Roaring Lions Newsletter
April 15, 2025
The Marshall Lions Club met at noon on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at the Panola-Harrison Electric Cooperative Inc. meeting room, 410 E. Houston, Marshall, Texas.
While there are many relevant things captured in time on this day in history, in this newsletter I will focus on three events. On this day in 1912, the British luxury passenger liner Titanic sank during its maiden voyage from Hampshire, England to New York City; some 1,500 people died. In 1926, Robertson Aircraft, one of the companies that later developed into American Airlines, flew its first mail route between Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri with Charles A. Lindbergh as the pilot. And finally in 2013, near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, two homemade bombs were detonated in the crowd of spectators; 3 people were killed and more than 260 were wounded in the terrorist attack.
Connie Dowden and Cindy Ford from CC Catering provided beef tips and rice, gravy, mixed vegetables, rolls, salad, brownies and of course, ice tea.
Lion Chris Horsley called the meeting to order at 12:05 p.m. and reminded Lions that it was tax day. Lion Chris reported that we have 21 Lions in the den and no guests. If you are bringing guests, please let Lion Angela Parker know in advance of our weekly meeting. For our at large members, the costs of meals are $15 for Catfish Express and $10 for all other caterers. Please provide your money to Lion Angela Parker whenever you make a meeting and enjoy lunch. If Lion Angela is not at the meeting, please provide the money to either Lion Chris Horsley or Lion Bob King.
With Lion Travis Keeney not being with us initially, Lion Chris Horsley called upon Lion Bob King to lead our opening prayer. Lion Bob gave thanks for the men and women in this room that give up their time and talents to make our community better. Further, Lion Bob asked that the Lord hear our prayers for those that are hurting and those that need healing, comfort and guidance.
Lion Chris Horsley called upon Lion Lorie Minter to lead our Pledges of Allegiance to the United States and Texas Flags.
Lion Chris Horsley called upon Lion Jesse Fugler to lead our weekly songs. Lion Jesse led the group in singing “I’d Rather Belong to the Lions” and a patriotic favorite – “America, the Beautiful.” In singing the first song, Lion Jesse was concerned that some in the audience might pass out, especially with the extended time holding a note.
Lion Chris Horsley was thankful for such a large turnout for our business meeting and also thankful for presence of Lion Bob Swanson who has been away for four and half months. Also, Lion Chris gave a shout out to Lion Stacey Bowen. Lion Stacey has been extremely busy at Downs Funeral Home and it was great to have him with us today.
Lion Kent Reeves mentioned that Lion Don Thornton had surgery and he went home this morning. From all reports from Lion Don and his surgeon, Dr. Duncan, all went well. Lion Chris reports that Lion Kent has a standing racquetball date with Dr. Duncan and both of them have been playing together for years. According to Lion Kent, Lion Don will be taking it easy for a while. Those types of injuries take a while to heal and there are a lot of restrictions to include not lifting anything. Lion Chris shared that Lion Ted Beauchamp had the same surgery done twice and during a fishing trip, Lion Chris encouraged Lion Ted to jump across a creek. Unfortunately, Lion Ted lost his balance, slip and fell, injuring the shoulder once again.
Lion Chris Horsley turned it over to Lion Dare Westmoreland for a Pancake Supper report and overall, we had a really great event. Fortunately, we had more in attendance than normal and we are finalizing totals of money and should have a better idea when all money is received of exact earnings. Lion Chris Horsley also made a comment that cleanup was extremely efficient. In fact, we set a group best as cleanup was completed in 20 minutes.
Lion Chris Horsley asked if everyone was receiving GroupMe text messages. We utilize GroupMe to send out notes to our members. Lion Jesse Fugler mentioned that he is not receiving the texts, so Lion Donald Hocutt will delete and resend to Lion Jesse to rejoin the group. The GroupMe is based on an individual’s cellular phone number instead of their email address.
Lion Chris Horsley reported that the big event upcoming is the District 2-X2 convention in Jefferson, Texas on April 18/19, 2025. Festivities on April 18, 2025 will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Lions Park in Jefferson. There will be a family picnic with hot dogs, trimmings and drinks starting at 6:30 p.m. and games for all ages: corn hole, pickup sticks and jacks. On April 19, 2024, registration for the convention is 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. which includes breakfast, coffee, juice and networking. The meeting will be held 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. with a necrology service at 11:45 a.m. The event should be over by 2:00 p.m.
