[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 46 (Thursday, April 23, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN HONOR OF THE ANNANDALE LIONS CLUB

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 23, 1998

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the Annandale Lions Club, a truly outstanding organization that has 
served Annandale, Virginia for fifty years. The Club overcame initial 
obstacles to become a great fixture in our community, providing 
valuable support wherever the Lions saw a need.
  The Annandale Lions Club received its Charter in 1948 when Annandale 
was a tranquil rural community. The Club was off to a rocky beginning. 
By the end of the first year, membership had waned from thirty to 
twelve members, meeting attendance was poor, and the club's finances 
were in disarray. The Club's future looked precarious as Lions 
International District leadership discussed revoking the Club's 
Charter.
  The Club's remaining members, along with several new members rallied 
in a valiant effort to save the Club. Under the new leadership of 
Erskine ``Erk'' Worden as President and Victor Ghent as Secretary-
Treasurer, the Club began a legacy of service to the community which 
continues to this day.
  Throughout its fifty year history, the Annandale Lions Club has 
embraced the Lions philosophy of ``We serve''. The Club's numerous 
activities have benefitted youth, community betterment, and healthcare. 
Noteworthy projects from the early years include providing playground 
equipment and furnishing a clinic for the old Annandale Elementary 
School, the endowment of a then-maternity ward at Fairfax Hospital, 
supplying yellow school patrol raincoats with hats or hoods to twelve 
or thirteen elementary schools, supplying bleacher seats to Annandale 
High School when it opened in 1953, and later providing financial help 
with the athletic field lighting system.
  Many projects helped transform rural Annandale to the bustling 
suburban area it is today. During the early years, the Club provided a 
map to the local Fire Department to facilitate prompt responses to 
emergencies. The map was updated yearly to reflect Annandale's rapid 
growth. In 1959, the Lions embarked on a project to install street 
signs at all unmarked intersections, until the County began to install 
street signs County-wide about six years later.
  Around 1960, the Annandale Post Office and Annandale Fire Department 
were in need of a street numbering system to aid in locating houses. 
Lion Merlin ``Mac'' McLaughlin, a land-surveyor then in private 
practice, volunteered to work with the Postmaster to develop a house 
numbering system for the entire Annandale postal area that could 
accommodate urban growth. Fairfax County implemented the 9-1-1 system 
in 1970 requiring that houses be numbered. Due to the effective system 
that the Lions Club had created, Annandale was allowed to retain the 
existing house numbers and the system was expanded throughout the 
County.
  As the community changed and evolved over the years, the Club's 
service activities have adjusted to meet the changing needs and 
priorities of the community. Some of the numerous Club projects over 
the years include sponsoring or co-sponsoring a scout troop, sponsoring 
ball teams in Little League and Babe Ruth League, constructing the 
children's playhouse at the Annandale Christian Community for Action's 
(ACCA) Day Care Center and landscaping the ACCA Elder Care Center, 
providing Leader Dogs and service dogs to community members, collecting 
and sending food and clothing to disaster areas around the country, and 
providing chairs and landscaping to the George Mason Library. In 
addition, the Annandale Lions Club supports a number of projects 
benefitting sight and hearing screening and research, including the 
Virginia Lions Eye Institute for which they recently purchased a Fundus 
camera to take Fluorescein angiograms of the retina.
  Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in thanking each and every 
Annandale Lion for their hard work and dedication to helping others in 
making Annandale a great place to live. I wish the Annandale Lions Club 
continued success in all of its future endeavors.

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