[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 27, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MODESTO LIONS CLUB

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                            HON. JEFF DENHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 27, 2012

  Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud the 
Modesto Lions Club on their 90th Anniversary. This dedicated service 
club should be commended for their leadership.
  In the early 1920's, there were few community service clubs; however, 
43 prominent business owners in Modesto joined to establish the first 
Lions Club in Stanislaus County on March 29, 1922. This core of movers 
& shakers became the `Booster Club' of their fair city, Modesto.
  This hardy band supported the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the Boy 
Scouts and the YMCA in a way never before accomplished. The club's 
membership dwindled during WWII, but the Modesto Lions Club maintained 
its stature and continued its good deeds for the community.
  The economic growth of the post-war period allowed the Modesto Lions 
Club to grow and facilitate bigger projects, such as the Modesto High 
School Swimming Pool and the Mancini Bowl Band Shell.
  In 1987, the Modesto Lions Club broke social barriers by welcoming 
female members, and a new era dawned as many ladies joined the ranks.
  Recently, the Modesto Lions Club completed the Modesto Lions Junction 
Park along the Virginia Trail providing shade for all who use the 
trail.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in praising and congratulating the 
Modesto Lions for 90 years of community service and success.

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