History of the Watertown Lions Club
"History of the
Watertown Lions Club" from A Brief History of
Lionism in Connecticut 2007 Edition. See website of the
history book at www.lionwap.com/cthistorylionism
Past Presidents of the Watertown Lions
Club
1949 - ANTHONY J. BRODY
1950 - WILLARD A. BOOTH
1951 - DUDLEY W. ATWOOD
1952 - SHERMAN R. SLAVIN
1953 - REGINALD E. MATTHAIS
1954 - JOHN C. ROWELL
1955 - HENRY L. LONG JR
1956 - HARRY D. FINLEY III
1957 - ARTHUR R. SCHREIER
1958 - DR. JAMES F. MARTIN
1959 - JAMES H. DAMERY
1960 - KENNETH R. BERGLUND
1961 - JOSEPH W. MOODY JR
1962 - DR. VINCENT A. DIZINNO
1963 - DR. HERMAN MARGGRAFF
1964 - SYDNEY B. RUDDER
1965 - JOSEPH A. BUONO
1966 - THOMAS D. ROSA
1967 - WILLIAM F. SCULLY
1968 - BERNARD C. BEAUCHAMP
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1969 - MILTON GREENBLATT
1970 - FRANCIS BATTELLI
1971 - RAYMOND M. DONOHOE
1972 - WILLIAM B. OWEN
1973 - EDWARD W. KALITA
1974 - JOSEPH A. CIANCIOLO
1975 - JOHN R. SULLIVAN
1976 - DONALD R. MARTELL
1977 - WILLIAM F. GILLETTE
1978 - WILLIAM E. TAYLOR
1979 - FRANCIS A. DATELLE
1980 - JOHN C. COOK
1981 - BERNARD C. BEAUCHAMP
1982 - RICHARD O. CLARK
1983 - ROBERT H. LABONNE
1984 - RALPH BARIL
1985 - JOSEPH RAIMO
1986 - PETER C. MCHALE
1987 - RENE J. DESCOTEAUX
1988 - ALLAN W. DODGE |
1989 - RONALD M. BLANCHARD
1990 - ALAN R. BLUM
1991 - ANTHONY J. VARUOLO
1992 - O’NEIL ST.ONGE
1993 - PHILIP P. GRAYEB
1994 - JOHN J. BARRETT
1995 - RICHARD FELICIANI
1996 - ROBERT RICCIO
1997 - DAVID W. JEAN
1998 - GREGORY RUTLEDGE
1999 - WALTER BERTOTTI
2000 - STEPHEN BORMOLINI
2001 - JOEL LABONTE
2002 - CRAIG A. LAMPHIER
2003 - KATHLEEN HANSON
2004 - ANTHONY RENZONI
2005 - ANDREW GIONTA
2006 - JAMES FLOYD
2007 - GEORGE T. PORTO |
Melvin Jones Fellows
1987 - RICHARD O. CLARK
1988 - WILLIAM E. TAYLOR
1989 - BERNARD C. BEAUCHAMP
1990 - ROBERT H. LABONNE
1990 - HENRY L. LONG
1991 - JOSEPH W. MOODY JR
1991 - DANIEL A. UITTI
1992 - DONALD C. ATWOOD
1992 - PETER C. MCHALE
1993 - GEORGE H. WILBER
1993 - ALLAN W. DODGE
1994 - RAYMOND WEST
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1994 - RONALD M. BLANCHARD
1995 - GREGORY RUTLEDGE
1995 - O’NEIL ST.ONGE
1996 - ANTHONY VARUOLO
1996 - RUSSELL MARCY
1996 - PHILIP GRAYEB
1997 - RICHARD HARRIS
1997 - JOHN J. BARRETT
1998 - DEWEY H. FRENGER
1998 - ANDREW GIONTA
1999 - DAVID W. JEAN
1999 - RICHARD FELICIANI |
2000 - RAYMOND ZAWISLAK
2000 - DONALD MARTELL
2001 - WALTER BERTOTTI
2002 - ROBERT MINICUCCI
2002 - RUDY GRAZIANO
2003 - ROGER CHACE
2004 - HERB KING
2005 - JOEL LABONTE
2006 - STEVEN BORMOLINI
2006 - CRAIG A. LAMPHIER
2007 - KATHLEEN HANSON
2008 - GEORGE PORTO |
Lion of the Year
1983 - RENE DESCOTEAUX
1984 - JOSEPH RAIMO
1986 - ALLAN DODGE
1987 - WILLIAM TAYLOR
1988 - GREGORY RUTLEDGE
1989 - O’NEIL ST.ONGE
1990 - PETER MCHALE
1991 - O’NEIL ST.ONGE |
1992 - RONALD BLANCHARD
1993 - PHILIP GRAYEB
1994 - ANTHONY VARUOLO
1995 - O’NEIL ST.ONGE
1996 - WALTER BERTOTTI
1997 - RONALD BLANCHARD
1998 - GREGORY RUTLEDGE
1999 - KATHLEEN HANSON |
2000 - TINA BERTOTTI
2001 - KENNETH DEREGO
2002 - GEORGE PORTO
2003 - DAVID JEAN
2004 - ANDREW GIONTA
2005 - STEVEN QUADRATO
2006 - RUDY GRAZIANO
2007 - PETER C. MCHALE |
Helen Keller's 1925 Address to the
International Convention Lions
| “I am knocking
at your door. I want to be adopted. I appeal to
