The International Association of Lions Clubs on March 22, 1975 officially chartered the Warner Robins Noon Lions Club, becoming at the time the “youngest” of three Lions Clubs in the immediate area.

The Warner Robins Lions Club, the senior service club in Warner Robins, having been chartered in July 1947, sponsored it. The Noon club was formed to fill a need for an additional service club in the city. Some four years earlier the Warner Robins Club sponsored the Centerville Lions Club.

The Noon club extended Lionism by sponsoring the Warner Robins Lioness Club in 1979. This group was very visible in the community in their pubic service work and fund raising activities. Lion Wallace Trawick was the charter liaison worker with the ladies’ organization. Later, the Lioness club became the Houston Peaches Lions Club in September 1992. The all-female Peaches also were sponsored by the Noon club. Just one year later after its beginning, the club was rated No. 2 club in District 18-E. Today there are four clubs in Houston County, the Warner Robins club, the Warner Robins Noon club, the Houston Peaches and the Centerville club.

In 1975, Jay Jones was sent to the Warner Robins Noon club to be the Guiding Lion for the new organization, which began with 27 members. It currently has 17 members.

Jim Clance was charter President and Roy Durham secretary. More than 100 Lions from area clubs joined in witnessing the charter presentation by then governor of District 18-E Walter Wilson of Macon.

The Noon Lions club was a fast starter in initiating community service projects. It immediately established a local sight conservation program to obtain eye examinations and glasses for people who could not otherwise purchase them. This has been a continuing project for the club, in keeping with the main thrust of Lions International’s emphasis on sight and hearing conservation. Over the years the club has provided an average of 60 eye exams and eyeglasses annually for the less affluent. It also collects an average of 5,000 pairs of used eyeglasses annually to be recycled and used in third world countries. It provides an average of two hearing aids annually.

During the late 70’s and the 80’s, the club sent 100 Houston County Junior High School football players to the Peach Bowl football game in Atlanta It was often the very first major bowl game for may of them. The Lions of Georgia sponsored the bowl game for years, with the profits going to the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation. In the late 80’s the Lions withdrew as sponsors. Club members were avid supporters of this game. They used to attend the game as a group and participate in the parade.

The club is an active supporter of the Lighthouse, which provides all types of eye and hearing care for the indigent Georgians. It also supports the Lighthouse Children’s Eye Care Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia Lions Camp for the Blind in Waycross, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic in Athens, Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester MI, Lions Clubs International in Oak Brook IL and other Lions fund raising activities.

Each year in April the club joins other area clubs in soliciting funds locally on White Cane Day to support statewide Lighthouse eye projects. Since the inception of World Service Day several years ago by Lions International the club, in conjunction with the Peaches and Warner Robins club, visited four local nursing homes and passed out bananas to patients for many years.

The Noon Lions Club continues to support World Service Day with visits to local Nursing Homes.

For years the club joined the Warner Robins Club in conducting an annual glaucoma-screening clinic. The club continued to run several eye clinics for glaucoma screening referral. For the last several years, the Noon Lions and other area clubs have participated in the annual Senior Health Fair, which provided health checks for an average of 125 citizens annually.

In late 1982 the Noon Lions embarked on another first for the city by sponsoring a regular-season college football game at the International City Stadium (currently named McConnell-Talbert Stadium). Coach Erik Russell’s Georgia Southern team played the Florida State University Jayvees. A few years later Georgia Southern became national champions. Proceeds from this game the next several years went to community service work.

Since its inception the Noon Lions club, which was voted No. 1 club among 47 clubs in District 18-F in 1999 and 2000, has been involved in a multitude of service activities. It provided an airline ticket to join a father and daughter, provided transportation for a Leader Dog candidate to attend the Leader Dog School in Rochester MI. It participated in the annual Warner Robins Festival at Perkins Field behind the recreation department. It also assisted the Lionesses and the Peaches in the Mossy Creek Barnyard (Arts & Crafts) Festival each year. Conduct Broom/Mop Sales and during the Thanksgiving/Christmas Holidays have Pecan Sales to help collect monies to support our community projects.

In the past the club had several meetings each year with Lions – wives. These have taken the form of dinners and picnics at the Heaberlin Plantation, where some wild auctions raised money for the Camp for the Blind.

One year the club had a Lions Beauty Contest with such beauties as Tommy Eilers (secretary), Mac McClung, Jay Jones, Jim Clance (directors) and others. When Lion McClung was named Miss Lion, the club retired this activity. Lion Jones still claims that Lion Mac bribed the judges with an improper invitation.

The club meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month 12:00 Noon at Ryans Steak House. The Noon club has eleven Melvin Jones Fellows in its membership. This is the highest award bestowed on club members by Lions International.

The Warner Robins Noon Lions Club continually seek additional service minded individuals to experience the pride of being a Lion, satisfaction in helping others, a commitment to carry out and accomplish community goals and fellowship in the largest service organization in the world. Membership is by invitation only. Any person 21 years or older, with good moral character and a good reputation may be granted membership in the Lions Club.

During the course of the year there are four Zone Meetings which all club presidents and secretaries attend. Members are also encouraged to attend these to show support among Lions and their efforts. There are three district functions in which all members are invited, these include the Summer Conference, usually held in September each year and the District Rally held in March of each year. Additionally the State Convention in late May or early June is always a highlight of the year each summer.

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