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Howard Lions Club serves annual Sweetheart Dinner

TAMMY COAKLEY/THE EXPRESS Top left, Courtney Weaver, Sean Barr and Cassie Weaver helped to accommodate the needs of those seated in the handicapped section at the 2018 Sweetheart Dinner. Top right, Gerald and Barb Barner attended the Howard Lions 2018 Sweetheart Dinner. Bottom left, Dorothy and Cletus Mack of Howard have been married nine years and look forward to attending the Sweetheart Dinner each year. Center, the pie-cutting crew included, from left, Lions George Fultz, Gene Teaman and Terry Watson. Bottom right, Lion Bob DeArment Sr. led the singing and flag salute at the Sweetheart Dinner. DeArment is one of the original charter members of the Howard Area Lions Club.

By TAMMY COAKLEY

For The Express

HOWARD — The skies may have looked unpleasant and threatening a storm last Saturday morning, but inside the Yearick Center in Howard faces were bright and cheerful as sweethearts and friends came together to enjoy fellowship and a free dinner served by the Howard Area Lions Club.

The Howard Area Lions, most wearing bright yellow aprons, have been providing their annual Sweetheart Dinner since 1981, and although this year’s attendance may have dropped from previous years, everyone who came was certainly not disappointed with their outing.

Gerald and Barb Barner of Zion Back Road in Walker Township have been married 15 years and they look forward to attending the dinner each year.

Cletus and Dorothy Mack who live near Ridge Crest in Liberty Township are “newlyweds” compared to some of the married couples who attended the dinner. The Mack’s have been married just nine years and always enjoy coming to the Sweetheart Dinner.

Lion President Paul Confer welcomed the dinner guests at noon and, following a brief lull to allow for the fire station’s weekly (loud) siren and pager test to be completed, the activities kicked off.

Lion Bob DeArment Sr., a charter member of the local club, led the group in singing the first verse of My Country ‘Tis of Thee (America) followed by all reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

Lion Craig Rose, pastor of the Howard United Methodist Church, provided the table grace before the meal was served. Platters of roast beef and turkey were passed along with bowls of mashed potatoes, filling balls, corn and green beans were passed.

The Howard Area Lions Club has a membership of (at last count) 112 men, each one being committed to their motto of “We Serve” that was adequately demonstrated during the dinner as each Lion contributed in some form to holding this event. Whether it be beginning a few days beforehand with kitchen preparations and food ordering, to cooking, setting up tables and chairs, directing traffic and valet parking, the greeters and coat takers, dishing out and serving the food and coffee, selling raffle tickets and the clean-up afterwards, each Lion willingly participated and worked in harmony together.

TAMMY COAKLEY/THE EXPRESS Top left, Courtney Weaver, Sean Barr and Cassie Weaver helped to accommodate the needs of those seated in the handicapped section at the 2018 Sweetheart Dinner. Top right, Gerald and Barb Barner attended the Howard Lions 2018 Sweetheart Dinner. Bottom left, Dorothy and Cletus Mack of Howard have been married nine years and look forward to attending the Sweetheart Dinner each year. Center, the pie-cutting crew included, from left, Lions George Fultz, Gene Teaman and Terry Watson. Bottom right, Lion Bob DeArment Sr. led the singing and flag salute at the Sweetheart Dinner. DeArment is one of the original charter members of the Howard Area Lions Club.

Lions George Fultz, Gene Teaman and Terry Watson had one of the best jobs of the day this year as they, along with Lion Paul Vinup, were on the “pie cutting crew” in charge of slicing the dessert pies.

Each Lion is to try to contribute a pie or two for the event. As the fellows sliced each of the 160 pies of numerous flavors that were brought in, they were dubbed as being “the official pie inspectors.”

Each of them agreed that they had not found a single slice of pie that did not meet their 5-star approval rating.

After dessert, raffle ticket winners were drawn. The club holds a cash raffle each year to help to pay the rent on their Food Bank Headquarters, the former Beech Creek Elementary School.

The 10 raffle winners this year were Bill Miller who earned the first place prize of $300; Eileen Hall – $200; Matt Myers – $100; and Peg Grinninger – $50. The $25 winners were Howard Klinger, Cletus Mack, Laird Confer, Speed Penland, Carrie Zerbe and Shawnee Robinson.

A 50/50 raffle was also sold with the Lions being able to award one-half of the ticket sales in increments so that more guests can share in the excitement and winnings instead of just one person winning it all. There were 21 winners who were each awarded $20 this year.

During the afternoon, a special round of applause and recognition was bestowed upon Courtney Weaver, Sean Barr and Cassie Weaver for their assistance in helping to serve and accommodate those people seated in the handicapped section during the dinner. These young people are regular players at the Lions Bingo nights and they did an outstanding job at the dinner on Saturday.

As the dinner and fellowship time wound down, those in attendance were thanked for their support of the Lions Club activities throughout the year and everyone was reminded to look forward to next February’s Sweetheart Dinner. The closing prayer was given by Lion Fred Kellerman.

A head count during the meal seating determined that nearly 240 guests, most of whom were 60 years of age and older, had attended this year’s dinner. And that number doesn’t include the many Lions who were bustling about.

With attendance being less than normally anticipated, that leaves lots of “leftovers” that the Lions Club men will “clean-up” when they have their monthly meal and business meeting this week at the Howard fire hall.

TAMMY COAKLEY/THE EXPRESS Top left, Courtney Weaver, Sean Barr and Cassie Weaver helped to accommodate the needs of those seated in the handicapped section at the 2018 Sweetheart Dinner. Top right, Gerald and Barb Barner attended the Howard Lions 2018 Sweetheart Dinner. Bottom left, Dorothy and Cletus Mack of Howard have been married nine years and look forward to attending the Sweetheart Dinner each year. Center, the pie-cutting crew included, from left, Lions George Fultz, Gene Teaman and Terry Watson. Bottom right, Lion Bob DeArment Sr. led the singing and flag salute at the Sweetheart Dinner. DeArment is one of the original charter members of the Howard Area Lions Club.

Howard Area Lions Club was chartered in 1976 with 63 Lion men signing the charter then. Only a handful of those original charter members are still living today, yet the club has been able to sustain their membership roll with those new men who are joining, making our local club one of the largest all-male Lions Clubs in Pennsylvania.

If you have a desire to serve your community as a Lion, please voice your interest to any club member and ask for a membership application today.

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