History of Magrath Lions Club

Excerpts from an address given Sept 1998 at Magrath Lions Club 60th Anniversary Banquet by Lion Ken Balderson (current member of Magrath Lions Club and son of Gladstone Balderson, our first club president).

"When I told my wife Marjorie that I was supposed to speak at our Lions 60th Anniversary there was a long period of silence and then she said, "Well, I will tell you two things: 1) Slow down, just like you are supposed to do on your back swing at the golf course, and 2) Just don't take too long on the tee."

"I am honored to have been asked to give a brief history of the Magrath Lions Club. Just imagine, 60 years! That is a long time. How many of you are under sixty years of age? .. (most raised hands) .. 1938 was the year our club came into being - 2 years before the start of WWII. We were sponsored by the Taber Lions Club, who had formed a club 4 years earlier. We in turn sponsored the Cardston Lions Club in 1940.

"My father, Gladstone Balderson was instrumental in starting our club and was elected the first club president. He as a great organizer. He brought in farmers and ranchers from the north, west, south, and east of Magrath as well as most of the doctors, bankers, teachers and others within the town. We lived on a farm about 6 miles north of the town but spent a lot of time in town doing community work over the years. In those days, there was no television and no paved roads to Lethbridge (22 miles north). No government handouts. Much lower taxes. The Town of Magrath had 3 or 4 Farm Machine Dealerships, 3 Garages, 3 good local Restaurants, a Pool Hall, a Movie Theatre, a Dance Hall, and much more. Our entertainment was mostly self-provided.

"So, the Lions Club came to town. They started with 15 charter members, but soon grew to 35 active members. As a club, they went to work and started to do many things for Magrath. Their motto was, 'We Will Serve'. One of the first projects they selected was to build a community swimming pool. It was to be a large pool and ended up being one of the finest in Southern Alberta at that time. Many volunteers, besides the Lions Club members, were enlisted to help. Day after day, week after week, the hole was excavated using trucks, tractors, and scrapers. They poured cement right around the clock using several small hand cement mixers, wagons and shovels. They were working, donating their time, and having fun. The pool was finished in 1942, complete with diving boards, fences, and life guards. The Lions Club then helped the town finance the pool operation for several  years. Eventually the town took over the pool operation.

"How did they finance to build the pool? As far as I know, they raised their own money by donations mostly by putting on Carnivals (games and rides) often followed by a town dance. They also ran a competition for Carnival Queen each year, selling tickets (votes) on the girls. The girl with the most tickets sold was named Carnival Queen. They placed a crown on her head and awarded her a prize of a new coat or dress and then paraded her around town and to preside over the town dance. It was considered quite an honor.