The First Fifty Years - To celebrate the golden anniversary of the founding, Past President Bert Uddenberg, Jr. the son of Charter Member and Past President Bert Uddenberg, Sr., was commissioned to compile a history of Gig Harbor Lions Club for presentation at the banquet in 1981- for the nostalgia of the long-time Lions and for the edification of the younger Lions. Below, with his own words from that evening in quotes, are Bert's reminiscences:

"I was there [at the chartering], although not seen or heard from [Bert was to be born seven months later]... so one could guess that's why I have the real privilege of presenting our Club history. We have not been really good historians, but by interviewing many past presidents and key Lions we can review a solid part of our past.

"The community wasn't incorporated until 1946. There was no town government or civic league in those days - the Lions were it. It would be another thirty years before another men's service club would come to town. And you have to remember, this was during the Depression, and it was difficult to raise funds, so the larger projects were promoted more by moral and physical support than by funds.

"The only remembered money-raisers of note were the Turkey Shoots involving .22 caliber marksmanship ...and the rolling of dice for prizes - the winners were determined by the highest roll of five dice. These events were first held at the old South Sound Improvement Club where the City Park on Grandview is now located. Later they were moved to a vacant lot owned by Harold Roby and now occupied by Borgen's Building Supply. Subsequently it was moved to the basement location on Harborview. At this time the contest was switched to playing Bingo for the turkeys. This effort continued for a number of years into the mid-40s.

"My dad, Fred Perkins, and some other Lions served on the organizing group in 1936 to get the first Narrows Bridge built. The following year the Lions were prime movers in getting the gym built for what was then Gig Harbor Union High School - later to become the Old Goodman [and now Harbor Ridge] Middle School. May 19, 1938, Lions acclaimed National Air Mail Week by welcoming the first air mail delivery. The plane landed on the beach across the bay.

"In 1940 the peninsula was finally 1inked with Tacoma. During the celebration of the opening of the first Narrows Bridge, Chairman John Finholm organized 'the Worlds largest chowder bowl' mounted on the back of a large truck - to sell chowder at 25cents for a big bowl - and four months later 'Galloping Gertie' collapsed and plunged into the Sound!

"After the north end of Gig Harbor burned in 1944, the Lions spearheaded the successful effort to form a fire district. My father donated the land for the first fire station located behind what is now Gig Harbor Glass on Harborview Drive and just off Stinson Avenue. The first fire truck, a 1945 Ford, was delivered in early 1946, and several Lions were volunteer firefighters during those first few years." [That fire truck was stored in the basement of Past President John Finholm for decades. The truck was fully restored in 1992.]

"During the mid-40s the Lions sponsored a memorial for those men who gave their 1ives for our country in World War II. The work was donated by Lawrence Hemley Sr. and the memorial still stands in front of Harbor Ridge School. The Lions also sponsored a Sea Scout ship with later President John Insel serving as Sea Scout Skipper. Although the Sea Scouts did not last, Lion John became one of our best-known members."

Gig Harbor was incorporated as a Fourth-class city in 1946. The first City Council was composed of three grocers, one sawmill operator, and one fisherman Lion John Finholm, Tony Stanich, Lion Keith Uddenberg, Lion Charles Austin, and Emmet Ross respectively. The City Treasurer was Lion Leander Finholm and the City Judge was Lion H. R. Thurston.

"The largest project of the early 50s was the leveling of the Peninsula High School athletic fields. Ed Hoppen declared one end of the field was six feet higher than the other and Mel Mitchell spearheaded an effort of seven bull-dozers and a dozen trucks with many Lions moving an an awful lot of dirt before it was certified as level. Everything was donated ...Sheldon Stutz provided fuel for equipment and the Light Company set the poles and set the lights, saving a pair for King Lion Ed Hoppen (who still remembers climbing 100 feet into the air!) and School Superintendent Homer Hove to finish the lighting project.

"Also during the 50s the Lions built many bus shelters for the school children of the area and placed them throughout the district.

"Every club or organization seems to have their high and low points. During the late 50s the Club took a vote to disband. It seems that a combination of problems stemming from changing evening meetings to noon meetings, having to pay for meals whether you attended or not, too many Reno nights and those 'girlie' shows were responsible for this low point. The vote was 4 to 4 ... but John Insel had not voted and he was asked by Leander Finholm to weigh in. John broke the tie by voting to continue, and so our history continued. From then on, the Club has been moving upward and onward.