Our next board of directors meeting will be held on April 17, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. The event will be held at Rueggenbach Brewery’s Salamander Room. Lion Chris Horsley will probably be unable to attend and Lion Dare Westmoreland will run the meeting.
Lion Chris reports that our next night meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. Justin Seal from TxDOT will be on hand to talk about the I-369 corridor project. Justin is an engineer that the State of Texas contracts with to put the project together. Lion Ed Hoffman, Lion Dare Westmoreland and Lion Alan Grantham have heard the presentation before and it is very good. Lion Chris Horsley reiterated that it is also a membership meeting to increase overall membership. Lion Mike Haynes is working with Austin Haynes to utilizing Panola-Harrison Electric Cooperative building for the meeting. For the meeting, Lion Chris Horsley plans for Pic-N-Pay to be our caterer. For years, Pic-N-Pay catered for Marshall Lions Club and stop coming about 5 years ago.
Lion Robert Wood reported that the Charity Horse Show went really well and we cleared about $9,000.00. Lion Patrick Owens reported that the Touch-A-Truck event went well too. Together, about 100 individuals were in attendance and the popsicles turned out to be a great idea, although Lion Patrick admits that he purchased too many popsicles. Lion Dare Westmoreland, Lion Melisa Castle and Lion Patrick Owens manned the booth during the event. Lion Donald Hocutt reported that Lions Johnathan Freshwater, Teresa Freshwater, Melisa Castle and Peggy Walker from Jefferson Lions Club were on hand at Price T Young elementary for the Special Education transition event. Overall, we talked to a lot of parents about Texas Lions Camp and handed out cards for parents to be our guest at a future Lions Club meeting. This year, we are sponsoring Camelia Fields as a camper during the residential camp week of June 8-13, 2025.
Lion Chris Horsley called our Tail Twister, Lion Bob King to the stage. Lion Bob gave thanks to Lion Kent Reeves for filling in for him recently. As a result, Lion Kent was given a pass from any fines today. Lion Bob King grabbed the silver plate aka apparatus and levied fines for those not in attendance last week and for those not wearing their name badges. Lion Bob King reported it was National Tax Day, National Take a Wild Guess Day, National Rubber Eraser Day, National Laundry Day and National Titanic Remembrance Day. For notable birthdays: Roy Clark was born in 1933, and Chris Stapleton was born in 1933. For memorable events: President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865; General Electric was born in 1892; insulin was available for diabetes in 1923; Jackie Robinson was the first African-American baseball player in 1947; and McDonald’s was founded in 1955.
Lion Bob King moved on to our topic for the day - April 15th Tax Day. What was the penalty for filing your taxes late without an extension? Answer: It’s ZERO, if you do not owe money, but 5 percent per month for unpaid taxes. What year was federal income tax enacted? Answer: 1861. What is the name of the tax form most used to file taxes? Answer: 1040. What percentages of Americans that file normally receive a refund? Answer: 70 percent. What famous entertainer used their animals as a tax deduction? Answer: Johnny Carson. Are you able to deduct money paid for a certified therapy animal? Answer: Yes. What popular video console games did some people claim as education? Answer: Xbox. What country is known for the highest tax rate in the world? Answer: Sweden.
For today’s auction item, Lion Bob was giving away a 1000 pesos bill from Costa Rica. The bids escalated between Lion Alan Grantham and Lion Robert Wood and Lion Robert earned the 1000 pesos bill for $3.00. For this week birthdays, we have Lion Melisa Castle’s husband Pierce, Lion Charles Gillis and Lion Travis Keeney’s wife Jillian. Lion Jesse Fugler led us in singing the “Happy Song” to celebrate their special day. Lion Bob King left us with words of wisdom from Ella Harris, “A retired husband is often a wife’s full-time job.”
