Abilene Founder Lions Club
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- Meetings:
- When: Every Thursday at Noon
- Where:Briarstone Manor101 Eplens Ct.
- Officers:
- King Lion: Grady Dorsett home:325-692-9331 ; office:325-695-7870A; e-mail gad@camalott.com:?
- 1st Vice President: Tom O'Neil home: 325-795-01041; office:325-67270420; e-mailoneiltom@ffin.com :
- Secretary: Irvin Hiler home: 325-677-9840 ; office: xxx-xxxx; e-mail: none
- Treasurer: Irvin Hiler home: 325-677-9840
- ; office: xxx-xxxx; e-mail: none
- Membership Chairman:Mary Beth Sharphome:325-695-14069; office: NA; e-mail: none
-
Abilene Founder Lions Club History
On November 11, 1953, at 2:30 p.m., H. Don Rodgers, a freelance reporter and Notary Public in and for Taylor County, Texas; Joe E.- Childers, Abilene attorney and Lions International Counselor; and Marlowe Fisher, Texas State Secretary of Lions International; met with Dr. Cyrus N. Ray in his office in the Mims Building in Abilene, Texas, and prepared an affidavit from documents, notes and other information in Dr. Ray’s possession concerning the history of Abilene Lions Club, and also facts on the early history of the International Association of Lions Clubs.
Dr. Ray is credited with being the Organizing Secretary and motivating influence in the- creation of Abilene Lions Club. He moved to Abilene in 1911 and became established in his profession as an Osteopathic Physician. Back in 1916 he conceived the idea of a business men’s luncheon club, and set about organizing it.
According to Dr. Ray, sixteen business men in Abilene agreed to join the luncheon Club. It was at first planned to organize a Rotary Club. Rotary International was contacted, and while a charter was not refused, a delay was advised as it was thought that Abilene was too small for a Rotary Club. At that time Rotary International limited its clubs to towns which had populations of more than 20,000.
1917
In January, 1917, E. A. Hicks, of Evansville, Indiana, who was then an International Organizer for the International Association of Lions Clubs, visited Dr. Cyrus N. Ray in Abilene and presented him with a letter from Dr. T. L. Ray, who was then officiating as the Charter President of the Fort Worth Lions Club.
In accordance with plans laid out by E. A. Hicks, a meeting was called by Dr. Cyrus N. Ray on February 15, 1917, in the Red Room of the Hotel Grace in Abilene. Dr. Ray presided during the meeting, which was attended by fifteen Abilene business men. The objective of the meeting was to effect the origination of the Abilene Lions Club. F. A. Matthes was elected Organizing President, and Dr. Cyrus N. Ray was elected Organizing Secretary. The fifteen men, who were the club’s original Charter Members, in the order in which they signed, with their business classifications, were as follows:
F.A. Matthes Abilene Gas & Electric Cyrus N. Ray Ostepothic Physician R.P. Glenn Physician & Surgeon W.A. Halford Publisher, Times W.L. Beckham,Jr. Hotel Grace J.F. Handy Dairy J.M. Radford Wholesale Grocery W.J. Fulwiler Fulwiler Electric Co. Tom Sales Burtom Liogo Lumber C.G. Whitten Attorney L. Montgomery Montgomery Drugs W.T. Stewart Dentist Cross Payton Retail Hardware B.W. McCarty Furniture Truit Compere Real Estate Due to the fact that the International Association of Lions Club directed that a minimum of twenty-five members be included before charter could be issued, it was decided to secure ten additional members. A second meeting three days, later, on February 18, 1917, was scheduled, at which time the additional following Charter Members were included:
W.B. Hale Retail Grocery J.F. Morrison S.W. Peanut Co. George Finberg Autos & Trucks R.F. Duggan Duggan-Brown Co. H.G. Helm Pierce-Fordice C.W. Hearon Minister D.T. Laughter Undertaker J.D. Miracle Draughon's College J.E. Hamlet Mission Theater M.B. Hanks Abilene Reporter The club functioned for approximately sixty days with it’s temporary officers before it received its charter and elected its permanent officers. During that period dues were collected, meetings were held, and the following charter members were taken in (they were regarded as Charter Members due to the fact that the charter had not been presented):
C.M. Tandy H.A. Tillett John Price J.B. Fagan Otho Barber R.C. Lewis E.B. Bynum S.H. Garrison Guy Adkins C.A. Boulte A.L. Clemmons O.H. Hale Oscar Parker After its charter was received, the Abilene Lions Club elected its first permanent officers. F. A. Matthes was elected Charter President, J. D. Miracle was elected Charter Secretary.
