Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • November 20, 2013 Area Trustees expected to approve Leo Club for school This week, the Upper Saddle River Board of Education is expected to vote on whether to establish a Leo Club for the seventh and eighth grade students at Cavallini School. (At press time, the school board’s vote was scheduled for Monday, Nov. 18.) The school club would be sponsored by the Lions Club, and the Cavallini chapter would be a companion organiza- tion to the Leo Club recently established at Northern High- lands Regional High School. Like Lions Clubs, Leo Clubs welcome male and female members. “We are most appreciative of the generous donation from the Saddle River Valley Lions Club. We look forward to using the money to establish a Leo social service club in our middle school and hope to impact our greater commu- nity in a positive manner,” USR Superintendent of Schools Dr. Monica M. Browne told Villadom TIMES. Saddle River Valley Lions Club President Jerry Michota explained that the Lions would be providing a stipend for the teachers who run the proposed club. “We’re trying to get a sense of community with the kids so they understand the importance of collecting for chari- ties such as Center for Food Action, or hosting other events to help the community,” Michota said. “We hope they will continue through the high school level, and when they get older, perhaps they will become Lions and continue that way.” Dr. David Verducci, Upper Saddle River School Board trustee-elect and chairman of the Saddle River Valley Lions Club’s Leo Committee, explained that the Lions’ effort at Northern Highlands was facilitated by Superintendent John Keenan. Verducci, the recently-retired superintendent in Glen Rock, and Keenan worked out the details to lay the groundwork for the club. When the regional school board approved the group’s establishment, teachers Bernice Rees- beck and Kim Hayes stepped up to serve as advisers. At this time, Verducci said over 20 students have signed up for the Highlands-based Leo Club and another 10 are involved in the application process. Alexandra Lesnik is the current club president, Clau- dia Carollo is vice president, Stella Wang is treasurer, and Samantha Wei is secretary. In January, the students will make a presentation to the SRV Lions Club regarding their current projects and their plans for the future. While conducting additional research into the Leo Club through Lions International, the local Lions learned that Leo Club members can be as young as 12. “We asked the Upper Saddle River Board of Educa- tion about establishing a club at the middle school, and the Saddle River Valley Lions approved it this month,” Ver- ducci said last week. If the board approves the establishment of Cavallini’s club, Verducci noted that its members would be able to “drop right into the high school club.” He added, “They will have built-in friends and sponsors at the high school.” Club members have a good deal of flexibility in their projects, Verducci said. “We (the Lions) don’t dictate what the projects are,” he said. The hope is for sight- or health- related projects, but students are encouraged to improve their local communities by meeting specific needs. “Our goal is to facilitate and encourage the value of ser- vice,” he added. He said teens do not attain instant adult- hood when they turn 18. As a result, he said students need early exposure to opportunities to made good decisions. According to the Lions Clubs International website, the Leo Club was launched in December 1957 by Lion Jim Graver, a baseball coach at Abington High School in Penn- sylvania. Graver worked with his fellow club member, Wil- liam Ernst, to get the club started at Abington High. The organization’s members created the Leo acronym, which originally signified leadership, equality, and opportunity. Equality was later changed to experience. A decade after the original Leo Club was formed, Lions Clubs International adopted this school-based community service effort as an official association program. Michota reported that there are now Leo Clubs in 139 countries. Last year, the SRV Lions Club was able to donate $80,000 to sight-related and other charities, Michota said. He explained, “Most of our money goes to St. Joseph’s School for the Blind in Jersey City and other sight-related organizations.” In April 2014, the local club will hold a celebration in honor of hitting the $2 million mark in donations since it was founded in 1958. For more SRV Lions Club information, visit www.srv- lions.org. The Saddle River Valley Lions Club serves five communities: Mahwah, Ramsey, Allendale, Saddle River, and Upper Saddle River. Meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Doubletree Hotel, 180 Route 17 South in Mahwah. New members are welcome. Simpson receives Paul Harris Award The Bergen Highlands/Ramsey Rotary Club recently presented Rotary’s Paul Harris Award to Pete Simpson of Mahwah. The award was presented to Simpson by Rotarian Bob Baron. Simpson is a past president of the Bergen Highlands/ Ramsey Rotary Club, and has served as a leader and active participant in many of the group’s projects over the years. Simpson is a resident of Ramsey. Paul Harris, in whose honor the prestigious award is given, was one of the founders of Rotary International when, in 1905, he invited several business colleagues to join him in charitable work. The Paul Harris Award is the (continued on page 17) Pictured: Pete Simpson (left) receives the Paul Harris Award from Bob Baron. (Photo courtesy of Tom Grissom.)