Cleveland Lions Club held a swearing-in ceremony on June 15 to welcome new officers who will lead the club over the next year. The new president for the Club is Raylene Atkinson, who joined the club a little more than three years ago.
Atkinson, who also works as the operations manager for Cleveland Emergency Hospital, said she was humbled and honored to be selected for the leadership role.
“When I joined the club three and a half years ago, I never intended to think about holding this position, but I’m really looking forward to this coming year. When I came to Cleveland, I was told to get involved in the community and so I went to a Lions Club meeting,” she told her fellow Lions. “You guys welcomed me and we have grown together.”
Atkinson said her goal over the next year is to grow the club and she challenged members to recruit new people at every opportunity. Her second goal is to let the community know that Cleveland has an active Lions Club that is very involved in the community.
“I have had several people ask me, ‘What do the Lions do? Why are you a Lion?’ We need to define our why as a club and continue to make a difference in our community,” she said. “If we work on this second goal, it will be easy to achieve the first goal.”
The oaths of office were administered by Lions Club District Governor Bonita Davis.
In addition to Atkinson, who also serves as Lions Club International Foundation coordinator, the Club leadership includes First Vice President Davy Holder, Second Vice President Mike Penry, Club Secretary Terri Manners, Club Treasurer Rhonda Penry, Club Membership Chair and Tail Twister Ken Butler, Lions Tamer Estelle Trevathan, Club Service Chair Mike Penry, Club Marketing/Communications Chair Kem Kirkham-Arnold, Club Director and Events Coordinator Carolyn Wilmoth, Past President Thomas Higgins, Club Director and Eyeglass Collection Coordinator Jim Plumlee and Club Director Glinda Plumlee.