50 Years and Still Going Strong
The Fonthill Lionette Club was formed on October 5, 1970. Our Installation dinner was held at the Fonthill Legion on November 09,1970 with 14 members forming the Club. The Cost for the chicken dinner was $2.50. Fenwick Lionettes sponsored our Club. At that time in order to be a member you had to be the spouse, daughter, mother, sister, aunt or niece of a Lions member to join.
On October 28,1989 we joined International and our name was changed to Fonthill Lioness. Our charter night dinner was at the Fonthill Legion, 16 members were inducted. Lioness Margaret Whittaker was the A-2 President and Wayne MacDonald was the District Governor. Our dues to International at that time were $2.50.
Our dues in 1970 $1.00 a year. Our very first fundraiser was a raffle on a $20.00 gift certificate from a local ladies dress shop. The tickets sold for 10 cents each 3 for 25 cents and we had a profit of $119.00.
Over the years we have done many service projects such as tying Quilts for Camp Dorset, volunteering at the gift shop of Welland Hospital, feeding patients in Homes for the aged, served punch at the senior public school graduation, for many years served lunch to over 100 seniors one Wednesday a month, donated funds to the town Halloween Party, collected new unwrapped toys, mitts and toques from the Lioness and Lions to donate to Pelham Cares at Christmas and collected small blankets for Project Linus. We have also purchased glasses for many children and youth who could not afford them. We purchased many supplies for the Kitchen at the hall including an industrial mixer and a dishwasher. We also helped pay for the renovations to the Hall. We have purchased 2 Canine Vision Dogs and have just about enough money to buy another one.
Fund raisers were varied Card Parties, Pie booth at the Lions Carnival, held a Miss Fonthill Lions Queen Contest for 9 years, fashion shows, craft and bake sales, sold poinsettias and sold Christmas Cakes. Our three major fundraiser are catering the Fonthill Lions dinner meeting which we started doing in January of 1980, making Turkey pies 2 years we made over 2000 one year but now do about 800 and our Teddy Bears Picnic that we have been hosting since 1998.In the beginning we gave prizes for Teddy Bears that were dressed according to our theme but the last few years everyone brings a bear and then we donate them all to Emergency services.
Over the years we attended many of Fenwick Lioness Madd Hatter Tea Parties, Beamsville’s Hobo Nights, Stamford’s Bingos, Chippawa’s Palm Sunday Brunch, Port Colborne’s Witches Covent, Fall Rallies and Inter Clubs and of course Friendship Conventions just to name a few.
In our early years we had a Pot Luck Supper every October with Welland and Fenwick Lioness this eventually turned into our Teddy Bears Picnic. For over 40 years we have hosted our Lions and spouses and our Husbands at our Annual Christmas Pot Luck Supper.
It’s been a great 50 years it’s just to bad that the Pandemic kept us from celebrating our 50th Anniversary.
Fonthill was proud to have two MDA Presidents Lioness Eleanor Arbour 2000-2001 & 2007- 2008 and Lioness Ruth Newel 2005 -2006. As well we had many serve on various capacities on the A-2 Cabinet.
It is sad to see the Lioness Program come to a close but we are going to revert to our original name Lionettes and carry on as usual.