BRIEF HISTORY OF CENTERVILLE LIONS CLUB
THE CENTERVILLE LIONS CLUB was chartered on July 20, 1944 and was organized by Mr. Bryan B.
Blalock. The Club was sponsored by the
Richmond Lions Club and chartered with 46 members. First elected officers were John Overturf, President; Rev. John Clark Secretary and
Fred Strong, Treasurer. The Club met the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:30 PM at various churches in town.
During the 1940's, the club celebrated charter night, entertained community servicemen, conducted
United Clothing Drives, entertained the high school basketball teams, hosted Boy Scout Troops, held Christmas parties, auctioned
off a home deep freeze and radio, purchased vision charts for the schools, distributed over 1,000 book covers for the school
and fitted persons for eye glasses.
In the 1950's, the Centerville Club collected for the cancer fund, held ladies' nights, provided
eye treatments, sold brooms for the blind, conducted safety campaigns in the schools, sponsored the concession stand at summer
baseball, donated $80 toward the purchase of a new curtain in the high school auditorium, erected road signs, held Halloween
and Christmas parties, operated a watermelon stand at the County Fair, sought postal delivery for Our Town, promoted playground
equipment, sponsored Girl Scouts to camp and held a farmers' night.
During the 1960's, we held a Fair Deal program at the Fair and auctioned off a car and prizes, sponsored
paper drives, honored our congressmen, staged Halloween parades and parties, gave food certificates to needy families, held
pancake days, promoted the BOZO project at the Fair and held the first Sports and Hobby Show. The Club also sponsored our
first District 25-F Cabinet meeting at the new high school.
In the 70's and 80's our Club continued to hold Christmas parties for the community, sold Holiday
Fruit at Christmas, purchased an animal at the 4-H Fair, began our annual Fish Fry and Craft Fair, sponsored a Community Awards
Banquet and entered floats in the Homecoming and Centennial Parades along with the Rose Festival and gave annual college scholarships
to deserving Centerville High School seniors.
During the 1990's the local Club sponsored annually foreign exchange students to Finland, gave two
college scholarships to high school seniors, held the annual Community Fish Fry, sponsored the 5-K run and parade for Archway
Days, purchased 4-H animals at the Fair and donated trophies for the winners, held a spaghetti dinner for the community, gave
the annual Community Awards Banquet, continued the annual Halloween parties and made hospital equipment available for all
people.
The Club's membership has remained relatively stable throughout the years, ranging from 40 to 65 members.
We have been honored to have had several Zone Chairpersons, Deputy District Governors and Trustees for the Leader Dogs and
Camp Woodsmoke projects from our club. The Centerville Club continues to serve the people of our community and supplies
hospital equipment, including beds, walkers and canes to anyone in need. We look forward to the future years in Historic
Centerville and to fill the needs of the people "We Serve."
