The Lions Club of Tallygaroopna recently took the opportunity to honour one of its finest.
A man whose contribution to the club and the Tallygaroopna community has been nothing short of inspiring.
Ron Jones has been named a life member of the club.
Hailing from Elmore, Mr Jones moved to Mundoona, where he joined the Numurkah Lions Club in 1977.
“I eventually sold the farm (in Mundoona) and moved closer to Tallygaroopna,” he said.
“And travelling back and forwards to Numurkah was too difficult.”
This was when, at age 37, Mr Jones took the initiative, alongside a few friends, to establish the Tallygaroopna Lions Club in 1984.
“Since then, there’s been a lot of friendships made but we’ve lost quite a few of our original Lions,” Mr Jones said.
“There’s some sad times and some good times.”
Mr Jones said one of those times was when the club came forward to provide much-needed relief during the devastating floods last year.
“We set out a flood relief plan and supplied seed to quite a lot of farmers,” Mr Jones said.
But his devotion does not stop at the Lions Club.
Mr Jones is still involved in the Tallygaroopna Bowls Club and the Tallygaroopna Football Netball Club.
From helping out at the bar to supporting the teams, he is never far from where the action is.
“The Lions Club does the football gate as well,” he said.
When he was made a life member, Mr Jones said he was shocked.
“I was blown away,” he said.
“I had no idea that it was going to happen.”
Throughout his time in the club, he has served in every position and held the position of zone chairman.
Behind this steadfast man is an equally supportive family.
Mr Jones credited his wife as his “backbone” and thanked his children for their support.
Looking back at his time with the Lions, he speaks fondly of the tradition of bringing children along, nurturing a new generation of community servers.
Yet, the club now faces a challenge.
“We’ve all gotten old, and it’s very hard to attract young people, because of their busy lives,” Mr Jones said.
Despite this, Mr Jones remains optimistic, with faith in the younger generations.
He has called on those seeking volunteer opportunities in Tallygaroopna to visit the Lions Club.