ABOUT TOWN: Stoughton's Pires Receives Lions Club's Highest Award

PIRES GETS LIONS CLUB'S HIGHEST AWARD: On Saturday, Feb. 23, the Lions Clubs for the Massachusetts District known as 33K held its mid-winter conference at the Hilton Hotel in Dedham.

There are 47 Lion Clubs that belong to this district. During the dinner meeting, various awards were presented. The club members choose their members for the various awards. 

John Pires of the Stoughton Lions Club was awarded the Lions' highest award, the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award. 

The Melvin Jones Fellowship is named for the founder of the Lions Clubs International. Melvin Jones founded the Lions in 1917.  The award is presented to members who give of their time back to their community, involvement in the various club's activities and possess the personal qualities of generosity, compassion and concern to the less fortunate. 

Pires first joined the Stoughton Lions Club in 1979.  Pires has been married to his wife Marilyn for 54 years, raised three children and has lived in Stoughton his entire life. He is a familiar face at the monthly meetings as he has never missed a meeting in his thirty-plus years as a Lion!  

In addition to being a member of the Board of Directors, Pires holds two important chairman positions in the club: the chairman of the Legends Annual Fundraiser Show at the Stoughton High School, and chair of the high school scholarship committee. 

Stoughton Lions Club King Lion Bob Mullen tells About Town, "John is a proud member of the Lions Club and is very much a family oriented individual, as was evident by the large family turnout to share in his celebration of this award.  Fourteen members of his family came out on a stormy winter night to share in John's celebration of this prestigious award!"

Mullen continued, "The Stoughton Lions Club is proud and honored to have John Pires as a member."

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