In a situation familiar to many service organisations throughout the Echuca-Moama region, the club’s membership is ageing and dwindling.
It has sparked a plea for new members to join from Echuca Lions Club president Kevin Woolnough.
“Currently we have 30 members, but the problem is our average age is 80,” Mr Woolnough told The Riv.
“We need new members to survive. We need help.”
Echuca Lions Club has a proud history of serving the community stretching back to 1965.
“Over the years our club would have raised $2 million which has been placed back into the community,“ Mr Woolnough said.
“Only last year we presented the new Cancer and Wellness Centre a cheque of $20,000.
“We have had three district conventions as well as a national convention here in Echuca.
“We have great history and are a very proud club.”
During the past three decades, the Echuca Lions have supervised the running of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, raising close to $3 million over that time.
Mr Woolnough said the club had found it difficult in recent years to find people to fill positions on the executive, such as president, secretary and treasurer.
“The current secretary and treasurer have served around eight years each,” he said.
“The last three presidents, including myself, have been there before and most likely next year’s president will be as well.
“The older we get, the harder it is for us to do working bees.”
Mr Woolnough said the club held a number of social activities away from its fundraising/community efforts.
“We meet at the shed (on Sutton St) every Friday, which is always a social evening,” he said.
“We’re appealing to anyone who is new to town, may have come up here to retire or has a bit of time on their hands, and wants to make a telling contribution to a service organisation.”
You would follow in the footsteps of Echuca Lions’ newest member Darryl Ronchi.
“I joined in December,” Mr Ronchi said.
“I’ve been in Echuca since 1996 and ran Collins Booksellers for more than a decade before retiring in 2018.
“I do like volunteering and everyone at the club has been very welcoming.”
The club’s oldest member is Arthur Duke, 95.
“I joined the Lions in 1973,” he said.
“I moved to Tongala and my real estate agent was in the Lions Club.
“He offered me a chance to join as I was new in the district and it was an opportunity to meet people of a similar age.
“They were great days, my kids even reflect back on those times when the club used to hold picnics.
“These days it is about fellowship for me now.”
If you are interested in being a member of the Echuca Lions Club, feel free to email echuca.vic@lions.org.au or phone president Kevin Woolnough on 5482 4873.
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