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Yesterday And Today, A Salute to Blyth's 125th Anniversary, 2002-07-31, Page 10A tribute Thanks to the generosity of the Frank Bainton family, the Blyth Lions in 1993 placed an impressive water fountain as a tribute to the late Mr. Bainton, a well-known businessperson, who passed away Dec. 22, 1992. Mr. Bainton was a charter member of the Blyth Lions, a past president and a life member of Lions International. From left: then Lions President John Stewart, Mr. Bainton's grandson Franklin Snell, Past President Ken Stewart, Mrs. Cenetta Bainton and her daughter Glenyce Snell. Mrs. Bainton said at the time that she was very pleased with the memorial upon which the Club had decided. - Your local flower shop, gift store & Sears Catalogue Store Luami's emery FloWers & Gifts *Pay No Tax August 1, 2 & 3 Regular priced merchandise * Discount equivalent to applicable taxes eattpatutatiana, an part 12P atutioettdaftv Kathy Lorentz-Hare RMT, CST 30, • Registered Massage Therapist • Cranio-Sacral Therapist Kara Pepper RMT • Registered Massage Therapist By appointment 412 Queen St.; Blyth 523-9400 We deliver tram Blyth to Clinton, Goderich, Wingham, Brussels & most points in between. (Free in Blyth, Funeral Homes & Hospitals in delivery area - min. $30. order) Blyth 523-4440 1-800-610-7757 \ • id Pueoich; Oki memo/de/I Qactc, al' .21a4# Have a great time at Blyth's 125th Drop in for party needs, snacks, ice cream, gifts, lottery tickets & much more Blyth General Store Fri. - Sat. 7 am - 10 pm; Sun. 9 am - 8 pm; Mon. - Thurs. 7 am - 9 pm Queen Street Blyth 523-9785 PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, YESTERDAY and TODAY, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2002. Lions Club a fixture in Blyth for close to 60 years Blyth L ions Club was chartered May 3, 1945, with 34 members. - The first project of the new Club was a minstrel show, performed and produced by the Lions. The playbill had Stanley Sibthorpe as director with accompanists Misses Elizabeth Mills and Alice Rogerson. In the chorus were Cord Augustine, Frank Bainton, Ray Dobbyn, Gar. Doherty, Stuart Durward, Gord Elliott, Norm Garrett, Billy Joe Hallahan, Don Hodd, Norv, Kyle, Del Philp, Stuart Robinson, Bert Tasker, Bill Thuell, Frank Tyreman, Jack Watson, Lew Whitfield, Harold Vodden, Bill Watson, Freeman Tunney, Carman, Hodgins. John Henderson, Bun Hall. Bill Manning and Harvey McDowell. Charlie Shaw, a member for 40 years, thinks perhaps the Lions back then were better singers than the current group. "We've had Cheryl Cronin as our pianist for 27 years and we stand up before each meeting to sing. It's not good." He must be right about the early Lions, however, as the Minstrel Show played to a capacity crowd at home as well as playing in surrounding communities. Music must have been in the Club's blood in the early days as they also sponsored a brass band at one point. When this came to a close the instruments were sold to the Palmerston Lions. In its long history, the Lions Club has become a driving force for community betterment, giving dollars and service hours to the village and area. Over the years members have contributed to busing children to swimming lessons, to minor sports, for youth exchanges. and food at Christmas. In the broader sense they have given to the Diabetes Association. Cancer Society, CNIB, Easter Seals, Ronald McDonald House, Participation Lodge. The Lake St. Joseph Centre for the Blind, Lions Home for the Deaf, alcohol and drug awareness program at public schools and Camp Dorset, to name a few. The organization's first major purchase was the property which is now Lions Park, bought for $500 from charter member Harvey McCallum. This is the project of which, Shaw says, the Club has been most proud. The park features a wading pool nd playground equipment. "Other :1 p rks didn't make the recent inistry guidelines. Ours passed," says Shaw. \ The present pump, which replaced the old one in 1988, has a filter, pump, fence and pumphouse. The Lions plowed up the front part on Queen Street and installed Continued from page 9 Ament. In response to the declining membership, several years ago both the Auxiliary and the Legion opened membership to the public. "If we hadn't eventually there would have been no members," says Ament. While President Val Pethick says the membership sits at 38, she admits that there are about 10 now carrying a lot of the workload. Often times now, the Branch members are called in to assist the Auxiliary with big events. Where once wives, daughters and sisters' of veterans would join the Auxiliary, now they can divide their membership with the Legion, or simply belong to the Legion. In the the lawn bowling greens. A bowling green house and shuffleboard courts were added. The cost was about $35,000. In later years the picnic shelter and floor were added at the park and in 1998 curtains were added on three