By Melanie Patterson

The North Jefferson News



WARRIOR — For the first time in it’s 60-year history, the Lions Club of Warrior named a woman as Lion of the Year.

On Thursday, the club voted for Reba Winnett as this year’s recipient.

The Lions Club of Warrior began to accept female club members about six years ago.

Winnett was also re-elected as club secretary on Thursday.

With a crowd of about 40 people watching, the Warrior Lions Club also installed new officers during a ceremony on Thursday.

The new officers are:

• Membership chair: Anne Jolly

• Lion tamer: J.D. McAlpine. He is responsible for the property of the club.

• Tail twister: Allen Goodwin

• Board of directors: Allen Goodwin, Tony Decicco, Mayor Rena Hudson and Anne Jolly

• Treasurer: Bill Hudson

• Secretary: Reba Winnett

• 1st Vice President: Ladon Emerson

• 2nd Vice President: Chester Jolly

• 3rd Vice President: Mayor Hudson

• Immediate Past President: Morris Winnett

• President: Morris Winnett

The guest speaker was Vernon Barker, who attended with his wife Jane Barker.

Vernon Barker is the Lions Club state leadership chair, as well as a past president of the Moody Lions Club and past district governor for District 34-0, which also includes the Warrior Lions.

He is also the outgoing secretary for the Moody Lions.

Jane Barker is currently serving as president of the Moody Lions Club. Her term ends next month.

She also serves as the district women’s chair for the extension program.

As Vernon Barker announced the new officers for the upcoming year, Jane Barker read their job descriptions.

“Your job as officers will be to serve as leaders,” said Vernon Barker in his address to the club.

The event doubled as a Ladies’ Appreciation Dinner, which included a meal of fried catfish with all the trimmings. All of the food was prepared by the Lions.

Several of the guests were those who have helped sell pecans for the Lions Club, which is one of the club’s largest fund-raisers for Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Association, Inc., which was founded in Birmingham in 1944 and has served more than 200,000 people since.

After the installation of the officers, Winnett announced some additional awards.

Five members received pins for having perfect attendance for the past year: Rena and Bill Hudson, Reba and Morris Winnett, and J.D. McAlpine.

Winnett also announced that the club received two plaques for donating $2,600 a year for the past two years to the Alabama Lions Site Conservation Association.

As another fund-raiser for the organization, the Warrior club is hosting a benefit barbecue on July 3 at Cherokee Estates.

Lions will prepare about 64 Boston butts to sell for $20 each, and about 50 racks of ribs to sell for $10 each.

Other Lions Club news is that Cars for Less in Warrior donated a 1995 Grand Am to the Lions Club. Club members are selling tickets for a drawing on the car. Tickets are $1 each or $20 for 25 tickets.

The car will be given away during the next Warrior Day.

For information about the club or any of the fund-raisers, call Winnett at 647-1753 or McAlpine at 647-9697.