The Bellechester Lion’s Club (BCLC) met on May 5th and again on May 19th at the Bellechester Tavern to discuss the future of the club. Established in 2021 as an official member of Lion’s International, those attending the meetings voted to uncouple from the organization and establish a new non-profit group.
With a population of 173, Bellechester, like other small towns, is struggling to build or even maintain Lion’s club membership. The BCLC official membership stands at 14 with around half actively attending meetings and paying dues. Member support is stronger when it comes to showing up to volunteer for the club’s events and projects.
The lack of enthusiasm, complaints of insurance costs and the percentage of the dues paid that goes to Lion’s International and the district organization, had members questioning the benefit of remaining affiliated with Lion’s. The decision was not made lightly and several options were considered.
The first option was to continue without change but there was no support for that option. The second option would be to become a chapter under the Goodhue Lion’s. The Goodhue club was supportive of the idea but it would require attending their meetings and paying their dues, which are set higher than Bellechester’s. BCLC secretary, Emily Schmidt described the Goodhue club as “a well-oiled machine” and praised their activities and success but she, and others attending, did not feel this option would be in the best interest of the Bellechester members.
The third option discussed was to reorganize as a new 501(c) non-profit community group. The main advantage of this option is all money raised—whether from member dues or donations, fundraising, or grants—would be kept in the Bellechester area. With Lions, “The money does not stay in the community,” Schmidt said. After the major portion of Lion’s club dues were sent to the governing bodies, only a few dollars remained local. There were also stipulations on obtaining insurance and how fundraising revenue could be used, limiting desired projects. A 501(c) would potentially have cheaper member dues while allowing more funding to improve the park, community center, American Legion or other needs within the area.
The current club could donate their assets to their new non-profit if it were established before the Lion’s club officially disbanded. Acting on a motion by Roger Kittelson, members present voted to establish a 501(c) before meeting again on May 19th and dissolve the BCLC at the end of their fiscal year, June 30th.
The May 19th meeting opened with more discussion on officially ending the BCLC due to some of the 10 members present missing the previous meeting. The main topic of concern centered on charitable gambling. An organization must be established 3 years before being approved to operate charitable gambling. The BCLC could have raised funds this way but had not made the commitment to the time, labor and bookkeeping involved. The idea could be revisited in 3 years if the new non-profit becomes well established. The Bellechester Tavern sells pull tabs but the proceeds benefit another organization.
The original motion to dissolve the BCLC on June 30, 2025 and donate all assets remaining after paying any outstanding invoices was reiterated and passed. The treasury currently stands at $11,732.00 and a list of other property including a storage container, seasonal decorations and a laptop computer will be compiled before the last meeting which will be June 23rd. The meeting was adjourned and a short break was called before opening discussion on the new organization.
Roger Kittelson started the process of applying for a 501(c) non-profit designation. He will need to finalize the application with the name and group function. A few options for names were tossed out and discussed with “Bellechester Clay Diggers” receiving the vote. The group’s function will simply be, “To improve the Bellechester area community”.
Officers selected are Nick Keller, President; Roger Kittelson, Vice President; Emily Schmidt, Secretary; and Candy Kiebel, Treasurer. Kiebel will work with the former Lion’s treasurer to start a new account and transfer funds. Schmidt will work with insurance issues and invite Allie Peters of Peters Insurance to be a guest at the June 23rd meeting. Jody Gordon will have the name on the Adopt-A-Highway sign changed.
Looking ahead, the group will need to decide on a regular meeting frequency, time, and place and establish new social media accounts. One goal is to make the lighted Christmas parade bigger and better, turning it into their signature event. First, they have other events and projects they hope to work with including “Ribfest” scheduled for July 19th at the tavern. The event will include the local 4-H club ice cream social and other fun activities.
Anyone interested in becoming a Bellechester Clay Digger is welcome to join, whether you live in Bellechester or not. For more information, contact Emily Schmidt at 651-408-4447.
