Big Lake Leos among world's best

BIG LAKE - It's the age-old question posed by teens to their parents. "What am I supposed to do? There is nothing in (insert hometown here) for kids my age to do."

In Big Lake, parents have the best answer. They can simply tell their children, "You could join one of the top community service organizations in the world - which is right here in Big Lake, and it is only for kids."

The Big Lake Leos, an offshoot of the Lions Club designated for children ages 11-17, was recently named one of the top 10 Leo clubs in the entire world. More than 5,000 clubs competed for the honor. The distinction is as prestigious as it is rare, and the Big Lake Leos are thrilled to be recognized as the world's best.

"It means a lot to be recognized because it means we are doing a lot for our community," Leo member Brittany Shell said. "It feels good to be able to help people."

The award is based on a number of criteria, ranging from membership drives to community service projects to leadership roles the club has taken. The name of the club stands for Leadership, Experience and Opportunity, three things the Big Lake Leos have almost mastered.

"I think the award says a lot about the kids in Big Lake. To be in the top 10 from over 5,000 clubs shows that we really care about our community," Maria McMillan said.

That's what group members stress more than anything - they may be young, but they are doing a lot for their community.

"It isn't just the adults who are doing things," Ashley Pond said.

The group does projects all year. The latest was a Christmas stocking raffle, in which donations were solicited from businesses to include in the six-foot stocking, which was then raffled. David Roux won the stocking Thursday night.

The Leos themselves had to go out into the community to get the items for the stocking and sell the tickets. While the group is affiliated with the Lions Club, it is the Leos who do all of the work for their own club projects.

"That's the neatest thing about it, I think. They conduct all their own meetings, all their own business. They maintain their own budget and decide how to spend their money wisely, all without the adults having to step in," said Jimmie Rogers, a Leo advisor. "They are learning skills that will carry over into their schoolwork and into being community leaders for the rest of their lives."

Rogers' wife, Nancy is another Leo advisor. The third advisor, Sierra Beaty, is a former Big Lake Leo who has continued to remain a part of the club through her advisorship.

Leadership skills and community service skills are obviously the hallmarks of the club, but social skills are just as important for today's youth.

"You have to learn social skills to deal with other kids and with adults, too," said Jennifer Rogers.

"I think being a Leo kind of makes you more mature because of everything you do in the club," Alena Katzenberger said.

Some of the service projects the club has undertaken this year include a dump cleanup, Toys for Tots, working at the Alaska State Fair, the senior center in Houston, a pumpkin festival and working on the Sight First drive.

The group has also done a number of dances at Houston High School to give local teens a place to go and have fun, rather than get into trouble, members said.

"It's a safe environment for kids. You have to have something to look forward to," Rachel Farmer said.

Jimmie Rogers said the dances reward club members for some of the work they do.

"They are good because they see the end of their hard work. Who would want to join a club that just cleans up the dump? Not many. But they also have a number of social opportunities that make it worthwhile for them," Jimmie Rogers said.

Something is doing the trick. The Leos have grown to 37 members, a whopping 40-percent increase in just a year.

In addition to earning the top- 10 distinction this year, the Leos also garnered another international award for their membership increase as well.

The club was formed in 1993, and since then, a Wasilla group has been formed. Still, there is work to do for the Leos.

"We're trying to get the Leos to go to schools in the district to talk to students," Jimmie Rogers said. "We'd like to get another chapter going in Willow, and in the Palmer-Wasilla area."

For more information about the Big Lake Leos, one only has to look at yet another project a group member has done. McMillan designed the club's official Web site, which is located at www.biglakeleos.org.

When the Leos are old enough, the aim of the parent organization is to get them into the Lions Club, which is the world's largest community-service organization.

But having a Lion for a parent is not required for Leo membership, and many of the Leos in the Big Lake group do not have parents who belong to the Lions, either.

"Hopefully, when they are old enough to join the Lions, they will," Jimmie Rogers said. "But that's not the main goal of the club. It's to prepare them to be leaders."

Photo: The Big Lake Leos stand by a giant stocking they raffled last week. The Leos are a youth extension of the Lions Club. The Big Lake Leos recently were named among the top 10 Leo groups in the world, out of more than 5,000 Leo organizations in 86 countries. Below, each Leo was given a pin.

Photo by CASEY RESSLER/Frontiersman.