Liberty Lions Club

Liberty Lions learn about CPR from Targa safety training specialist Wilbert Winkelman

Reprinted from The Vindicator

Wilbert Winkelman, the guest of Liberty Lion Larry Merritt, spoke to the club Monday evening, Jan. 5 on the use of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), which is a portable electronic device designed to diagnose life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, allowing the patient to reestablish an effective heart rhythm.

Winkelman teaches 19 safety courses, including CPR for Targa Resources.

The course he highlighted Monday evening is from the American Red Cross. Winkelman said if you witness someone suddenly collapse, tap the person and ask "Are you okay?" If you get no response, send someone to call 9-1-1, find an AED and start chest compressions immediately until help arrives, (100 compressions per minute). This moves blood to the brain and moves air.

Winkelman advised, "The only think you have to learn about an AED is how to turn it on. Once you turn it on, it will talk you through the rest of the situation."

He emphasized that the machine will not shock a person unless it is necessary. The AED evaluates the person's heart rhythm, the electrical rhythm of the heart. The AED will tell you to start CPR for two minutes before re-evaluating the heart rhythm of the patient again. Winkelman said, "Do not touch the patient when the AED is evaluating the patient's heart rhythm, because it is so sensitive it could pick up on your heart rhythm." Winkelman said "If you only have adult pads to use on a child, put one on the child's front and one on the back (rather than both on the chest)."

Winkelman concluded by saying, "For every minute you delay using an AED, the chance of surviving cardiac arrest drops ten percent."

LHS Best Buddies visit Liberty Lions

[Reprinted from The Vindicator]

Liberty High School Lifeskills Instructor Janie Prather brought three of her 'Best Buddies' to the Liberty Lions Club Monday evening: Kursten Hall, Paige Mouton and Taylor Arceneaux.

Prather said they have seven active Best Buddies at the high school who donate their time to work with her special needs students. Prather said, "They give of their time. Time is one of our most valuable resources. They spend an hour a week with one of my students." Her students have disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Downs Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. Some have physical disabilities.

She said, "Every day in my classroom is like a perfect world. I love my job because of the eleven special needs students I teach." The Best Buddies program provides a special friend for the student. They spend time together and the disabilities seem to disappear. A social connection is formed that was not there before.

Prather said, "The Best Buddies talk to my students like they are regular people, and they are regular people. The kids in my class think that these girls are the most wonderful thing. And, I do too."

Prather has taught Lifeskills for thirteen years, six in Liberty.

She said, "A good lifeskills program takes a lot of money."

She was able to form the Best Buddies program through a $1,506 grant from the Liberty ISD Education Foundation. The money covered five Best Buddies lunches and a trip to Moody Gardens in Galveston with lunch at the Rainforest Café.

Best Buddies breaks down barriers between the LHS student body and special needs students.

The Lifeskills students go to SpiritHorse Liberty about twice a year. They have gone to Old McDonald's farm to ride the train. Prather says they have gone to every restaurant in Liberty and beyond. She says, "My students are the happiest kids in the world."

The Liberty Lions donated $500 toward the Lifeskills Best Buddies program.

If you, or your business, would like to help sponsor the LHS Lifeskills class and 'Best Buddies', contact Janie Prather at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Liberty Lions Clay ‘Shoot for Sight’

(Reprinted from The Vindicator)

Liberty Lions Club held their first Clay 'Shoot for Sight' event Sat., Sept. 20 at Clay Mound Sporting Center in Liberty. Several teams competed and helped raise funds toward the Liberty Lions purchasing sight testing equipment to help the community.

First Place winners in the Lions 'Shoot for Sight' event were Mark Morefield, Rene Vera and Lance Lawrence who each received a camouflage gun case.

Second Place winners were C. Bruce Stratton, Evan Wilson and Jim Koulovatos.

Each received a camouflage, padded cooler.

Third place winners, William Lenormand, Kailey Lenormand, Jeff Wiggins and Craig Wiggins, each received a Liberty Lions Club canvas tote bag.

William Lenormand won the Longbird event as well, earning him a camouflage gun case.

Fourth Place winners were Paul Goudeaux, John Payne and Michael Leger.

Shooters got an early start at the Longbird event and proceeded through the various stations of the course. The weather cooperated, after many rainy days, with a cool breeze.

The event was made possible by generous sponsorships and donations from Prosperity Bank, FLNB, Liberty Dayton Chrysler Dodge Jeep, Tracy Williams State Farm, John Hebert Distributor, Inc., Craig Wiggins, Pam Turner Realtor®, Taylor Pipeline, Hall Rader & Associates, Liberty Forge, Golden's Furniture, Fielder, Gunter & Davis, Attorneys at Law, and The Vindicator.

Scout Troop 56 visits Liberty Lions Club

Scout Troop 56, sponsored by the Liberty Lions Club made a visit to the Monday evening Sept. 15 Lions Club meeting to showcase their skills. Daniel LaCour detailed the use of three different types of fires, using logs, kindling and tender: a cooking fire, a platform fire for heat and a lean-to fire for light and heat.

Scout Daniel LaCour explained how to make a cooking fire, a lean-to fire and a log-cabin, or platform fire to the Liberty Lions Mon., Sept. 15.

Chase Contreras led a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. He is pictured with Lion President Jim Kerr.

Dayton, Hardin and Liberty Lions fill Liberty Center for Governor Moorman visit

(Reprinted from The Vindicator)

Lions from the Dayton Noon Lions Club, the Hardin Lions Club and the Liberty Lions Club met at Liberty Center Monday evening, Aug. 25 for District 2-S2 Governor Chris Moorman's official visit.

Vice District Governor Noah Speer of the Huntsville Lions' Club visited Liberty Center as well.

Liberty Lion President Jim Kerr introduced Vice District Governor Speer who in turn introduced Governor Moorman to a packed house of over 60 Lions. A delicious, fried fish dinner was catered by Linda Durio. The Liberty Lions Club Sweetheart, Madison Brown, was introduced to guests.

Moorman joined the Liberty Lions Club in 2000 on the invitation of long-time Liberty Lion R. B. McDonald.

McDonald is now a member of the Bryan Lions Club.