An evening well spent in Hanover, Pa.
Back on the Lions Club beat. (See Feb. 24 post, “Susquehanna Lions fight to keep streak going in Mount Wolf.”)
This time, I traveled to Hanover to present York County’s World War II story to members.
Hanover is an appropriate place for such a presentation because the death toll from that town alone topped 40 men in uniform. One Hanover-area family — the family of John Bennett — sent eight sons off to war and a ninth son served after the war ended.
The war drew the Hanover community together, and several Hanover Lions members were among those who served.
The current Hanover club president, Roger Leister, was one of those. He flew 35 bomber combat missions over Europe. He survived two crash landings. He knows he was fortunate. Many of his crew members didn’t come back.
He told me that he always paused for prayer before each mission, and he’s not a bit reluctant to say so.
Moments such as that with Roger Leister make long evenings on the speaking circuit worthwhile… .
These evenings also keep the newspaper editor in touch with readers and often bring story ideas.
That happened in Hanover.
As the club conducted its business meeting, members discussed the location of a collection box where members of the public can donate their used eyeglasses. These eyeglasses are sent to centers where they are cleaned, repaired and classified according to prescription. http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/vision_eyeglass_recycling.shtml
Here’s the story idea: The collection point at the North Hanover Mall attracts an extraordinary 500-600 eyeglasses every two weeks.
The collector must use two garbage bags to collect them — one bag is too heavy to carry.
The club is working with Wal-Mart for another collection point. Members are eyeing one of those mailboxes no longer in use. The club will need to refurbish and paint the box, but that’s the type of quiet work the Hanover Club — and numerous other such civic organizations — does.
Look for a story on this soon in the York Daily Record/Sunday News.
Such was an evening well spent in Hanover, Pa.
