John Ellison holds his Melvin Jones Fellowship with past district governor Simon Domper and Norsewood Lions president Sandra Cordell.
John Ellison holds his Melvin Jones Fellowship with past district governor Simon Domper and Norsewood Lions president Sandra Cordell.
“I love to volunteer – it’s my hobby,” exclaimed Norsewood Lion John Ellison upon hearing he was the recipient of a Melvin Jones Fellowship last month.
He was presented with the award at a special club meeting.
Norsewood president Sandra Cordell pins the Melvin Jones pin on a surprised Lion John Ellison.
A response from the floor was “But not many people’s hobbies give backto the community like your one does!”
A crowd of 40 Norsewood Lions and partners filled the Dannevirke Services and Citizen's restaurant.
John was the sole recipient of the award, which the Lions International website says “is the highest form of recognition and embodies humanitarian ideas consistent with the nature and purpose of Lionism. The recipient of this award becomes a model because of the exemplary service to his club and the community for which it serves.”
Norsewood Lions president Sandra Cordell said the award to John was “a no brainer”.
She says John has been a very active member of Norsewood Lions for 45 years, taking on every role the club has to offer, initiating and driving many of the club’s major projects for the betterment of the village and Tararua generally.
“Even though he spends half his time in Napier these days he is still very involved with Norsewood Lions and if we ask John to do something he does it.”
John joined Norsewood Lions soon after it chartered in 1973 and was heavily involved in its early major project transforming a swamp into the popular Water Wheel Park.
With his help, and often direction, it was a busy club helping run an outdoor education camp in the Ruahines with Dannevirke Lions and DHS, supporting the elderly and aiding local businesses and building village facilities.
In the last 25 years, it has continued to run popular events, two iconic ones being the Coronation Street Market which ran for seven years and the Norsewood to Takapau Fun Walk, Run, Cycle with Takapau Lions. A major focus has been enhancing the public access and facilities at Anzac Park, which is ongoing.
John has been active outside of Lions promoting Norway Day - the only celebration in the world outside Norway for which in 2017 he received the Norwegian King’s Medal For Services Abroad. When Norsewood celebrated its 150th jubilee in 2022, he compiled its history for the Bush Telegraph and played a major part in the village’s celebrations.
John shares his award with his wife Jean who received a bouquet of flowers in recognition of the important role partners play in Lions.
John would be the first to say he could not have done these things without the strong support of Norsewood Lions and the rest of the Norsewood community.
He says receiving the Melvin Jones Fellowship puts him into an elite group of Lions and he was not sure he could live up to its expectations.
Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist working for the Bush Telegraph and based at Dannevirke. He has covered any community story telling good news about the district for the last ten years.
