LYNNWOOD — Civic-minded residents and business professionals met on Wednesday, April 12, to form a new Lynnwood Lions Club.
The Lynnwood group needs at least 30 charter members to become an official club, said Bobby Mills, president of the Edmonds Lions Club.
“We, in the Lions, are trying to increase our membership and Lynnwood is a town we feel can support a Lions club,” Mills said. “A Lions club is a group of men and women who work together to benefit their town.”
The Edmonds Lions Club is sponsoring the fledgling Lynnwood group, Mill said. The group also will get encouragement from the Mill Creek Lions Club and Terrace-Brier Lions Club, which serves the cities of Mountlake Terrace and Brier.
Two Lions clubs — known as Lynnwood Central and Alderwood Royal Pride — operated in Lynnwood in the late 1990s, said Jeff Sutro, treasurer of Terrace-Brier Lions. The two clubs folded around 1999, he said.
“The needs of Lynnwood have been covered by surrounding clubs,” Sutro said. “It would be really good to have a Lynnwood club there to help out with Lynnwood’s needs. So from our point of view, this is a great thing.”
Although many civic organizations are experiencing declining membership, Mills said that is no reason to think the Lynnwood club will not be successful.
“You’ve just got to believe in yourself,” he said.
The area clubs are part of Lions Club International, a service organization with about 1.35 million members in 197 countries.
Every town has different needs, so every Lions club is a little different, Mills said. Some clubs build parks, support hospitals, offer scholarships or recycle eye glasses for those in need.
The Edmonds Lions Club, founded in 1947, collects funds for local food banks, offers scholarships to high school students and provides eye glasses for students and seniors. It may be best known for its flag program, in which merchants pay for flags to be erected in front of their places of business on holidays and other significant dates.
Lynnwood members will decide what kind of charity efforts their club will pursue, Mills said.
The cost to become a charter member is $30 per person, Mills said. Individuals and persons representing businesses are welcome to join. Lynnwood members will decide how much annual membership will be, but it usually costs around $75 per year, according to Mills.
There will be opportunities through the club for businesses to advertise, Mills said. Members also can learn leadership and public speaking skills by being a Lion.
Enterprise writer Sue Waldburger contributed to this article.
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