Lion Patrick Owens provided an update that Lion Jimmie Van Norden continues to recover from her recent health issue. Lion Alan Grantham thinking of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln was taken back to the graduate of Texas A&M that went to apply for a job with the Police Department. When he went to apply, he was told by the hiring manager that they had a test for applicants. The applicant was asked what is 1 and 1? The Aggie responded 11. The hiring manager responded you got me there because I did not say 1 plus 1. The next question was how many days start with the letter T. The applicant said two, “Today and tomorrow.” While it was not the answer he was looking for, the Aggie was correct with 2 and the hiring manager appreciated the thinking outside the box. Finally, he asked the applicant who shot Abraham Lincoln and encouraged the Aggie to go home and think about it for a few days and return. When he returned home, the applicant’s Dad asked him how the interview went. The Aggie responded I think it went really well and the hiring manager liked me, but I cannot believe they put everybody on a murder case the first day.
Lion Chris Horsley reminded the group that our meeting next week, Tuesday, April 22, 2025 would be the Farm City Week’s Voice of Agriculture speech contest winners: Morgan McGuire (senior division) and Reid Haynes (junior division). It is always a great time as the families of the winners attend our meeting and the winners deliver their winning speeches to our club.
Lion Chris Horsley shared with the group that we started our new member orientation during our last business meeting and Lion Donald Hocutt will conclude it today. For the club, our big dates are our charter on July 6, 1921 and the reformation of our club on April 6, 1938. We were chartered with 22 members and Longview Lions Club was our sponsor. Routinely, we hear about Mission 1.5. Currently membership is over 1.4 million globally and the goal is to increase this number greater than 1.5 million members. As of this training, there are 200 countries and approximately 48,000 clubs across the world. The big takeaways under the vision statements are the motto of “We Serve” that was introduced in 1954 and the focus of the Lions acronym which is Liberty, Intelligence and Our Nation’s Safety.
Officer nominations are in progress to support our next President, Lion Dare Westmoreland. Lion Dare will lead the club from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Lion Donald Hocutt mentioned that in Lions Year 2025-2026, he will serve as District 2-X2’s secretary under District Governor Jimmy Cox supporting the 33 clubs underneath the district.
Lion Donald Hocutt covered our current service projects and recurring donations. The list is approaching one page and with our involvement in the community, this list is expected to continue its growth especially considering our new members and their effort. Currently, we meet at noon each Tuesday and conduct a night meeting on the 4th Tuesday of each month and a Board of Directors meeting on the 2nd Thursday of each month at Rueggenbach Brewery. For the months that have a 5th Tuesday, it is reserved for our business meeting.
Lion Donald Hocutt reiterated that we have two member types: Regular and At Large. Dues for our Regular and At Large members are $15 per month or $180.00 per year. For our regular members, they also pay a weekly meal charge further increasing their monthly membership to $55.00 per month or $660.00 per year. For our At Large members, they pay for meals when they attend. Currently, costs are $15.00 for catfish and $10.00 for all other caterers.
Lion Donald Hocutt reiterated we are really excited about sending a camper to Texas Lions Camp this year from Price T Young elementary. With having Lion Melisa Castle, who serves as a school nurse and a member of our club, it has positioned us with an incredible conduit to the school.
Across the United States, there are 750 Districts. In Texas, there are 16 Districts and we all fall under MD2. For Marshall Lions Club, we serve underneath District 2-X2 (33 clubs) and are part of Zone 2 (East Zone). The East Zone is made up of Avinger, Hallsville, Jefferson, Marshall and Waskom. For Lions Year 2024-2025, Lion Robert Wood serves as the Zone Chairperson for Zone 2. Lion Robert Wood will be replaced by Lion Bruce Hayes (Waskom Lions Club) in Lions Year 2025-2026.
Lion Chris Horsley mentioned that Lion Lois Triebenbach was present during our Lions Pancake Supper on April 8, 2025 and the upcoming Lions Year, she will act as District 2-X2’s Director for Texas Lions Camp. The current leadership for District 2-X2 during Lions Year 2024-2025 is District Governor (DG) Debra Caughron, 1st Vice DG Jimmy Cox and 2nd Vice DG Donna Owings. Leadership for Lions Year 2025-2026 will be DG Jimmy Cox, 1st Vice DG Donna Owings and 2nd Vice DG Travis Ransom.
