Armstrong Creek Lions Club wants you

THE international Lions Club movement has designs to set up its first branch in Armstrong Creek, and is on the hunt for people to sign up.

Former Dandenong Ranges residents Garry and Janine Easton moved to Armstrong Creek a year ago, and are now the Armstrong Creek Lions Club’s charter members.

Both are former CFA volunteers with the Sassafras/Ferny Creek Fire Brigade, and were invited to become Lions Club members following a chance meeting with V2 zone co-ordinator Grant Hull.

“About a week before we went to the Armstrong Creek School end of year festival, we said ‘We haven’t been volunteers for a year now, it’s about time we started thinking what we would like to do in the community’,” Janine said.

“So Grant walked up to us [at the festival] and asked ‘Would you like to join the Lions Club?’ and we looked at each other and said yes, not knowing there wasn’t one!”

Garry and Janine are looking for 20 members so the Armstrong Creek Lions Club can shift from a branch club and gain full club status.

They have already had some success, more than doubling membership from two to five in the first week.

“What’s really exciting is that we’re really keen to get young people involved,” Janine said.

“With the Lions Club, people tend to think the members are retired, but we want a combination of ages.

“So far we have a 25-year-old and two 35-year-olds… this is a young community, so we’re keen to get younger ages and backgrounds.”

Armstrong Creek Lions Club has also secured a space for its meetings, in the Armstrong Creek East Pavilion.

“We made some enquiries, and the guy cooking the barbecue [at the festival] turned out to be the president, and he said ‘By all means’, so we’ll be kicking off on a Monday night, when we’re in that position,” Garry said.

Members from the Lions Club of Ocean Grove Barwon Heads are assisting the Eastons to get the club off the ground.

Mr Hull said he was at the festival specifically to drum up interest in a Lions Club for the growth area, and that starting up a new part of the service organisation was not as hard as it might seem.

“It proved incredibly easy when I ran into Janine and Garry.

“The enthusiasm they’ve shown is over and above by a long way, and their keenness to make sure Armstrong Creek has a viable community service organisation working for the community is fantastic.”

For more information on the Armstrong Creek Lions Club or to join, phone Janine Easton on 0433 524 230.