Submitted by Nute Chapman
From Onaway Outlook December 7, 2012
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Submitted by Nute Chapman From Onaway Outlook December 7, 2012 |
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Caption: The “WOMANLESS WEDDING” poster of the Onaway Lions Club in 1949 or 1950 has nearly 50 people involved.
Some of the cast still frequents the streets of Onaway today; you should recognize them. Of the 24 ads, only Ellenberger
Lumber and the Onaway News (Onaway Outlook) are still in business.
The Onaway Lions Club was chartered Aug. 23, 1943. Charter members were: F. F. Stutesman, E. T. Burns, George Guile,
George Wood, Wayne Wilson, Henry Brown, Arthur G. Aikens, John Roberts, A. V. Horrocks, Gray Harman, Forest Parker,
John Adair, H. M. Karr, E. B. Smith and Ray Young.
From this group of men the Onaway Lions Club grew and served the community of Onaway for many years. Space does not
allow listing the many projects they supported.
To name a few would be, White Cane Week, Leader Dog for the Blind, supporting the Eye Bank program, the Boy Scouts of
America, and buying hundreds of pairs of eyeglasses for adults and children who could not afford them.
The Lions Club held many fundraisers in the community to raise money for the services they provided.
They held minstrel shows, talent shows, sold candy, cut and sold Christmas trees, ran concession stands at the Onaway Rodeo
Grounds, held hog football games at the fair grounds, supported the snowmobile races, and were involved in building our own
Russell Memorial Hospital, just to name a few.
This writer joined the Onaway Lions Club in the early 70s and was still on board technology caused the dwindling of many
service organizations. Lions International required an officers’ slate of at least 12 people. The Onaway Lions gave up their
charter in the early 80s for the lack of members.
The Lions International is worldwide today and promotes Lionism by people caring for people, as the Onaway Lions certainly
did for many years.
-From The Onaway Outlook, December 7, 2012, p. 3.
Retyped by J. Anderson.