On the evening of February 14, members of the Chestertown Lions Club and Chestertown Rotary Club held a joint meeting with spouses and significant others while enjoying a St. Valentine’s Day dinner at the Chester River Yacht & Country Club. This event rekindled a tradition of joint meetings and camaraderie between two of Kent County’s oldest service organizations.
Andy Meehan, President of the Rotary Club, remarked, “when Wayne Benjamin invited the Rotarians to join the Lions for their St. Valentine’s dinner I immediately accepted. I was aware that the tradition of joint meetings had been in hiatus for several years and wanted to renew that bond. Our Clubs have many mutual friends as members and we have a long history of working together on projects, including most recently in coordinating bell-ringing in Kent County for the Salvation Army during the holiday season.”
Wayne Benjamin, President of the Lions Club, noted that “both Clubs enjoy rich legacies as service organizations and providing thousands of dollars each year to support local worthy causes. Our organizations’ missions are similar: to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace, and promote international understanding, with a commitment to service, fellowship, diversity, integrity, and leadership.”
During the dinner, Dr. Benjamin and Mr. Meehan provided updates on their respective Clubs’ exciting service projects and upcoming fundraising programs. Following dinner, guest speakers Janet Christensen-Lewis and Elizabeth Watson, members of the Board of Directors of the Kent Conservation & Preservation Alliance, provided an informative presentation on the Maryland Transportation Authority’s pending and fast-moving study of a new bridge across the Chesapeake Bay. Their message of concern was that if a new bridge and supporting new roads are permitted to go directly through Kent County, that would destroy its rural character and irrevocably change the landscape and culture of Kent County and the lives of every citizen.
The gathering concluded the evening with recitations of the Rotary Four-Way Test and the Lions Club Roar, and a pledge to meet again.
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