Each Lions Year, we have three cabinet meetings and one district convention. The three cabinet meetings scheduled during Lions Year 2025-2026 are:
Saturday, July 19, 2025 Atlanta, Texas
Saturday, October 25, 2025 Mt Pleasant, Texas
Saturday, January 17, 2026 Henderson, Texas
And the District Convention for Lions Year 2025-2026 will be held in Marshall, Texas on April 17-18, 2026 at the Marshall Convention Center.
Melvin Jones established the Association of Lions Club in 1917 and the first meeting was held in Chicago, Illinois on June 7, 1917. At the time, there were 27 clubs from nine states and the first international convention was held in Dallas, Texas at the Adolphus Hotel October 8-10, 1917. The name Lions was chosen on a secret ballot over several others because the Lion stands for strength, courage, fidelity and vital action. The emblem has the profile of a lion looking back upon a proud past and forward looking optimistically towards the future.
Hellen Keller addressed the international convention in 1925 and challenged Lions to become Knights of the Blind in the crusade against darkness. Today, we have so many initiatives that focus on vision. The Lions gold vest was introduced in 1951. Our Board of Directors is considering an initiative to present Lions their first gold vest after a member has completed one year of service. In 1956, the Detroit Lions Club presented Stevie Wonder his first drum set and in 1976, Past District Governor Jimmy Carter was elected as our 39th President of the United States. Members of the group reiterated that President Carter was also a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946.
The next international convention will be held in Orlando, Florida in 2025. The International Headquarters for Lions Club International is located in Oak Brook, Illinois and has a staff of 275 members in 11 divisions to support Lions. In 1968, Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) was formed and since its inception, $1 Billion in grants have been awarded to support the humanitarian work of Lions. In Marshall Lions Club, we are taking advantage along with other District 2-X2 clubs to receive a LCIF vision grant. As part of the vision grant, Marshall Lions will pay $3700.00 and LCIF will pay the other $3700.00. This will provide us a vision machine valued at $8400.00. After this purchase, there will be a machine dedicated to Marshall Lions Club. Lion Chris Horsley and Lion Donald Hocutt have submitted the paperwork for the grant and expect the equipment later this summer. Currently, Lions Angela Parker, Orlando Valle and Donald Hocutt are certified vision screeners. This year we have conducted 500 vision screenings. Moving forward during Lions Year 2025-2026, with the new vision machine, we will have to do 1600 vision screenings annually. If anyone is interested in becoming a certified Vision screener, please let Lion Donald Hocutt know.
Lions always seek to address the greatest needs in their communities and we are united behind eight global causes: diabetes, vision, hunger, environment, childhood cancer, disaster relief, youth, and humanitarian. The more we can do for service is dependent upon attracting new members. By recruiting new members into Marshall Lions Club, we guarantee that we have new, enthusiastic members to make a difference in the community we so love. There has been a lot of discussion about getting school sponsorship and establishing a Leo Club in Marshall ISD. Also, as was the case with Harrison County Hispanic Lions Club, there is always potential of establishing a branch club that has common interests such as financial, golfing, fishing, etc… This type of club is referred to as a specialty club.
Lions Club International increases its marketability through its magazine, newsletter, emails, website, and Facebook, X, or YouTube pages. As we move into Lions Year 2025-2026, it is important to establish the right person to be our Communications/Marketing Chairperson to expand our footprint on social media as well.
As he concluded, Lion Donald Hocutt stated that he is really excited with our club’s potential heading into Lions Year 2025-2026. Lion Robert Wood is looking for a white apron that was used at the Pancake Supper. If anyone knows the apron’s whereabouts, please let Lion Robert know.
Lion Kent Reeves is looking for a location to lookup Lions information such as a phone number. Lion Donald Hocutt suggested that Lion Kent and others visit the Marshall Lions e-Club website. With a password, members may access this type of information. Lion Donald Hocutt will provide access information via GroupMe. Lion Chris Horsley also reiterated that people utilize the trifold for answering questions. It is packed with information that is useful in learning about Marshall Lions Club and attracting new members.
Lion Chris Horsley called upon Lion Kent Reeves to lead our closing prayer. The meeting adjourned at 1:00 p.m.
Sincerely,
Lion Donald Hocutt
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