We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The monthly meeting of the Chinook Lions Club was held recently at the Blaine County Museum. Museum staff created a temporary exhibit honoring the local club's 100th year as a club. It is the fourth oldest Lions Club in Montana.
Lion Jerry Kuhn (standing at left of photo), Zone 7 Chairmen for Montana Lions and a Havre club member, was on hand to congratulate the club on its 100th anniversary. Club members donned their traditional 'gold vests' for the event. Museum Director Sam French said the exhibit would be on display through the end of the year.
The Chinook Lions Club held its monthly meeting recently at the Blaine County Museum. The club, formed 100 years ago this year, is the fourth oldest Lions Club in Montana. The special meeting in the museum gave members an opportunity to experience the exhibit prepared by Museum staff and thank them for their efforts to record the club's history.
Museum Director Sam French explained the process used to gather the materials on display. She gave a lot of credit to longtime club secretary Jack Mattingly who tracked down many of the items displayed in the new exhibit. She added, "Jack sat down with me and shared some of the highlights of the club's history, then helped find items or documents to explain the history of the club. Olivia Downs also did a lot of work on the exhibit."
French added that the Chinook Club played an important role in preserving the Bear Paw Battlefield and many items related to that preservation project were already part of the Museum permanent collection. During the meeting the club voted to make a donation to the museum to thank the staff for their efforts to preserve the milestone.
Jay Eslick, current club president, said the club has enjoyed an influx of new members in the last few years. A recent major project was completion of a skate park funded in part by a grant from the Jeff Ament foundation. The skate park is near the high school football field on the east side of town. Many locals know of the club through its pronto pup stand at the Blaine County Fair each year. That is the club's major fundraiser for the various projects it supports around the town and area.
French said the exhibit celebrating the centennial of the Chinook Lions Club will be on display through the end of the year.
