Bountiful Lions Club members and their wives recently celebrated the club's 50th birthday at a party at the Shed Restaurant in West Bountiful.
Mayor Dean Stahle, among the guests at the party, thanked club members for their service to the community, their contributions to charities and the many community projects the club has accomplished in the past 50 years.A few of the projects he mentioned included putting up street signs, building parks, tennis courts, boweries, a fountain at the city's Rose Garden, bicycle stands at schools, a therapeutic hot tub at the city's outdoor swimming pool, landscaping the city's golf course clubhouse and building playgrounds throughout the city.
Others at the anniversary meeting were Horace P. Beesley, the only charter member still active in the club; past Lions International director Jim Lundberg, Utah County; past Lion district governor Dave Wright, Taylorsville; Lion district governor Val Lindley and his cabinet secretary Kay Andersen, both of Wellsville, Cache County; widows of club members; and past presidents of the club.
Honored for their long service to the club were Beesley, who was cited for 50 years membership; Grant S. Neath and Dr. Don J. Woody, 35 years service; Arlyn J. Styler, Dr. Boyd C. Martin and Robert K. McKenzie, 25 years; and Jay A. Meservy, 20 years.
Beesley, 85, said he helped start the club when he and his wife, Mary, moved to Bountiful from Salt Lake City in 1938.
He grew up playing the piano and the flute and is a member of the family that started the Beesley Music stores in the Salt Lake Valley in 1903. Beesley played the piano for silent movies at the Capitol Theatre on Second South and at the former American Theater on Main Street between Second and Third South.
He played the flute with the Utah Symphony for seven years and for more than 20 years he played in family and friends' dance orchestras in the Salt Lake area.
Beesley graduated from West High School in 1917 and from the University of Utah in 1929 with degrees in business and music. He went on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Germany from 1923 to 1926 and from 1966 to 1969 he was president of the Central German Mission.