Abbeville resident Ron Kitchens was recently inducted into the Lions of Mississippi Hall of Fame at the State Convention in the Biloxi Visitors Center.

In order to be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame, a Lion must have been a Mississippi Lion for 15 years, with five of those years having contributed outstanding service on the state level.

He joins many great Lions, including Past International Directors and Mississippi’s own Past International President, Judge Pat Patterson.

Kitchens has been a member of the Oxford Lions Club for over 36 years, serving two terms as president and 12 years as secretary and holding many other offices. He has served as the northern District Governor and as District Coordinator for the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) for four years.

On the state level, he has served as chair of the Council of Governors, four years as the State Coordinator for LCIF, and 14 years as the state website webmaster.

Kitchens has been awarded many honors, notably including a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellowship, named for Lions International’s founder, as well as the Edwin Dalstrom Distinguished Service Award, two LCIF Chairperson Medals, two International President’s Appreciation Certificates and many membership advancement and service awards.

Lions International is composed of over 1.3 million members in over 45,000 clubs in 200 countries, making it the largest non-profit service organization in the world.

The Oxford Lions Club serves people in need in Lafayette County and surrounding areas, especially with sight-related needs.

The Oxford Lions Club meets at noon on Tuesdays. For more information on joining, visit the Chamber of Commerce’s website or the Oxford Lions Club Facebook page.