Go to the following sections on this page:
About the Lions
GLC Officers
GLC Directors/Liasons
History
Melvin Jones awards
Past Presidents
ID numbers and addresses
GLC (Greendale Lions Club) an IRS Section 501(c)(4) organization
GLF (Greendale Lions Foundation) an IRS Section 501(c)(3) organization
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Greendale Lions Calendar
About the Lions
Through events like the Family Fourth Fest, Village Days, Spring Fair, Hay Days/ Octoberfest, GHS Holiday Fair, and other fundraisers, the Greendale Lions award College Scholarships, helps the Greendale Public Library (large print books), Center for Blind & Visually Handicapped, Civic Improvements, sponsors the Easter Egg Hunt, supports the GHS Marching Band, collects used Eyeglasses and Hearing Aid Program, funds medical charities, Lions Park, and many other projects. We have been helping our beloved community of Greendale Wisconsin since 1956.
The Greendale Lions ( https://greendalelions.org/ ) meet once a month for a general membership dinner, for networking and fellowship, with interesting local guest speakers. We have been helping our beloved community of Greendale since 1956.
Our club is one of over 46,000 Lions clubs around the world. Together these clubs have 1.4 million members, in more than 200 countries around the world, making the Lions the world’s largest service club organization. Lions Clubs International (LCI) is an international service organization established originally in 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, by Melvin Jones. LCI is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Lions clubs around the world unite to fund projects in their local communities, along with contributions to the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) and locally to the Greendale Lions Foundation. These contributions lead to many wonderful humanitarian projects worldwide.
Regardless of what language they speak, religion they practice or politics they espouse, all Lions are dedicated to seeking out and helping those in need. The official motto of the Lions is simply “We Serve”. What better way to explain our mission?
If you would like to help your community and meet some nice friendly people,
Contact Membership Chair Pam Jankowiak at jankowiak@wi.rr.com, or talk to a smiling face wearing a Lions emblem.
Greendale Lions Club Officers for 2023-2024
President: Chad Simonis
Vice President: Karyn Birmingham
Secretary: Kelly Johnson
Treasurer: Elise Ciske
Past President:
Membership: Pam Jankowiak
Service Coordinator: Bob Jendrzejek
Club Activities Director: Ross Lloyd
PR/Marketing: Herbert Ripka
LCIF Coordinator: Kevin S Meyers
Tail Twister: Vera Simonis
Lion Tamer:
Directors/Liasons for 2023-2024
Blood Drive: Bob Jendrzejek
Eyeglasses: Bob Massey
Festival Co-Chairs: Joe Stansberry
Gazebo Bricks: Herb Ripka
Gift of Sight: Karyn Birmingham
Leo Club: Chris Sowa
Medical Transport: Ross Llloyd, Bob Massey, Bill Wymelenberg
PCC (Public Celebrations Committee): Bob Massey
Rummage On The Green: Herb Ripka
School Snack Initiative: Bob Jendrzejek
Scouts: Frank Bunker
Social Media: Herb Ripka
Sponsorship: Herb Ripka
Sunshine Committee: Marilyn Hanaan
History
The Lions Club Mission Statement is to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions Club service.
On November 10, 1955, a group of 27 Greendale men, under the sponsorship of the Cudahy Lions Club, received notice from Lions International that their request to form a club was accepted. A charter was granted on January 3, 1956, and the group assembled on February 18, 1956 to formally accept the charter. Charles Bates, the club’s first president, accepted the charter. The objectives of Lionism, unselfish service to its community, were well carried out is well attested by the club’s record. Help for the blind and the deaf, betterment of the community, improvement of the health and welfare of the citizenry, were among its goals then and continue to be today.
An annual Pancake Breakfast, which began on the Youth Memorial Building grounds in 1960. It continues to this day, currently in the high school cafeteria. That fundraiser supported the Lions Quest program in the schools for many years, and currently helps provide college scholarships.
Ever since the first dunking booth, the Lions have maintained a presence at 4th of July and Village Days celebrations. Staffing of amusements games on the high school grounds has evolved into the current well-provisioned beer garden adjacent to the Village Gazebo during the festivals. Sales of food and refreshments, along with a raffle and Rummage on the Green, has become the club’s main source of funds to support humanitarian efforts.
The longest running service project is the annual Easter Egg Hunt, dating back to 1965. Other projects over the years included installation of play equipment in Lions Park, participation in free vision screenings and conducting outings for the blind.
The club currently has a roster of over 70 members. During the club’s existence, nine members have been awarded Melvin Jones fellowships for their exceptional service to Lionism. The Greendale Lions Club is a club with a proud history and a promising future.
Be a part of the Greendale Lions. Join us.
