clubs and more than 1,368,683 members in 205 countries around the world. The Seal Beach Lions club is proud to be the largest club west of the Mississippi River and arguably one of the most successful in the nation.