you, you who have your sight, your hearing, you
brave and strong and kind. Will you not constitute
yourselves knights of the blind in this crusade
against darkness?” |
Knights
of the Blind
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1991 - Allan Dodge
1992 - O’Neil St.Onge
1993 - Ronald Blanchard
1994 - Anthony Varuolo
1995 - Richard O. Clark
1996 - Daniel A. Uitti |
1997 - William E. Taylor
1998 - Bernard Beauchamp
1999 - Walter Bertotti
2000 - Peter McHale
2001 - Tina Bertotti
2002 - John J. Barrett |
2003 - Kenneth DeRego
2004 - Robert LaBonne
2005 - David Jean
2006 - Andrew Gionta
2007 - Craig A. Lamphier
2008 - Joel Labonte |
Connecticut Ambassador of Sight Low Vision Award
2002 - Peter McHale
2003 - Anthony Varuolo
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2006 - O’Neil St.Onge
2008 - Herb King |
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History of the Watertown Lions
Club
The Watertown Lions Club was organized October 25, 1949
under the sponsorship of the Waterbury Lions
Club. Their many fundraising projects assist the community
throughout the year. These events include a food
booth at the town’s fall festival, a bowling tournament,
a Christmas tree sale, a golf tournament in May, and
a
lobster sale on Fathers Day weekend. The club also participates
in a number of District and Multiple District
events such as the “Shoot Out” for diabetes
and Lions Sight Saver Day.
The Watertown Lions Club shows its commitment to area
youth by providing eyeglasses to needy school
children, sponsorship and support of the Gordon C. Swift
Middle School Leo Club, Watertown High School
Scholarships, and the Al Dodge Outstanding Youth Citizen
Award, named in memory of Past District Governor
Alan Dodge. A fishing derby is also held on a well-stocked
private pond for “Special Citizens” in April.
The Watertown Lions also provide Easter baskets on Good
Friday to many of the town’s needy families.
The service activities of the Watertown Lions Club are
enhanced by a group of retired Lions under the name
of
the LOFPC. Contrary to popular belief, the group is
officially called the “Lions Old Fellows Professional
Craftsmen.” This group raises funds and provides
many free and low cost services to residents of Watertown-
Oakville. Painting the stage at the Watertown High School,
and dismantling and reconstructing the Old Nova
Scotia Hill School are but a sample of the projects.
Assistance is provided to the elderly in a number of
areas. A free breakfast is provided to the seniors at
the
Watertown Senior Center each fall and the “Life-Line”
alert system is provided to a number of elderly citizens
in town.
The most memorable project of the club was providing
assistance to a woman who was facing blindness as a
result of a rare retina degenerative disease. The club
assisted her by meeting costs that were not covered
by her insurance, as she underwent experimental eye
surgery in Cleveland. Several other Lions Clubs in Connecticut
also provided assistance.
Following more than a year of treatment, the club received
the good news that she no longer needed to use a
white cane, and with her returning sight, could achieve
independence and returned to work.
The Watertown Lions Club is proud to say, WE SERVE!
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