HBH CLUB HISTORY – THIRD and FINAL INSTALLMENT            

        - Lion Carol Van Holt

In our previous article, we covered sites the club met at, the programs and speakers that were heard from, how the club raised money and how that money helped so many people. And, of course, the popular pancake breakfasts and events with special guests.  

As we wrap up the early years, it seems fit to note how our club motto, “Having Fun While Doing Good” was truly exhibited way back when.  We have pictures of the members in costumes and themed parties. Having fun is still as important to our club members as is the doing good.

Most interesting is the long list of lost items that belonged to the club.   As the club moved around to various meeting sites they lost the flag, the banner, the charter night bell, gavels, song chart, International Plaque for 90% attendance, a set of international flags, two Club Historian record books, Club Pictures, the Tail Twister’s pot, name badges, a life size golden Lion, a golf trophy and believe it or not, a piano. How do you lose a life size Lion and a piano?  This piano was purchased from The Madam Modjeska’s Home in Modjeska Canyon.  She was a famous Shakespearean actress from Poland.

As I hinted at in last month’s column, one lost item did get returned to the club in 2019.   The original Charter Night Bell, which is inscribed with the date of June 30, 1938.  A local gentleman, Ron Correges, found the bell while cleaning up the dilapidated farm buildings and contacted Lion Steve Christy immediately.  Ron, who’s family settled in Fountain Valley in the 1870’s knew it had importance to our club.  In fact, Ron’s family had a large farm and fruit stand located off Newland and Talbert.  They were also the first business in Fountain Valley to obtain license in 1957.  Ron returned the bell at our meeting on October 3, 2019, and after many years in hiding, the bell was home!    We are very grateful and thank Mr. Ron Correges for returning this piece of our club history.

Much of the information about our club history came from a letter written in July 1980 by one of the founders, “Cap” Sheue.   He ended the letter saying, “No one is as happy, as proud, and as satisfied as yours truly, Cap Sheue

Harry M. “Cap” Sheue was born in Iowa in August of 1895.  He passed away in Long Beach VA Hospital in June of 1987 at the age of 91.   Cap Sheue is quite significant as one of the founders of the Huntington Beach Host Lions Club.   But he was more well known for being a coach, teacher, and advisor at HB High.   According to an article in the LA Times, Sept. 11, 1985:  "Cap was more than just another coach at another school. He devoted 60 years of his life to Huntington Beach High and is as much a part of school lore as the old tower on Main Street. In 1967, they re-named the campus football stadium "Sheue Field" in his honor. Huntington Beach High may never be able to fully repay him.  But it tries.

The Huntington Beach Host Lions salute and thank Cap Sheue and Fred Grable, the two men who were the founding fathers of our great club.  They served as the first and second Presidents of the club. 

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We now fast forward to our present membership and hear from long-term members in our club that have memories to share with us.

Lion Joe Whaling: “I joined HBH Lions Club in 1978.  I was sponsored by Robert “Bob” Smith.  At that time, I was involved with the HB City Parade Committee and thought I could get the Lion’s Club involved again with the parade.  I attended a Board meeting to make a pitch.  Afterward, Bob said, in his usual gruff voice, “Why don’t you join our club, and we can do something about your proposal?”   I had been approached by the Knights to join their organization and after talking to a few people I learned the Lions had more fun.   For many years after I joined, the Lions sold beer in a vacant lot on Main Street during the parade.   Yes, they had fun while doing good! 

The club had quite a few service projects, none stand out to me currently, but we were always busy with something.  One of the highlights I remember is when our club received the Club of the Year District award.  Our secretary was most diligent in reporting our accomplishments and activities which helped us win the award.   Our social activities included a Valentine Brunch which was so successful that it became a fundraiser.  Am I still having fun while doing good…. YES!” 

Lion Joe Whaling served as our President twice, 1993 – 1994 and 2013 – 2014.

Lion Ken Tanaka - November 11, 1988, I joined the Fountain Valley Lions Club, a breakfast club that met at 7 a.m. every Friday at the Silky Sullivan Bar and Grill.  I held every position at the club level including being President.  The membership at the time of joining was approximately 25 to 27. Unfortunately, one breakfast meeting, approximately five members announced their retirement from the club and the membership slowly dwindled to four members.  In 1994 it was decided to close the club. 

