Pictured are the Owego Lions Club officers for 2015-16. From the left are Carla Eiklor, Bruce Ludwig, Gil Henry, Jane Bensley, Nancy Ketcham, Phyllis Ludwig, Linda Thomas, Donna Henry, Wendy Smith, Larry Strickland and Eve Kretsch.
Pictured is Winfred ‘Winnie’ Allen, Gil Henry, and outgoing President Phyllis Ludwig. Allen holds a plaque commemorating her recognition with the Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award, which she received from the Owego Lions Club during their Installation Dinner on June 18, 2015.
The Owego Lions Club held a night of celebration on June 18 at the Countryside Community Center in Owego. It was the annual Installation Dinner, marking the passing of the torch to newly elected club leaders and recognition of the achievements of Owego Lions Club members.
Regional 1st Vice Governor Larry Strickland made the trip from his home club in Penn Yan, N.Y. for the ceremony, and to install club officers. Strickland also installed two new members into the Owego Club.
“Stagnant water breeds mosquitoes,” Strickland quipped as he spoke about the importance of new members.
“New members keep the club vital, and bring new ideas,” Strickland said. While Lions International is growing worldwide, Strickland said New York is not keeping up. Worldwide membership in the last five years has grown by over 200,000, to over 1.4 million Lions in 47,000 clubs.
Owego Lions is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, while Lions International is celebrating its centennial. As a result, the new members received special Centennial Inauguration pins, and their sponsors got special centennial pins as well.
A new Lion of the Year was also introduced by the 2014 Lion of the Year, Wendy Smith. Smith said the new Lion of the year didn’t miss many meetings, adding that she didn’t know how this person does it. Carla Eiklor was busy during the meeting, they had to call her out of the kitchen to receive her award, where she had been hard at work cooking the dinner.
“I was surprised,” Eiklor said of being recognized as Lion of the Year, “everyone works so hard, they all deserve it.”
A very special award was then presented to a special member of the Owego Lions Club. Winfred ‘Winnie’ Allen has donated countless hours performing for gatherings like the Lions Club Installation Dinner, where she played piano during the social before the dinner. At least you’d think those hours were countless, but apparently not.
Lion Gil Henry said that Allen started playing piano when she was very young, and in the 71 years since.
Winnie Allen plays piano during the 2015 Installation Dinner of the Owego Lions Club held inside the Countryside Community Center in Owego. Allen received the highest honor awarded by New York Lions, the Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award.
“Someone has calculated, conservatively, she has played 35,000 hours in service to people in this area,” Henry said. Henry has known Allen for a long time, and presented Allen with the Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor given by Lions in New York State.
Allen thanked everyone, and said she wakes up every morning hoping she can touch someone’s life that day. She said she didn’t need the award, and that she would perform for the Lions Club anyways. That’s because Allen said her gift of piano playing came from God, and she felt she needed to give that gift back to people freely.
“I’m completely overwhelmed,” Allen said,” I just came to entertain everyone tonight. I’m speechless. Anybody that knows me knows I speak with the piano.”
Allen said she began playing at the Owego First Baptist Church when she was just 12 years old, 71 years ago. Parishioners can still hear her playing piano there every Sunday.
Incoming President Donna Henry is looking forward to annual club activities, which are coming up. On July 24, Owego Lions will be preparing a dinner for Relay for Life at Owego Free Academy with the Spencer and Candor Lions Club. On the first Saturday in August, the annual Ti-Li dinner will be held at Hickories Park Pavilion 1 for visually impaired members of the community.
On July 9 the Lions will be meeting at the Countryside Community Center for their regular meeting at 6 p.m. “Anyone interested in joining is welcome to come,” Henry said.