Melvin Jones
Chicago business leader Melvin Jones asked a simple and world-changing question – what if people put their talents to work improving their communities? Thus, at his invitation, delegates from men’s clubs met in Chicago to lay the groundwork for such an organization and on June 7, 1917, Lions Clubs International was born.
Over 100 years later, Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization, with 1.35 million members in more than 45,000 clubs and countless stories of Lions acting on the same simple idea: let’s improve our communities.
Melvin Jones, the man whose personal code – “You can’t get very far until you start doing something for somebody else” – became a guiding principle for public-spirited people the world over.
Nine members of the Greendale Lions Club have been awarded Melvin Jones fellowships for their exceptional service to Lionism.
Gorden B. Von Gonten – 4/26/1984
Walter E. Rolfs – 9/06/1990
William Curtis – 4/01/1992
Donald M. Brezinski – 9/11/1995
Wayne T. Broeker – 5/22/1996
Robert Lee Drews – 6/10/1998
Thaddeus (Ted) L. Fennig – 12/06/2000
Lyle Dorow – 12/10/2005
Ray Schultz – 12/13/2007
Past Presidents
1955-1956 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charles Bates
1956-1957 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gerald Casey
1957-1958 . . . . . . . . . . . .Howard Lorenz
1958-1959 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Leo Hoyer
1959-1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leon Davis
1960-1961 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Daniel Casey
1961-1962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Frank Ellison
1962-1963 . . . . . . . . . Dr. A. Wisniewski
1963-1964 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Grych
1964-1965 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oscar Clinton
1965-1966 . . . . . . . . .Raymond Litke
1966-1967 . . . . . . . . .Robert Jodarski
1967-1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Muth
1968-1969 . . . . . . . . . .Emery Turner
1969-1970 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Kovacic
1970-1971 . . . . . . . . . . . .Ewald Endries
1971-1972 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Roland Huber
1972-1973 . . . . . . . . . . . . Norman Fons
1973-1974 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Kiesl
1974-1975 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Lapota
1975-1976 . . . . . . . . . James Zimmerman
1976-1977 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Donald Dahl
1977-1978 . . . . . . . . Gordon Von Gonten
1978-1979 . . . . . . . . Dean Nordstrom
1979-1980 . . . . . . . . Richard Buchner
1980-1981 . . . . . . .Eugene Schutzbach
1981-1982 . . . . . . . . ..David Kroscher
1982-1983 . . . . . . . . . . . . Quentin Zillig
1983-1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . …Walter Rolfs
1984-1985 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buzz Gomper
1985-1986 . . . . . . . . . . Ray Rentmeester
1986-1987 . . . . . . . . . . . . Elroy Winkels
1987-1988 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don Lonski
1988-1989 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Andy Forrest
1989-1990 . . . . . . . . . . . .Homer Hanson
1990-1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gilbert Smieja
1991-1992 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ray Chalupka
1992-1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Clinton
1993-1994 . . . . . . . . . . . William Curtis
1994-1995 . . . . . . . . . . . Wayne Broeker
1995-1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Drews
1996-1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ron Abel
1997-1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ted Fennig
1998-1999 . . . . . . . . . . Ray Rentmeester
1999-2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . Ronald Steffes
2000-2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ray Schultz
2001-2002 . . . . . . . . . . .Mary Ann Kovacic
2002-2003 . . . . . . . . . . .Richard Sturtevant
2003-2004. . . . . . . . . . . .Terry Morinelli
2004-2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Larry Schultz
2005-2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . Ronald Steffes
2006-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . Donald Johnson
2007-2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ken Czysz
2008-2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lyle Dorow
2009-2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ann Kovacic
2010-2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Schutte
2012-2013 . . . . . . . . . . Gary Jacobson
2013-2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Schutte
2014-2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Patzke
2015-2017 . . . . . . . . . Wayne Caufield
2017-2019 . . . . . . . . . Noelle Yanisch
2019-2021 . . . . . . . . .Richard Busalacchi
2021-2022 . . . . . . . . . . .Susan Bunker
2022-2023 . . . . . . . . .Danielle Reynders
2023-current . . . . . . . Chad Simonis
Greendale Lions – Addresses and Identification Numbers
Greendale Lions Club (GLC)
P.O. Box 241, Greendale, WI 53129
The Greendale Lions Club is an IRS Section 501(c)4 organization.
Telephone: 414-533-5135
Ident: 1630
Club: 010332
Lions of southeastern Wisconsin, District 27-A1
Region: 2
Zone: 2
Greendale Lions Foundation (GLF)
PO Box 524, Greendale, WI 53129
The Greendale Lions Foundation is a not for profit, IRS Section 501(c)3 organization.
GLF Grant Request Form
MEMBERSHIP: Be a part of the Greendale Lions. Join us.
Contact the Greendale Lions Club
Telephone: 414-533-5135
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