At their July 2009 meeting, the Barker Lions Club held its Annual Installation & Awards Dinner. Secretary Matt Costello and Past President Dick Corwin were honored at the dinner by Lions Club International with its coveted Robert J. Uplinger Distinguished Service Award. The award honors outstanding Lions, non-Lions and organizations that perform exemplary service to the Club, District or Community. These honorees possess the highest examples of Lionistic character, ideals, purpose and service. The only other Uplinger awards we given to John Hayden (2002), Darlene Lutz (2003), Art Harris (2005), Barker Fire Department (2007), Mike Feltz (2008).

Lion Secretary Matt, Lion President Rich, District Governor Lion Jim

Both Matt Costello and Dick Corwin are long-time, active Lions Club members and have participated in numerous service projects:

Lion Matt is a 4-H Leader, active in Barker’s St. Patrick's Church, and is a retired Driver-Ed teacher (taught many, many Barker Residents safe driving techniques). Matt is head of the community’s Holy Name Society, in addition to his active participation at all levels of Lions club activities, from serving Home Coming Hot Dogs, he’s a convention Band Member, he makes sure the secretary’s reports are done in an efficient and timely fashion, and he is active on the BCS Alumni committee.

Lion Dick has for the past 25 years served on and chaired the Town Sunshine Committee. In fact, he is the ex-officio Barker Sunshine Committee bringing meals, flowers and needed assistance for those who are ill or infirm. He is a local hearing aid and glasses advocate, arranging for hearing tests and payments to equip those in need. Lion Dick also provides Meals on Wheels delivery and is active in Barker’s Faith United Methodist Church. Through the decades, Dick Corwin, by his actions, has improved the quality of life for a great many town residents.

Lion Robert J. Uplinger was a Past International President and a member of the Syracuse Host Lions Club. He served as the 55th International President in 1971-72. Lion Bob was an energetic and devoted Lion who devoted himself to promoting and advancing Lionism in Multiple District 20 and the world. He served our Association with outstanding distinction and was the first recipient of the award given in his name. He served for many years as the Co-Chair of Lions Day at the United Nations. For his dedicated service he received numerous honors and awards.

The Lions Club of Barker has bestowed its highest honor on Jim Bittner by awarding him the Lions Club International Foundation's Melvin Jones Award. Because of the high cost of this recognition, clubs are extremely selective and do not give the awards out on a regular basis.  Barker Lions has only given the award five other times: To John Hayden in 1992, Jay Dickinson in 1993, David Frost in 1994, Roger Harrison in 1995 and Robert Atwater in 2004.

In Bittner's more than 20 years in the Lions Club, he has served in practically every office. Over the years he has organized and man­aged the pancake breakfasts and chicken barbecues the club runs to raise money for its local community charities and to help out the Barker Central School stu­dent organizations, includ­ing Spanish Club trips to Puerto Rico, Music Club Boosters and the Barker Boy Scouts for scholarships.  In addition, he supports the Barker Food Pantry with its Holiday Food Baskets and organizes and delivers the baskets at Thanksgiving time. In addition, funds the Lions Club raises go to provide glasses and hearing aids for those in need. He was also the district envi­ronmental chairman for a year for the district.

Bittner is also the president of the Niagara County Farm Bureau. As part of New York Farm Bureau, this group keeps current on the myriad of agricultural issues. They work with other organizations and political leaders to preserve agriculture in our state. As an active member of the Cornell School of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Association, Bittner works with students wishing to further their education at Cornell and by aiding working farmers with the research support they need to improve their agricultural practices.

Melvin Jones was the founder of Lions Club International, an organization that stands for Liberty, Integrity and Our Nation's Service. Jones' personal code was "You can't get very far until you start doing something for somebody else.” He formed the Lions Club in 1917 when he was 38 years old, after joining a business luncheon group. The purpose of the group was to promote the financial interests of its members. It did not take Jones long to ask the question: What if these people, who are successful because of their drive, intelligence, and ambition, were to put their talents to work improving their communities?"