 

January 1995, I transferred membership to the Huntington Beach Host Lions Club when Lion Dr. Harvey Marklinger was president.  Lion Harvey was impressive, every meeting he wore a coat and tie. The meetings were fun with laughter and joke.  Meadow Lark Golf Club set tables in U-shape format where you could see all members.  I don’t remember the years, but I have served as board member, treasurer, secretary, Leo coordinator and on various committees.

Lion Doris North:   Lion Doris became involved in the club when her late husband, PDG Jim North, joined the HBH Lions in 1980.   She officially became a Lion when Jim was the President of HBH Lions in 1997 – 98.  (Women were not accepted as “Lions” until the early ‘90s, they could be “Lionesses” however.)  She put in endless hours of helping Jim and our club with every fundraiser and event.  Her claim to fame is the silent auction baskets at “CrabFest” and her decorating skills.   There were many social gatherings of the members in her early years, many in their homes.   These lions were party animals for sure.

Lion Doris has many fun and interesting memories from her early days in the club, including the District Conventions on Catalina Island. It could get wild and crazy on the island.     She and Jim were involved in the glasses collection and the distribution of the glasses headed by Lion Dr. Harvey Marklinger who was a local optometrist.  At that time, our club could recycle the used glasses and fit them to those who could not afford to buy them. Our club hosted this service project, and many residents came away with the ability to see better.  However, this was not favorable to local eye doctors, and it became illegal to reuse the lenses in this country.  The collected glasses were then sent to Folsom Prison and shipped out of the country.  Lion Dr. Marklinger also spearheaded the Tecate Eye Glass project which consisted of donated glasses, optometrists, and volunteers traveling to a location in Tecate, Mexico each year.  People came from all over that area to receive examinations, eye care and glasses.  It was also during this time that HBH Lion Keith Campbell and his wife Joan created the Sight and Hearing Project which is now the Sight and Hearing Foundation.

Lion Doris served as the President of HBH in 2005 - 2006.

We have quite a few past presidents who are still in the club.   Here is the list of those members who have served as our leaders:  Lions Hank Lopez (twice), Joe Whaling (twice), Arvin Kaplan, Doris North, Steve Christy (twice), Dick Sklar, John Trevenen, Eric Halsey, Scott Quinlan, Sean Arens, Carol Van Holt, Glen Miller, Jeff Campana (twice.)   Thank you to these Past Presidents, for your time, talents and leadership!

Members note, we will have some memory photo albums of the old days in the club at our next meeting for you to see.

I hope you enjoyed reading about our club history.  We will soon celebrate our 85^th anniversary in 2023.   Another opportunity to have one of our “fun” events!

 

Part 2

How it began, continued.
          - By Lion Carol Van Holt

As we learned in last month’s issue, our club was chartered in 1938.  However, there was an earlier club from 1920 to 1923.  Although the club was short-lived, it had accomplished several worthwhile programs.  One was the sponsoring of a Boy Scout Troop 1 and the building of the Boy Scout Cabin in Lake Park.  The cabin has been maintained and updated and is still used today. 

The Lion’s Breakfasts were started in the early years by Lion Frank Bray, who owned the largest market in Huntington Beach.  The pancake breakfasts were a big event for the community. Celebrities such as musician & band leader, Lawrence Welk and his group of talented performers. Welk was just getting started in the early 50’s with his television show, “Champagne Music.”  His performances were a big attraction to the local community and helped the club raise money.  Another celebrity making an appearance at the breakfasts was “Big Tiny Little”.  

Although the Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade stater back in 1904, the Lions organized the Parade for the Chamber of Commerce from 1947 to 1961.    

 

There weren’t many meeting sites that could accommodate the 50 plus members to meet at that time, but one place was the well-known “Golden Bear” a favorite of the members.  The Golden Bear was in existence from 1923 to 1986.  The original name ironically, was “The Golden Lion.”  Other places they met were the Kona Kai Bowling Alley, the Woman’s Club, The Huntington Beach Inn, Flower Restaurant, The Four Winds Restaurant, in the back of Terry’s Café, The HB Country Club, Seacliff Country Club and the Sheraton Inn. 

