The Crookston High School Leo Club was awarded a 2019-202 Leo Club Award of Excellence. This is the 29th straight year the Leo Club has received the award from the Lions International. The 29-straight years receiving the Award of Excellence is a record no other club in the world comes close to matching.
This year more than 50 clubs in 26 countries were honored with the award. Leo Club Advisor Linda Morgan said she is proud that Crookston can say it has one of the best Leo Clubs worldwide. “This is my 10th year, working on my 10th year here,” said Morgan. “I’m so proud of it when we can say that we’re one of the best Leo Clubs in the world. I have 150 kids involved. The kids that want to be involved.”
Morgan said she believes part of the Crookston club’s success has been the support of the district with an advisor position since the club was started in 1991. “On January 24 (1991), the Crookston Central Leo Club started with Mary Ann Odland,” said Morgan. “She did it for 20 years, a little break in there, and then 10 years ago I took over for her. Just so proud that the school took the Leo Club in behind the Lions to help the kids. A lot of kids aren’t athletes, or they want to be athletes and do something in the community. It’s a great program and a great thing that we have here at the school to get the kids involved. I’m very proud of that.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting options for projects since March, Morgan said the Leo Club has taken on smaller projects rather than the large ones they normally do. “Some of the little projects we have done – Home Delivered meals a few times,” said Morgan. “A new thing is going to The Summit. We usually do our Sundaes on Sundays, so we couldn’t do that this year. They do Bingo on Monday and Thursday, so the kids bring two dozen treats here, and then I bring them up to The Summit for goodies for them. We’ve done things for the Villa – bringing little goodies there. Decorations for Christmas for RiverView Health Center; helped with the Care and Share, and donated some money to the Food Bank.”
The Leo Club did ring the bell for the Salvation Army collection this winter and had a very successful year doing that. “As far as I’ve been here, this is the biggest year,” said Morgan. “We raised over $1,200 as the Leo Club to help the Salvation Army. About 10 kids and I stood out there and rang the bell.”
Morgan said that students’ involvement in Leo Club can be important for colleges and careers because it provides some skills and that colleges and businesses are often looking for people who serve in their community. “What LEO Club Stands for is Leadership, Experience, and Opportunity,” said Morgan. “It can show your leadership skills, even if it’s just little things. And gives you the opportunity to work with others. And then, the experience of being a leader or being in a group and taking that step out there. It’s so important when you go into college and to get a job. A lot of businesses are looking to see what kind of community service you’ve done in school. You can also letter in Leo Club, which I started my second year here. So, if you do 10 projects – and I’ll probably have to adjust this year like I did last year – they get to letter in Leo Club. I think that’s a positive thing for kids too because not a lot of them are in sports. So, I think it gives them a little something to feel good about themselves.”
