When the Lions donated $500 to the Rossland Swimming Pool Society last weekend, Lions president Bill Profili and his brother Vince remarked on a special memory of Rossland's long tradition of community service: Their father Aldo was a strapping lad of 16 in 1934 when he volunteered with pick and shovel to excavate the pool with other labourers.
"They dug it for so many days of free swimming," Vince recalled.
The memory sparked a series of reminisces of other community services in Bill and Vince's hard-working past, from brushing the ski hill in July in the 1960s — 14 days for a free pass — to mucking out the mining adit at the museum in 1967, the same adit that Teck has closed for a review of safety procedures.
The Profilis and other lions want to raise people's awareness, particularly young people's awareness, of the importance of "service clubs" to our community. They are concerned by the median age of their members which now hovers above 60 years old, a trend that is reflected in the other local service clubs, be it the Legion, the Eagles, Rotary, or the Knights of Columbus.
The Golden City Lions Club was founded in 1977 by "guiding Lion" Bernie McMann, who recently passed away. McMann had just arrived in Rossland and started the club right away.
"Bernie was a wonderful individual, an excellent example of a Lion," recalled chartered member Jim Albo, one of two original members of the Lions who has remained a member for all 34 years. "He was a great inspiration for a lot of people."
In 1981, the Lions built the campground from scratch, the "cornerstone" of the Rossland club ever since, said Bill Profili who was mayor at the time. Volunteers pitched in all summer, including city employees who donated time off to run equipment donated by the city.
It's a "community facility," Bill Profili said, used for family reunions, barbecues and other events. Bikers, soccer players, and many others stop through to use the washrooms and showers — for which $3 should be paid on the honour system — while visitors to Rossland frequently use the campground for their tents or RVs.
Treasurer Ivan Bell listed off some 39 local charities and organizations that the Lions have supported to the tune of $8,500 just since October. All their net profits are donated to causes that range from glasses for people who can't afford them to scholarships for students.
Bill Profili was sure to emphasize that the Lions' actions and donations are entirely directed by the membership, so new, youthful members would be able to take the club in new and youthful directions.
Vince cited "camaraderie" as one of the reasons he joined, and he enjoys the wide diversity of backgrounds in the membership.
"I think it's a huge boon to the community," Albo said about both the campground and the club.
To get involved, join in a meeting — 6 p.m. on both the second and fourth Wednesday of every month in the Legion Hall — or contact the club secretary at 362-9083 or aldorfer@telus.net.
