Grove City Lions Club History from 65th Anniversary

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HISTORY OF THE GROVE CITY LIONS CLUB

The Grove City Lions' Club was sponsored by the Columbus Downtown club and the Richwood Lions
Clubs and was chartered on September 12, 1939. A. J. Harley (a car dealer) was the first president. Dr. W. H.
Cummings (a dentist) was the first secretary, and the first treasurer was Charles G. Patzer (a banker at Grove City Savings Bank, now Key Bank). Mr. Charlie Patzer served in this job for 15 years.

In the first years, the club was a luncheon club and met at the El-Nor Inn (the big brick structure at the
corner of Lotz Drive and Broadway). After World War II, with increased membership, the club switched to a
dinner club and moved to the Community Club on Civic Drive. 

New members brought new ideas especially ideas of how to continue to raise money to help the blind  
and a growing community (the population during the 50's was less than 5000). During the mid 50's the club  
built the "shelter" house at Windsor Park and erected playground equipment at the park on Kingston at Arbutus. The early fund-raising projects included selling light bulbs and brooms made by the blind door to door.

Kenneth Norris, a funeral director in Grove City, allowed the Lions to meet in his living room at the
Funeral Home to count sales tax stamps by the thousands. They were sorted into sacks, boxes, wrapped in
brown paper, etc. Each one had to be put in its proper denomination, counted accurately and then taken to
Columbus for redemption.

The club published a newspaper that advertised the Grove City "Mammoth" Downtown Street Fair and
Carnival. The Lions manned the ticket booths, fried the fish, set up the stage for the Band Concerts and the first
Miss Grove City Pageant. Of course, there were rides and games including a unique game called the "mouse
game."

Many members of the club loved music and a chorus was formed which became the centerpiece for 7
Minstrel Shows sponsored by the Grove City Lions Club. Our club revived this old-time entertainment. The
club had all the special Minstrel Music, the corny jokes, and good clean fun.

In the Mid- 60's, with the help of Beale Frye (Fryes Horse Vans), another fund-raising tradition was  
started with the race horses moving south for the winter and empty vans coming north, it was only natural to bring the tree ripe oranges and grapefruit to sell just before the Christmas Holidays. Over the years the club has raised thousands of dollars with this project.

Then in the late 60's, another fund raiser began. Groups of Lions put on their red vests or blazers and “sold” collected donations for White Canes on the street corners and in front of local business establishments.

The club has been very generous over the years to our community. Equipment has been purchased for
the Fire Department; the club has sponsored Little League youth baseball since the first year it began in Grove City. The Club helped build the press box at the old High School and it has helped to support the Grove City Emergency Food Pantry. The tradition of the Grove City Lions Club is rich. 

50 Years of Membership at the 65th Anniversity2004

Dick Neiderhauser Lee Huffman Jim Everett