Lions Club Charter Party

Ocean Shores’ oldest club holds a “Charter Party” tonight at 6, honoring long-time members Arnold Samuels, William Ulmer and Vern Olson.

Here’s a history of the local Lions, by JoAnn Balmer:

The Making of a City Lion’s Style

The Lions club has been in business since 1966. Ocean Shores was a lot of sand, waves and vacant lots when the Lions chartered. Ocean Shores, the city was about to spring forth.

Pat Boone became a local resident in 1967 as a stockholder in the Ocean Shores Estates incorporated and promotion of the development was speeded along by the famous Celebrity Golf tournaments hosted by Boone. By 1969 Ocean Shores was declared the “Richest Little city” with an assessed evaluation of $35 million and 900 permanent residents. The following year the city incorporated and formed a planning commission to zone the city and codify streets. 

The Ocean Shores Lions Club was chartered June 7, 1966 with 25 Charter Members. There are two surviving charter members William “Bill” Marks of Ocean Shores and T. “Tom” Grenfell of Aberdeen. The club has produced two District Governors Harry Magle (1979-1980) and John Martin (2005-2006). The most prestigious award Lions International bestows for Humanitarian Service has gone to ten Ocean Shores Lions members. They are Fred Balmer, JoAnn Balmer, George Dukes, Charles Hall, Leonard Harju, Robert Jackson (deceased) John I Martin, Tom Milligan, George Tatarek and Harry Thompson (deceased).

Like all new cities there are needs to make it workable. Ocean Shores was no exception. The new city needed signs so the Lions picked up the gauntlet and fashioned hand carved signs for Ocean Shores City Hall, Police/Fire Departments, the city gates, a history of Ocean Shores (now at the Interpretive Center) and the Catala relic on the beach. The carvers were Lions Hans Jorgenson and Milo Schneider. A few co munity projects were: a flag pole was installed at the city entrance; trash Bins were purchased for two beach accesses; poles were placed with a little help from the fire trucks on the clam beds; and litter collections were organized removing tons of litter from the beach. A high school score board for basketball and wrestling was donated in the memory of Lion Dale Gunderson. 

The Lions and Lionesses held their meetings at 7:00am in the Galilean Lutheran Chapel for several years prior to the construction of the Lions Community Building. Additional meetings were held in the Ocean Shores Inn Building and the Golf Club House. The Lions club membership roster in the early days read like a who’s who in Ocean Shores—Business owners were plenty, the fire chief, the police chief, officers of both, City Council members and a City Manager graced the ranks.

The Lionettes became Lionesses in 1970. They worked side by side with the Lions and did considerable fund raising. Together this team of Lions did the following: 

A Fog Festival with games, 4 wheel races etc. 

Birthday calendars 

golf tourneys

Newspaper drives

Casino nights

Bingo nights

The Lions and Lionesses worked on White Canes and donated generously to CARE Mexico. They completed service projects in and out of the city. One special service project was hosting some blind students from Vancouver School for the blind for a weekend at the beach. They dug clams, felt the power of the ocean under their feet, experienced new tastes like clam chowder and made many lifelong Lion friends.

The Ocean Shores Lions and Lionesses constructed the community building in 1983-1984. The original purpose of the building was to provide the community with a group meeting place and a dinner theater venue. The building was completed entirely with 1,682 hours of donated labor by Fourteen (14) Lions. The building was placed on Ocean Shores city Property with a 75 year building lease agreement with the city. The Lions Club Building (Renamed the Harry Thompson Lions Building May 2002) occupies the property with the Milo Schneider Park, an outdoor restroom, Closed circuit TV Station, a BQ Grill and picnic tables.

Today, the Ocean Shores Lions Club uses their experience, expertise, talent and creativity to make their local communities (the Copalis Ocean City Club folded and we adopted their projects) a better place for children to live by 

Sponsoring one of the two Boy Scout Troops in town 

Presents a $50.00 savings bond each month to a high school and middle school student 

Health screening (sight and hearing) at the district elementary schools 

Provide eye glasses and hearing aids to children 

Donate school supplies to the Copalis Food bank 

High School Drama community Theater Group Support 

Sponsoring the Peace Poster Contest at North Beach elementary Schools

Senior Residents are recipients of

Santa Project – Gifts for Harbour Pointe Shores Assisted Living residents during the holiday season

Co Sponsor of the North Beach Senior Resource Center

Meals on Wheels

Eye glasses & hearing aids for seniors who are needy and qualify

General projects that benefit all are

Food bank in Ocean Shores

Habitat for Humanity

Friends of the Clinic

Red Cross Blood Drive

Cell Phone Collection for the Domestic Violence Coalition

Picnic Shelter in the Lions Park

Food Service at Convention Center Events (fundraising)

Recycling computer and copy machine ink cartridges

International donations for world wide assistance are

Lions Foundation (LCIF)

Leader Dog Program

Donation to Lions Sight and Hearing Programs and community donations are considered to local charities when requested.

BUT, all is not work! Being a part of the Ocean Shores Lions Club is not all service, how could it be, when people with many of the same tastes and interests, many of the same memories gather together on a regular basis. 

Future plans are on the drawing board. The Picnic Shelter is being finished by the beginning of the summer season. The Lions leadership is working to secure a grant for playground equipment. The Lions Park has always been a popular spot for tourists to come and bring small children for lunch and play. We want the park to be a place where children can play and picnic in a safe atmosphere while giving parents a moment to regroup and enjoy there time at the beach too.

Ocean Shores Lions Club is always looking for men and women 18+ to be a part of our pride. We meet at the Lions Building on the 2nd and 4^th Thursdays at 12:00 noon. Drop in! See what we are all about!