The Lions of Duncanville, Texas, can officially trace their roots back to 1945, when a group of service-minded men joined together to serve the residents of the community. The original club (Duncanville Host) started an evening meeting on May 11, 1945. Several service projects of the early Lions included building the Lions Community Building in 1951 (still in operation today) and building the community swimming pool (at Armstrong Park) with project funds.

History of Duncanville Host Lions Club (1945–1996)

The Duncanville Host Lions Club was chartered on March 16, 1945 and was sponsored by the Wynnewood Lions Club. The following were charter members:

C. Pelt (1945–46 Charter President)
Q. Nance
A. Jones
A. Serafino
R. Brown
V. Sliger
W. Vincent
E. Wilson
C. Goldman
L. Hammond
L. Turner
M. Hood
B. Brandenburg
Clark Pelt
Q Smith
Van Q. Smith
Marvin Powers
Paul Griffith
Ray Fouts

This club had two members serve as District Governors of Lions District 2X-1: Hugh Childress (1964–65) and Charles A. Knight (1966–67). The club sponsored two clubs, including the Red Bird Lions Club and Duncanville Noon Lions Club.

History of Duncanville Noon Lions Club (1971–Present)

As the Duncanville Business Community continued to expand in the early 1970s, a group of business men saw the need for a daytime “noon” Lions Club. While Duncanville already had an active Lions Club (Duncanville Host), the meetings were held at night and were often lengthy.

Eddie Boone of the Wynnewood Lions Club, the District 2-X1 Extension Chairmen, and Maxie Bell, the President of the First National Bank of Duncanville and a former president of the Vernon, Texas Lions Club, commenced to visit the professionals & business men in the community. Plans were made for the club to meet each Friday at noon at the LNL Cafeteria.

In the summer of 1971, Bell and Boone has enlisted sixty (60) men to become the charter members of the Duncanville Noon Lions Club. The club first met in June of 1971 and its charter was signed at a Charter Night Banquet on Sept. 3, 1971, at the Oak Cliff Country Club. (Charter Date: August 2, 2971) The Duncanville Host Lions Club was the club’s sponsor.

original club officers were Maxie Bell, President; Dr. Phil Woodall, 1st Vice President; David Kirk, 2nd Vice President; Russell Gill, 3rd Vice President; Loui Holder, Secretary-Treasurer; Bob O’Burke, Lion Tamer; G.W. Gordon, Tailtwister; and Ellis Gibson, Glenn Blalock, Bobby Sims and Jess Young, Directors:

Charter Members were:

Charles Acton
Chester Adams
Don Adams
Maxie Bell
Glen Blalock
H. Byrd
Royce Brown
A. Carrell
J. Cooper
Richard Davidson
B. Doggett Jr.
Don Eubank
Charles George
Ellis Gibson
Charles David Gill
Russell Gill
W. Gordon
John Hancock
M. Harrington
Gordon Henrichsen
Frederick Herman
Vernon Rhodes Hardwick
W. Higginbothan
Louie Holder Jr.
James Horne
Louis Hurley Jr.
Choyce Jackson
V. Jenkins III
James Russell Kent
David Kirk
Dell Knowles
Bill Lovelace
Robert Machin
Luther Massingill
William George McCarthy
Fred McJunkin Jr.
T. Miles
Earl Mizell
Bill Mote
Denzil Myers
Bob O’Burke
Thomas Pelt
H. Plummer
Jim Ranne
Melvin Reider
Billy Gene Savage
Bobby Sims
Jerry Stilwell
Don Smith
Jim Summers
Joe W. Summer
Rodney Teaque
Robert Tollison
Ken Vess
Swany Walker
Truett Wilkins
Phil Woodall
William Wyman Jr.
John Yarbrough Jr.
Jess Young

The two clubs merged together in 1996 and has continued to serve the residents for over seventy years.

The Lions Community Building, located behind the new library, was built in 1951 by the Lions. The Lions Community Building housed the 1st Library, the 1st Senior Citizen’s location and the 1st Boy Scout Troop in Duncanville. Today the Lions Community Building is still used by the Club and Community for special activities like parties, wedding receptions church Church Services and of course, Lions Club events.

The Duncanville Lions built and operate the Independent Living Center located at 423 Middale, that houses 23 disabled families.

Lions are the largest civic organization in the world and our club is about 120 strong and one of the strongest clubs in the state! Listed below are 20 reasons to be proud of being a member of The Duncanville Lions. Our local club motto is WE SERVE, BETTER, TOGETHER.

20 Ways WE SERVE Better Together & Have FUN Doing IT!!!

Provides support to Duncanville Outreach Ministry for food and living assistance for the indigent
Helps local students in need with school supplies
Lions families sponsor foreign exchange students to live in and become part of their sponsoring family for annual summer camp
Sponsors Duncanville’s July 4th Parade activities
Supports Duncanville Police Department’s “Partners for a Safe Duncanville” and Santa Cops
Owns and provides housing for 23 disabled families at Duncanville Lions Independent Living Center on Middale in Duncanville
Delivers Christmas fruit baskets to residents of the Duncanville Lions Independent Living Center
Assist local families in distress as needed
Assists and provides entry into local Christmas parade
Provides financial assistance and manpower support to Lions District Sight & Tissue Foundation
Annually tests and fits all needy local youth with proper-fitting eyeglasses
Hosts the Annual Sandra Meadows Classic Girls Basketball Tournament
Founded and holds annual Literacy Fair for Duncanville 3rd Graders
Funds scholarships for Literacy Fair
Sponsors local students in the Lions International Peace Poster contest
Provides numerous $1,000 scholarships to Duncanville High School graduating seniors by sponsoring Las Vegas Night annual event
Annual support of 8 designated Lions District charities, including: Texas Lions Camp, Shadow Children, Crippled Children Camp, and Diabetic Day Camp
Provides annual financial support to International Lions Club charities
Owns and provides rental of the Duncanville Lions Club Community Center
It meets at the Duncanville Hilton Garden Inn on Main Street each Friday at noon
YES, there are many more!

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