Times-Advocate, 1983-11-09, Page 29Exeter Lions Club started ball rolling
Although no one suspected it at
the time, South Huron Hospital pro-
bably owes its existence to the inor-
dinate success of 'Monster Frolic'
staged in the old arena by the Exeter
Lion's Club in the fall of 1947.
With its coffers overflowing, the
members began tq discuss several
undertakings, one of which was the
possibility of building of a hospital.
At an executive meeting of the club
C.S. MacNaughton, then 3rd vice
president, was instructed to in-
vestigate the probabilities of a
medical budding.
The first of hundreds of hospital
meetings was held in November,
1947, when the tions Club Commit-
tee of health and welfare and civic
`improvement met to discuss the
hospital project. At that meeting
were: Dr. J.G. Dunlop; B.W. Tuckey;
W.G. Cochrane; J.H. Jones; H.K.
Eilber E.D. Bell; L. Wein; and C.S.
MacNaughton.
The committee decided to in-
vestigate every angle of the undertak-
ing, including approximate size and
cost of construction, amount of
federal and provincial grants
available, and the problem of
meeting an operating deficit once the
hospital was erected. It recommend-
ed that, once such information was
available, a public meeting be call-
ed attended by a thoroughly
representative group of the area the
hospital would serve.
The reception of the hospital pro-
posal was mixed...mixed with doubt
about the vastness of the project, its
huge cost, and many even wondered
if the hospital was really necessary.
So the Lions mulled the prospects
Please turn to page 7
PROPOSED ARCHITECT'S SKETCH drawn up for Exeter Lions Club around 1948.
Best Wishes
to
South Huron
Hospital
in Exeter
on their
30th Anniversary
HARWOOD DRUGS Ltd.
238-8540 Beside Post Office
22, 81 CRESCENT
GRAND BEND, ONT.
/?eif ?i(Jjshej
to
South Huron Hospital
JERRY MATHERS LTD.
Office Equipment, Furniture
Stationery
92 Main St., Exeter, Ontario
235-1840
Conratu/afions
from
Pat's Pet Shop
350 Main St.,Exeter
235-1951
Page 6
THE MEN WHO MADE IT HAPPEN — This is the official board which supervised the hospital project and who were,
initially, responsible for its operations. Front row, left to right: Harper Rivers, hospital manager; Ulric Snell, chairman
of building committee; Elmer Bell, Q.C., chairman of the assocation; Richard N. Creech, treasurer and finance com-
mittee chairman; Luther Penhale, vice-chairman. Back row: Elgin Rowcliffe, Benson Tuckey, Albert Traquair, Henry
Beaver, Charles MacNaughton, publicity chairman; Eric. Mcllroy, William Ellerington. Photo by Doerr
Exeter Lions
Continued from page 6
over in their minds, discussed and
argued it among themselves. But
while the others debated the project,
there were a few that formed the
hard core necessary to put the
hospital project through. They
became more and more convinced
the building was necessary and possi-
ble. And although the project was
stalled for over a year, they never let
it die out.
I,1 March, 1949, at a Lions meeting,
Elmer Bell and Charles Mac -
Naughton sponsored a resolution
empowering the hospital committee
to spend up to $1000.00 to obtain
plans and to promote a campaign to
raise funds, and in August of that
same year, tentative plans for a new
hospital were released by Lion's Club
officials.
Two weeks later, with spirits run-
ning high, the South Huron Hospital
Association was organized, with
many enthusiastic Lions in its ranks.
Happy Birthday!
Congraidation�
10 (he
South Huron Hospital
in Exeter celebrating their 30th year in operation.
Agripress Canada Limited
P.O. Box 39
148 King St.
Hensall, Ontario, Canada
NOM 1X0
Agripress
would like to thank.
the entire staff
for their service
to the community
Page 7