The Lions club president from here was recently named District A 15 governor at a meeting in Elmira.
Norma Peterson will hold the post for 2011-12.
There are now 53 Lions clubs within that district and it will be her job to work with all of them towards their goals. The district takes in places such as Exeter Grand Bend, to Rockton and Sheffield, as well as other clubs in Wellington County.
The process to become District Governor takes about five years, and the candidates start as zone chairmen, to region, to second vice-governor, to first vice-governor.
Larry Wainwright was the first Fergus Lions Club member to hold the post and he said it is a signal honour.
He is now involved in the formation of a new Lions Club, in Ariss, which expands Peterson’s district by a club. He said in an interview the Ariss club will receive its charter on May 30.
“We have 24 …. possibly we could be inducting two to four more.”
That club meets at Kurtz Auctions in Ariss on the first and third Monday of each month.
Wainwright said that club began with five people and became a branch club of Guelph Royal City Lions. “They took us under their wing. We were chartered as a branch club November 2009.
That club is already heavily involved in community work, and is building a field house in Marden. It pledged $5,000 over five years for that project, and it is also working on another pledge for $15,000 in community work.
Charter night is May 30 in St. Jacobs, and Wainwright said that club donated the community centre hall to welcome the new club into the district.
He added it has been eight years since a new club was chartered in District A 15.
“We’re hoping to grow from there. It’s exciting bringing in a new club … It’s important to the community.”
The club will also be hosting a golf tournament on June 25 at the Ariss Golf and Country Club.
Members from the Ariss club are drawn from Inverhaugh, Ariss, Ponsonby, and Marden.
Wainwright added the club has other projects in the works.
