History of NEW SMYRNA BEACH LIONS CLUB –

                                                                1947 -2012

                                 Researched and compiled by Lion T.C. Wilder, Jr.,

                                         (Inducted into NSB Lions Club June 1960)

      In 1944 a young man named W.R. Quigley and his wife Lavonia moved to New Smyrna Beach when he accepted a position with the former Bank of New Smyrna on Canal Street. To their newfound friends Mr. Quigley soon became known as Bob and Mrs. Quigley as Susie.  Bob Quigley also had something else in mind besides his banking career. With the support of the Daytona Beach Lions Club, which later became known as the “Mother Club”, he undertook the task in 1946 to organize a Lions Club in New Smyrna Beach. With 23 local businessmen signing the Charter issued by Lions International, the New Smyrna Beach Lions Club became a reality on February 18, 1947, with then Lion Bob Quigley serving as charter president.    

           Within 2 years local citizens were well aware of this new community service club and their motto “We Serve” when the group planned and held their first major fund raising project – the Miss New Smyrna Beach Beauty Contest in 1949. It was a success and an annual event that lasted until about 1990. In 1951 the Lions added another beauty contest  - the Miss Seaside Fiesta Beauty Pageant. Thus began the very popular Seaside Fiesta that was held in late May or early June annually for about 15 years.With the addition of the Miss Seaside Fiesta Pageant, the Lions moved the event from the mainland tennis court to the Flagler Street parking lot at the ocean.                

          Also in the 60s & 70s the club received income from the sale of Coca-Cola soft drinks at area events. Lion Jim Bolt, a medically discharged Army veteran, who served as chairman and arranged for Coca-Cola to deliver the pressurized Coca-Cola tanks to the event site, originated this project. The Lions would set up a booth and sell large or medium cups of Coca-Cola to the public. Lion Jim always reminded the workers to use “lots of crushed ice – that is the way we make our profit.   

          During the past decade the Lions Club has greatly depended on such fund raising projects as periodic Candy Day donations, rummage sales and BBQ chicken dinners, along with spaghetti dinners, prepared and served to the general public at the clubhouse on Sunset Drive.

          The New Smyrna Beach Lions Club has always strived to live up to the Lions International slogan –We Serve-. As with all Lions clubs around the world, their foremost projects have been built around sight conservation. Since its beginning, the club has supplied the needy of the community with free eye exams and eyeglasses, both children and adults, as well as needed eye surgery, such as cataract removal or corneal transplant, if the person qualifies financially.  

              In  1971, Wilder, also a funeral director, took advantage of a new law passed by the Florida Legislature permitting funeral directors to qualify to enucleate eyes from human bodies following death to be used primarily for corneal transplant. He was the first funeral director in Volusia County to complete the Eye Enucleation Course at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Department of Opthamology in Gainesville. Following removal of the deceased eyes, they were packed in ice, in a special transport container supplied by the North Florida Eye Bank in Gainesville and transported by  Florida Highway Patrol troupers to the North Florida Eye Bank in Gainesville.

During the 50^th anniversary banquet in February 1997 President Norman Orel presented Quigley with a Lions International 50 Year Monarch Award, the only member of the local club to receive this award. Previously, during a meeting in September 1989, Quigley and Lavine, a Past District Governor, received Lionism’s highest honor when President Ken Stone presented each with a

Melvin Jones Fellowship from Lions International Foundation. New Smyrna Beach Mayor

George Musson attended the ceremony and issued a proclamation declaring September 14,

1989 as “Bob Quigley and Ralph Lavine Day in New Smyrna Beach”. Three days later, on September 17, Lion Lavine died; followed by Charter President Quigley’s death on June 23, 1998.

       Previously, during a meeting in September 1989, Quigley and Lavine, a Past District Governor, received Lionism’s highest honor when President Ken Stone presented each with a

Melvin Jones Fellowship from Lions International Foundation. New Smyrna Beach Mayor

George Musson attended the ceremony and issued a proclamation declaring September 14,

1989 as “Bob Quigley and Ralph Lavine Day in New Smyrna Beach”. Three days later, on September 17, Lion Lavine died; followed by Charter President Quigley’s death on June 23,

1998.

             Lion Luise Smith became a member of the club in 1995 and was installed as the club’s first female president three years later, serving during the 1998-99 club year. She was followed 2 years later by Lion Jane Jeffrey. Since then  several more lady Lions have served well as presidents.

So, as time moves on, the New Smyrna Beach Lions Club membership will gradually change, and old fund raising projects will be discontinued in favor of new ideas…..but, the Lions slogan “We Serve” will remain the same in the next 65 years as in the past 65 as its members continue as a volunteer community service organization.

“ITS GREAT TO BE A LION – ESPECIALLY IN THE NEW SMYRNA BEACH  CLUB”

                                                       ++1947 – 2012 ++