Jamestown
- Members of the Jamestown Lions Club have been roaring for 50 years now.
It was chartered May 11,1948, with 21 members. They are: Walter Britten; Ray
Biddulph; Jess Cannon, vise president; George Clanton; Harvey Davis, treasure; Jack Ford;
Elisha Field; Herbert Hurlbert, vise president; Robert Howe, charter night chairman;
Nickolas Krutch; Isaac Moreland, Tail twister; Sam Orr, president; Russell Patterson,
secretary; Richard Reigleman; Joseph Ryburn; Stillman Smith; Edward Sitterle; James Ward;
Frank White; Harry Wood.
But today the club has grown to 87 members, making it the largest club in District
14 F, which is made up of seven counties in northwestern Pennsylvania.
In its 50 years the club has served the community in many ways.
According to the memories of surviving charter member Lash Field and the records of
secretary Bob Moore, in its charter year the club sponsored many community activities.
Among them:
- A rest shelter at what was known as the Pymatuning Joint Fair, now known as the
Jamestown Fair.
- A first aid room was added to the former Pymatuning joint School.
- A street parade and dance was held.
- A pie social, benefits from which raised money for eye glasses, was held.
In 1949, because the school district did not have enough funds,
the club painted classrooms in the Pymatuning Joint School.
The club also continued to provide support to those in need of eye glasses. Lions
also bought a machine to test the vision of people in the community. Cymbols were
purchased for the school band and a score board was built for the Jamestown Redbird
baseball team.
In there second year, the Lions purchased raincoats for the School Boy Safety
Patrol,a group of crossing guards. |
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The first of what was
to become an annual Halloween Parade and dance was also held. In 1950, an audiometer
was purchased so the school could test students' hearing and "Slow School" signs
were painted and hung near the school.
It was also the first year of the "Baby Beef Raffle".
After a record snow fall in November - one that closed school for a week, Field
said - Lions cleared the roof of school so it wouldn't cave in.
Because of the war in Korea, in 1951 Lions sent the local newspaper, The Record-
Argus, to servicemen overseas.
The Lions also made a trip to Clarion County to purchase trees and bushes to
landscape the school grounds.
In 1952, the organization purchased athletic equipment for children who lived at
what was the St, Paul's Orphanage.
Waste-paper cans were also added to the downtown Jamestown area.
During Christmas 1952, the Lions started a community Christmas tree.
1953 was Jamestown's centennial and Lions member Bob Patton said every man in town
was required to grow a beard.
In the summer of 1953. a little League team sponsored by the Lions was formed and
15 youth participated.
The annual boat raffle began in 1954. It was such a success it became an
annual event. Three tickets sold for a dollar at the first event.
By 1958. the Jamestown Little League had grown to four teams. Today, the
Lions continue to support the Little League by paying for there insurance.
Also in 1958, shrubs were planted around the new Jamestown Junior/Senior High
School.
The Stag Steak Fry was inaugurated in 1960.
A $200 scholarship was awarded to a Jamestown student in 1962. Today, the
school scholarship is now $3,000.
1963 was the first year of the Pymatuning Winter Carnival - now Winter Fun Days -
an event |
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the Lions continue to
support.
A dental chair was purchased for the high school in 1964.
In 1965, with the help of the Volunteer Fire Department, the club sponsored an
Easter egg hunt.
Park benches were added to downtown Jamestown in 1966.
In 1968, the club - with James Baird as president - celebrated 20 years in
existence.
In July 1969, the Jamestown and Greenville Lions clubs formed the Greenville Area
Eye Bank, now known as the Erie Eye and Organ Bank.
A benefit baseball game was held between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh
Steelers.
Lighted tennis courts were provided to the community in 1970.
Again proving the are always there in time of need, the Lions offered assistance
when disaster in the form of a tornado struck Jamestown on May 29, 1985. The Lions club
volunteered any assistance needed and offered laborers for the clean-up process.
"We donated everything we had", Moore said.
In the 1980s, blind warning signs were also placed in the borough because of the
several visually challenged persons living in the area.
Over the past decade the Jamestown Lions Club has donated over $11,000 annually to
various local, regional, state national organizations.
Saturday the Lions Club celebrated the 50th anniversary at the Greenville Veterans
of Foreign Wars Cpl. James O. Jordan Post 3374.
At the dinner the club and members Lash Field and Chester Walter received
proclamations from state Rep. Rod Wilt, R-17 and state Sen. Bob Robins, R-50.
Nick Duffy earned the Pennsylvania Fellowship Award.
Life memberships were granted to Ray Helbling and Chester Donner.
Walt Renwick and William McElhaney received the Melvin Jones Award.
Entertainment provided by the Jamestown High School Chorus. |