Published: May 08, 2009 11:42 pm      

Lions elect Geistown woman district governor

Joan Yeager of Geistown has taken command of Lions District 14-J, which takes in six counties and 37 Lions clubs.

The new district governor was installed at the District 14-J convention held recently at the Masonic Temple in Johnstown’s 8th Ward.

Yeager had been serving as the district’s vice governor. She succeeds Cassandra Sojak of Johnstown, the first woman to lead District 14-J.

It was not until the late 1980s that women were accepted as members of Lions clubs.

Yeager is a charter member of Geistown-Richland Lioness Club, which she joined in 1984. She joined the Geistown-Richland Lions in 1998.

Sojak is a member of West End Lions Club.

District 14-J takes in clubs in Cambria, Indiana, Clearfield, Cameron, Elk and Jefferson counties.

Yeager has a 23-year perfect attendance record. She has attended numerous state and district conventions as well as 15 international conventions. She has held many offices.

She has received a Lion of the Year Award, a Pennsylvania Foundation Award and the prestigious Melvin Jones Fellow Award for outstanding service to Lionism.

Yeager’s husband, Reginald, is a member of the Geistown-Richland club and is a past district governor.

They have been married for 51 years and have two sons. A daughter is deceased.

Duey Geitner was installed as vice governor. He resides in Ridgeway, Elk County, and is a member of the Horton-Brockway Lions Club.

Yeager and Geitner were installed by Russell Sarver of Durand, Ill., a past international director.

Sarver was the convention’s guest speaker. He has been a Lion since 1973.