"At this point a new and binding project was needed ... the Club took on what was probably the biggest effort yet. It was like this: Ken Hore recalls that the Lions were painting the old town library across from the Shoreline Restaurant and the paint brushes nearly went right through the wood siding. Frank Van Gorder declared 'We are going to build a new library.' Ken said that he didn't think it could be done but he would help, and away it went. Dr. Chuck & Ruth Borgue donated the land. Reed Hunt put forth $1,000. This was matched by the Weyerhaeuser Company. Fay Hore had a lot to do with that. The Lions sought other donations, large and small. Then the construction began. John Insel, Frank Van Gorder, and many others spent countless hours for weeks and weeks. The library was opened in 1962 and it still serves the community on Judson Street." The building became the home of The Gig Harbor-Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce about 1990.

"After the library project, the Club was healthy enough to take on other key efforts in the mid and later 60s, largely centered on Peninsula High School and city parks. We furnished bleachers for the football stadium and seating for the swimming pool. We sponsored a musical performance by the Seattle 'Sea Chordsmen' to fund the curtain for the performing arts stage at the school. [Later the performing arts center was named the Milton S. Boyd Auditorium in honor of the Gig Harbor Lion.] We fenced the tennis court at the city park and were instrumental in getting the county to fence Grandview Street Park.

"In my mind the real heroes of the Club were those who kept it going during those critical times in the 60s - Frank Van Gorder, John Insel, Ken Hore, Bill Wilbert, John Hancock, Paul Alvestad, and Harvey McCabe come to mind quickly. Without them, and the one positive 'swing' vote of John Insel, we might not be here today."

During this period in the Club's life, more money was needed to undertake the larger civic improvements, and the community calendar project came into being. Hundreds of Gig Harbor merchants and businessmen paid for listings, which were published in local activity wall calendars. Hundreds of the useful and attractive calendars were printed and sold, netting significant amounts of funds for our non-administrative and non-social activities. This perennial project has been a prime fund-raiser ever since.

The first of the still extant annual golf matches with the Gig Harbor Kiwanis Club was teed-off in 1968. The tournament was named in honor of 0. J. Metzler who was one of the founders of the local Kiwanis Club; the tribute was quite appropriate since he died of a stroke on the fairways with a golf club in his hands on the tee of the 8th hole.

"As the 70s began to roll by, we erected basketball hoops in the city park. This was about the time when 'Hoops' Borgen became famous in the community. We also resurfaced the two tennis courts at the Peninsula High School and one at the city park. This was probably the most financially ambitious project of the Club ...over $5,000, as remembered! In 1978, led by Past President Bob Hunt, we were involved in providing new drainage for the PHS football field. With volunteer labor and loaned equipment, a $25,000 project was accomplished for about $4,000!"

The mid-70s saw the Gig Harbor Lions initiate being elected to higher offices in the Lions organization: Past President Bill Wilbert served as Zone Chairman in 1973-74 and then became District Governor in 1975-76. Past President Hal Best followed when he became Zone Chairman during 1977-78.

Gig Harbor sponsored a second Lions Club in the area to answer the need of the members and prospective members who were unable to regularly attend our noon meetings. The Peninsula Lions Club was organized in January 1978 and then was chartered on April 1, 1978.

Lion Bob Angster, our peerless secretary for several years, earned the coveted Secretary Efficiency award in 1978 for being the best of all the clubs in the Multiple District 19 holding weekly meetings.

The year 1978 also marked the beginning of yearly involvement in the overseas sight conservation Volunteer Optometric Service to Humanity (VOSH) program. That year and every year thereafter, our resident optometrist Dr. Bill Wilbert and his wife Gretchen, joined by PP John Holman a few years later, have taken journeys to remote locations in underdeveloped countries to conduct eye exams and fit eyeglasses for those in need. The Lions Clubs in our geographic area have collected tens of thousands of used framed glasses from their communities and the Gig Harbor Lions and have then helped Doctor Bill sort, clean, and classify myriad pairs of eyeglasses over the years. Well over two thousand pairs were to be issued during each of the ten-day visits to Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America.

During this period, public money-raising projects to support the community and worldwide programs consisted of concession stands at the numerous local fairs and festivals, stock inventories of the Bon Marche department store in Tacoma, and sales of Lions light bulbs. These enterprises continued into the mid-80s.

Fifty years of Gig Harbor Lions service came to a close with the erection of a "Big Toy" playground complex for the developmentally disadvantaged residents at the Rocky Bay camp on Key Peninsula. The planting of twenty-five Trees for Peace on our peninsula followed this.