HISTORY OF DELTA LIONS CLUB

DELTA WAS CHARTERED JUNE 11, 1958

   THE CLUB HELD IT’S MEETING AT MEMBERS HOMES AND RESTAURANTS AND THE AIRPORT HILTON HOTEL UNTIL 1978 WHEN SOME OF THE MEMBERS LOANED THE CLUB MONEY TO PURCHASE OUR HOME WHICH WE STILL OWN. IT HAS BEEN USED BY MANY LIONS CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR LIONS AND COMMUNITY FUNCTIONS. AT THIS TIME TWO OTHER LIONS CLUB MEET AT OUR HOME.

  DELTA HAD BOTH A LEO CLUB AND A LADIES AUXILIARY. THE AUXILIARY BEGAN IN 1978 AND CONTINUED UNTILL 1998, WHEN THEY JOINED DELTA LIONS CLUB.

 IN 1979 DELTA BECAME THE FIRST LIONS CLUB IN LOUISIANA TO PURCHASE A LEADER DOG FROM LEADER DOGS FOR THE BLIND IN ROCHESTER, MI.

 THE CLUB HAS HAD MANY FUND RAISERS OVER THE YEARS SUCH AS CAN SHAKES, RAFFLES, LIGHT BLUB AND FRUIT CAKE SALES, SALE OF CHRISTMAS TREES AND CONDUCTED BINGO EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT SINCE 1975. FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE ALSO WORKED WITH MACY’S WITH SHOP FOR A CAUSE.

 DELTA LIONS STARTED WHAT WAS EVENTUALLY CALL BIG BUSINESS BINGO AT THE THEN TROPICANA NIGHT CLUB AT 7401 AIRLINE,IN OCTOBER 1978. IN DECEMBER 1979 DELTA ALONG WITH 4 OTHER MAJOR STOCK HOLDERS AND 12 MINOR STOCK HOLDERS FORMED LIONS ENTERPRISES LOCTED AT 1805 AIRLINE HWY. IN 1986 LIONS ENTERPRISES PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AT 7401 AIRLINE AND HAS BEEN CONDUCTING BINGO ALONG WITH TWO OTHER MAJOR AND TWO MINOR STOCK HOLDER CLUB EVER SINCE AND AS OF 2013 WE ARE STILL THERE DOING BINGO EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT.

 DELTA WAS THE SPONSORING CLUB FOR THE FIRST SUPER BINGO EVER CONDUCTED IN THE SUPER DOME IN NEW ORLEANS, WITH IN EXCESS OF 11,000 PLAYERS.

 DELTA WAS 1 OF 34 LIONS CLUBS, 1 VETERAN’S ORGANIZATION AND 4 CARNIVAL CLUB TO PAY THE ENTIRE COST OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADMINISTRATION BUILDING FOR LAFRENIER PARK AT THE COST OF $ 14100.00.

 DELTA DONATED $153,000.00 TO LAFRENIER PARK TO ERECT A PLAY GROUND AREA IN THE PARK FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDERN.

 DELTA SPONSORED 6 NEW LIONS CLUBS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE CLUBS IN THE DISTRICT. OUR MEMBERS WERE VERY ACTIVE IN BOTH THE 1977 AND 1986 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS HELD IN NEW ORLEANS. MEMBERS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN ALL OF THE LIONS TELETHONS IN SUPPORT OF THE EYE FOUNDATION. MEMEBERS HAVE SERVED AT CABINET LEVEL, BEEN INVOLVED WITH DISTRICT 8-S CHARITIES SINCE IT’S INCEPTION WITH 4 DELTA MEMEBRS HAVING SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF 8-S CHARITIES. LIONS JIM CARUSO, PDG., CESAR FONSECA, PDG., ELLIOTT BAUMAN, PCC. & JEFF N. WILLIAMS.

 DELTA LIONS HAS HAD 5 DISTRICT GOVERNORS: JIM CARUSO 1985-86, LLOYD LECLERE 1991-92, RUDY WAMBSGANS 1998-99, CESAR FONSECA 2005-06, ELLIOTT BAUMAN 2008-09 AND THE INCOMING GOVERNOR MARIO ZERON 2013-14.

 DELTA HAS BEEN NAMED THE NUMBER ONE CLUB AND PLACED IN THE TOP 3 CLUBS IN THE DISTRICT GOVERNOR’S ANNUAL CONTEST NUMEROUS TIMES.

 DELTA IS ONE OF THE LEADING CONTRIBUTORS TO BOTH OUR STATE PROJECTS THE LA LIONS CRIPPLED CHILDERNS CAMP AND THE LA LIONS EYE FOUNDATION. WE SPONSOR NUMEROUS CHILDERN TO THE CAMP EACH YEAR AND SPONSOR 30 WALK IN EYE PATIENTS TO THE EYE FOUNDATION NOT INCLUDING OUR REGULARLY SPONSORED PATIENTS. WE HAVE HAD TWO MEMBERS SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF THE LA LIONS EYE FOUNDATION JIM CARUSO, PDG. & CESAR FONSECA, PDG.

 DELTA HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE ONLY CLUB IN THE HISTORY OF THE EYE FOUNDATION TO CONTRIBUTE IN EXCESS OF $ 1,000,000.00 DOLLARS. DELTA WAS A MODEL CLUB FOR CAMPAIGN SIGHT FIRST AND HAS PLEDGED AS A MODEL CLUB FOR CAMPAIGN SIGHT FIRST II.

 OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE AVERAGED 75 FOOD BASKETS ANNUALLY TO NEEDY FAMILIES AT THANKSGIVING AND THE SAME FOR CHRISTMAS. WE DISTRIBUTED 1200 TO 1500 CANS OF FOOD MONTHLY TO FAMILIES AND GROUPS. WE ALSO SPONSOR 5 SCHOLARSHPS TO COUNSELORS FROM THE LIONS CRIPPLED CHILDERNS CAMP TO THE COLLEGE OF THEIR CHOICE ANNUALLY.

WE CURRLENTLY HAVE 15 MEMEBERS THAT ARE MELVIN JONES FELLOWS AND 2 PROGRESSIVE MELVIN JONES FELOW ALONG WITH 7 LIFE MEMBERS.

Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.