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Lacking Lions?
Local Lions Club struggles to build membership

by Elizabeth Lasky

If you didn't know there's a Lions Club in Mountain View, you're not alone.

The club, which formed in August of last year after six months of recruitment, still has only eight members. It takes 20 to be a fully chartered independent Lions club, so technically, the Mountain View Lions Club is actually the Mountain View branch of the Sunnyvale Lions Club.

"We think part of the problem is that it requires time to be a member, and many people don't want to commit to that," said Bob DeUnger, membership chair of the Sunnyvale Lions Club.

"We're looking for people who live in town or work in town who are interested in doing community service," said Hugh Donagher, a member of the Mountain View chapter. Though membership is by invitation only, Donagher said, "Anybody who's willing to work is welcome."

Members say the benefits of being a Lion go beyond the good feeling of doing public service. "Meetings typically involve breaking bread with your fellow members, getting to know each other, a sense of community. And it's a lot of fun," Donagher said.

The Mountain View Lions Club's first public service project is a book drive to benefit the Mountain View Public Library. It runs now through May 31. The book drive was conceived to help the library's Bookmobile program, which brings books to the homebound.

Used books can be donated at the following five locations: Bank of America, 444 Castro St., Suite 100; Bank of the West, 501 Castro St.; Wells Fargo, 590 Castro St.; Washington Mutual, 749 W. El Camino Real; and the Los Altos Washington Mutual at 199 Main St.

The Mountain View Lions Club meets Thursdays at 1 p.m. at the board room of the Chamber of Commerce, 580 Castro St. For more information, call DeUnger at (650) 996-4127 or Donagher at (650) 967-4541.