Fairfax Host Lions Club

Tonight I had the honor of being the guest speaker for the Fairfax Host Lions Club monthly dinner. In addition to the wonderfully tasty fried chicken and chocolate cake, this was a great opportunity to talk about our great City and take questions from a group of dedicated community volunteers.

The Fairfax Host Lions Club, like our other community-service groups, are a staple of the City of Fairfax. These folks are dedicated to helping their communities and the world, including partnerships that create better living conditions and a better life in countries like Uganda. They also have a robust vehicle donation program, support the Bland Music Scholarship and of course support eyeglass donations.

The group has been serving the area since 1951. Tonight, speaking at the American Legion Post 177, I couldn't help but think about how these two organizations have helped shape our community.

As I spoke about our council, the low tax rate, small town feel and all of the awards we've won recently, I looked around at the faces of those there, both young and old, who simply are invested in their communities. It's because of people like those who hold blood drives, care for the poor, provide scholarships and hold these monthly dinner meetings that the City of Fairfax is the place it is today. We are still a small town that is knit tightly by the people who live, work and participate in our community.

In the book "Bowling Alone," the author - Robert Putnam - describes a country that is losing its taste for participatory community activities. Not here. This is a place where a good fried chicken dinner and fellowship will still beat out some of our more modern amusements.

And thanks again to City resident Jim Kaplan for the invitation to speak. Really appreciate it.