Decade number seven was ushered in with the continuation of many of the same projects and programs already on a solid foundation the fund-raisers were bringing increased net profits, and the beneficiaries were enjoying increased revenues. A pledge was made to 1ikewise increase the amount of hands-on work.

As a result of the ongoing recession, the demands on the Oliver Dixon Fund, a local sight conservation program to provide free eye examinations and glasses for needy students and adults in the peninsula, grew five-fold.

Lions Clubs International launched Campaign SightFirst, an ambitious three- year drive to raise $130 million from the USA clubs to "conquer the world's blindness" in particular, to eradicate preventable blindness attributed to unsanitary and environmental situations in underdeveloped countries.

Gig Harbor Lions supported the campaign wholeheartedly. At the end of the first year, the Club received a special "Top Five" patch for its banner for being one of the five highest per capita giving rates [$11.23 per member] to Campaign "SightFirst" of 542 Lions Clubs in Multiple District Nineteen. This achievement was repeated the second year and another patch was added.

Our new Secretary continued the tradition of winning the 100% Secretary Award for the Club - Gig Harbor having won consecutive awards ever since the award's inception in 1973, for timely submission of reports and correspondence. For the year 1991-92, Hal Fassett also was runner-up in the Secretary Efficiency Award for being considered the second-best secretary amongst several hundred clubs meeting semi-monthly in Multiple District Nineteen.

The 1991-92 Lion Year ended with recognition of our PDG Bill Wilbert and PP George Borgen for their prolonged humanitarian service. Each received Melvin Jones Fellowship: Doctor Bill, for his international service, and the ever-playful George, for his tireless community service.

The Gig Harbor Lions stellar team of senior athletes, running and bicycling over 50 miles of mountains and glens of the Dick Bryan Memorial Relay, were bested for a repeat of the first place honors in the Journey for Diabetes race by a teenage team entered by another Lions Club - which shall remain nameless. However, our law enforcement velocipedist Brad Carpenter wheeled away with the top prize for acquiring $1,100 in pledges.

The usual donations were made to the international and regional Lions programs and a total of sixteen contributions of money were made to community programs. Unusual community service projects were approved to fund more medical crises, Performance Circle theater sponsorship, and the People to People program.

The Gig Harbor Lions lent their construction skills to rebuilding some benches and renovating and repainting the exteriors of two "portable" classrooms at the Harbor Ridge School. Our mobile work crew, headed by Lion Len McAdams, also affected minor repairs to homes for the aged and needy throughout the peninsula.

The Peninsula Emergency Preparedness Committee was organized to educate the community for possible disasters such as earthquakes. Leading this group were Lion Ray Zimmerman and Lion Len McAdams, assisted by other Lions and other citizens, to formulate plans, conduct engineering surveys, and give presentations to local gatherings. The Club provided most of the funding to keep the committee functioning.

A plethora of individual Lion achievements were recognized during the year. Eleven Lions were presented with monarch chevrons for continuous membership - including two for 20 years, one for 25 years, and two for 30 years. And many long-term Perfect Attendance awards followed - with three Lions never having missed a meeting in 20 years, five more with 25 years, and with more than 30 years. Now that's dedication!

The 1992-93 year ended with another pair of the Melvin Jones Fellowships being awarded. One went to Past President Paul Alvestad, a native who has served the community well, both as its Postmaster and in numerous civic organizations - the previous year he was named as Gig Harbor's Citizen of the Year. The other went to Lion Howard Brownlee, who returned to Washington in late 1979 after serving as the President and Assistant District Governor in Ravenswood, West Virginia. He maintained his super active role in Lionism in Gig Harbor by participating in nearly every activity and holding the office as secretary for eleven years.

The District 19-C Lions Journey for Diabetes saw our team avenge its close loss of the prior year by winning by more than twelve minutes and establishing a new course record. Lion Brad Carpenter pedaled to his best time, and repeated as prizewinner for peddling the most pledges. Prizes won by the team and Brad - two barbeque stoves - were donated to our Purdy Elementary School.

The traditional community service projects were supplemented with repairing and painting the house of an elderly lady through the auspices of the "Paint Pierce Beautiful" program. Toward the end of the calendar year, the Lions assisted the Salvation Army with packaged food and bell ringing. And in the spring our young men's fancies turned to thoughts of baseball and seed money and team sponsorship of a newly-formed Little League. Throughout the year the Club accomplished needed maintenance and repair of Peninsula Historical Society as a new and continuing project.

The 1993-94 Lion Year was outstanding in every category - with greater participation and attendance, a higher number of service projects, and more project funds earned and disbursed than ever before.

It was decided that a separate and distinct gathering was appropriate to distinguish the prestigious honor of Melvin Jones Fellowships. As fate would have it, two former Army colonels, two former 100% presidents, and two former 100% zone chairmen were to be recognized. Arch Carpenter, with his incessant wit and manifest leadership style, decorated with a score of medals for his heroism as a paratrooper and almost as many Lions achievement medals, was the first. Bob Wagers, with his super-dedication to Lionism as his trademark, decorated with both the Lions Clubs International President's Achievement and Leadership Medals in 1994, was the other!

Our District Governor Larry Grace in an impressive and meaningful ceremony installed the officers for the following year. A special plaque was presented to Neville and Cindy Culy, owners of the Shoreline Restaurant, in appreciation of their hosting our Club meetings and banquets continuously since 1981.

The new year hardly began when Lion Vern Garner responded on short notice to sponsor the Merriweather & Culpepper Circus as a money-raiser. There was an overflow crowd at the old-fashioned one-ring circus which netted over a thousand dollars. The Lions acted as roustabouts and performers, graced by Mayor Gretchen Wilbert's presence, and all present seemed to have a wonderful time.

Another fund-raiser was the successful Tacoma Tigers Ticket sales chaired by new Lion Brian Bullard. Community calendar sales, chaired by Loyd Sutherland, and Entertainment '95 discount books, chaired by Bill Pierce, are underway.

Twenty members spent 163 Lion-hours repairing and painting an elderly widow's house with a repeat of "Paint Pierce Beautiful." ...Third year of Adopt-A-Highway litter patrols continued. Citizens Against Litter work as well.

Gig Harbor Lions triumphed once again in the Journey for Diabetes - in the relay race and in pledges. Winning has become a nice habit. After a drought of five years, the Gig Harbor Lions won a clear-cut victory over the Gig Harbor Kiwanis in the 27th 0. J. Metzler Golf Tourney. We won by two strokes.