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Taylor Lions Club

1306 North Main Avenue
570-961-6032

History:

The Club Would Have The Honor For Two Members, Dominic DeAngelo, (1958-1959) And Joseph Canjar, (1980-1981) Served As District 14-H's Governors.
The Club Also Had Members Francis Scott, (1993-1994) And Joseph Conjar, (1995-1996) Received The Melvin Jones Fellowship Award For Dedicated Humanitarian Service From The Lions Club International Foundation. This Award Is The Highest Award In Lionism.

Over The Years, The Taylor Lions Club's Principal Fundraiser Has Been The Holiday Basketball Tournament That Features Both Girl's And Boy's High School Teams From Riverside School District And Surrounding Areas.

Despite Being A Relatively New Tournament, The Taylor Lions Club Tournament Is Already One Of The Premier Events Of Its Kind And Is The Only Area Tournament To Featured Both Girls And Boys Divisions.

Lions Eugene Evanish And His Brother Ted Evanish Have Co-Chaired The Tournament Since Inception.

Lion Joseph Roberts Was Club President, (1987), For The Inaugural Tournament And Team Contact Person Which He Serves To This Day.

The Most Prolific Lions For Ads For The Tournament's Ad Booklet Have Been Lions David Noakes & Chester Nerch.

The Taylor Lions Club Is Also The First Club In The History Of District 14-H To Have It's Club Pin Voted Number In The State Of Pennsylvania. Lion Francis Scott Designed The Winning Emblem, (1994).

The Taylor Lions Club Achived The #1 Club Award In District 14-H, (1969), While Lion President David Noakes, SR. Was In Office.

The Taylor Lions Club Has Taken An Active Role In District 14-H With Members Joe Canjar, (Past District Governor), Mike Cole, Gene King, Fran DeAngelo, Gene Evanish, Ted Evanish, Neil DeAngelo, Robert Thomas And Francis Scott All Serving In The District Cabinet In Recent Years.

Over The Years And Also For Many Years The Taylor Lions Club Sponsored Teams In The Taylor Little League, Taylor Girls Software Association, Boys Biddy Basketball League, T.C.C Girls Basketball League.

Boy Scout Troop 85, (1985), As Well As Cub Scout Pack 90, (1997) Are Sponsored By The Taylor Lions Club.

Also The Taylor Lions Junior Football Organization Was Named After The Club, (Which Sponsored It From 1970-2000). Lion Frank Messoline Was One Of The Primary Organizer's Of The Program, (1970), And Served As President, (1970-1975). While Lion Mike Krypel Was Primarily Responsible For Its Present Complex And Served As It's President From, (1975-1990).

The Taylor Lions Club In Conjunction With The R & L Civic Club, American Legion Post 306, The Taylor Borough Council & Waste Management Have Held An Easter Egg Hunt For The Youth Of The Community, (Since 1986).

Easter Bunnies Over The Years: Lion Donald McCloskey, Lion Lisa Scott Mekilo, Lion Joe Grasso, Linda Biggar, Michael Scott Mekilo.

Lion J. Dennis Kryzanowski Instituted At The Riverside JR. High School, In Our 46Th Anniversary Year, The Taylor Lions Scholarship Award, (2000). Part Of The Criteria For This Award Is That The Recipient Must Reside In Taylor, Be An Honor Roll Student, Be Active In The School And Community, Ect.

As A Participant Of The Lions Club International "World Lions Service Day" Traditionally Held In October. The Club Contributes Money And Manpower, (Lion Power). At Saint Francis Of Assisi Kitchen To Feed The Needy Of The County, (1986).

Past Leader Dog Chairman, Lion Francis Scott Initiated The Idea Of A Special Commemorative Patch That Celebrated Leader Dogs For The Blind's Sixtieth Anniversary, (1939-1999). The Thought Being All Lions Clubs Throughout The World Would Receive A Leader Dog Banner Patch For Any Monetary Donation To The School That Year, (1999).

District 14-H Lion's Eye Bank Came About When District Governor, Dominic DeAngelo Arranged A Meeting Scheduled For September 5, 1958 At The Moosic Lions Youth Center.

District 14-H Hearing Committee's Annual Visit To The Scranton School For The Deaf Was Began In District Governor Joe Canjar's Term, (1980-1981) It Continues Today. (2006).

Lion Merwyn Howells was Instrumental With The Inception Of The Sgt. Seymore Program, A Program Sponsored By The The Lackawanna Blind Association For Third Grade Students To educate Them In Regard To Sight Conservation And Eye Safety Which Concluded With A Poster Contest.

