Lions MD 39 E Home District Leadership Newsletter District Directory Conventions District Projects Lion Year Goals Clubs Links Calendar History Orientation HISTORY OF THE LIONS OF DISTRICT 39 E The Lions Club has a long and successful history in service to our communities around the world. At the present time, there are approximately 1.5 million Lions Club members, both men and women, in over 4o,ooo clubs from over 175 countries and goegraphic areas around the world. How did the Lions Club grow to be such a large and diverse group of individuals all serving for the greater good and health of their communities? It all started with an idea of a man named Melvin Jones who belonged to a social business club who yearned to do more for the local community. Melvin Jones idea was that local social business clubs could expand their outlook from purely social and business endeavors to charitable and service oriented activities in making their communities and the world a better place to live. He brought this idea to his business club, the Business Circle of Chicago. The Business Circle of Chicago liked and approved his idea and asked Melvin Jones to explore the possibilities with other like-minded business clubs throughout the United States. Melvin Jones was very convincing to other like-minded social business groups. A group of 12 men met at a Chicago hotel on June 7, 1917 and voted into existence the "Association of Lions Clubs". The creation of Lions Clubs spread like wildfire across the United States. At the first national convention in Dallas, Texas in October 1917 there were 22 clubs in 9 states. From the convention, Dr. William P. Woods of Indiana became the first Lions Club President with Melvin Jones as his secretary. From the beginning, the Lions Club has prided itself on its selfless service to their local and national communities and also on one of its main code of beliefs for Lionism is in that "No Club shall hold out the financial betterment of its members as its objective." In 1925, at Cedar Point, Ohio, Helen Keller gave a speech to the Lions Club International Convention. She concluded her speech with the following: "The opportunity I bring to you, Lions, is this: To foster and sponsor the work of the American Foundation for the Blind. Will you not help me hasten the day when there shall be no preventable blindness; no little deaf blind child untaught; no blind man or woman unaided? I appeal to you Lions, you who have your sight, your hearing, you who are strong and brave and kind. Will you not constitute yourselves Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness?" The Lions Club took Helen Keller's challenge and started sight and hearing conservation as one of its main service goals and objectives. Today, the Lions Club does this through many activities such as sight and hearing screenings, eyeglass recycling, diabetes and glaucoma awareness and screenings, providing guide dogs for the blind through the Leader Dogs program and many more activities. TOP OF PAGE The Lions Club history in Idaho nearly dates back to the beginning. Many people saw all the great service and support provided by the Lions Club and rushed to join. Areas of the country were divided into districts to organize all of the local clubs. District 28 I was created and included eastern Idaho. In 1940, District 28 I was divided and District 39 was created with all of southern Idaho as part of the new district. In 1946, District 39 was divided into two sub districts to better organize the local clubs with District 39 E encompassing eastern Idaho and District 39 W encompassing western Idaho and parts of eastern Oregon. The past District Governor's for all of the districts that have included eastern Idaho are as follows: Past District Governors (* Deceased) Governors of District 28-I (* Deceased) 1933-34 * Harry E. Young.................................Pocatello 1934-35 * Gilbert L. Stanton (Lene).......................Caldwell 1935-36 * L. Summers Pond....................................Grace 1936-37 * F. M. Bistline (Ann)...........................Pocatello 1937-38 * Windfield Kline...............................Boise Host 1938-39 * Rulon Dunn (* Lorna).............................Preston 1939-40 * Parry Harrison (Lenore)........................Pocatello Governors of District 39 (* Deceased) 1940-41 * Ronald L. Graves..............................Twin Falls 1941-42 * John N. Hart.................................Idaho Falls 1942-43 * Herbert H. Eberli (* Verna)...................Boise Host 1943-44 * W. Wiester Jenkins.................................Grace 1944-45 * Robert H. Hinckley............................Twin Falls 1945-46 * Dr. Aldon Tall (* Deoine)..........................Rigby TOP OF PAGE Governors of District 39-E (* Deceased) 1946-47 * Eugene C. Nielson.............................Montpelier 1947-48 * Rudolph R. Willecke (Lillian)..................Pocatello 1948-49 * Sherman B. Lowe (Nina).............................Paris 1949-50 * Rolland G. Weiser................................Rexburg 1950-51 * Dr. Ovid R. Cutler (LaVinia).....................Preston 1951-52 * Ralph S. Garrett (Ethyle)......................Pocatello 1952-53 * Conrad Sanders (* Gayle)........................Bancroft 1953-54 * Orme Jergensen (Ludean)......................St. Anthony 1954-55 * Doyle Anthony (Utahna)........................Montpelier 1955-56 * David Dick...................................Idaho Falls 1956-57 * Max Pilgrim (Theda)................................Malad 1957-58 * Fay Anthony (Betty)................................Ririe 1958-59 * Arthur A. Kelly (Olive).....................Soda Springs 1959-60 * Bob Perrington (*vElva)..........................Rexburg 1960-61 Frank Ramsey.....................................Pocatello 1961-62 * Ed Gaumer (Lillie)..................................Arco 1962-63 * LaMar M. Price................................Montpelier 1963-64 * M. E. Pacanso................................Idaho Falls 1964-65 * Parley Schenk (Pat).............................Bancroft 1965-66 * L. P. Smith..........................Idaho Falls Russets 1966-67 * Arvel Draper (Darlene).........................Blackfoot 1967-68 * Carl Smith (* Gayle).............................Rexburg 1968-69 Vern Bloxham (Dolores)..............................Downey 1969-70 George Wehmann (Verda)...............................Ammon 1970-71 * Kenneth Lloyd (Fern)...............................Grace 1971-72 * A.C. Worley (* Martha)...............Idaho Falls Russets 1972-73 Phillip F. Grant (Marguarite).............Lava Hot Springs 1973-74 * Jack Miller (* Audrey).......................St. Anthony 1974-75 Donald Elwell (Bobbie).............................Preston 1975-76 * Lamont Hodges (May)...............................Dubois 1976-77 * Rodney J. Parrish (Kathleen)....................Chubbuck 1977-78 Kenneth W. Babcock (Colleen)..........................Arco 1978-79 Quinten Crockett (Dorothy).........................Preston 1979-80 * Rex J. Ard (Dorothy Ann).........................Rexburg 1980-81 * T. Gail Boam (Margaret)...........................Downey 1981-82 John B. Kugler (Diane)...........................Pocatello 1982-83 Carl Hoggan (Elaine)........................West Jefferson 1983-84 * Bart .B.J.. Parrish (Becky).....................Chubbuck 1984-85 * Jack Billings (Thelma).......................Twin Buttes 1985-86 Cary Campbell (Susan)....................Pocatello Sunrise 1986-87 Robert M. Saunders (Joyce)..................West Jefferson 1987-88 * Dean Wood (Terry)...............................Chubbuck 1988-89 * Thomas Close (Eileen)................Idaho Falls Russets 1989-90 Bob Carlson (Bobette)..............................Rexburg 1990-91 George L. Reed (Cynthia).......................Twin Buttes 1991-92 Ernest Sill (Kay)...................................Dubois 1992-93 DeWayne Hodges (Gayle)...............................Rigby 1993-94 Earl Beattie (JoAnne)..............................Shelley 1994-95 Gayle Hodges (DeWayne)...............................Rigby 1995-96 Orville Nicholson (Rea)..................Little Lost River 1996-97 Bart Phillips.....................................Chubbuck 1997-98 Alan Iverson (Barbara)............................Franklin 1998-99 Cynthia Jo Reed (George).......................Twin Buttes 1999-00 Craig W. Parrish (Amy)............................Chubbuck 2000-01 Dr. Blair Wilding (Philline).........................Hamer 2001-02 Robert M. (Rob) Allen.......................West