The Lions Club of Vryheid: ‘We can make this happen’

THE LIONS Club of Vryheid’s year came to an end on Saturday, June 7, with the induction of Teresa Seegers as the new Lions President for 2014/15. She takes over from her husband and fellow Lion, Ryan Seegers.

The Induction Dinner was held at Dee’s Restaurant and Bar and the induction ceremony was conducted by Lions Zone Chairman Johan Scheepers.

The ceremony itself was short and sweet: Out-going President Ryan said the evening was not about what had been achieved in the past year but what would be achieved in the year to come. He said that Vryheid Lions had held successful projects (with record crowds at the Lions Mayfair), and that this would enable Lions to support local charities.

Zone Chairman, Johan Scheepers, simply advised incoming Lions President Teresa to “criticise softly; praise loudly”.

Lion President Teresa, only the third woman president in the Vryheid Lins’ 40-year history (after Denise Gillbanks and Laurette Schoeman), said that she was honoured by the trust placed in her, and that small as the Vryheid Lions was, that she believed “we are capable of truly amazing things”. She said that although the Vryheid Lions Club was known among the fellow Lions of the District, the Vryheid community knew OF Lions, “but I want them to know ABOUT Vryheid Lions Club – who we are, what we do, and how we can help.

“We can make this happen,” she said, “by following our motto – We Serve”.

Replying on behalf of the guests, Vryheid Herald editor, John Carnegie, said that the Lions provided the newspaper with some of its good news, and that the Lions should prepare themselves for greater demands on its charity in the future. On behalf of Vryheid he thanked the Lions for their contributions towards the betterment of the community, and said that Vryheid would be poorer if the Lions ceased to exist.