HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-10-02, Page 32 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, October 2, 2013
THE CITY: Service Clubs
14) Gillespie: l Ondonel'
Ron Huxley will head
Optilnist
International learned
empathy from his childhood
fire trauma
lie's used to the funny looks and awk-
1Vard comments. like the little boy who
turned to his mother and asked, "Wiry
does that man have crayon on his
face?"
itut Ron i luxley --- a longtime Lon-
don jeweller about to start his one-year
term as president oldie Optimist Inter-
national service club • attributes much
of his good fortune to the fiery accident
that marked him for life.
"1 guess when an individual has
something traumatic like that happen
to them, and something that leaves
you noticeably scarred, you do one of
two things," says I luxley. "Either you
run and hide and withdraw from the
public eye, or you learn to deal with it.
"And 1 guess that's probably what has
made me successful in business and my
Optimist career. The fact that 1 was able
to Hick up on the fact that when people
look at me, they feel uncomfortable •
they don't know what to say, they don't
know now to act. And 1 developed un
ability to recognize that and make theta
feel at ease."
luxley suffered burns to 60'N% of his
body when, at age 10, he and a neigh
bourhood friend were sleeping in a
backyard tent that taught fire.
lie underwent about it dozen sur-
geries and skin gratis, which are still
evident in the facial scars that discol-
our his face. As well, his right hand is
noticeably disabled.
But none of it slowed 1luxley, who
became an Optimist in 19113, two years
after opening his own jewelry and
goldsmith business. I le served on the
Optimist's international hoard attire(' -
tors in 19913, 2004 and 2005 and has
served on 23 international committees
over the years.
And now, as worldwide president,
I luxley must help the Optimists grapple
with a serious decline in membership;
while the service club boasts about
77,000 members worldwide, that
number has dropped by 100,000 since
1990.
"'There are a lot of clubs out there
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that are struggling," says Hux-
ley, who lives in Lambton
Shores, near Port Franks and
belongs to the Optimists' South-
western Ontario district. "1
think what we've got is a com-
placent attitude ... (that's) not
recognizing the younger gener-
ations. We've lost sight of the
fact that a lot of these young
adults are leaders in their own
right."
Huxley says his main focus
during his term as international
president, which officially
begins Oct. 1, will be to help
recruit members.
"Many clubs see growth as an
element that someone else will
do," says Huxley, 61. "And it's
my intent to bring in a focus
that will allow clubs to take
advantage of those within their
ranks who are comfortable with
asking somebody to join their
club."
But you can bet Huxley will
be upbeat about the task.
"Part of what pulled me
through (the childhood injury)
and made ine the person that I
am was my dad's sense of
humour," he says. "And his abil-
ity to show that there's a silver
lining to everything."
Ian Gillespie is the Free Press city
columnist.
ian.gillespie@sunmedia.ca
twitter.com/lanatLFPress
THE CLUB
Optimist International
was established in
Buffalo, N.Y., in 1911.
There are more than 2,500
clubs in 17 countries, with about
77,000 members worldwide.
Serves more than 60 million
children around the world.
Clubs collectively raise
more than $6.2 million
a year for charity.
About 10 years ago, local
Optimists raised more than $1
million for the pediatric oncology
unit at London Children's Hospital.
RON HUXLEY
Owns and operates R.G. Huxley
Jewellers at 240 Richmond St.
On Oct. 1, Huxley will begin his
one-year term as intemational
president of Optimist International.
Has served as chief of
Northville volunteer fire
department for 18 years.
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