South Elgin resident honored for longtime Lions leadership
From Staff Reports June 13, 2012 5:52PM
Lions International president Wing-Kun Tam presents South Elgin Lion Leo Snyder with the “International President’s Leadership Award” during his recent meeting with club presidents at the South Elgin Lions Club. | Submitted
Updated: June 17, 2012 12:00AM
In April, Lion Leo Snyder of South Elgin accepted the nomination to become governor of Lions Club 1J District for the 2012-13 year beginning in July.
Snyder joined the South Elgin Lions Club in 1995, and he has served his club in several positions on projects and the Board of Directors, including twice as club president, tail twister, first vice president, building manager and bar steward. During his 16 years as a South Elgin Lion, he has earned perfect attendance award and has sponsored 51 new members.
Not only has he been active in the South Elgin Lions Club, he has also been active on the district level for the last 15 years by serving on several committees before becoming active on the board of directors as a zone chair and then a vice district governor. He is also active in the South Elgin community, most notably serving on the South Elgin RiverFest Committee for the last 15 years.
For those who know Snyder, he is not one to just sit by when he feels that something needs to be done to help others in need. This passion was evident in May 1999 when Haysville, Kan., took a direct hit from an F4 tornado that destroyed parts of the city and killed six residents. On his own initiative, Snyder started a South Elgin Lions fundraiser to raise money for Haysville. He then drove down to Kansas to personally deliver a check for more than $3,000 to the Haysville Lions Club to be used for the benefit of the Haysville community. For the last three years, he has chaired the club’s Holiday Food Basket, taking the number of baskets distributed from 35 to more than 200 and raising more than $7,000 each year to benefit the residents of South Elgin.
Over the years, Snyder has received several awards and honors as a Lion and a citizen of South Elgin. These honors and awards include receiving the Melvin Jones Fellow, Lions of Illinois Foundation Fellow, Lion of the Year from both the South Elgin Lions Club and District 1J Lions, and “Outstanding Volunteer” Award from the village of South Elgin. Snyder said he is honored to have been asked to serve as grand marshal in this year’s Fourth of July Parade in South Elgin.
International President Lion Wing-Kun Tam presented Lion Leo with the “International President’s Leadership Award” during his recent meeting with club presidents at the South Elgin Lions Club. This award is the third-highest award that is given out on the international level.
Upon receipt of the award, Snyder said he was “shocked and never expected it in a million years.”
