Lion Jim McGlade receives his 55-year chevron from District Governor Jim Devenny, left, and past Governor Renee Devenny, right. Photo credit: Pat Reddick
Past Governor Renee Devenny, presents Lion Marty Hawkins with his 35-year chevron. Photo Credit: Pat Reddick
Westport Lions Roar
By Bob Reddick
At the Westport Lions annual Christmas party held at The Cove, District Governor Jim Devenny and his wife, Renee, drove from Johnstown to honour the outstanding and lengthy service of Lions Jim McGlade and Marty Hawkins. Both men are held in high esteem not only in our community, but in the district for their contributions to Lionism.
When Lion Jim was asked if he remembered his first Lion meeting, he replied, “Everyone wore a suit and tie, the meetings were more structured, and all the officers sat at the head table. We sang Lion songs like, Don’t You Hear Those Lions Roar, which goes like this:
Don’t you hear those Lions roar?
Don’t you hear those Lions roar?
You can hear them roaring ev’ry week.
As they feed and growl for more.
(RAH! RAH! RAH!)
You should hear those Lions roar,
Their snarling, rumbling roar, so, Lions
Bite’em! Bite’em! Bite’em!
Don’t you hear those Lions, hear those Lions,
Hear those Lions roar.
Joan Anne Hutchings reminisced in a letter to the editor of The Review-Mirror in 2023, “I think of the first meeting in the dining room of Lenexa Hotel, owned and operated by my grandparents, Tom and Betsie Roberts, and hearing the songs they were singing. Somewhere, I still have the Lions song book.”
An internet search reveals that Lions Clubs International founder Melvin Jones said that some of the earliest club meetings could be quiet affairs until someone broke out into song. “It seemed to me that the meetings were pretty dead until we limbered them up with song,” said Jones, “Everybody talked business with his neighbor at the luncheon table, and when that subject was exhausted, he just shut up and kept his eyes on his plate. A few rounds of ‘Tipperary’ and ‘I Want a Girl Just Like the Girl’ ended all that.”
The songbook Joan was referring to was first published in 1926 and was called Songs for Lions. It included popular hits like Bye Bye Blackbird, Someone to Watch Over Me and Baby Face, and reworked Lions-themed lyrics to popular tunes like “Ain’t We Got Fun,” as well as an original composition called “Don’t You Hear Those Lions Roar?” with music and lyrics by Lions Joseph W. Thurston and Robert Kellogg of Hartford, Connecticut. It goes like this:
He makes his home in a jungle den.
He feeds on meat and also men.
King of beasts, he kills and preys.
He’s the lord of the forest.
Til he ends his days.
Roaring, he bites ‘em!
Snarling, he fights ‘em!
Monarch of all he surveys.
You should hear those Lions roar
Their snarling, rumbling roar
So, roar, Lions! Bite ‘em! Bite ‘em! Bite ‘em!
Don’t you hear those Lions, hear those Lions
Hear those Lions roar!
To emphasize his theme, Strengthening the Pride, Joe Preston, international president from 2014-15, told the 2014 International Convention in Toronto that “if we want to energize members, we have to touch their hearts.” Speaking about the importance of being a Lion and not merely attending meetings, Joe broke out into a song of his own composition, which to me captures the essence of Lionism:
Strengthen the pride through service
For causes worthy and just
Strengthen the pride through involvement
Belonging is never enough
Dig down deep
Let it go and roar like a Lion
Tell the whole world we’ll never stop tryin’
We are the Lions Clubs
We can’t be denied, no, no, no
So, dig down deep and Strengthen the Pride
Sharing the joy of music is also part of how the Westport Lions serve the community. In the past, the club have supported school choirs and bands to compete in music festivals. The local Lions have bought instruments for music classes, organized Westfest and supported music festivals in Westport.
The Westport Lions do not presently sing, “Don’t You Hear Those Lions Roar?” at their meetings, but the membership does sing the Lion’s grace and O Canada with gusto. It is the one thing I remember the most about my first Lion’s meeting. Perhaps the Westport Lions should consider bringing singing back to our meetings.
Westport Lions Club 