The Abilene Reporter, datelined Thursday, March 8, 1917, chronicled the club’s official luncheon as follows: "The weekly luncheon of the Abilene Lions Club was held in the dining room of the Hotel Grace. E. B. Bynum was toastmaster, and after bringing a smile by relating a witty story to those present, he introduced Dr. Ray whose subject was ‘The Flower Garden Contest.’ Dr. Ray stated that inasmuch as he was not a public orator he would read his address." The discussion was published in full, at the conclusion of which O. A. Hale spoke on means of securing better and permanent pavement at the Texas Pacific railroad crossing from Pine Street to South First Street. He urged that the club take action with proper authorities, which suggestion was acted upon by the club, and a committee was appointed to investigate.
The Abilene Lions Club has generated enthusiasm and action in scores of civic activities since the day the club was organized. Practically every leader in the town came from the ranks of the club.
It may have been a coincidence, but from the day the club was organized, conditions in Abilene began to improve. Miles of pavement were laid, modern street lighting was installed, millions of dollars were expended in building huge water reservoirs, big hotels were constructed, Camp Barkeley was based near the city during World War II, the air base was acquired with its tremendous payroll and thousands of personnel, the oil industry centered in the area with Abilene as its focal point, and the city’s population in 1954 had climbed to more than 55,000, with predictions it would surpass 100,000 within five to six years.
Not all of the gigantic improvements in Abilene were caused by the Abilene Lions Club, but traced to their sources, especially during the years preceding World War II, practically every worthwhile improvement originated with members of the club, with the organization’s endorsement and backing. The Abilene Lions Club since it was founded has recorded among its membership some of the most able men of West Texas. The caliber of its leaders is indicative of the club’s success.
During 1952 the city of Abilene had grown to sufficient size to warrant the founding of a second Lions Club. There had been considerable discussion concerning the matter for some time. A committee was appointed which met in Mack Eplen’s Restaurant during the first part of October, 1952, and formulated plans to organize the new club. A list of prospective charter members was selected, and the committee then set about organizing the second club.
On the evening of October 21, 1952, sixty-two prospective members for the new club met in the cafeteria of Alta Vista elementary school with Clyde Penrod, President of the Abilene Lions Club; other members from the Abilene Lions Club; and Marlowe Fisher, Texas State Secretary of Lions International.
Marlowe Fisher presided at the organizational meeting of the second club, which was named "Abilene Evening Lions Club." Hugh E. Cosby was elected Charter President of the new club, and Sterling Childers was elected Charter Secretary.
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Many things have changed since Hugh Cosby wrote the preceding history of the Abilene Lions Club. The original Abilene Lions Club added "Downtown" to its name in order to avoid confusion when the second club was organized. The Evening club later changed its name to "Abilene Cactus Lions Club" and organized another Abilene Evening Lions Club.
