Lions Club celebrates 60th year of community service
Members of the Rogers City Lions Club celebrated their 60th anniversary as a service organization for the community Monday at the Lighthouse Restaurant and Lounge, which, coincidentally, is the same location where the first meeting was conducted in August 1943. The organizational meeting of the Rogers City Lions Club was called to order by John Osborn, the group?s first president, in what was then called the Rainbow Garden. The first meeting was attended by 12 people. Monday?s meeting saw the Lighthouse banquet room filled to capacity with local club members as well as seven past district governors and representatives from seven clubs in northern Michigan.
AS A PART of the meeting, two local long-serving Lions were honored for their dedication to the club. Mike Eustice was recognized for becoming the first Rogers City Lion to receive the Melvin Jones Fellow award, while Don Hampton was given a Lifetime Membership award for his service. The Melvin Jones award is considered the highest honor a member can receive.
?He received it because of his many years of Lionism and the things that he has done to promote the Lions Club,? said two-time president Claude Vogelheim, ?bringing in 49 members, and having 22 of them become president.? Eustice has been on the club?s board for most of the years and has held various officer positions.
?I ALMOST CRIED when I got it,? said Eustice, who was elected as secretary for the 2003-04 year. He was bestowed with the award in April 2002 in Grayling, but was acclaimed once again at the six decade celebration this week. Howard Hoffman was the longest-serving Lion in the audience, joining the Rogers City chapter in 1945. Moe Plath has been part of the group since shortly after World War II and has stayed with it all these years because ?it?s a good local organization.?
Louis (Shorty) Nowak is the last living charter member. While not at Monday?s get-together, he was represented by his daughter, Mary McLean. Mary?s husband John was president in 1986.
PRESIDING OVER the gathering was past district governor Robert Reuther of Alpena, who said there was a lot going on in 1943, which probably made it difficult to get going. The United States was in midst of World War II and invaded Italy September 3, two days after the charter was signed. A couple of months before, Detroit was trying to stem race riots and citizens of Rogers City were concerned about family members living in Detroit. Even with the world turmoil, the club flourished in its first 10 years.
The Lions of Rogers City are dedicated to sight conservation activities by aiding the visually impaired of all ages through eye examinations and providing eyeglasses for the less fortunate. They also support Welcome Home for the Blind, Leader Dogs for the Blind, and the Michigan Eye Bank and Transplantation Center.
PAST CIVIC projects have included construction of the warming house at the ice rink, a ball field at Little League Park, and the purchase of scoreboards. ?We?re hoping to find another big project to work on,? said Vogelheim. ?We?ve got a couple of things in mind that I?m not going to say anything about right now. ?We?re hoping to get through our salmon tournament, and just like the scoreboard that we did a couple of years ago, we?re hoping to do something of that magnitude, or better. We?re working
In appreciation for the many years of service to the community, Rogers City Council members authorized mayor Beach Hall to sign a proclamation designating June as Rogers City Lions Club month, in celebration of their 60th anniversary. Club officers for 2003-04 are: president, Claude Vogelheim; first vice president, Brien Roth; second vice president, Tab Coseo; third vice president, Ted Urban; immediate past president, Norm Quaine; treasurer, Phil VanHollebeke; secretary, Mike Eustice; tail twister, James Plath; Lion tamer, Steve Harris.
Director one year Bob Noffze, Barney Tomas; director two years, Stuart Stoutenburg, Bob Urlaub; membership and elections Erik Nadolsky; mint chairman John McLean.