In honor of Leos Recognition Month, a Newtown Lions Club member recently submitted an announcement about the activities in which the Leos have been involved.

Newtown High School Leo Club advisor Jill Gonski also offered input during a phone interview.

According to local Lion Steve Bennett, for more than 60 years, Leo Clubs have been part of Lions Club International, the world’s largest community service organization with 1.4 million members. There are 7,200 Leo clubs with 140,000 members worldwide. According to Bennett, he pulled statistics from the Lions Club International website, lionsclubs.org, for the submission.

“The name ‘Leo’ Club uses the Latin word for lion as well as being an acronym for Leadership, Experience, and Opportunity,” Bennett wrote in the e-mail submission. “As the youngest members of Lions Clubs International, Leos range in age from 12 to 30 and are dedicated to community service while concurrently developing critical life skills. They learn leadership skills and gain experience as project organizers, time managers, team leaders, and motivation of their peers. They learn how teamwork, cooperation and collaboration can bring about exciting change in their community and the world.”

This is the first year Gonski is the NHS Leo Club advisor, and she says the group has been meeting virtually throughout the pandemic.

“The thing I have been impressed with is their ability to still make connections at this time,” said Gonski.

According to Bennett, the Newtown Lions Club sponsors the NHS Leo Club.

“Community service is the cornerstone of the Leo Club program,” wrote Bennett. “Like their Newtown Lions counterparts, Leo club members enjoy serving their neighbors and watching positive results unfold. The Leo Club is very responsive to developing projects that individual members suggest.”

April was Leos Recognition Month, according to Bennett. He also said the Leo Club has benefitted from its faculty advisors, like Gonski, over the years.

Over the 2020-21 school year, Gonski said the Leo Club members have participated in the Salvation Amy’s bell ringer campaign, put together a care package for troops through Valentines For Troops, supported the Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS) Birthday Bin, and more.

“That’s the whole thing about Leos, they support other nonprofits,” said Gonski.

Learn more about the Leo Club program at lionsclubs.org/leoclubs or locally at newtownlions.com.

Eliza Hallabeck can be reached at eliza@thebee.com.