The Sanford Lions Club learned some fascinating facts about man’s (and woman’s) best friend at its regular meeting Thursday, March 26. Guest speaker was Jim Pitts of Olivia, a professional dog tracker and trainer of dogs used to locate lost animals. He is a tracking judge and vice president of the American Kennel Club.
Accompanying Pitts was his skilled partner, Sabre, an eight-year-old Doberman Pincher whose innate intelligence and powerful sense of smell are beyond anything a human can understand or describe, Pitts said. He said the training process is much more the human learning from the canine rather than vice-versa.
He described several of the duo’s 29 successful search missions, all done without charge, but with great gratitude and appreciation of animal lovers. Most of their queries have been dogs, cats and horses. Their experience shows that animals leave a distinct “leaving scent” when moving away from their home environment and this can be detected by tracking animals. Many lost animals will remain in the general area of their home.
Such was the case of a lost Golden Retriever in the Chapel Hill area several years ago. Pitts, Sabre, and the lost dog’s owners searched a wide area, finding a likely hiding place used by the dog behind a horse barn—but no sighting of the dog. But the fresh owner’s scent in the area led the lost dog home by the next morning, Pitts said. Sabre also tracked a lost horse to a remote rural road where police found trailer tracks. Stolen by horse thieves, the tire tracks helped solve the case and return of the animal.
Pitts took many questions from club members. Asked about the Doberman’s reputation as a vicious dog, he said all breeds of dogs are a product of training and care. Just as with children, dogs will turn out the way they are nurtured and trained. He and his wife specialize in Dobermans and his wife is a three-time national winner for that breed in AKA competition. You can contact Pitts at jimpitts9@aol.com.
President John Walden, Jr. presided and Cliff Pepper opened the dinner meeting with prayer and was program chairman. Bob Edens won the half-and-half raffle which he generously donated to the club. Visitor and prospective member John Poindexter was welcomed. Updates were given on the Lions Golf Tournament May 30 at Quail Ridge Golf Course and the sales of hole sponsors and recruiting golfers. The Lions Flea Market opens Saturday, April 4, at the fairgrounds, and the club will participate in the Relay for Life event supporting cancer research May 15-16 at the Lions Fairgrounds. Support of all these events contributes to many charitable causes.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Tim Smith Joins Club
The Sanford Lions Club welcomed a new member at its weekly meeting Thursday, March 12, and heard District Governor David Martin speak on membership development. President John Walden, Jr. presided with the invocation given by Roy Jernigan and Cliff Pepper led the Pledge of Allegiance.
The newest Lion is Tim Smith who was sponsored by his father, Dowe Smith. District Governor Martin presided over the induction. Smith resides in Sanford with his wife, Donna. They have two daughters, Ashley and Devon, both of whom are students at UNC-Wilmington. Smith is a real estate broker with Interstate Companies of America. They are members of Jonesboro Heights Baptist Church.
Martin’s address on membership was timely as he related the experiences of helping organize a new Lions Club in Fayetteville this month. As he and a representative of Lions International visited community leaders in the west Fayetteville area they found them to be receptive and eager to join a club with a well-established mission and reputation throughout not only the community, but the nation and world as well.
Martin urged Sanford Lions to continue efforts to attract new members by stressing the club’s many accomplishments over the past 73 years and its support of providing assistance to the blind, sight impaired, hearing impaired, and programs for youth. From helping fund eye exams and glasses for the disadvantaged to fairground fields where thousands of youth play baseball and soccer, the club’s work has benefited tens of thousands of people in its long history, Martin stressed. And this is the message Sanford Lions need to share with supporters and prospective members.
Big events coming up soon to help raise funds for these charitable causes include opening of the Lions Fairgrounds Flea Market on Saturdays starting April 4; hosting the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at the fairgrounds on May 15-16 with a club team participating; and the annual Sanford Lions Golf Tournament set for May 30 at Quail Ridge Golf Course. The club’s biggest fundraiser is the annual Lee Regional Fair scheduled Sept. 15-20.
The newest Lion is Tim Smith who was sponsored by his father, Dowe Smith. District Governor Martin presided over the induction. Smith resides in Sanford with his wife, Donna. They have two daughters, Ashley and Devon, both of whom are students at UNC-Wilmington. Smith is a real estate broker with Interstate Companies of America. They are members of Jonesboro Heights Baptist Church.
Martin’s address on membership was timely as he related the experiences of helping organize a new Lions Club in Fayetteville this month. As he and a representative of Lions International visited community leaders in the west Fayetteville area they found them to be receptive and eager to join a club with a well-established mission and reputation throughout not only the community, but the nation and world as well.