Programs for the meetings included City Father’s Night, Fire and Police Department nights, and Past President’s night. Those nights, they would invite non-members to attend.  They also had musical programs by the high school music department, joint meetings with other organizations such as the Rotary, baseball nights that featured major league stars as speakers and Head Coaches from Orange Coast and Golden West Colleges. 

During World War II, the club was at its zenith and contributed much to the war efforts.  Ninety percent of the members joined the Civilian Defense Organization and eighty percent of the club helped man the “Plane Watch Tower.”  Every three months they ran a Lions Bus to the County Blood Bank and even had a “Rubber Drive” filling a box car with everything from old auto tires to ladies’ brassieres.   At each meeting they gave a $25 war bond to the winner of a drawing. 

 

What was done with the money the club raised?  Over the first 25 years they were able to donate $28,000 to Sight Conservation.  This included eye operations, donations to the Braille Institute, eye exams, glasses, etc.  In cooperation with Orange County Rotary, Kiwanis, and other Lions clubs the Huntington Beach Lions helped build a Boys and Girls Summer Camp, complete with a swimming pool, in the San Bernardino Mountains.  The club donated a $1,200 Braille Printing machine to Orange County and gave a $1,000 donation to Hoag Hospital on behalf of the club’s first President, Fred Grable.  The club set up a $1,500 scholarship fund at Golden West College, sponsored the Student Speaker Contest and made many miscellaneous donations to Red Cross, March of Dimes, City of hope and others. 

Those dollar amounts may not seem like a lot now, but in 1963 a car cost about $3000, a six pack of beer was $1.73 and a pound of hamburger was 45 cents.

But just wait, there’s more! Next issue we will wrap up the early history of our great club and you won’t believe the items that were lost by the club.  However, one item surfaced just a few years ago and we have it. There are many stories to tell and we will end the article with some comments from long time members.  

 

How It All Began

-Article by Lion Carol Van Holt

Many important events happened in 1938.  The minimum wage was raised from 25 cents an hour to 40 cents an hour.   It was the year the first seeing-eye dog was available for the sight challenged.  Ball point pens, nylon, and freeze-dried coffee were introduced.   But the biggest news to many in our community was the chartering of The Huntington Beach Lions club.   

The history of our club is quite unique and interesting.   In 1938, the President of the Huntington Beach High School Board of Directors, Fred Grable, asked Harry ‘Cap’ Sheue if he would help with the forming of a Lions club.   Lions International was contacted and ‘Red’ Harris, an organizer was sent to help them.  The three men spent many hours during the months of April, May and June contacting men of Huntington Beach who they thought would make good Lions.  The Orange Lions Club also helped with the organizing and became the official sponsoring club. 

On the night of June 30, 1938, fifty-seven men stood on the stage of the City Auditorium before a crowd of 400 people and were officially chartered as a Lions Club.  The population of Huntington Beach in 1938 was around 5,000.  So that amount of interested persons was promising for support to the club.  The club became a success and soon gained the respect of the entire community. 

The club raised money with barbeques, “semi-legal” gambling events, an annual carnival held just south of the pier, a minstrel show, sales of white canes and trash cans made from oil drums.  There was a broom factory in the city and members went door to door selling brooms which raised about $1,000 a year.  This was a huge amount for the club to earn at that time when you could buy a pound of hamburger for 13 cents or a loaf of bread for 9 cents.

The club supported local schools and students.  During football season, the club gave a team member a “Player of the Week” trophy to both HB High School and Golden West College.  For 25 years, a first-place trophy was presented to the Annual Southern Counties Track Meet and the Annual Southern Counties Basketball Tournament.  The club sponsored a girls softball team, a Boy Scout Troop and a Sea Scout Troop.  They also helped fund “LeBard Stadium” at Orange Coast College, and they purchased a football scoreboard for “Cap Sheue Field” at HB High School. 

Much of the information in this article came from a letter written in 1980 by one of the founders of the club, ‘Cap’ Sheue. ‘Cap’ was a well-known and loved teacher and coach for Huntington Beach High School, retiring in 1964, after 39 years.  He was honored with the naming of the school’s football field, ”Cap Sheue Field” in 1967. 

We hope you enjoyed this installment of the history of our club. We will continue in the September issue, so stay tuned!