The Sept. 16 meeting of the Moody Lions Club was an eventful meeting. The Doris Stanley Memorial Library Director Patsy Spradley served as the guest speaker. Immediately following her program Gary and Linda Ferguson became members of the world’s largest service organization by becoming members of Moody’s local club.

Lion Pres. Jane Barker introduced Gary and Linda Ferguson and invited them and their sponsor Lion David Moran to the podium. Before the induction ceremony Pres. Barker shared a brief history of Lions Club International and of the Moody Club. Lion David Moran assisted in presenting their pins and certificates of membership. With this installation the Moody Lions Club has 48 members. New members are always welcome and are needed for a club to flourish. As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

It was reported that the annual eye screening at Moody Middle School had been successful. On Sept. 11 Lions Jane and Vernon Barker, Nancy Becker, Linda Coleman, Vince Eiser, Larry and Linda Golden, Gloria Gragg, Ann Leithauser, David McGowen and Linda Moran along with the two employees from Alabama Lions Sight screened 395 students. Those screened were the 4th and 6th grade students. The results of the screening required 47 letters to be sent to the parents advising them a professional eye exam was needed for their child. The letter also informed parents if assistance was needed due to no insurance to contact the club sight chair.

Since 1925 Lions have worked on sight programs aimed at preventable blindness. That was the year Helen Keller addressed the Lions at their International Convention and challenged Lions to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness”. Lions accepted that challenge and it remains today as one of their global causes.

The Moody Lions Club motto is “We Serve.” Moody Lions Club and all Lions Clubs in 210 countries have common global causes. This year the global causes include: Diabetes — they serve to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and to improve quality of life for those diagnosed; Vision: they serve to prevent avoidable blindness and improve quality of life for people who are blind and visually impaired; Hunger: they serve to ensure all community members have access to nutritious foods; Environment: they serve to sustainable protest and restore the environment to improve the well-being of all communities; and Childhood Cancer: they serve to help those affected by childhood cancer survive and thrive.

To learn more about the Moody Lions Club visit their booth at the Moody Oktoberfest, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Moody City Park. They will have $5 raffle tickets, $10 cookbooks and information on their Diabetes Walk. “Elvis” may be coming to Moody in February.