Plymouth Lions Club has its first-ever female president since it was found nearly 60 years ago after Jill Owen received the ‘Chain of Office’ from outgoing president Jeff Horgan.
Jill is following in the footsteps of her late husband who was president of the club for 2007/8. He caused quite a stir of discontent at the time as he proposed that the club should admit lady members.
The official handover took place at the Elfordleigh Hotel Golf and Country Club and provided the opportunity to reflect on Jeff’s two years as president. He oversaw a number of successful events to raise funds for local and national communities.
In the latter part of his presidency, he has upheld the motto of the Lion International Foundation of ‘We Serve’ by committing himself and the club members to distributing £6000 to local charities which serve the community with essential needs.
This included essential personal needs for women and backpacks for children at the Women’s Refuge, funds for Derriford Hospital Children’s Charities, computers for local children and deserving adults, funds for the Brain Tumour Research Team at Plymouth University, equipment St John Ambulance trainees, funds for Local Blood Bikes, support for two local foodbanks and also for a number of individuals in need of financial help.
In addition, the club have provided assistance with the Plymouth soup run, collecting and delivering food from local bakeries to the homeless hostel, plus help with Plymouth and District Mayflower Special Games.
President Jill Owen has pledged to increase the membership of the club and to this end requested all present members to make an effort to talk to friends and family to encourage new younger members to enjoy not only the service in the community but also the social aspects of the club’s activities to prove it’s not all about work, but Lions can have fun as well!
On behalf of the members of the club she presented Jeff Horgan with an engraved walking stick complete with a Lions Head handle and an inscription to commemorate his safe tenure of the Lions Club of Plymouth over his two difficult, but successful, years in office.
