From left to right: Sharyn Wheale, Fleet Lions President Paul Doughty, Phill Gower, Fleet Lions Vice President Roger Munday and Colin Gray, Chairman of Fleet Pond Society (FPS)
Jim Storey, Committee Member of FPS and also Fleet Lion, writes:
“Colin Gray, Chairman of FPS, was recently presented with the highest honour Fleet Lions could bestow, a Melvin Jones Fellowship. He was given a very smart plaque to mark his achievements and this was to recognise all the work Colin has done to support the town, the Pond and Lions. He gets to be an honorary Lion too.
The award is named after the chap who founded Lions in Chicago in 1917 and Fleet Lions do not hand them out lightly. He’s only the 4th non-Lion to be given this in 40 years. The others are Beverley Allardice who runs the Lions Community Store, Rotarian Geoff Baker and Dianne Rust (who set up and runs Marfan). Only four Fleet Lions have been given one.
Sharyn Wheale and Phill Gower, both keen supporters of the Pond, were similarly honoured at the same ceremony (see above photo).”
You can read about Fleet Lions and their activities here and there is an interesting biography of Melvin Jones here.