"There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed." --- President Woodrow Wilson
A life of service is a role in which Lions - members of the Lions Club - are well versed and for which they are well suited. As stated on their website, my source for the historical information on the Lions organization, "Where There's a Need, There's a Lion." The Lions Club was founded in 1917 by a Chicago businessman by the name of Melvin Jones who invited business clubs to a meeting at which the Association of Lions Clubs was organized. The organization grew exponentially from there, expanding internationally with the Border Cities Lions Club in Windsor, Canada in 1920.
Addressed by Helen Keller at their international convention in Ohio in 1925, the Lions - known as "Knights of the Blind" - began their vision-oriented work. Then, in 1945 when the United Nations was established, the Lions Clubs International began a long-time partnership as a NGO (non-governmental organization) of the United Nations, with focus on world peace. The Lions organization introduced a youth program, known as Leos, for volunteering in 1957 and then in 1968 established the Lions Clubs International Foundation, which has provided more than $1 billion in grants. And in 1990 they launched SightFirst, a global sight restoration campaign, followed by SightFirst II in 2005. Truly, just the tip of the iceberg.
So, it doesn't come as a surprise that local Lions have always been just as committed to service. Formed in Franklinton around 1943, the Lions Club has fulfilled its mission, contributing to and improving our community. Using 2020 numbers, the Franklinton Lions Club was among more than 46,000 local clubs with more than 1.4 million members (including the Leos) in over two hundred countries. Yet as is often the case in Washington Parish, the local club always stood out among them. I like to journey back in time to get an historical perspective.
Though I'm not privy to membership records in the organization's earliest days in the 1940s, I leapfrog to 1953 for a snapshot of the rolls. In June of 1953, Dr. T. C. W. Magee was installed as president of the Lions Club, of which he had been a charter member. He replaced retiring president Pat Scheuermann. Also installed were vice-presidents Herd Miller, Dr. L. O. Schilling, and A. Griffith Johnson; tail twister Lee Beaubouef; lion tamer Rev. W. B. Hollingsworth; secretary-treasurer Ray Pettitt; and members of the Board of Directors W. F. Babington and C. M. Jones. Directors held over from last term were W. T. Bonsack and Leeke Magee.
Then, in July, the following committee appointments were made: A. Griffith Johnson, first vice-president; Cecil Ellzey (columnist's father), chairman of Attendance, with committee members Pat Scheuermann, Haley Carter, and Jimmy Corkern; Wilson Erwin, chairman of Constitution and By-laws, with committee members R. W. Magee, Griffith Johnson, and Chester Green; Coleman Bernstein, chairman of Finance, with committee members Heyward Green and Dr. L. O. Schilling; Herd Miller, chairman of Membership, with committee members Ray Pettitt and Charlie Jones; Bill Babington, chairman of Program, and Delos Johnson, Jr.; Herd Miller, second vice-president; Glenn Burkhalter, chairman of Convention, with committee members Jewel Blair, Ray Pettitt, and Stanley Thigpen; Lyle Killingsworth, chairman of Lions Education, and James Ware; Floyd Thigpen, chairman of Entertainment, with committee members Clayton Magee, Leon Vessier, and Leabron Pettitt; Jimmy Gilbert, chairman of Boys and Girls, with committee members James Bailey, Shull Vance, and Bobby Magee; Charlie Jones, chairman of Sight Conservation, with committee members H. R. Sylvest and Shull Vance; Dr. L. O. Schilling, third vice-president; Dr. L. O. Schilling, chairman of Publicity, and Lee Beaubouef; Pat Scheuermann, chairman of Civic Improvement, with committee members Leeke Magee, Dr. Leo Pfrimmer, and Holyne Newman; H. R. Sylvest, chairman of Health and Welfare, with committee members Lavon Crain, Rev. W. B. Hollingsworth, and Wilton Pettitt; Leon Knight, chairman of Safety, with committee members Hamilton Bickham and Dickie Magee; Nolan J. Matherne, chairman of Agriculture, with committee members Sam Smith, H. D. Ellzey, Jr., O. D. Myles, Jesse D. Seal, and W. T. Bonsack; and Lyle Killingsworth, chairman of Ways and Means.
Reading this roster detonated my memory of growing up in Franklinton in the 1960s and 1970s when these gentlemen were pillars of the community. In the early years the Lions Club sponsored various valuable programs, including the Corn Yield Contest and Eyesight Conservation. But the one that grabbed my attention was the fundraiser, a fabulous stage program which raised money in support of the Lions Club's programs. To give some idea of how great a stage performance it was, one only has to read the recognition given to the Lionesses for their assistance with the program - Audrey Bailey, Doris Bernstein, Geraldine "Jerry" Green, Lynetta Bell, Virginia Killingsworth, and Hope Schilling - in 1954. With instruction and support from these ladies, those of us who weren't there in person know how fantastic it was!
Performing numbers like "When you wore a tulip" and "Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by," the Lions Club gentlemen drew a standing room only crowd, year after year, at the Franklinton High School auditorium. The show in 1961 was "Continental Capers," and another famous one was "Arabian Nighties," apparently a takeoff from the Waverley Club coronation. All these variety shows were a huge success in raising funds for a good cause, in support of the Lions Club's service -- for our community.
