Twenty Five Years of Marble Falls Noon Lions
The Marble Falls Noon Lions Club became active in late 1984 when Ken Holgren, who had been instrumental in establishing a club in Kingsland, decided that Marble Falls was a fertile ground for an active Lions Club. His intention was to allow its members to further the long-standing motto – “We Serve”!
It began with a small group of local residents who felt a need to do something to offer financial assistance to other local agencies and provide help in all areas to our local citizens in need. They especially wanted to help the youth who are deprived of services that assist them in growing and maturing into adults, who themselves give back to their city, the local community and mature a desire to help others.
Our club has continued to aim the major part of its work toward youth who will be tomorrow’s leaders. We realize the large list of those we support annually will prove we care.
As our club took flight with chartering December 19th,1984, the first major accomplishment was obtaining the property for a Senior Activity Center from a local benefactor, Howard Counts who headed the Marble Falls National Bank. They then set up a Board of Directors made up of Lions members. With the excellent guidance of the first president of the Center, Gus Moore, it operated under Lions guidance until incorporated and has continued to operate as a great asset and service to our seniors in our community. The Lions, with the help of the Lakeland Mall, conducted a large garage sale which provided funds to start building. Recent expansion has been made to keep up with its current growing demand and popularity.
From that time until present, the Noon Lions Club has raised some more than $600,000.00 for this community through different fund raising projects and community donations. All of these funds represent the wonderful giving our citizens, businesses and hard-working members have made possible, 100% used for charities and our community. No club operating expenses are covered by those funds. This is a Lions Club International Restriction and we are very proud of that compliance! Most of these funds have been used in the immediate Marble Falls area. Part of our proud support goes toward the Lions Kerrville Camp for Handicapped Children!
We have conducted Scout-a-rama at Johnson Park since 1994 in which we provide a two-day camp out for Scouts of all ages, including meals. Unfortunately, weather has not been kind to us on a few of those years.
Our Warm Coats for Kids project has grown over the years, our 15th was November 2009. Results have always been rewarding. We have collected up to 1100 coats from our local citizens in a single year, distribution estimates are around 90% of all coats per year to children and adults. This project has been such a success we have expanded from Kids to all age groups. Volunteers from a ladies group named “R.O.P.E.” is now constructing hand made gloves and hats to go with the coat distributions, all volunteers within our community. The local Blazing Star Chapter of the Masonic Lodge has kindly furnished us a distribution location for the past four years. Thank You
We conduct a White Cane sale yearly to assist in the world-wide desire for eye care.
NEW MEMBERS - We constantly solicit for New Members to assist us in promoting Lionism. We have been very fortunate to receive several transfers this past year and several new members. Our doors are always open, we Welcome guest to come join our ranks, check us out, let us show you what it means give back to this community, through Lions !
For years, our budget has included numerous programs and funds that will be of great assistance to those programs.
Examples: High School Scholarships, Boys & Girls Club, Lions Eye Bank, Meals-on-Wheels, Helping Center, Youth Baseball and Soccer, Boys and Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls State, Leader Dog Program, World Service for the Blind, The Kerrville Camp for Handicapped Children and numerous miscellaneous requests. In summing up our twenty-five years of service, we continue our quest to follow Lions Club International objectives which we sincerely endorse:
1 – To create and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world.
2 – To promote the principals of good government and good citizens.
3 – Take an active interest in civil, cultural, social, and moral welfare of the community.
4 – To unite the Clubs in the bonds of friendship, good fellowship, and mutual understanding.
5 – To provide a forum to open discussion of all matters of public interest provided. However, that partisan politics and sectarian religion shall not be debated by club members.
6 – To encourage service minded people to serve their community without personal financial reward, and to encourage efficiency and promote high ethical standards in commerce, industry, profession, public works and private endeavors.
In closing, for 25 years the members of the Marble Falls Noon Lions Club do care, and “We Serve”!
Thank You and Signed - Bud Lowry