The original Abilene Lions Club changed its name again in 1983 when it moved its meeting place from downtown to Briarstone Manor and became know as the Abilene Founder Lions Club, in recognition of its early history.
Following are the names of the Presidents and Secretaries who have served the Abilene Founder Lions Club since the club was organized:
YEAR
PRESIDENT
SECRETARY
1917 F.A. MATTHES (ORGANIZING) CYRUS N. RAY (ORGANIZING) 1917 F.A. MATTHES (CHARTER) J.D. MIRACLE (CHARTER) 1917-18 J.M. RADFORD C.A. BOULTE 1918-19 O.A. HALE C.A. BOULTE 1919-20 O.A. HALE C.A. BOULTE 1920-21 O.A. HALE JOE PERRY 1921-22 R.D. GREEN CLYDE NEWBERRY 1922-23 R.D. GREEN T.N. CARSWELL 1923-24 R.A. MADDOX T.N. CARSWELL 1924-25 R.A. MADDOX T.N. CARSWELL 1925-26 W.J. FULWILER T.N. CARSWELL 1926-27 GEORGE L. MINTER T.N. CARSWELL 1927-28 B. MILLER T.N. CARSWELL 1928-29 T.N. CARSWELL GUY W. McCARTY, SR. 1929-30 GUY W. McCARTY SR. ARCH D. BATJER 1930-31 BERTTE LOW ARCH D. BATJER 1932-32 C.W. CLARK R.S. STEPHENS 1932-33 D.G. BARROW ROLAND JONES 1933-34 T.E. HAYDEN ROLAND JONES. 1934-35 R.N. RICHARDSON CARL C. SELLERS 1935-36 E.T. COMPERE CARL C. SELLERS 1936-37 W.J. BEHRENS CARL C. SELLERS 1937-38 CARL C. SELLERS O.P. THRANE 1938-39 C.E. ADAMS JOE WILLIAMSON 1939-40 C.E. ADAMS JOE WILLIAMSON 1940-41 R.G. BOGER JOE WILLIAMSON 1941-42 JOE CHILDERS JOE WILLIAMSON 1942-43 E.A. UNGREN JOE WILLIAMSON 1943-44 ROLAND JONES JOE WILLIAMSON 1944-45 WILMER SIMS JOE WILLIAMSON 1945-46 W.S. WAGLEY JOE WILLIAMSON 1946-47 CARL SPRINGER JOE WILLIAMSON 1947-48 W.B. McDANIEL JOE WILLIAMSON 1948-49 NEWELL THOMPSON JOE WILLIAMSON 1949-50 FRED HUGHES JOE WILLIAMSON 1950-51 MARVIN LEWIS JOE WILLIAMSON 1951-52 OWEN THOMAS JOE WILLIAMSON 1952-53 CLYDE PENROD JOE WILLIAMSON 1953-54 J.H. McGOWEN JOE WILLIAMSON 1954-55 FRED BOYD JOE WILLIAMSON 1955-56 A.S. HAWES JOE WILLIAMSON 1956-57 GORDON R. BENNETT JOE WILLIAMSON 1957-58 WALTER S. POPE, JR. JOE WILLIAMSON 1958-59 ROBERT J. TIFFANY, JR. JOE WILLIAMSON 1959-60 GLENN RUTLEDGE JOE WILLIAMSON 1960-61 P.E. SHOTWELL JOE WILLIAMSON 1961-62 IVAN FLYNN JOE WILLIAMSON 1962-63 ROBERT E. FIELDER JOE WILLIAMSON 1963-64 JOHN H. ALVIS JOE WILLIAMSON 1964-65 FRED HENRY JOE WILLIAMSON 1965-66 WARREN HIGH JOE WILLIAMSON 1966-67 A.E. WELLS JOE WILLIAMSON 1967-68 IRA T. MAY JOE WILLIAMSON 1968-69 BRYAN BRADBURY JOE WILLIAMSON 1969-70 RODGER Q. GARRET JOE WILLIAMSON 1970-71 ROBERT DEMPSEY JOE WILLIAMSON 1971-72 CLEO W. TARTER JOE WILLIAMSON 1972-73 CHARLES L. LANGFORD JOE WILLIAMSON 1973-74 H.O. WYNNE JOE WILLIAMSON 1974-75 W.M. PRESTON PARKER JOE WILLIAMSON 1975-76 IRVIN D. HILLER JOE WILLIAMSON 1976-77 CHARLES W. ELY IRVIN D. HILER 1977-78 A.C. SHARP IRVIN D. HILER 1978-79 CHRIS CLARK IRVIN D. HILER 1979-80 JOE LASSITER IRVIN D. HILER 1980-81 B.L. BLACKBURN IRVIN D. HILER 1981-82 BORDEN B. MANLY, JR. IRVIN D. HILER 1982-83 JAMES A. YOUNG IRVIN D. HILER 1983-84 RAY R. LEWIS IRVIN D. HILER 1984-85 JOE P. ALEXANDER IRVIN D. HILER 1985-86 FREDERICK B. JONES IRVIN D. HILER 1986-87 LARNED E. RUNNELS IRVIN D. HILER 1987-88 LESLIE J. GENTRY, JR. IRVIN D. HILER 1988-89 JOE P. KNUPPLE IRVIN D. HILER 1989-90 ROBERT A. HOWARD ED BUCKNER
IRVIN D. HILER 1990-91 ED BUCKNER IRVIN D. HILER 1991-92 NORMAN L. OLSEN IRVIN D. HILER 1992-93 GRADY A. DORSETT IRVIN D. HILER 1993-94 J. HOWARD MEADOWS IRVIN D. HILER 1994-95 JAMES O. TEEL, JR. IRVIN D. HILER 1995-96 BILL SHIPMAN IRVIN D. HILER 1996-97 REEDER HUDDLESTON IRVIN D. HILER 1997-98 MARVIN NORWOOD, JR. IRVIN D. HILER 1998-99 DONNY VOGLER IRVIN D. HILER
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