Lions Club news: meet Barry McDougall

New Norfolk Lions Club member Barry McDougall.

BARRY McDougall has been a member of the New Norfolk Lions Club since 2007. He laughs as he remembers the “hell of a good time that we’ve had over the years.”

Encouraged by friends to join Lions, Barry enjoys working on Lions projects. “There’s satisfaction in doing jobs and helping people out. We’ve done a lot of projects around the place, not only in New Norfolk," he said.

"Five or six years ago, we did up a house at Molesworth. Clennetts Mitre 10 sponsored it all and provided the materials and the tradies. We provided the labour. That was one of our biggest projects. In Gretna, for years, no-one could get up the hill to the war memorial. It was too rocky and steep. K&D donated bricks and we built the steps.

Barry says one of the best things he's seen as a member was when he and Mike Berry took the Lions train to a sports carnival at St Leonard’s Sports Centre near Launceston, and the reaction of children from the St Giles disability service arrived. "It was wonderful. They had never seen anything like it. I can still see their faces. Gee, they were happy!”

Barry grew up on a dairy farm at Ringarooma in the state's North-East. After leaving school, his working life began in the timber industry and then an opportunity to work for the Hydro came up.

Barry then lived and worked at Tarraleah for 34 years. During that time, he married Jean and raised a family of three daughters. In 1993, when many Hydro staff at Tarraleah were made redundant, Barry and Jean, moved to New Norfolk where he again worked in the timber industry until his retirement in 2006.

These days Barry is on the Lions Club's board of directors and can be seen selling raffle tickets in High St, New Norfolk, and joining in at other fundraisers. He appreciates the value of the Lions Club to the community, “I’d like to see another 10 or 12 younger members in the club, so that our work in the community continues for decades to come”.

If you would like to know more about the Lions Club of New Norfolk contact membership officers Greg Hudson on 6261 1329 or Troy Bester on 0401 064 172. Lions Australia. We serve (more than sausages).