by Bea Peterson
At its annual meeting at the Falls Diner on Thursday, June 4, the Town of Hoosick Lions Club honored Bill Gaillard with the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellowship, the highest honor that can be presented to a Lion. Outgoing President Everett Quackenbush said the Club selected Gaillard for this honor for his selflessness
and his astronomical commitment to public service. “He is a long time Lion; he is involved with the Fire Department and the Rescue Squad. He has been leader of the Community Band for 44 years. He was a teacher and had a ‘stellar’ bus driving career. For the past seven years he has been the Lions Club Band leader as well. He is more than willing to volunteer. He is a phenomenal attribute to the community and to the Lions Club.” Bill was surprised by the honor. He expressed his appreciation to the members and then related two stories as to why the Lions Club means so much to him.
Gaillard said that in 1955 he had a student in the percussion section who wouldn’t play at the right time. “Can’t you see when I want you to play?” Bill asked him. The student responded that he couldn’t, that the leader was a blur. Glasses for the student’s problem cost $750. “I asked each Lion member to kick in $20 and they did.” Years later Gaillard saw the student again, and the young man told him I can see today thanks to the Lions Club.
Another time the Lions committed to medicine and surgery for a person with an eye problem. The cost was $10,000, a cost the Club really couldn’t bear. The bill never came for the surgery. One of the Lions said, I played a round of golf with the surgeon and he lost. The person now has 20/20 vision.
The Melvin Jones fellowship was created in 1973. It is named for the Lions Club International (LCI) founder. It is an honor – not an award. The fellowship was established as LCI’s highest form of recognition to acknowledge an individual’s dedication to humanitarian service. The Town of Hoosick Lions Club made a commitment of $1,500 to Lions Clubs International for its “Campaign SightFirst II” Program. As a part of that donation process the Hoosick Lions Club was advised it was eligible for a Melvin Jones Fellowship. Quackenbush said the Club decided the honor should go to Bill.
Child Blindness
Worldwide one child goes blind every minute. Childhood blindness is only one part of the global vision crisis. If nothing is done, experts say that the world’s blind population could double from 37 million to 74 million by 2020.
According to its International website, “Lions will not allow, ‘nothing to be done’ because true to their commitment to be ‘Knights of the Blind’ Lions launched Campaign SightFirst II to prevent this tragedy. CSF II has exceeded the campaign challenge goal of $200 million to continue and expand the extraordinary work of SightFirst, Lions worldwide program to combat preventable blindness.”
Approximately 2.6 million people in West Africa are blind and around 75% of this blindness is preventable. However, the area is vastly under served. One of the Campaign SightFirst II projects is to build a surgical clinic in Korle Bu, Ghana, West Africa to combat blindness and to train others to serve and help prevent blindness throughout West Africa.
New President
At this annual meeting Everett Quackenbush reported that in the past year the Town of Hoosick Lions Club has supported SightFirst II, the HACA Christmas box program (including delivering many of the boxes), Guiding Eyes, a program that supplies dogs for the blind and the Empire State Special Needs Experience Camp. The Club held its annual Penny Hunt, sent members to the State Convention, supported the Youth Center, the Band group, Girl Scout Troop 1313 on their trip to Washington, DC, and held its 25th annual Road Race. The Club will present the Shapero Award at graduation. Two Dell laptop computers have been given to the Association for the Blind in Albany with voice activated software.
“It’s been a busy and productive year,” said Quackenbush. “I’ve been a Lion my whole life.” He recalled
attending meetings with his father. “This is a great Club, and I thank everyone for the hard work they have done. When I asked anyone to do something, it was done.” He thanked the Club members’ wives and their children for the time they have given up and for the support they have given. He then passed the gavel on to newly elected President Peter Church.