History of the Rutherford Lions Club

How the Club Began

(from conversations with Griswold B. Holman, Sr., Charter Member)

In late 1921, Melvin Jones, Founder of Lions, sent a representative from the headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, to the East for the purpose of chartering new Lions Clubs. The representative came from Chicago on the Pennsylvania Railroad and returned to Chicago via the Erie Railroad; therefore, the earliest clubs in New Jersey are located at stops on said railroads. When the representative stopped at the Erie Railroad Station in Rutherford, the first thing he saw was a sign across Station House which read, " A. W. Van Winkle & Co." He crossed the square and entered the office. A secretary showed him first into the office of Charles A. Van Winkle. Since C.A. Van Winkle was a member of the Rotary, he was not interested in Lions, but he thought that his brother Theodore might be; therefore, he took the representative into the office of Theodore Van Winkle. Theodore Van Winkle was very interested in Lions, and promptly called Griswold B. Holman, Sr., Harvey Ely, and Lester H. Clee. They met for lunch and the Lions Club of Rutherford was born.

First Project

(from conversations with Griswold B. Holman, Sr.)

The first project of the Lions Club of Rutherford was the Rutherford Playground. The club raised $1,200.00 for this purpose shortly after being chartered in 1922 and the first playground activity was in place that very summer at Rutherford Field (now Tamblyn Field). The Rutherford Lions ran the playground for 12 years, whereupon it was turned over to the P.T.A. in 1934, and shortly after taken over by the Borough of Rutherford.

Midnight Ride to Atlantic City

(from conversations with Theodore Van Winkle, Charter Member, and lrvine Mathews, first non- charter member and Past District Governor)

At the 1923 New Jersey Lions State Convention in Atlantic City, Lester H. Clee, Pastor of the Rutherford Baptist Church and Charter Member of the Lions Club of Rutherford, was put up for election to the Office of District Governor. In those days, the entire State of New Jersey was one District, and each Lion was entitled to vote, not just the delegates. On Friday evening, one of the Rutherford Delegates at the convention called Theodore Van Winkle and reported that the vote on Saturday morning would be very close, but that he felt that a few more votes would win the election for Lester Clee. Theodore Van Winkle then began calling members, who responded by arriving at his house at 20 Montross Avenue. They piled into several automobiles and left at midnight for the long ride to Atlantic City. After a number of breakdowns to replace tires, they finished the arduous trip only a few minutes before the 9:00 a.m. vote. As a result, Lester H. Clee was elected District Governor, and became one of the very few District Governors to serve two terms. --Written by Lion Ted Van Winkle

Club Presidents 1963 - present