[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 35 (Tuesday, March 18, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO CAPITOL LIONS CLUB

 Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, ever since the pioneer 
days, when entire communities would gather to help in the building of a 
barn, Oregon has had a rich tradition of neighbor helping neighbor. 
This heritage of neighbor helping neighbor is alive and well in 
countless Oregon cities and towns.
  I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding example of the 
difference that can be made through volunteerism. The Capitol Lions 
Club, along with other Lions Clubs in the Salem-Keizer area, are 
helping our young people learn about patriotism through a project where 
small flags are presented to first-grade students.
  Capitol Club members buy lumber, cut it into small blocks, drill 
holes in the blocks, put Lions' decals on them, and place small 4- by 
6-inch flags in them. Lions members then go in to classrooms, to 
present the flag to students, along with a presentation on the 
importance of a flag, and a brochure on flag history and etiquette.
  This year, 2,575 first-graders and their teachers in Oregon public 
and private schools will benefit from this outstanding program. As one 
Salem first grade teacher said, ``The children are very excited to have 
their own little flags to take home. They have their special little 
places for them, I know that it is still real important to them.''
  Mr. President, I'm proud to be one of those Americans who feel 
something stir in my heart everytime I see our flag flying in the wind. 
What better way to ensure a bright future for our country than by 
ensuring that the timeless value of patriotism is alive and well in our 
young people.
  Mr. President, I am proud to salute the Capitol Lions Club of Salem, 
OR, for a job well done. I ask that an article from the Salem 
Statesman-Journal detailing this project be printed in the Record, in 
the hopes that other organizations around the country might undertake a 
similar project.
  The article follows:

                   Lions Club Offers Lesson On Flags

                            (By Hank Arends)

       The members of area Lions clubs have a community project 
     that they believe is worth saluting.
       For more years than anyone can remember, club members 
     annually have presented a program on the U.S. flag to first-
     graders. They give the students their own flag on a wooden 
     base with the Lion's insignia and a brochure on flag history 
     and etiquette.
       This year, 2,575 first-graders and their teachers in area 
     public and private schools received the 4-by-6-inch flags, 
     said Ralph Jackson, community coordinator. And the kids loved 
     them.
       ``They were very excited to have their own little flags to 
     take home,'' said Katie Keisey, a first-grade teacher at Lake 
     Labish Elementary School.
       ``They have their special little places at home for them. I 
     know that it is still real important to them.''
       Those who do the distribution love it, too.
       ``It makes me feel so good that those little kids were so 
     receptive,'' said Viola Laudon of the Keizer club.
       ``They give us such comments as, `Oh, I love you. Thank you 
     for the flag. I'm taking good care of my flag.' '' Laudon 
     said of a large card she received from students at the Keizer 
     Christian School.
       ``This is an idea that started in Arizona, and somehow we 
     heard about it and thought it might be OK,'' Jackson said.
       The club members try to make their school visits in 
     February, around the birthdays of presidents Washington and 
     Lincoln.
       The local clubs and a lot of others get their flag sets 
     from the Capitol Lions Club. Joe Carson is chairman of the 
     production and marketing of 26,000 to 27,000 flags a year in 
     Oregon and as far away as Pennsylvania.
       ``It is kind of an Americanization project. We came up with 
     the idea 15 to 17 years ago as a fund-raising project,'' 
     Carson said.
       The Capitol members sell the sets at 65 cents each to other 
     clubs and make $6,000 to $7,000 annually for such Lion's 
     projects as assistance to the hearing impaired and blind, 
     Carson said.
       Capitol Club members buy the lumber, cut it into small 
     blocks, drill the holes, put Lion's decals on them and finish 
     them. They also reproduce the brochure that goes with each 
     set.
       The participating clubs are Capitol, Keizer, Salem 
     Downtown, Northeast, South Salem and West Salem. Frank 
     VonBorstel was area chairman of the flag distribution for at 
     least 10 years.
       ``We want to interest the young people and provide the 
     chance for them to learn something about patriotism and the 
     flag,'' Von-Borstel said.
       Lion Kelly Freels tells of Lions members who served in the 
     Korean War and try to tell the first-graders what the flag 
     means to them.
       ``They tell them how when they came back to base and saw 
     the U.S. flag flying, they knew they were safe. It also gives 
     us an opportunity to get out in the schools and see what is 
     going on,'' Freels said.

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