The Providing Of The Traditional Lion's Green Jacket With The Pennsylvania Crest Along With The A Lion's Tie To Newly Installed Presidents Was The Idea Of Lion Dr. John Rooney It Continues To This date, (2006).

Lion Bill Nash, (Head Chef) Was In Charge For One Of Our Club's Major Fund Raisers For Over Ten Years Which Was The Annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast, Began In 1980. It Was Held At The Riverside JR. SR. High School. Lion J. Dennis Kryanowski Was Ticket Chairperson.

Our First District 14-H Lions Eye Bank Banner Patch For The Most Cornea Eye Pledge Cards In A year Was Achieved During Lion President John Souter's Year, (1992). The Club Over The Years Has Provided Eye Glasses For Senior Citizens And Other Needy Citizens Of The Community.

The Eye Glasses Program Today, (2005), Has Expanded To Providing Eye Glasses To Third World Countries Thanks To A Suggestion By Lion Neil DeAngelo, (2005 Business Meeting), And The Follow-Up By Lion Tom Leonard. Neil Made The Suggestion That The Club Contact The Post Office And Inquire Into Getting A Mail Box To Deposit Eye Glasses. The Mail Box Is Similar To The Type Of Mail Boxes Found On Street Corners But Has Different Colors. Lion Tom Leonard Contacted The Post Office And Arranged To Have A Mail Box Dropped Off At Albrecht & Son Garage, (425 North Main Street. Taylor, Pa).

David Albrechit Not Only Painted The Mail Box Once, (At No Cost To The Club), But Picked The Mail Box Up A Second Time, Because The Box's Colors Were Confusing People Who Were Placing Mail In It, And Painted It A Second Time, (At No Cost To The Club). The Mail Box Is Currently Located Next To What Was, (The Brewers Outlet Located In The Taylor Price Chopper's Center.) Tom The Owner Of The Brewers' Outlet Allowed Us To Place The Mail Box Next To His Business,

Lion Tom Leonard Also Sorts & Boxes The Eye Glasses Collected And Drops Them Off At Lens Crafters, Located In The Viewmount Mall, Who Cleans Them Up And Distributes Them To Third World Countries. To Date, (2007) Over 2000 Pairs Of Glasses Have Been Collected And Distributed To Third World Countries.

While President, Lion Tom Leonard Also Arranged To Replace Aging International Lions Club's Highway Signs. The Current Location Of The New Signs Are On The Island Next To Marsico's RestaurantThe Little Tax Shop, (North Main Street, Taylor). The Second Sign Is located Across The Street On The Property Of The 286 Corporation, (Keyser Ave, Taylor).

In addition To The Eye Glasses And Highway Signs Lion Tom Leonard Created This Web Site And Arranged To Have It Stored On The Scranton Times' Server Under Community Web Pages For Non-Profit Organizations. Because Of Restrictions On The Times' Server Lion Tom Leonard Moved And Updating The Club's Web Page, With The Help Of Gerry Dombroski, To A Different Server.

Placing The Club's Web Page On A Different Server Will Enable Lion Tom Leonard To Add Features That He Couldn't use While On The Times' Server. The Web Page Is Done (Free Of Cost To The Club.) Lion Tom Leonard Hopes This Web Will Become A Great Resource Of Information For The Taylor Lions Club.

Also Since It's Begining The Club Has Provided Wheelchairs, Commodes, Walkers, Crutches And Canes & Personal Safety Items For All Citizens Of The Community. Lion Mike Cole Has Stored And Maintained These Items, (1992).

We Have Sent Youth Of The Community To Beacon Lodge For Their Diabetic Condition And Education Purpose.

In Addition To The Local Projects The Taylor Lions Club Participate In Sight Projects Characteristic Of State, National And International Lions Clubs

The Top Four Lions To Sponsor New Members Into The Club Are Lion David Noakes, (34 New Members) Lion Dominic DeAngelo, (20 New Members), Lion Michael Krypel, (17 New Members), And Lion Francis Scott, (17 New Members).

Rev. A. Merle Davis And Sons Robert, William And David Were The First Family,(1993), To Join The Club, (1992 For Lion Merle). All Of The Family Were Sponsored By Lion Gene Evanish.

Lion Lisa Scott Mekilo Is The First Lady To Join The Taylor Lions Club, (2001), She Was Sponsorted By Her Father Lion Francis Scott. Also Lion Lisa Scott Mekilo Was The First Lady Lion To Be Elected To An Office Of The Taylor LIons Club, (President).

Since The Club Started Back In 1954. There Has Been A Total Of Two Hundred & Fifty Seven Residence Of Taylor Who Were Members, At One Time Or Another, Of The Taylor Lions Club.