Story, photos by Roger Allen
Eighth in a series
THE LIONS CLUB contributed $6,000 and raised $19,000 in total from grants and indivual donors, resulting in a nine-unit layout of percussion musical instruments being added to the school playground. Among the first to experience the joy of making musical sounds on the day of installation in October 2018 were then-three-year-old boys Kyle Cosey, at left, and Devlin Hutchinson. With them is Alexa Wheaton Jack, director and owner of ZumaZoo Daycare, located across the street from the musical pavilion. Alexa and school music teachers have all said the musical instruments have added great educational value to the playground. The project came about after a Lions committee researched several options for a year for doing a “legacy project” to benefit the community for a long time. Part of the Lions’ $6,000 contribution came from the club’s share of community proceeds from hosting RAGBRAI.
AMONG THE FIRST to enjoy the eight-pipe chimes in the percussion musical playground addition in 2018 were Talen Holland (closest to camera) and Kahler Van Dee. A few years prior, the Lions also donated $3,700 to the teacher-led playground improvement drive.
IN MAY 2016 the Lions Club donated $1,800 for a set of ten tables and cart for the Montezuma Community School. Pictured at the school on May 4 to officially give and receive them were, from left, Paul Hawkins, the school’s head of transportation and maintenance; Dave Ver Steeg, then school superintendent and Lions club secretary-treasurer; and Paul Keferl, then Lions club president. Donation of the tables will help toward eliminating the need to import tables from outside sources for some of the larger annual events that occur at the school.
IN 2019 THE AUDITORIUM of the school (formerly the south gym) had undergone an extensive renovation, and the Montezuma Lions Club made a major donation to put “frosting on the cake.” At a cost of $4,840 the Lions paid for 220 deluxe fabric covered, padded folding chairs for floor level seating in the auditorium. The school district added seven dollies for storage of the new chairs. In the picture above, then Supt. Dave Hoeger receives the Lions’ check, and holding one of the chairs at right is then Principal Tim Hoffman. The chair he holds shows a label on the back stating the chair was donated by the Lions club. Lions pictured are, from left, club officers Roger Allen, Mike Princer, Boyd Sparks and Rick Talbert.
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, to all the people you can, in all the places you can…
A SURPRISE RECOGNITION for a good Samaritan. On behalf of the Lions club and the community, Lions President Doug Ver Meer, at right, presented a plaque of appreciation to Don Erquist in July 1993. Erquist was recognized for the many behind-the-scenes good deeds he had done for people in the community for many years. Erquist was instructed to hang the plaque in his barber shop for all to see. In an adaptation of a rule for living written by John Wesley, the plaque said: “In a quiet unobtrusive way, He does all the good he can, By all the means he can, In all the ways he can, In all the places he can, At all the times he can, To all the people he can, As long as ever he can.”
FROM MONTEZUMA, IOWA TO MONTEZUMA, GEORGIA. Montezuma Lions decided in 1986 to conduct “Project Haylift” to aid drought-stricken farmers in the Montezuma, Georgia area. There was plenty of help and plenty of hay when Lions and other volunteers loaded 523 bales of hay from wagons to the truck trailer. The hay was donated by Bill and Kevin Rempp, Larry Huff, Earl Englebarts and Paul Johnson families. The driver’s time and use of the truck was donated by Roorda Enterprises and Warren Transport of Waterloo donated the use of the 48-ft. trailer. Chuck Taylor, a Roorda employee, made the delivery. Norman McFarlin donated $250 and the Lions club contributed about $250 for fuel. Those loading the hay included Doug VerMeer, Roger Watson, Cornie Sterk, Larry Homes, Bob Hamilton, Dick Gregory, Bill Rempp, Kevin Rempp, Larry Huff, Roger Allen, Paul Johnson, Lew Lundy, Loren Roorda, Eugene Mann, John Mann, Lyle Roorda, Matt Roorda, Dennis Englebarts, Roger Englebarts and Jim Cook.
IN SEPTEMBER 1992, the Lions club made a donation to pay for gas to deliver a semi-load of donated goods to Florida for victims of Hurricane Andrew. Lyle Roorda, at right, accepts a check for $350 for fuel from Lions president Doug Ver Meer. Roorda donated the use of his tractor and time and pulled a trailer donated by Van Wyk’s of Grinnell. Some of the goods carried by Roorda’s truck were donated by Montezuma’s United Methodist Church.
A SURPRISE FAREWELL for longtime active Lion Ralph Wells
In November 1977 the Lions club presented a surprise gift to longtime member Ralph Wells, who had retired from barbering and was moving to Florida. His gift was a gold Lions ring, and an added gift in jest was a calendar for him to make bookings for fellow Lions coming to visit him in the winter.
Wells had been a member for 29 years and it was repted he has been not only a local pillar of leadership but also an active Lion on the district and state level as well. He had never missed a state Lions convention since 1948, and he served as a deputy district governor for four years. In thanking the club for the gift, he praised the Montezuma Lions for being one of the most active and outstanding clubs in a wide area – for many years.
Lion Roger Allen said Ralph is the one who got him involved in Lions at the district and state level, which led Allen to becoming the editor of the state Lions magazine for 40 years.
