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LIONS CLUB

       The Stanwood Lions Club was organized April 24, 1953. The following officers were elected: President, Carl Haesemeyer; 1st Vice-president, Adair Spear; 2nd Vice-president, Charles L. Bentley; 3rd Vice-president, Alfred Meyer; Secretary, Roland Spear; Treasurer, Earl Paist; Lion Tamer, W. L. Hoffman; Tail Twister, Fred Luedeman.

       The Tipton Lions Club sponsored the new organization at Stanwood, with the charter presented June 5, 1953. The 23 charter members were as follows: Charles Bentley, Paul Gadke, Henry Haesemeyer, Carl Haesemeyer, Charles Hanks, Elzo Harrison, W. L. Hoffman, Harry Hoisington, Fred Luedeman, Alfred Meyer, Frederick Meyer, Jr., L. W. Meyer, Wm. Ralph Nodurft, Kenneth Orton, Earl Paist, Kenneth Proesch, Fred Ropa, Earl St. John, Adair Spear, Roland Spear, Glenn Thumma and William Hansen.

       Over the past sixteen years the Lions Club has sponsored and helped in many worthwhile projects. From 1953 through 1958 the Lions helped give the school athletic banquet, and in 1954 and ’55 they helped with the all-night proms. The Midget Baseball team was a club project from its beginning until the school reorganization. Since then they have continued to give financial aid to the Midgets. In 1962 forty-five new uniforms were purchased for the teams.

       The Lions have painted school stop-sign lines, helped in the Ground Observer Corps, sponsored girls in the Cedar County Beauty Contest, purchased a container for transportation of eyes to the eye bank, and for several years have shared the expense of candy distributed to children of the community at Christmas. They painted the public library in 1958, assisted with the polio clinic and the glaucoma testing unit and held a benefit ball game in 1959.

       Besides raising money for the City Park, the Lions have donated labor to build a shelter and have purchased a table for it.

       To finance their many projects, the Lions have sold brooms, fruit cakes, and Halloween candy. They have held an ice cream social and, since 1955, they have held an annual pancake supper. Another successful fund-raising project has been the Lions’ Minstrel Show which was presented for three years. Starting in 1961, Kids Daze, a two-day event, has for five years brought much fun to the Lions and to the children. Games, rides and prizes constituted the major activities.