"Salem Times-Commoner" - Aug. 8, 1966

 24 Members Working in Lions Club

                Although a newly organized club, the Alma Lions, chartered in February, have gone a long way toward fulfilling the goal of community services that characterizes the Lions.  Sponsoring Santa Claus at Christmas time, an Easter egg hunt, and a new Boy Scout troop are among their major accomplishments.  When the group was formed last fall, their first public effort was a ham and bean supper to raise funds for undertaking their various projects.  As a result of this successful endeavor, they acquired some working capital for the community projects to come.  For the first time, the Lions brought to Alma it’s own Santa Claus, who came riding into town on a sleigh known in other seasons as a fire truck of the Kinmundy-Alma Fire Protection district.  Santa strolled throughout the business district, spreading Christmas cheer among the children during the yuletide season.  When Easter came, a traditional Easter egg hunt was arranged by the Lions and about 150 youngsters scrambled for eggs and prizes.

                Although there has been a Cub Scout pack going in Alma, it has been awhile since there has been an active Boy cout troop for the Cubs to move up to.  So the Lions are now sponsoring a Boy Scout troop, which meets at the community center.   Their next job is to retile the floor of the city hall, or new community center, and they need to raise more funds for that, as they do not have enough left from last fall’s supper proceeds.  The Lions, in seeking ways to raise money, must look for some way that won’t conflict with what some other group is doing, for otherwise they would not doing a community service.

                The Lions have 24 members right now from among the men of the community.  Bill Hester is president, and has three vice-presidents, Gerald Mulvaney, first; Robert Ford, second; and Howard Downey, third.  Other officers are Ernest Broom, secretary; Lester McWhirter, treasurer; Bill Beard, tall twister, and Robert Williams, lion tamer.  President Bill Hester, who has lived in Alma all his life, occupies with his wife the house where he and his brothers grew up and “batched” with his dad, his mother having died when he was small.  Among his early recollections of Alma include when there was a grading down at the railroad track which slowed down the trains when they tried to puff uphill, especially when they had a load.  When this occurred, a load of hobos would roll off the train and come over to town looking for a free meal.  His dad, says Bill, never turned a man away hungry.  He fed everyone who came, because, he said, although may be only one out of ten might deserve it, he had to feed the other nine to find the one.  Bill’s office, where he handles his real estate and insurance business, is in a little house out back where he has the congenial company of two gentle dogs, a tan cocker and a yellow and white hound.  When we visited, he had an addition to the ménage – his grandson, Kelly, an energetic little fellow with bright brown eyes.

                Bill can see ways in which the new Highway 57 north can hurt Alma.  One way is by taking traffic off Highway 37.  Alma gets a lot of business from 37, Bill says, and much will be diverted to the other highway.  Also, many arterial roads will be cut off out in the county and Alma will lose from that.  If Alma loses business, the Lions feel it is up to them to help the community find other ways to promote business and interest in the town.  These ways are often discussed at meetings, and as time goes on and the club progresses, no doubt they will succeed.  For Alma, the Lions serve a similar purpose to what a Chamber of Commerce does, in some ways, because in seeking community betterment, they are, also looking to improve business for the town in general.

                                                                                                           (O-55) Alma Lions Supper - 1972