Club celebrates its 50th year

Past and present members gathered at Waroona’s Forest Edge Recreation Camp on March 30 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Waroona Lions Club.

More than 100 people attended the milestone event to acknowledge the achievements of the club and its members during the past half century.

This includes the club’s massive 30-year project to create the beach and diving platform at Drakesbrook Weir, a $96,500 project which began in 1969 and was finished in 2000.

Another project recognised was Jim’s Kitchen, the purpose-built kitchen at the Waroona Oval where the club cook for all their events.

“It was a great night,” club marketing and communications chairman John Clare said.

“We were able to acknowledge club members who have passed away or moved on to bigger and better things.

“And we had four of the club’s funniest ever ‘Tail Twisters’ telling stories of some club members’ antics over the years, which was a real highlight of the night.”

Club members Cyril Wood, Len Miller, Bob Slee, Burt Scott, Ray Steinbacher, Kevin Gardiner, Jim Deleo, Bill Rafferty, Larry Scott and Nick Stampone were all named as life members of the club, some of these posthumously.

Deceased club members Cyril Wood, Len Miller and Peter Fregon, as well as current members Phil Turner and Grant Hewitt, were awarded the prestigious Melvin Jones Award for displaying exceptional leadership qualities.

Mr Turner led the club through two years of bushfire recovery following the Waroona-Yarloop 2016 fires, and Grant Hewitt is the only club member to have become district govenor.