Jefferson 2002-03 Norman Wright...............................American Falls 2003-04 David C. Williams..............................Twin Buttes 2004-05 Bonnie J. Stoddard..................................Dubois 2005-06 Ron Zimmerman...............................American Falls 2006-07 Wally Stephens...........................Pocatello Sunrise 2007-08 Allan Stalker..........................Idaho Falls Russets 2008-09 John J. Pack......................................Chubbuck 2009-10 Kent L. Kindred....................................Preston 2010-11 Don Schwartz.........................................Malad 2011-12 Merlin Merrill/Ena Merrill...........................Rigby 2012-13 Michael Parrish.............................American Falls TOP OF PAGE In honor of Melvin Jones, a fellowship was created to honor individuals that have lived up to his original idea of selfless sacrifice in performance of humanitarian service to our communities. This tribute, called the Melvin Jones Fellowship, has been bestowed upon many members in eastern Idaho which includes the following individuals: American Falls Lions Curt Coman........1995 Gerald F. England... 1992 Edward Fehringer.... 1995 Gerald Fehrigher..... 1995 Steve Kelsey...... 2000 John C. Lounsbury.. 1997 Reed McEntire.......1989 Galen McMaster... 1997 Lawrence W. Sorensen...1993 H. Norman Wright....1995 Arco Lions Kenneth W. Babcock..1995 Bancroft Lions Conrad Sanders......1980 Blackfoot Lions Arvel Draper......1987 Chubbuck Lions Bart J. Parrish.......1988 Craig Parrish......2000 Kathleen Parrish..... 2000 Rodney J. Parrish.....1987 Bart J. Phillips......1999 Dean Wood.......1989 Clifton Lions J. Myron Moyle....1994 Marion Olsen...... 1999 Dubois Lions Lamont E. Hodges....1983 May Hodges......1990 Roy Lingo.......1995 Ernest P. Sill......1984 Kay Sill........1991 Keith Tweedie .....2001 John Wilson.......1983 Karen Wilson.....1995 Robert Wilson......1983 Jack A. Wood...... 1987 TOP OF PAGE Downey Lions T. Gail Boam.....1986 Franklin Lions Alan R. Iverson....1998 Hamer Lions Randy O. Dixon....2000 W. Blair Wilding ....2001 Idaho Falls Russets Lions Thomas Close.......1991 James B. Emery....2000 William A. Erickson...1995 Eugene Evans.......1997 Dennis Freeman ..... 2001 Loren Hoschouer.....1991 L. P. Smith......1976 George Wehmann....1989 A. C. Worley.....1985 Iona Lions Richard D. Lee.....2000 Lava Hot Springs Lions Eugene Kunz....... 2000 Little Lost River Lions Orville Nicholson....1996 Rea Nicholson......1996 Pocatello Lions Russell A. Anderson...1991 Arthur J. Carlson.....1995 Ralph S. Garrett....1977 Rudolph R. Willecke..1979 Pocatello Scholarship Lions Hazel Cope..... 2000 Margaret A. Gettel.. 2001 Carole A. Hansen..... 1997 Shirley Polzin..... 1999 Ruth Rahe.......1995 Joyce S. Saunders....2000 Robert Saunders.... 1989 Pocatello Sunrise Lions William C. Johns....1995 Preston Lions Kimber J. Christensen...1994 William L. Weber, Jr..1994 TOP OF PAGE Preston Monarch Lions Dorothy B. Crockett...1986 Quinten E. Crockett....1984 Rulon Dunn.......1978 Donald G. Elwell.....1987 Rexburg Lions Robert L. Carlson....1995 Robert W. Purrington....1983 Carl A. Smith.....1988 Jim Wood.......1990 Rexburg Madison Lions F. Martell Grover.....1997 Rigby Lions Dean A. Algood....1993 Glenda F. Algood....2000 Marla Andersen....1999 DeWayne P. Hodges..1995 Gayle Hodges......1998 J. Morgan Lake, Jr...1995 George Marriott....1990 Joyce Marriott......2000 Ena Merrill .......2001 Keith Scott......1994 Bartley Stowell.....1993 Aldon Tall......1987 Asael Tall.......1991 Martel Taylor.....1993 Clarence P. Wilde....1993 Ririe Lions Fay Anthony......1981 Roberts Lions John Calder.......1998 Donna French..... 2000 Earl W. French.....1991 St. Anthony Lions Jack Miller......1985 Shelley Lions Earl A. Beattie......1997 Joane V. Beattie....1997 Arthur A. Kelly....1981 Teton Valley Lions Vernal Smith.....1993 Dean Wade..... 2000 Daryl Zohner .... 2001 Twin Buttes Lions Jack Billings......1988 Frank Evans.......2000 Cynthia Jo Reed..... 1999 George L. Reed....1992 Clarence Stroh......1992 David Williams .... 2001 Eldon Young.....1993 West Jefferson Lions Robert Allen......1999 Dale Cope......1997 Terrall L. Hanson....1993 Carl R. Hoggan.....1986 Rulon Yearsley.....1990 TOP OF PAGE