Lions’ Deputat: Got Community Pride? Come Learn What We Do

Local club works hard, has fun and welcomes new members from Tewksbury and Wilmington

John Deputat, president of the Tewksbury Lions Club, says the local chapter has always maintained a reputation as a fun club. But it has a serious mission dating from 1925, when Helen Keller challenged the Lions to become “Knights of the Blind” and play an active role in the battle against diseases that affect sight. 

“We enjoy a group of individuals who have fun giving back,” said Deputat. “And we’re looking to welcome anyone with a strong sense of community pride and the desire to help others.” 

All Lions Clubs, Tewksbury’s included, are nonsectarian, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) service organizations and are open to adults age 18 and up. The Tewksbury club currently has almost 30 members, some with 50+ years of service, and is looking to expand. 

Deputat specifically extends an invitation to residents of Wilmington, which does not have a Lions chapter. Besides this week’s Meat Bingo fundraiser on Wednesday night, there will be an open house on May 22 at TJ Callahan’s Pub, at 7 p.m. See the flyer, below.

“As the world’s largest service organization, we exist primarily to serve our community, without personal or financial gain, and to assist others who are in need,” said Deputat. “We hope people drop in and learn about what we do.” 

The Lions have regular meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at TJ Callahan’s. There is an annual membership fee of $75 due each June, which goes to Lions Club International to help support administrative fees. During the traditional five-point opening at each event, the members join hands and recite the motto, “Not above you, not beneath you, BUT with you!”

A Tewksbury Connection

In 1917, Melvin Jones made a proposal to a group of businessmen and friends in Chicago. The idea was that they be of service to their fellow man, without any hope of personal gain. This resulted in the founding of the organization that came to be known as the Lion’s Club.

The Lions took Helen Keller’s 1925 challenge to become “Knights of the Blind” seriously. Now, the words “sight” and “Lions” have become interwoven, and Lions International has become the largest service organization in the world to fight and challenge eye disease. In 2017, the Lions celebrated their 100th anniversary and first century of service with various worldwide programs. 

Tewksbury has a very special relationship with Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Sullivan spent much of her youth at the Tewksbury State Hospital, where she gained experience and knowledge regarding the blind, which later allowed her to become Helen Keller’s mentor and teacher. A statue honoring Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller is on the Town Common, and a building on the Tewksbury State Hospital campus is named after Anne Sullivan. 

70 Years of Service

“The Tewksbury Lions Club was chartered on November 14, 1954 with 29 members, and although we have a reputation as a fun club, like I said, we are also a very hard-working group, having contributed over $400,000 for eye research,” said Deputat. “In addition, we have bestowed many thousands of dollars on other charities and deserving entities within our town.”

Presently, the Lions worldwide organization comprises more than 47,000 clubs covering 755 districts in 210 countries, with over 1.4 million members. Each member has promised to follow the original ideals established by Melvin Jones. 

“We have not only been leaders in the battle against blindness and eye-related diseases but have come to be known as active contributors to the communities in which we live,” said Deputat. 

The Tewksbury Lions have become a major contributor to the Tewksbury Community Pantry, and they sponsor movies at the Library and Senior Center. 

“We continue to award scholarships to Tewksbury student resident applicants who apply and qualify, and we sponsor and provide free eye exams,” he said. The group has its own portable eye screener with printout capabilities. 

Funds are raised by way of an annual golf tournament, spaghetti dinner, canister drive, Beep Ball games featuring the Tewksbury Fire Department and fun events like sock hops and a recent sold-out music bingo event.

“The International Lions motto is, ‘We serve,’” said Deputat. “Personally, after a 45-plus-year career as a customer service representative for a Fortune 500 company, it was my time to give back to the community where I was born — a no brainer for me.”