Jaci Dawn

I spent today sorting through the Lions’ Club Pins, disassembling Dad’s displays to make better sense of what he collected, listening to his disapproving voice over my shoulder (you never really get away from that), dusting them off and discarding the filthy poster board, reassembling the pins in categories, and counting them.

There are 126 pins I could get rid of in an instant, 100 of which are duplicates of other pins he owned and 26 of which have someone else’s name on them (as in “vote for…” or “so-and-so in such-and-such position”).

I haven’t actually touched the last 26 as my muscles hurt and my mind is tired.

There are 229 pins left to deal with + 8 name badges (seven with Dad’s name & office and one with Mom’s name as a spouse). I could toss the name badges.

There are: Ely (Nevada) Lions’ Club pins, California-Nevada 4N Region pins, International pins, States of the Union pins, Cities of Nevada pins, and generic Nevada State pins (some with dates). The Cities of NV pins cover 27 Nevada communities, including Ely. 39 states are represented, including 17 California communities). 9 pins representing different countries (and several more of Canadian towns, provinces, and one territory).

Dad did not travel to these countries, and probably didn’t travel to all the states, either. I have been to Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan (the Sapporo Acacia Lions Club pin, upper right). The Lions’ Club “sent” me, but Dad really footed the bill because he couldn’t get the support of the local club even after we hosted our own exchange student from Sapporo the year prior.

L-right: me meeting the mayor of Sapporo in 1974, Keiko-san in traditional dress in 1973 when she stayed with us, and me riding a random farm horse on the island of Hokkaido. Keiko & her friend, Mitsuki, insisted the taxi driver stop and we ask this poor farmer if the American girl could ride the horse. 🙂

I digress.

These are easily the coolest pins: the undated Nevada Gambling Collection. They are definitely ones I will not part with, but will keep as heirlooms.

As for what to do with the pins, I’ve had a few suggestions:

1. create a shadow box with my favorites and get rid of the rest.
2.  donate the pins back to the local Lions’ Club they came from.
3. join a Lions’ Club Trading Pins group and trade (sell or give away) the pins I don’t want.

I’m also considering attaching them to something and creating objet d’art. A sample would be one of those cars where someone glued or welded a million pieces of trivia onto.

That American Dolls horse has been a project since my youngest left the house, but I think you get the picture. I just have to find the right object to the Lions’ Club pins (a lion, perhaps? Or a wooden cut-out lion shape?).

I’ll start with finishing the cleaning job and putting the pins back into the Star Thread box for now. I’m afraid I am much too drained emotionally to think or act any further with this.