Monett Club celebrates continuous impact in community

By Jessica Breger Special to the Monett Monthly

One prominent organization in Monett is celebrating this year, as the Monett Lion’s Club celebrated its 80th anniversary in late May. 

Following recognition by the Monett City Council during May’s council meeting, the Club’s annual banquet was also geared toward recognizing and celebrating 80 years of the Lion’s Club in Monett. 

“This year has been one of many celebrations,” said Stacey Fillinger, Club president. “Last fall marked our 40th year of selling apple butter, and this year will be our 70th Annual Chicken BBQ Fundraiser on the Fourth of July at Monett South Park. We feel blessed to have been able to serve our community for so many years and look forward to many more years to come.”

Officially chartered on April 23, 1946, with 36 charter members, the Monett Lions Club has provided vision and hearing screenings and services to those in need for 80 years. 

The club receives referrals from local schools when a child needs glasses and the family is unable to afford them to provide the needed eyewear. 

All donated eyeglasses collected locally are recycled and distributed during vision missions. The Lion’s Club also provides transportation and assistance for those in need of vision surgery.

Over the years, the Lions have also donated funding for athletic scoreboards at Monett schools, contributed the Lion drinking fountain located at the city pool, and helped fund the large fish tank at Mercy Children’s Hospital in Springfield.

In addition, they offer an annual scholarship for a student pursuing a technical trade and support numerous organizations, including Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), KidSight, Saving Sight, Leader Dogs for the Blind, Mid-South Lions Sight and Hearing Service, and World Services for the Blind.

The motto of the International Lions Club is “We Serve” and the Monett club strives to embody this motto. 

“From beauty pageants, carnivals, Halloween hayrides with s’mores, and costume contests to apple butter production and sales, Chicken BBQ fundraisers, and steak dinners, you could always find the Monett Lions actively serving and engaging with the community,” Fillinger said. “The Monett Lions Club has a rich history of fellowship, service, and community involvement, and I am proud to be a part of that legacy.”

The annual banquet was filled with honors, awards and kind words from local and state representatives as both Mayor Randy Burke and Steve Wise read proclamations celebrating the club’s 80 years. 

Everyone is welcome to attend a meeting to see if the Monett Lion’s Club is a good fit for them. 

The Club typically meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at Angus Branch.