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District Governors Message

Lions Year 2011-2012

DG Ken continues to ask... have you planted your Lions Club Tree? To see more “Out & About” Pictures... Click Light Green Button.

District Governor Ken Chews Message (December 2011): The "Chew, Chew" train has pulled into a siding for a brief pause in visiting clubs in Delaware. First Lady, Lion Marie Chew, and I have been busy attending some important District events and one Multiple District event including the LVRF rally at the Wilmer Eye Institute at the John Hopkins Hospital, the 25th. Charter Anniversary for the Fenwick Island Lions Club, the three Region holiday parties for the visually impaired, and our own Governor's Ball on Saturday, December 3rd. The first event, the LVRF Rally, was attended by almost 200 Lions and their guests from the Multiple 22 District. A grand total of $8,660 in donations was turned in that day, including a $1,000 check from my club, the Claymont Lions Club. There were many Lions from our District in attendance and in addition to the Rally, there was a celebration of the 90th Charter anniversary of the Baltimore Host Club, the first Lions club chartered in what is now Multiple District 22D. After a luncheon provided by LVRF, everyone had a chance to tour the Wilmer Eye Institute. While the Rally was a success, our District is still short of meeting our goal of raising $26,480 for the year. We have raised only $8,696 toward that goal. Please continue to support this great acronym, LVRF. Our second stop at the end of November was the 25th Anniversary of the chartering of the Fenwick Island Lions Club on November 21st at Harpoon Hanna's in Fenwick Island, Delaware. The guest speaker was Past International President Clem Kusiak. Founding Lion, PDG Noble Simpson and King Lion Jean Bertram are to be congratulated on organizing a truly wonderful event. The high-light of the luncheon was the Power Point presentation by Lion Bruce Schoonover which showed pictures of the important events in the history of the Fenwick Island Lions Club. The next District events were held in early December and were the three regional parties for the visually impaired. While each one is done a little differently, they all did a marvelous job of brightening the spirits of the visually impaired in the state of Delaware. The three region chairs, Lions Dave Clendaniel, Randy Friend, and Anita Bird and their committees all did a fantastic job in running these events. The Region-2 party featured a lot of Leos who seated and served the over 150 guests and later entertained them by dancing up a storm. The "real" Santa showed up at this party. The Region-3 party had fewer visually impaired guests but again lots of Leos and great gifts for the guests, including baskets of fruit. The Region-1 party may probably have had the most visually impaired guests but no Leos so the Lions of Region-1 did the serving. A brass ensemble from the Newark Community Band entertained the guests and the MC Lion Tony Emmi told some great jokes. Each party was a great success and tribute to the Lions of District 22D. The final event of this pause of the "Chew, Chew" Express was the fantastic Governor's Ball held in Dover on December 3rd. Over 250 Lions and guests came to honor me, your governor and my First Lady, Lion Marie Chew. The event began with the arrival of our International guest, International Director Bob Corlew and his wife Lion Diane at the Philadelphia airport on the Friday before the ball. International Director Ted Reiver and his wife Lion Anne, Ball Chair Gil Krebs and Lion Kirt, and Lion Marie Chew and I greeted the Curlews' at the airport and then drove to the LEBDV (Lions Eye Bank of the Delaware Valley) for a luncheon there with the Eye Bank staff, the District Cabinet, and the Governor's Ball Committee. During the luncheon PID Gene Polger, showed a Power Point Click to Continue>>>

District Governor Ken Chew Lion Ken Chew is a retired grammar school teacher and administrator after 45 years at Saint Edmond's Academy for boys in Wilmington, Delaware. He and his wife, Marie, have been married for 45 years and have four grown children and seven grandchildren. One of Lions Ken & Marie Chew's children is Lion Lisa Clody. Their oldest grandchild is 27 years old and the youngest is now almost a year old. Lion Ken Chew joined the Claymont Lions Club for the first time in 1974 and was sponsored by Lion Frank Chubb. During this time he eventually chaired one of the club's main fund raising events, the Holiday Basketball Tournament which featured four local JV college teams. He left the club several years later when he began working on his Doctorate degree at Temple University. Lion Ken rejoined the Claymont Lions Club in 1991 being sponsored by Lion Virgil Frey. Since that time he has served as club president twice in 1997/1998 and 2008/2009. He has been Zone Chair, All-Star North Football Chairman, and he has served as Region 1 Chairperson. Lion has received a Melvin Jones, Jim McCarty, and Ralph Helm fellowships. He also received a Certificate of Appreciation in 2009-2010 from Eberhard J. Wirfs. Lion Ken has several other interests such as the Civil War. He has been a member of Appomattox Camp No. 2 since 1997 and served as Camp Commander of Appomattox Camp No. 2 from 1999 to 2003. He was also Maryland Department Commander in 2000-2001 year. He currently serves as the Commander of this camp and the Secretary/Treasurer for the Maryland Department, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. He is a new member of the Wilmington Civil War Round Table and he is a member of the Wilmington Memorial Day Parade Committee. Lion Ken is a member of Holy Rosary Parish and he is Chairperson of the Liturgy Committee. He also sings with the "Blue & Gray Voices" an alumni men's choir for his high school alma mater, St. James Catholic High School in Chester, PA. The school closed in 1992 but the alumni association is very strong and even has its own "Dog House" in nearby Eddystone, PA. The choir sings twice a month in various Delaware County Catholic Churches. (Please click to one side of the box to close)