Date: Fri 27-Nov-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: JAN

Quick Words:

Lions-Club-Honan-anniversary

Full Text:

Lions Prepare To Celebrate 50 Years

(with photos)

BY JAN HOWARD

The Newtown Lions Club is making plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary. On

November 30, 1948, about 30 Newtown men attended an organizational meeting at

the Hawley Manor Inn. The club, which was chartered in January of 1949,

remains an all-male club with about 35 members.

A dinner dance marked its beginnings so it is only fitting that the club plans

to celebrate its 50th year with a dinner dance in March.

President Joseph Grasso said the dance will be open to residents and former

members of the Lions Club. The club also plans to sponsor a military band

concert in the spring.

On January 22, 1949, to help launch the new club, more than 150 persons

attended a dinner dance in the Alexandra Room at Edmond Town Hall catered by

Mrs William A. Bowen of the Hawley Manor. Judge Paul Cavanagh was toastmaster.

Guests from the Rotary Club, D. Blair DeWar of Lions International, Lions

District Governor Roy L. Heck, and officers of the Danbury Lions Club, who

sponsored the Newtown club, were on hand to wish the club success.

George W. Trull, who co-owned the Newtown General Store, was the club's first

president. Other officers were Raymond Trimpert, vice president; William

Bechert, secretary; and William Tomlinson, treasurer.

Some other early members were William A. Honan, William A. Bowen, Roy F.

Byrne, Robert N. Camp, D. Augustus Carey, Henry G. Carlson, Dwight W. Carlson,

Arthur W. Carmody, Paul V. Cavanagh, Alvin B. Coger, Wycliffe R. Eddy, Edward

J. Fagan, Harry F. Greenman, Dr George B. Kyle, Ronel H. LaBelle, Dale E.

MacKenzie, A. Brian Mainwaring, William G. Mathewson, Henry L. McCarthy,

Arthur E. McCollum, Louis Oetjen, Harry B. Randall, Elwood S. Scholl, Donald

F. Sickles, Preston R. Thaxton, James Wells, G. Elvin Wikstrum, and George P.

Zimmer.

Charter Member Remembers

William Honan, who operated the Honan Funeral Home on Main Street, is the only

active member still involved from the charter membership. He served a term as

president during the 1960s and prior to that was vice president.

"We were more active then than we are now," Mr Honan said recently while

recounting his memories of the early years of the club.

He said, "Fifty years ago people went out more in the evening" than they do

now, which he attributed to less commuting and no television.

Mr Honan said the club's initial project 50 years ago was to purchase

bleachers for Hawley School, which, he explained, had started a six-man

football team.

"They only played about four games a year," he said, under rented, portable

lights.

"When they built St Rose School, we put up a backstop for them," Mr Honan

said.

"We also did a lot at Dickinson Park," he said, noting the club paid for the

tennis courts, wading pool and development of the ballfield.

"We have also donated a lot of money to sight research," Mr Honan said.

The Connecticut Lions helped fund a building at Yale for eye research, he

added.

The Newtown club sold light bulbs for several years as a source of revenue for

its projects. "We would go out in couples selling light bulbs," Mr Honan said.

"It's not like that anymore."

The club now sponsors one fund-raiser a year, a car raffle, Mr Honan said. "We

made $13,000 on it this year."

He said the club also holds special fund-raisers, such as pancake breakfasts,

to benefit the town's sports teams.

Mr Honan said he has seen a reduction in the membership through the years.

Service clubs are not attracting younger people, he noted. "In the 1950s, we

had the most members and were the most active," he said. "I don't see the

enthusiasm we once had."

The club has had many meeting places through the years, Mr Honan remembered.

"I think we've done every restaurant in the area." However, he added, "We

always met on the same night as long as I can remember."

Mr Honan said Mr Trull died in office, and Raymond Trimpert, a chemist for the

Lee Hat Company, became the new president. Mr Trimpert was then elected for a

complete term. Mr Bechert served as the club's secretary for over five years,

Mr Honan said.

One of the Newtown school principals, Fred Parr, became a Lions district

governor, Mr Honan said. Mr Parr had served as principal at the primary school

in Sandy Hook and Hawley School and was the first principal of Middle Gate

School, he recalled.

In 1969 the Lions Club sponsored the first Newtown Pop Warner football

organization and continues to help fund it today, according to Mr Honan.

Thomas Goosman of Newtown has been a member of the Lions Club for about 48

years. He has served the club as president from 1963-64 and as secretary and

treasurer.

"I've worked on every project they did," Mr Goosman said recently.

"It's been one pleasant time for me," Mr Goosman said of his years of

membership. "We've done a lot for the town. We help the town all we can. All

the money we raise goes back to the town."

Mr Goosman echoed Mr Honan's concerns about declining membership. "We're

trying to get new members," he said, adding the club also hopes to begin a Leo

Lions Club with students from the high school.

Mr Goosman remembers attending Lions International jamborees all over the

United States and the world. The international meeting is held in a different

country every year, he said.

"I probably went to 12 of them," he said. "I even attended a Chinese club in

San Francisco."

Supporting The Community

In Newtown, the club makes generous contributions to the community. In fiscal

year 1997-1998, it helped to financially support Meals on Wheels, Cyrenius

Booth Library, Cullens Memorial, CASA (prom party), Women in Newtown (W.I.N.)

Thanksgiving baskets, Newtown Youth Services, Family Life Center, Newtown

Summer Festival, Heritage Preservation Trust, DARE, and Newtown Fuel Bank.

Also, the club annually presents Trull Award scholarships to two outstanding

juniors attending Newtown High School. Additionally, the club aids the Newtown

Fund (Christmas baskets), Barrett house, Blue and Gold Booster Club (lights),

Parks and Recreation campership, and Newtown Underwater Search and Rescue.

Some special projects involving members' individual efforts, beyond financial

help, have been undertaken, including the building of the gazebo at Nunnawauk

Meadows, planting shrubbery to enhance the DATAHR home, and sponsoring "Lose

the Litter Day", and blood drives.

The club also sponsors a free glaucoma screening at the annual Health Fair.

On the state and national levels, the club has donated funds toward district

pride, diabetes awareness, Camp Hemlock, drug awareness, low vision center,

camperships for children with diabetes and cancer, the Lions camp for

handicapped children, and eye research at Yale Hospital.

Over the years, the Lions have fully supported free eyesight testing and free

glasses, particularly to school children in need. The program coordinates its

efforts with the Human Services Office at Town Hall, which also conducts a

"means test."

The current president of the Lions Club is Joseph Grasso.

The Newtown Lions Club meets the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at

the Fireside Inn from 6:30 to 9 pm.

SIDEBAR TO THE ABOVE STORY

A Brief History Of The Lions

The first Lions Club, the idea of a Chicago insurance agent, Melvin Jones, was

established in June, 1917.

Just four months later delegates from 22 clubs in nine states held the first

convention in Dallas, Tex.

It became international with the formation of clubs in Canada in 1920. Today,

it is the largest service organization in the world with clubs in over 170

countries.

Lionism began in Connecticut when the Bridgeport Lions Club was chartered on

December 29, 1921.

Today, nearly two million Lions are dedicated to "serve" their fellow man in

local, national and international communities without regard to race, religion

or politics.

All Lions Club members contribute through dues. The Lions Clubs International

Foundation dispenses millions of dollars for catastrophe relief and grants for

service projects around the world.

The Lions primary objective has been the research, treatment and cure of

vision problems and their causes.