Benoni Host Lions celebrate 60 years of service
The Benoni Host Lions Club remembered their two members who died within days of each other.
It was a day filled with emotion and pride for the members of the Benoni Host Lions Club when they celebrated the club’s 60th birthday on August 18, although the club officially turned 60 on the Monday (August 19).
“The Benoni Host Lions Club was chartered by Victor Toker, who became the first president of the club,” said president Tina Strachan.
“A number of prominent businessmen in Benoni realised that there was a great need within the community to assist non-profit organisations (NPOs) as well as the needy within the Benoni area and the surrounding areas at the time.
“Toker, a businessman, was the club founder.
“There were 21 charter members when the club was formed in 1959 and today we only have 12 very dedicated members.
“We are actively striving to gain more members of all ages to volunteer their time and skills to work with us in our primary mission of serving the community of Benoni.
“We still have one lifelong member in our club – Lion Charles Metcalfe – who joined the club in 1962 and has served for over 57 years.
“He has served as president a number of times, zone chairman as well as deputy district governor.
“Charles was instrumental in starting the Lions Old Peoples Home in 1970.”
To commemorate the auspicious occasion, the Lions held a small lunch with invited guests at their clubhouse in Howard Avenue. Charles was the MC and shared some of his memories.
“In 1969, it was the decade celebration and I was the chairman,” he reminisced.
He also paid tribute to the two club members, Diane Crompton and David Featherston, who died within days of each other earlier this year.
Tina said the Lions Club International was male-dominated when it was chartered in 1917 by Melvin Jones, in Chicago, and remained so until it was agreed at a Convention in America to allow women to join as members in 1987.
“Benoni Host Lions Club was all-male until the first female joined the club in 2004 on a transfer from the Northcliff Lions Club,” Tina said.
“She became the first female president in 2007 and the elders of the club challenged her at every opportunity, but she stood her ground and during the year inducted three more female members into the club.”
District Governor for District 410E South Africa, Alistair Tuckett, also shared a few words of wisdom with the guests.
“Our diversity is what unities us,” he said.
“Within this club, over the last year, about 115 people were helped.”
Tina said the club caters for the needy and destitute within the Benoni community as well as assisting other NPO organisations with their projects to help others in the community.
“The club has been kept going by the absolute dedication and commitment of its members who are ordinary people willing to give of their time, skills and empathy to those in need. In turn we are privileged to experience the tears, emotions, gratitude and most of all, the joy and happiness on the faces of all those that we serve,” she said.
“Our motto ‘We Serve’ is very relevant within the club.”
The Benoni Lions Club thanks all the people, organisations and businesses who have supported them over the years by donating funds, books, jumble and so much more.
“Last but not least, none of this would be possible without the continued support of our fund-raisers such as the jumble sales and our regular books sales, held every month. Without them and the support of all the editorial staff of Benoni City Times, we would not be able to continue doing the work that we love to do,” she added.
“We look forward to serving the Benoni community for many more years to come and with all the support that we receive from the wonderful and amazing people of Benoni and surrounding areas, we will keep going.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.”