sides to make it more usable in inclement weather. After the death of the last charter member, Frank Bainton, his wife Cenetta and family donated the lion drinking fountain which the Club installed. In 1963, a Blyth group started to raise money for an artificial ice plant and floor. When this came to a standstill two years later the Lions took the project on. The arena floor was dug out and pipes installed along with steel rebar. Cement was brought in in wheelbarrows. The cost was about $2.5,000, with all the work done in work bees by the members. Shaw said there was so much to do at that time, membership, which generally hovers around the 30 mark, burgeoned to about 60. The first winter the club covered the cost of the new sports timer. When the new arena was built, the same floor and ice plant remained. The Club pledged $12,000 to this project over three years. Later they helped fix windows, insulate and put steel on the west wall upstairs, helped with the cost of the gas heaters for spectator seats for sporting events and for many years ran the food booth in the winter. In 1972 wooden floodlight posts at the ball diamond were replaced with steel towers. The Club dug out the infield, drained and refinished it. These towers have since been replaced. The fairground foodbooth, which was in bad shape was repaired by the Lions, who now use it every` year at the annual Thresher Reunion, one of their biggest fundraisers. The Blyth Lions paid to have a fence installed around the public school yard for security and donated $1,000 towards their computers with a look at another thousand the next year. Youth projects have always been a big part of the Lions. In 1973 a Leo Club chartered. Very active in the beginning, the original members grew up and moved on. While some new ones joined to replace them, after a few years the club folded due to lack of membership. In 1974 the Club helped to start a yotith exchange program, in which they are still active. Many of Blyth'schildren have been fortunate to travel to different places all over the world. In 1977, the Blyth Lions Blyth Branch, Ament is the only member today who is the wife of a veteran. Dedication and commitment to the Auxiliary does bring recognition in the form of life membership. The Blyth Auxiliary currently has two, Ament and past president Janice Henry. Pethick explains that members who have been active in community work, very involved with the Auxiliary and have held offices over the years, provided they have been members for over 15 years, can be nominated for the life membership. These are then accepted by command. "It's not just a case of saying, 'You get this'," she explains. In recent years the Auxiliary has sponsored clubs in Auburn and Londesboro. Meetings have always been held at the Blyth Memorial Hall and the Club has helped with the upkeep before the Blyth Festival was established. District officers from the Blyth Lions Club over the years include: Bert Gray, zone chairman and district deputy governor; John Campbell, zone chairman and district deputy governor; Charlie Shaw, zone chairman and district deputy governor; John Stewart, zone chairman and district deputy - governor; governor; Keith Richmond, zone chairman; Alex Blair, zone chairman; Ken Stewart, zone chairman; Brian Garnet, zone chairman. In 1997, the Lions became involved with the Blyth Greenway project on the old CNR and CPR rights-of-way. First they drained, levelled and gravelled areas for the new soccer field behind the Threshers Park. Trees and flowers were planted. Next they made a crossing over the arch. Stairways were built to help travellers, and large cement blocks were set in along the brook at the existing stone arch. The Club plans to open a path east of the arch to marked two milestones. This past spring they celebrated their 25th penny sale, a fundraiser for community works. Four years ago, this past April, the Auxiliary turned 50. Auxiliary members can attend a convention every two years, a point Ament notes with an addendum. "we have our fun." Pethick agrees, saying it is an "interesting' time. The Blyth Legion Ladies' Auxiliary executive in 2002 is: secretary, Brenda Finlayson; treasurer, Sandra Elliott; executive Edith Glousher; Sergeant-at-Arms, Bernice Pierce; past president, Janice Henry; president, VaI Pethick; first vice-president, Erlene Caldwell; executive, Mildred Ament. Membership now open join Ann Street at the village's east end. Flower seeds were planted in the fall of 2001. Perhaps one of the biggest changes to come to the.Blyth Lions Club has been the addition of women to the membership. In 1998, four were welcomed: Bev Blair, Brenda Brown, Eileen Jefferson and Lynn Logue. They have been joined by Sheron Stadelman and Heather Van Dorp. In recent years the club has made sizeable donations: in 2000, $12,000 to the park playgrounc gateway; in 2001, $10,000 to the Threshers washrooms, $69,000 to the arena renovation.