This is a featured story from the Summer Pioneer Press printed newsletter. The newsletter can be viewed digitally in its entirety by clicking on the link here.
Where there is a need, there is a LEO.
For over a decade, Jonathan Alder High School, in collaboration with the Plain City Lions Club, has been providing service to the community with its LEO Club. LEO stands for Leadership, Experience and Opportunity, and all three are being exemplified by JA students.
The goal of LEO Club is to build a relationship with a local Lions International Club, so students can see the power of action from serving the community. And while other students may notice the positive and encouraging notes left on every locker during Valentine’s Day, Mental Health Awareness Month or even exam weeks, the LEO Club at Jonathan Alder is providing so much more for residents of Plain City and beyond.
Megan Marling, a Language Arts teacher at the high school, recently finished her fifth year as the supervisor for the LEO Club. When Marling began supervising the club consisted of only a handful of students. Today, there are over 90 active members, which included close to 30 students that graduated in May.
“One of our goals for all LEOs is that they have the opportunity to not only provide service to their community, but also practice leadership skills,” said Marling. “Whether it is being in charge of a certain area of a project, to being on a leadership team, there’s a range of how much responsibility and opportunity a LEO can choose to take on to grow those skills.”
Sponsored by the Plain City Lions, the LEO Club works with them on fundraising initiatives and projects throughout the school year, serving both the school district and the local community.
One of the club’s most recent projects is plastic collection, which is run through Trex, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking products. LEOs are tasked with collecting recycled plastic at several locations throughout the community, weighing it, logging it, and bringing it to a designated drop off location. At the end of each collection period, if enough plastic is collected, the group is rewarded with a bench. Since beginning this project, the group has received three benches, placing two at the high school and one at Pastime Park in the village.
“My favorite part about working with LEO Club is getting to see the students take ownership over their projects, and getting to interact with the students outside of the classroom,” added Marling. “From making eggs and painting walls at DNA to singing at Edgewater, we get to share unique experiences together and serve the community while we do so.”
Other regular projects conducted by the club included the aforementioned valentines and encouraging notes on student lockers, assembling first aid kits for shelters, and trick-or-treating for the local food pantry. In addition, with the assistance of the Lions Club, the LEOs recently donated $900 to a local organization, Daily Needs Assistance (DNA), which also resulted in the LEOs receiving a $2,783 grant from Lions Club International Foundation.
Sidney Troesch, a 2024 graduate, was a member of the LEO Club for three years and was introduced to the club by a friend who invited her to assist with a project, and it gave her an opportunity to do something she wanted – finding a way to help her community.
“My favorite part about the LEO Club would be seeing how many families and people we get to help around the community,” said Troesch. “We get to see the difference we make.”
A simple invitation from a friend is what also brought Chloe Wilson, an 11th grade student for the upcoming school year, to join the club, “a friend of mine had told me about it, so I decided to go and see what it was like, and since I was a freshman at the time and looking for ways to get involved, I seized the opportunity.”
Wilson’s favorite service-based project is the DNA Breakfast, adding “it takes a lot of hands to put together the whole breakfast, but in the end, we are able to see the impact we have had on the people whom we serve, and it is truly amazing.”
Wilson was also involved in the planning process of a LEO Club Convention. The purpose of the convention is to connect members from LEO Clubs across the state of Ohio through various group activities. Wilson attended virtual planning meetings once or twice a month on Sunday evenings for roughly four months, and each LEO Club was delegated a part of the convention to lead, whether it be team-building games, a service project, or learning session.
Overall, there are over 7,700 clubs worldwide, spanning 150-plus countries and territories. With over 200,000 members, LEOs complete over 60,000 service projects annually.
“I feel LEO Club has taught members vital lessons regarding selflessness, commitment, and the importance of having fun through whatever sort of work you do,” added Wilson. “The Plain City Lions Club has seemed to enjoy working with us on projects and together, we have been able to accomplish so much more than either club could have alone.”
During the 2023-24 school year, Jonathan Alder LEOs completed over 800 hours of service for the district and Plain City community.