Grapeland Lions Continue Long Heritage of Service
Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
GRAPELAND – Grapeland Noon Lions Club met Thursday, July 3 for their traditional lunch and formal meeting, full of ideas — and a few questions — about the best way the serve their community. The group has found a home at Grapeland Senior Citizens Center, where lunches are provided by rotating members each meeting.
This Thursday’s lunch saw a full parking lot and a packed set of tables for the homemade lunch and fixings. Lions worldwide share a passion for serving their communities, and Grapeland’s club continues to be one of the area’s most active. The club is still looking for new members, new blood, and a new generation to take over what the other have built. Lions help keep cemeteries and other areas clean, help with local schools and generally pitch in and serve as an unexpected helper when neighbors are in need.
The group was called together by newly-installed President C.L.McGill, who noted how active the club has been, amazed by how engaged the group has always been during his 13 years as a member. The group certainly stays busy, from vision checks at the school and golf tournaments to collecting and recycling plastic bags.
One of the biggest events for the group is the yearly Peanut Festival. The Lions were asked to think about how the group could support this year’s event, but given the time restraints, they promised to make decisions at their next meeting. Although the festival is not held until October, things take time, from preparing a float for the parade, to finding sponsors for the Peanut Queen contestants.
Grapeland Mayor Velda Green, a past President of the group, was able to share some good news about the Peanut Queen Pageant. She is helping to organize this year’s effort and was happy to share there are currently six candidates for the position, one of the highest groups in the last several years. Some worried the distractions of modern life, the expense of dresses or arranging floats, might scare some young ladies from continuing the 80-year tradition. While last year the list dwindled to only two, the prospect of six candidates encouraged the Lions, who reacted with applause.
Now the challenge will be to get sponsors to help them build their parade floats. The candidates are judged on their floats — along with talent and other factors — and the girls will need help from local residents and businesses who can help them get a float put together. The expense and time does not have to be intense, as the young ladies do most of the heavy work. But the ability to help keep the tradition going — plus the exposure in one of the best-attended and well-loved parades in East Texas is a worthy return on investment.
Green reported the theme for this year’s contest will be, “All Things Grapeland,” which should lead to some interesting and fun ideas for the queen contestants to work with. If you are interested in sponsoring one of the contestants, please reach out to Green, the Lions, or Grapeland schools and become part of this iconic part of the area’s history.
McGill closed the meeting by noting that in 1925, exactly 100 years ago, at the Lions’ national conference, the keynote speaker was a certain Hellen Keller.
“I think we should be proud of such a heritage. And sometimes we forget that we’re part of a national organization — it’s not just us, here in this room. We need to let people know that, and not forget it ourselves, and always live up to it,” McGill concluded.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
