NORTH ROBINSON, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW) — On Saturday, Colonel Crawford had the special honor of hosting this year’s LEO Club state convention.
The convention, which began in 2018, rotates to a different school district each year to remain accessible to chapters across Ohio. Organizers try to keep the maximum drive time to about two and a half hours when selecting a host site.
Leo Club — which stands for Leadership, Education, and Opportunity — is a youth service organization associated with Lions Club International. The program focuses on developing leadership skills through community service. Ohio District 1 Lions Club Youth State Chair Darlene Roll said the club offers a place for students who may not be involved in other activities. “It’s a good club for young people who are not involved in any other things. They may not be in sports, but it’s where kids feel more comfortable,” she said.
This year’s convention at Colonel Crawford was the largest to date, with 120 people registered.
Clubs in attendance included Colonel Crawford, Crestline, Seneca East, Ridgedale, Fairborn, Waynesville, Muskingum Valley, Lakers Leos (Buckeye Lake/Millersport area), and the Field Leos (sponsored by Brimfield Lions Club).
The day’s schedule included a mix of activities: icebreakers to help students get to know one another, service projects such as blanket-making for charitable organizations, presentations from speakers discussing service dogs, and short club presentations highlighting local service work. One of the most memorable moments came during an impromptu no-sew blanket auction for a duck-print blanket. A single student purchased it for $300 after gathering donations from others in the room to outbid the Colonel Crawford Leo Club.
To close the event, attendees took part in the Lions Club Strides Walk for Diabetes Awareness, completing a lap around the school grounds together.
Ohio has more than 400 Lions Clubs that sponsor 82 Leo Clubs, 72 of which are currently active. Leo Clubs can be school- or community-based, but must have at least 20 members. Lions Club also offers two scholarships: a one-time $750 award and a $4,000 scholarship through the Lions International Trading Pin Club.
Roll expressed her appreciation for the host district, saying, “We couldn’t do it without Colonel Crawford Leo Club, Colonel Crawford Lions Club, and Colonel Crawford Schools being the host today.”
Colonel Crawford Leo Club advisor Krista McKibben also thanked her students for their work leading up to and during the convention.
