Kittanning Lions Honored for Service

 

by Jonathan Weaver

Lions Club International District 14-N honored a pair of Kittanning Lions during their Spring Convention.

Lions Dolores and Ted Croyle – who have been married the past 38 years – have been members since April 2004 and each won a separate award.

Dolores was named a “Melvin Jones Fellowship Recipient” (an award honoring the club’s international founder in 1917), and Ted a “Lions of Pennsylvania Foundation Fellowship” recipient.

Dolores found out she would receive the award (the highest award in the organization) in early-April but could not attend due to another engagement with the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.

“I knew the one person wanted to put my name in, and I said ‘You shouldn’t bother – I can’t be there,’” Dolores said. “It felt like an honor, but I also felt like I was letting Lions down since I couldn’t be there to accept it.”

She was recommended by Past District Governor (and fellow member) Tom Deal.

Dolores has previously served as club president and secretary and was on various committees. She has been involved for several years with the Peace Poster Contest and the Drug Awareness Poster Contest.

She has also been District 14-N Leo Club chairperson since 2012-13.

Ted (who said he found out about his award just before the convention) has served the Kittanning Lions twice as its president (most recently from 2012-14) and is a current director.

“We’re at just about every project,” Ted said.

Past District Governor Deal also presented Ted with the Fellowship award – which was established 30 years ago to assist through grants those afflicted with sensory impairment.
Dolores recalled that the couple – who both graduated from Kittanning Senior High - joined the Kittanning Lions after being invited to a perspective member banquet.

“It was something the two of us could do together,” Dolores said.

Both have also been honored as “Lion of the Year” and will continue in their leadership roles next year.

Dolores – a retired Armstrong School District teacher - and Ted – who retired from AK Steel in Butler and also worked at PPG in Ford City until it closed- have four grown children – Mike, Jeff, Jennifer and Scott –, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

District 14-N includes clubs from five counties.

There are seven Lions Clubs in Armstrong County: Apollo Area, Elderton, Ford City, Kittanning, Leechburg-Gilpin, Rural Valley and Worthington.

The Kittanning Lions, a group of about 30 members, meet during the summer months the first and third Thursdays of each month at Kittanning Community Park. The Lions built the first pavilion in the park.

Last week, the Lions presented a scholarship to a Lenape Tech student.

Lions also sponsor Leo Clubs in Apollo-Ridge Middle and High schools, Armstrong Junior/Senior High and West Shamokin Junior/Senior High.