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The Franklin Lions Club was chartered by the International Association of Lions Club on Nov. 29, 1933. The Suffolk Lions Club was the sponsoring organization. On Dec. 1, 1933, during an organizational dinner held at the Stonewall Hotel in Franklin, the following individuals were inducted as charter members: 

OFFICERS: J. Sutherland Watt, president; J. E. Wright, first vice president; Gardner T. Edwards, second vice president; R. O. Hayes, third vice president; Henry T. Fitzgerald, secretary and treasurer; W. J. M. Holland Jr., lion tamer; Dr. Darden Watt Jones, tail twister 

DIRECTORS: Samuel Bradshaw; Herbert Edwards, W. Hunter Scott; and Jack G. Holland 

MEMBERS: E.W. Clarke, Robert C. Councill, William B. Hastings, L. Britt Holland, William Tall Jones, Hal J. Lyon, Leroy A. Magette, Ferrell F. Powell, and Robert H. Powell Jr. 

The Franklin Lions Club was established as a unit in Lions International, a great body of public-spirited citizens of the United States and several other countries. Lions International, whose initial purpose was to promote and engage in the civic and social life of the communities in which they were established, was similar to that of many other civic clubs. These include Rotary, Kiwanis, Civitan, and other community organizations.

On January 18, 1934, the newly organized Lions Club of Franklin hosted more than a hundred guests at their charter night banquet and dance held at the Stonewall Hotel. The guests included wives of the new members-and visitors from Lions Clubs in Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Lawrenceville, Newport News, South Boston, Hopewell, Portsmouth, Petersburg, and Richmond. Rev. J. Sutherland Watt, president of the Franklin club, was toastmaster for the evening and started the program by asking everyone to sing “America”. Dr. H.J. Goodwin of the Suffolk Lions Club offered the invocation. Dr. Darden W. Jones, Tail Twister of the Franklin Lions Club, introduced local club members and their guests.

A delicious dinner of several courses was served consisting of grapefruit cocktail, chilled hearts of celery, ripe and green olives, Southampton turkey, oyster dressing, green peas, candied yams, tomato aspic, ice cream and cake, after dinner mints, and coffee noir. Dinner was followed by a speech by W. J. M. Holland, Jr. of the Franklin club. Colonel John B. Pinner, past district governor and past president of the Suffolk Lions Club, spoke on the Lions Club mission.

Formation of the National Association of Lions Clubs goes back to the year 1917. In that year, Melvin Jones, a Chicago businessman, invited representatives of various business organizations around the United States to a meeting during which the Association of Lions Clubs was formed.

In 1920, Lions Clubs International was formed when the Border Cities Lions Club of Windsor, Ontario, Canada was established. Soon, and over an extended period of time, Lions Clubs were established in many other countries.

In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions Clubs International convention held in Cedar Point, Ohio. She challenged the Lions to become “Knights of the Blind” — in the crusade against darkness. That is when the Lions Club’ core mission — administering to the needs of blind and visually impaired people — was established, which started a century long mission, impacting millions of lives, around the world, through vision related work.

Since its establishment in 1934, Franklin Lions Club members have conducted numerous projects in pursuit of that core mission prompted by Helen Keller.

Fund-raising projects have included sponsorship, in the 1930s and 1940s, of stage shows at Franklin High School; sponsorship, in the 1950s, of the “Pine Bowl” football games played in Franklin (Virginia Military Institute vs. William & Mary); sale of brooms, made by visually handicapped people, from the 1940s to the present-day; beer concessions at the Suffolk Peanut Festival, in the 1990s, and at the Isle of Wight County Fair, over the last several years.

Current community service projects conducted on an ongoing basis include: collection of used eyeglasses, from community residents, and recycled for distribution to people in need; sight and hearing screenings at area schools; and financial assistance with eyeglasses and hearing aids for people who have a demonstrated financial need.

The Franklin Lions Club is in financial support of several other community service organizations, including the Lions of Virginia Eye Bank at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital; people who wish to donate their eyes — at their death — may do so through the Franklin Lions Club.

Membership in the Franklin Lions Club is open to anyone who wants to get involved in community service.

CLYDE PARKER is a retired human resources manager for the former Franklin Equipment Co. and a member of the Southampton County Historical Society. His email address is magnolia101@charter.net.