Two long-time members of the Estevan Lions Club were honoured at a meeting on November 22.

John Fowler and Allan Senchuk were presented with pins, plaques and an assortment of other gifts in honour of 50 years of service to the club and the community.

Fowler said he joined the Lions club because he believed he needed to improve his public speaking skills after he started working for Investors' Group.

“I found out that this is where I should have been all the time. I never thought about quitting. I have often thought that maybe they should kick me out,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.

Senchuk said he has never regretted joining the Lions. He has fond memories of fundraisers, conventions and the opportunities he had to be involved in the club and the community.

"There are a lot of things, both big and small, that happened and kept me interested in the Lions club," said Senchuk.

A large crowd was on hand to congratulate Fowler and Senchuk on their milestones. Among the guests were members of other clubs, district governor Dennis Becker of Burstall and international director Marvin Chambers of Fillmore.

Chambers has known Fowler for many years, since Fowler used to live in Fillmore. Chambers applauded the 50 years of service and efforts of Fowler and Senchuk, along with their spouses, to make the Lions meetings and events so much fun.

Becker said Fowler and Senchuk have witnessed many changes to the Lions in the last 50 years: the inception of the Lions Club International Foundation; the creation of programs to combat preventable blindness and the measles, and the introduction of emergency grants.

Becker noted that southeast Saskatchewan benefitted from emergency grants when floods hit earlier this year.

Among the others who paid tribute to Senchuk and Fowler were current Lions Club member Nathan Duncan and former Estevan resident Dan Claypool. Claypool was Senchuk's sponsor. Claypool was also a member of the local club from 1961 until he moved to Devon, Alberta, in 1970.

Becker made a couple of other presentations. He handed out pins to all the club presidents in attendance. And he presented a life membership for the Lions Eye Bank to local Lion Jim Vermeersch.