Lion Mark Smith Delivers a St. Patrick Easter message

"I grew up thinking Easter was Easter Bunnies and candies, but then I found out that Easter had a different meaning," said Guernsey County Auditor Tony Brown. "I was going to talk to the Lions Club about taxes, but I thought that it might be more important to hear (the Rev.) Mark Smith." Smith is the minister of First Baptist Church in Cambridge.
Smith, reflecting on the fact that it was St. Patrick’s Day, said with a wee bit of Irish humor, "I am one hundred percent Irish. I used to like to fight, but now I delegate my fighting to (martial arts enthusiast) Terry Losego. As a minister I’m not allowed to fight."
"The Irish immigrants were driven away by the English," Smith said.
"They were driven off to the Appalachians and exploited by those who were educated and in positions of power. Smith then related how Jesus of Nazareth lived at a time when the Romans were exploiting people and how Jesus was not accepted by those in power.
"I am free to worship Jesus and others are free to believe what they want to believe," said Smith. "We live in a world of conflict. Not everyone wants us to have that freedom."
"There is fighting in Iraq and tension in the Middle East," Smith said.
"I honor you and all veterans," he said to Lions’ guest Matt Feillo, a veteran recently returned from that war-torn country.
Smith related how some people see the conflict as a sign of the end times prophesied in the Bible. "We need to make ourselves ready. I am thankful that Christ has changed lives. I believe that He will come again."
"I am thankful that the Lions are doing good works for those with needs for eye care," said Smith. "We should try to make a difference by helping others and not by trying to build ourselves up."

Mike Reed Pedals Across America

Program Chair Lion Ed Colby introduced our guest speaker, Mark Reed, who shared with the club his experience of biking across the country. His journey started in Withville, VA on March 18th in 2007 when there was still snow on the ground and concluded on June 8th in triple digit figures when he dipped his wheels in the ocean at San Diego. He went a total of 3,658 miles through 10 states! He averaged about 52 miles a day with a few days as high as 88 miles a day. He had to eat constantly, averaging 52 meals a day, to keep nutrients in his body for energy. Mark allowed himself 1 day a week off to rest his body.
During his trip he stayed at hostels, campgrounds, fire departments, bed and breakfasts, motels and even a museum and an old school house. The surfaces he pedaled on included 2 lanes, dirt roads and a few interstates that allowed bike travel. Obstacles he encountered ranged from flat tires, to larger repairs, to weather conditions, to other vehicles. His advice to motorist is to remember that a cyclist has a legal right to the road and when you pass a cyclist, get completely over in the passing lane. His favorite part of the trip was without a doubt the people he met along the way. One lady drove him 50 miles to a bike part’s shop and 50 miles back and would not take anything for her help. The trip’s total cost was about $5000, but if you would eliminate motels, you could probably do it for around $2000. Mike already has his next trip planned from Withville, VA to the east coast. When asked why he chose to do make this journey Mike spoke about having had the desire to do this since he was a young man and realized that life's interuptions would alway make it difficult to do, but if he continued to put it off until the future, the future may not be there for him.

Bryan Hardesty Challanges the Lions

Bryan Hardesty, of the 2nd Battalion 174th Air Defense Artillery, gave an outstanding account of his 18 month deployment in Washington D.C. Since 9/11 there has been an Air Defense Network system established in Washington to make sure a 9/11 event will not happen again. Part of the new Avenger System includes specially designed mobile vehicles with dual attached mechanisms for shooting stinger missiles and high powered machine guns. His unit and many others have gone through extremely intense training for this safety system. A new Sentinel Radar System is also in place and this entire operation is part of the Joint Air Defense Command which includes the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and Secret Service. Their jobs include detecting, deterring, diverting, or destroying any unknown aircraft entering secured sectors. Bryan praised the Army wives, husbands and families who have to take over all the duties back home while their spouses are gone. He was proud to state that the Ohio National Guard is at 100% presently. He had high praise for the citizens of Ohio and especially Cambridge. While in D.C. with numerous protestors and the media, only 2 people told him thanks for what he was doing. One person said he pitied him. Returning back to Ohio and Cambridge he is thanked continuously on a daily basis for his dedication to the safety of our country. Numerous other stories and accounts of his service in D.C. were covered during the meeting and a standing ovation by all Lions in attendance was given to Bryan upon his conclusion. Bryan is the branch manager of National City Bank on Woodlawn Ave. in Cambridge.
Pictured are Program Chairperson Lion Benjamin Cahoon (left) and Bryan Hardesty.