THE ELVERSON MORGANTOWN LIONS CLUB HISTORY
The Elverson Morgantown Lions Club was chartered on October 9, 1939. They were sponsored by the Honey Brook Lions Club and had a total of 18 charter members. From its beginnings, the club was thoroughly involved in serving our local communities. In the early years the focus was on providing equipment for the fire companies, i.e. the first two-way radio system and a resuscitation machine for the Elverson Fire Co. Club members helped lay the ground work in establishing the French Creek State Park and began sponsoring the Boy Scout troop #37 which continues to this day. During the holiday seasons the club activities included providing food and fruit baskets for needy, children’s Christmas parties, contests for best decorated homes and the restoration of old toys as gifts for needy children.
Over the years we have done many things to help those less fortunate. We have provided eyeglasses and exams to many children in the school district. We’ve helped a deaf girl with needy items to make her life better and also provided the funds to regenerate a blind girl’s sense of touch so that she could learn Braille, and recently the club provided magnifying machines for two legally blind women. Our club also assisted a local woman with receiving a sight serving dog from Leader Dog in Michigan. We assisted in helping a young women receive a cochlear implant and on two occasions we helped two local women achieve their goals of attending the Olympics!
Our club cosponsors, along with the Honey Brook Lions, a Leo Club in both the Middle School and High School. We award a $1000 scholarship to a deserving graduate each year.
Locally we have given financial help to the Village Library, the Cub and Boy Scout Troops #37, Elverson Ambulance, Geigertown Fire Co; the Twin Valley Fire Co and Fire Police, Caernarvon Township Police and the Elverson Halloween Parade. In our district of 14P, which is made up of Berks and Chester Co, and internationally we support the Beacon Lodge camp for the blind, Berks and Chester Co Association for the Blind, the Delaware Valley Eye Bank, Hearing Conservation, Leader Dog, PA Eye Research, PA Hearing Research, the Bing Miller Charitable Foundation, the Lions of PA Foundation, the Lions Youth Exchange and Lions Clubs International Foundation which provide grants to the needy throughout the world and wherever disaster strikes.
To raise the needed funds for these projects our club has held many events over the years such as pancake breakfasts, turkey, ham and car raffles. Night at the Races, 4th of July fireworks, antique shows, golf outings, minstrel shows, talent shows, dinner theaters, chicken BarBQs, clam bakes and the circus. Special mention must be given to our standing in the streets of Morgantown for our White Cane days which is held twice a year. A lot of man/woman hours go into these efforts but our members gain much in satisfaction and camaraderie.
It should also be noted that our club aided in the growth of Lionism by sponsoring the Franklin Lions Club in Weissport, PA in 1947, the Elverson Morgantown Lioness Club in 1989, and the West Reading/Wyomissing Lions Club. Many years saw different members of the club hold important positions on our district cabinet and our club has had the honor of being the home club for three different District Governors; Woody Yeingst (1963-1964), Carl Gundrum, Sr (1989-1990) and Carl Gundrum, Jr (2006-2007).
It is our hope that the club’s established traditions will continue to thrive for many years to come.
