News Letter

First Edition February 2009 No. 1 Vol. 1

Lion President Ed Thornhill challenged new member Lion Dan to come up with a club newsletter. So here is the first Issue.

It is a sad announcement that our Tail Twister Lion Ray Wilson, who was always after our dollars, quarters and even the penny, died after shoveling snow. He slipped on the ice and fell, hit his head, which caused a blood clot. Our sympathies go to his family, and the Club because he will be difficult to replace. He was a true tail twister to the end. His wish was to give donations in place of flowers to the Lions Club.

On Tuesday March 24 at 10:00 AM there will be a presentation at Hithergreen Center on skin cancer awareness by Betty Lacey from the RAYS Project. The RAYS Project is an educational awareness program that was started in Dayton and has spread throughout the nation. I understand the pictures are graphic so if you are too squeamish go anyway. You do not have to be a member to go, there is parking adjacent to the building, and there are two main entrances. When you go in there is at stand with a machine on it that members touch on for attendance. For nonmembers there is a sign in sheet on the stand. There is no charge. This came about when a dermatologist was removing a cancer on my cheek, and I asked her if there was a speakers bureau for the Montgomery County Medical Association. There is. I set it up for the senior at Hithergreen to hear but it would be worthwhile for the Lions also.

At each issue of this newsletter, one Lion will tell it all to me and what he or she says will be printed here (I can’t wait to get Lion Robbie’s story). The Lion featured this time is Lion Bill Ringo. How did he get a name like Ringo? That is like a cowboy character from one of Louis Lamoure’s books.

Remember to get out and get those rose orders.

A 40 year old man going through a mid life crisis in Kentucky asked Bob and Rays” advice. He wanted an 85 Volkswagen Bug. There were none in Kentucky and those in Florida had no floor boards but LA had some listed on the internet. Should he go? He had never been more than 300 miles from home and had never flown in an airplane. If you go they said, have the Bug checked by a reliable mechanic, buy life insurance, become a member of AAA, and take the back roads instead of the interstate highways because a Bug that old can’t go 70 or 75 for a day much less three, and take money so when the engine falls out on the road you can afford a motel. I would say that Bob and Ray were telling him in a nice way to forget the trip.

When his father died he lived with his mothers’ parents on a farm so thee wasn’t much time for fun and games at school like football and baseball. He had to work. I have a vision of a seven year old boy wearing a coonskin cap with both hands on the plow behind two horses with the reins around his neck plowing the north 40 after school until the sun went down. That was the Daniel Boone blood in Bill. When he was 14 he was riding in a school bus that was hit by a car. The accident knocked out four teeth and put him in the hospital two weeks. I don’t blame him for the long stay; I wouldn’t want to work that hard on the farm either.

He lived in Belmont when he came to Dayton, he was married twice, had one son, and now is a widower tolling around in his 99 Porsche. Actually this is his third Porsche. He also had a Corvette. It must be a thing with engineers to drive sports cars. His first wife was Sarah. And wife two was Pauline Waldrop.

He became a Lion 50 years ago and has been president, director, tail twister, Lion tamer, and chairman of the Centerville Lions Ox Roast one year. He came to Centerville in 1951.

Bill was born on Thanksgiving day November 27, 1919, messing up Thanksgiving dinner for the family. Being a descendent of Daniel Boone, he probably gummed down a turkey drumstick the same day. Like his ancestors he is a traveler. He has been to every state except Alaska, Switzerland, the Holy Land, and London England.