Pakeke Lions celebrate 40th

• Published date: 29 September 2022

The club was formed in September 1981 under the oversight of Te Awamutu Lions Club, and chartered in March 1982 with 33 members

Although some of the members were transfers from Te Awamutu Lions, many, including inaugural president Wim van Dongen, were not.

One of the earliest decisions made was that wives would be invited to meetings every second month.

Women could become members in their own right from the early 90s and the first member joined in 1996.

After this the club went from strength to strength.

In 1983 the club donated talking books to Tokanui Hospital and constructed picnic tables in the Rose Gardens.

In 1984 a clothes drier was donated to Tokanui Hospital.

The following year members sprayed weeds and then planted trees in the new Centennial Park off Rewi St. Lion Frank Mason was said to have selected and then placed almost every tree in this park.

In 1987 the club took over running the Christmas Stocking Raffle from Te Awamutu Lions. This was a large Christmas stocking made out of netting with a pipe frame.

That year prizes donated by local businesses included a BMX bike and an outboard motor. The club is ever grateful for the ongoing support shown by local businesses for this raffle.

The stocking reached the end of its life in 1995 and so from 1996 we used the sleigh which is still in use today.

All funds raised from this raffle is donated to local charitable groups — about $5000 to $8000 in a normal year. Unfortunately, last year the club could not hold the raffle due to COVID, so the amounts donated had to be reduced.

In 1992 a plaque was placed in the Te Awamutu i-Site Centre courtyard to mark the 10 year anniversary.

In 1998, the club numbered...