Martin urged Sanford Lions to continue efforts to attract new members by stressing the club’s many accomplishments over the past 73 years and its support of providing assistance to the blind, sight impaired, hearing impaired, and programs for youth. From helping fund eye exams and glasses for the disadvantaged to fairground fields where thousands of youth play baseball and soccer, the club’s work has benefited tens of thousands of people in its long history, Martin stressed. And this is the message Sanford Lions need to share with supporters and prospective members.
Big events coming up soon to help raise funds for these charitable causes include opening of the Lions Fairgrounds Flea Market on Saturdays starting April 4; hosting the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at the fairgrounds on May 15-16 with a club team participating; and the annual Sanford Lions Golf Tournament set for May 30 at Quail Ridge Golf Course. The club’s biggest fundraiser is the annual Lee Regional Fair scheduled Sept. 15-20.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Lions Plan Busy Spring
The Sanford Lions Club is gearing up for an active spring season with several exciting community events planned. And, of course, planning is already underway for the club’s biggest attraction—the Lee Regional Fair set for Sept. 15-20. Lions will be working hard to solicit the support of all area citizens for these projects that help fund the many charitable projects of the club.
The second annual Lee Regional Flea Market will open each Saturday morning at the Lions Fairgrounds starting on April 4 through July 25. Market hours are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and anyone interested in booth space can contact any Lion. The application form is also available on-line at sanfordlionsclub.com.
The Third Annual Lions Golf Tournament at Quail Ridge Golf Course is set for Saturday, May 30, according to chairman Jim Romine. This has proven to be a fun day highlighted by outstanding prizes and gifts along with a delicious lunch for all those golfers looking for some friendly competition and fellowship. Tournament leaders are now recruiting golfers, hole sponsors, and support from the business community for prize donations.
Guest speaker for the March 5 meeting was Pete Wilberg who is an authority on a subject dear to many men—antique cars. He is known nationally for his lifelong passion of collecting and restoring classic automobiles. The New York native moved to Lee County in 2000 where he has been active in the Antique Automobile Club of America and taught a car restoration course at Central Carolina Community College. He spent over 30 years teaching math both on the high school and college levels in New York.
He has restored thousands of cars including many rare and expensive collector’s models. And there’s hardly a make or model that he doesn’t know intimately. He told many interesting stories relating to his acquisition of antique models all over the U.S. and Canada and how he turned them into collector items. His interests now are in American Motor Co. cars such as the Rambler. He drove a Rambler convertible to the meeting for display. He is the founder of the Rambler Club of America with over 12,000 members.
Lion Jay Moore was program chairman. President John Walden, Jr., presided while Roy Jernigan gave the invocation and Theron Womble led the Pledge of Allegiance. The club welcomed guest Larry Palmer who was introduced by Reginald Miller. Walden also made a special presentation to veteran Lion Tommy Mann, Sr. honoring him for completion of his 66th year in the Sanford Lions Club. The club gave him a rousing standing ovation.
The second annual Lee Regional Flea Market will open each Saturday morning at the Lions Fairgrounds starting on April 4 through July 25. Market hours are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and anyone interested in booth space can contact any Lion. The application form is also available on-line at sanfordlionsclub.com.
The Third Annual Lions Golf Tournament at Quail Ridge Golf Course is set for Saturday, May 30, according to chairman Jim Romine. This has proven to be a fun day highlighted by outstanding prizes and gifts along with a delicious lunch for all those golfers looking for some friendly competition and fellowship. Tournament leaders are now recruiting golfers, hole sponsors, and support from the business community for prize donations.
Guest speaker for the March 5 meeting was Pete Wilberg who is an authority on a subject dear to many men—antique cars. He is known nationally for his lifelong passion of collecting and restoring classic automobiles. The New York native moved to Lee County in 2000 where he has been active in the Antique Automobile Club of America and taught a car restoration course at Central Carolina Community College. He spent over 30 years teaching math both on the high school and college levels in New York.
He has restored thousands of cars including many rare and expensive collector’s models. And there’s hardly a make or model that he doesn’t know intimately. He told many interesting stories relating to his acquisition of antique models all over the U.S. and Canada and how he turned them into collector items. His interests now are in American Motor Co. cars such as the Rambler. He drove a Rambler convertible to the meeting for display. He is the founder of the Rambler Club of America with over 12,000 members.
Lion Jay Moore was program chairman. President John Walden, Jr., presided while Roy Jernigan gave the invocation and Theron Womble led the Pledge of Allegiance. The club welcomed guest Larry Palmer who was introduced by Reginald Miller. Walden also made a special presentation to veteran Lion Tommy Mann, Sr. honoring him for completion of his 66th year in the Sanford Lions Club. The club gave him a rousing standing ovation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
