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Community Good Deeds


   The first recreational facility our club worked on was the Charles H. Flato, Jr., Memorial Park in the Lamar School area starting in 1942. In those days Lions themselves went out to grub the land by hand, erect swings, slides, and other playground equipment, build barbecue pits and plant grass. Similar parks were developed on 14th st (Kenedy Avenue) and (West) Caesar (at Armstrong) to meet the needs of the neighborhood.
     Under the general chairmanship of Lion P.D. Cauley, Sr. the Little League Ball Park was built in 1954 at the northwest corner of Brahma and Cavasos on land leased from an estate of which Lion D.A. Barber was administrator.  It has always been the contention of the Lions Club that given proper leadership and made aware of a community need the people of Kingsville would join wholeheartedly in putting over any such program. The Lions and community were enthusiastic in supporting this project.   
    Other Projects our club has helped with through most of its existence have included Brahmaland, a youth club housed in the Mopac Booster Hall bought in 1964, sponsorship of an Explorer post and two Scout troops, underwriting of holding a "Boys Baseball" World Series here in which Kingsville fielded two teams and the finals of which were won by a team of Cuban refugees from Florida; donation of $6500.00 for the development of Dick Kleberg Park and the installation of playground equipment, including a slide designed to look like a lion; support for Camp Pikethwa at Beach.(Camp Fire Girls) Which was named for Lions Rafe H.(Bud) Piper,J.S. Kennerly and Moody Wallace.     
    We have sponsored a Boy Scout Troop for many years. We had a building for the scouts where Fling had his lumberyard. When he expanded we had to find a different location. We were given an old house by HEB for the price of moving. The old house that we were using was sold and we started using the new house that was moved in on City property. The house became uninsurable; it was sold (2003). Now we are in need of a new place to store our equipment and a place for the scouts to meet. Jim Altman is letting the club store all the equipment at his Four Seasons warehouse.
   We sent the A&I University band to the Lion's International Convention in 1965 in Los Angles, Where it won as the best marching band attending in the parade representing the Texas Lions.   
   We have donated thousands of dollars for eyeglasses for our local school children each year. The club continues to focus on sight conservation providing needy area school children with eye exams and eyeglasses.
   We collect used eyeglasses. Lion Donny Trant has chaired this committee for some time. The glasses are sent in to Corpus Christi to be classified; Lions International sends them all over wherever they are needed.
    Lion Charles Wilson helped organize the taking of pictures of first  graders for ID and gave them to their parents. 
    The Lions furnished the first resuscitator for the Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department in 1950. Lion John Goode said, "the club purchased department bunker suits" on two occasions. During the polio epidemic the Lions purchased an iron lung and donated it to the Hospital. The lions also furnished an incubator to be used for premature babies at the hospital.
   Our club has received many awards for service and contributions. We receiver an award from The International Eye Foundation The Leader Dog Foundation, Life membership awards were awarded to the following:  Ed O'Brien, Harry Wickersham, Harrel Nix, Alton Remmers, John Goode, Dr. David Neher, Charlie Ploug, Charlie Forke, Jim Patten, Art Ramirez, Herman Ohlenbusch, Gus Elias, M. L. Dunn, R.S.(Cookie) Garza

Our Club presented Melvin Jones Fellow Awards in the names of
H.W. Wickersham      1993
Ed O'Brien                  1994
Ron Sadler                  1994
Dick Hitchens              1994
Dr. Fred Leon              1997
Charlie Ploug               1997 
Charlie Ploug was awarded a life membership to the Texas Lion's Camp.(July 2003)
Camper Jessica Lukefahr attended the 2003 session, her last time after attending for six years.
    Fun times includes Ladies Night, do your own steak at the Harrel Nix guesthouse, Christmas party at the Country Club with Dick Hitchens conducting different skits. Membership contest, the winner getting a dinner cooked by the losers. St. Paul Lutheran Church hosted the dinner, thanks to Lion Allen Eckert.

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