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Members of the Maclean Lions Club with Maclean Pipe Band members Alistair Wallace, Ross McLachlan and Lyle Essex. The pipers played their bagpipes and helped draw attention to the Lions membership promotion. Image: Contributed

Maclean Lions Club seeks new members

Lynne Mowbray | The sound of bagpipes echoed through the streets of Maclean on Friday, during the Lions Club promotional membership drive. The month of March is Lions awareness month and this year the Maclean Lions Club put on a free sausage sizzle and free raffle and even enlisted a few pipers from the Maclean Pipe Band to help raise awareness, to Lions need for more members. The Lions Club does a fantastic job within our community but unfortunately without new members, the club could be in danger of closing. Membership Chairman Brian Grieve said that the Wooli Club closed three years ago; and the Maclean Leo Club closed the following year. “Last year saw the closure of the Careers Branch Club (a branch of Yamba Lions),” Mr Grieve said. “The Big River Club in Grafton also closed last year and the Grafton Club itself (one of Australia’s oldest Lions Clubs) is in danger, with fewer members than Maclean has. “Another of the first clubs in Australia, the Lions Club of Coffs Harbour, closed just before Christmas. “We’d love to welcome any new members – the more the merrier! “Anyone who has a community service attitude is welcome, although we’d love to get some younger members as we’re trying to bring the average age of our members down. “It was a great community atmosphere on Friday and we received many comments and thankyous for what we do within the community,” he said. No public money was used for the clubs promotion day on Friday and the Maclean Lions Club would like to thank the following businesses who sponsored the day: John Allen – Maclean Variety meats, Bob Little – SPAR Maclean, Adrian Sonter – Maclean Hot Bread Shop and the members of the Maclean Pipe Band. The winner of the special promotional raffle was Alistair Wallace.