Rhinelander Lions Club celebrates 85 years

The Rhinelander Lions Club motto is “We serve,” and service is exactly what they have been dedicated to since 1940. One would be hard-pressed to find a Rhinelander resident who has not eaten a brat from a Lions fundraiser, attended the Lions Fisheree, or stopped by one of the other Lions-sponsored events in town. One of the charter members of the Rhinelander Lions Club was the late editor emeritus for the Rhinelander Daily News, Kris Gilbertson. He was one of over 30 founding charter members of the local organization.

The Rhinelander Lions were officially organized on Aug. 19, 1940 and celebrated their Charter Night on Oct. 8, 1940 at the Oneida Hotel. The Rhinelander Lions have always been affiliated with Lions Club International, which was established in 1917 and is now the world’s largest service organization. 

The Lions Club here may be most well known for their commitment to improving vision health and aiding visually impaired citizens. This desire started in 1925 when Helen Keller addressed the Lions Club International Convention, challenging, through her interpreter, that the Lions should become “Knights of the Blind against darkness.” As the international organization embraced that call, so, too, did the Rhinelander chapter.

The Rhinelander Lions also sponsored many new clubs to become Lions clubs. Those include Crandon, Conover, Eagle River, Elcho-Pelican Lake, Land O Lakes, Hurley, Minocqua, Phelps, Sugar Camp, Rhinelander Lioness, Northwoods, the Nicolet College Campus Club and the Rhinelander Leo (youth) Clubs.

Wartime years

Through the 1940s, polio and other diseases left many area residents looking for mobility aids. The Rhinelander Lions Club jumped in to help here, as well, helping to fund crutches manufactured by boys in the Rhinelander Nation Youth Administration program. From there the organization turned their attention to the national effort, as World War II waged on the worldwide stage. 

In the latter half of the 1940s, the Lions Club also served the local community as well, creating the Fourth of July Kiddie Parade in 1946, constructing two cabins at Camp Tesomas near Rhinelander and, though their first ever major fundraising project in 1947, helped to build a lodge and other facilities at Camp Birchrock, which opened in 1949 after the countless hours of labor from many Lions Club members.

In 1946 the Lions also partnered with the city of Rhinelander to create a citywide Halloween Party, an event that lasted until 1982. That same year, the vision assistance program was launched, and the program, at the request of the city nurse, started to purchase eye glasses for area youth in need. 

Years of growth

The post war years saw the Lions grow, as well as growing their commitment to the Rhinelander area. Environmental stewardship became part of their mission, with 550 maple trees that were planted along Stevens Street and a Hodag Park. Later, Lion Bruce Carlson would add to that legacy by planting 100 disease-resistant elm trees in partnership with local organizations to commemorate the 100 years of the Carlson Funeral Home, which was also assisted by the Rhinelander Lions.

Youth became a focus, as well, with the first scholarship from the Rhinelander Lions being awarded in 1955. Supporting youth through presenting of trophies to academic and extra-curricular school activities as well as sports teams. Even youth recreation not directly related to school such as Little League Baseball and Pop Warner Football have benefited from the involvement of the Rhinelander Lions. 

Each year the Lions also collect deer hides to raise funds for operation of the Wisconsin Lions Camp in Rosholt, which opened in 1956. The camp is a week-long experience for blind, visually impaired, hearing impaired, diabetic and special-needs children, which is provided free of charge. 

1960s and 1970s 

The first organized snowmobile competition in the country, the Hodag 50 Snowmobile Race, was sponsored by the Rhinelander Lions in 1966. The Belles of St. Mary’s, the all-girl drum and bugle corps was also going strong at that time, through 1977, supported financially by the Lions. 

Area parks, too, were benefitting from Lions support, and continue to benefit from that support today. Playground equipment, open-air pavilions, the Babe Ruth enclosed pavilion and restrooms and even the iconic Lion water fountain were all made possible because of the Rhinelander Lions. Even the Little League concession stands and the ski ramp for the Hodag Water Ski Shows have benefited from contributions. 

The Boom Lake Ice Fisheree came to be in 1976, featuring tagged fish work up to $15,000. The tournament grew to be the favorite of generation after generation of anglers, with droves of community members attending the event simply for the raffles and food.

Health initiatives

The Rhinelander Lions Eye Bank Substation, in cooperation with St. Mary’s Hospital, became one of the organizations most enduring legacies, becoming one of the top four substations in the state for collecting and transporting donated eyes for corneal transplants and research, with more than 2,800 eyes donated.

Several decades of community health fairs were also sponsored by the organization. The Christmas Not Alone Dinner, now known as the Community Christmas Dinner, has called a few different venues home over the years, and even now includes a carry-out or delivery option.

The era of inclusion

In 2005, the Rhinelander Lions proudly admitted women as full members for the first time in history. According to the Lions anniversary brochure, this marked a significant step forward for the organization. It also broadened the club’s perspectives and its capacity to serve.

Just five years later, the Lions began to support Frederick Place, an emergency shelter in Rhinelander as well as Lilly’s House. Lilly’s House is an organization that supports women and children in need. 

The Rhinelander Lions also began supporting Let’s Go Fishing – Rhinelander Chapter, in 2013. Let’s Go Fishing is an organization that provides nature’s healing to seniors, individuals with disabilities and veterans through fishing and sight seeing excursions on Boom Lake. 

The Lions Club also played a crucial role in the creation of Lights of the Northwoods, housing that project under the club’s 501(c)3 status and helping to secure funding to launch the event.

It is difficult to find a local event without seeing the familiar Rhinelander Lions Club logo, a testament to their dedication to the community and to the club’s mission of service. Today the Lions Club has 39 active members, which includes eight past presidents.

“The Rhinelander Lions remain committed to the people of our community and to the global mission of Lions Club International: empowering volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, and promote peace and understanding throughout the world,” their brochure said, looking ahead at the next 85 years.

Beckie Gaskill may be reached via email at [email protected].