Lion's Band
Kansas Lions Club Band
From Ottawa, Kansas
July, 1954
Lions Club Band Visiting in Washington, DC
Photograph of Band in Front of the US Capitol
The 37th International Lions Club Convention was held in New York City in July of 1954. It was at this convention in New York that the Lions Club officially adopted the motto, "We Serve."
There was a man who had been very active in Lions Club activities in Kansas by the name of McKee. Mr. McKee was running for the position of 3rd Vice President of the International Lions Club which then would put him in a position to be the national president in three years. Mr. McKee's campaign slogan was "McKee For Me."
The Ottawa Lions Club decided to organize, from Ottawa, the official Kansas Lions Club Band to go to New York. The band was to march in the official parade and campaign for McKee at rallies in Madison Square Garden where the convention was held.
The Ottawa Lions Club held many fundraising events to raise the funds necessary for the band. The Ottawa Lions Club really pulled out all the stops to make this great trip possible for the young people of Ottawa. Russell Crites and Lee Shelden were two of the key Lions Club members.
Mr. Bill Barker, the Ottawa High School band director, was selected to direct the band. The band was composed of students from the OHS Class of 1952 through the Class of 1957 and Walter Butler, the local music man. There were forty persons in the band.
The Lions Club Band put on a big concert for the people of Ottawa on Wednesday June 30, 1954 at Cook Field, Ottawa University. A large ad in The Ottawa Herald said, "ONE FULL HOUR of Entertainment by the Band. See them march as they will in New York City, in Full Dress. Also a 30-Minute Concert, after the marching. Come Early and Watch This 40-piece Marching Band Perform. The Marching Band will parade on Fifth Ave., and the Concert Band will play in Madison Square Garden. No Admission Charge to Watch The BIGGEST Event of the Year!"
The band had a great time going to New York City and back by train. The band left Ottawa on Monday, July 5, 1954, and arrived in NYC on Tuesday night, July 6. Mr. and Mrs. Russell Crites and Mr. and Mrs. Lee Shelden met the band in NYC. The band stayed at the Piccadilly Hotel. Jim Shelden and Kay Crites were members of the band but traveled to NYC and back with their parents and did not go on the train.
Band members did all the normal sightseeing trips in NYC. Many of them had never been there before. At Radio City Music Hall the Ottawans saw "The Student Prince," in Cinemascope, plus a stage production featuring The Rockettes, world-famous chorus.
It rained in New York City the day of the parade and everyone just got soaked as they marched the 37 blocks. The photograph (attached to this e-mail) was taken in NYC the day of the parade. Everyone is wearing a sunflower on their shirt with a ribbon hanging down which says, "McKee For Me." Mr. McKee did not win the position he was seeking.
The band left NYC on Friday, July 10th and went to Washington, DC Congressman Errett P. Scrivner of Kansas had made arrangements for the band to meet President Dwight Eisenhower in the Rose Garden. The band met the President on Saturday, July 10, and left for Ottawa late on Saturday and arrived back in Ottawa on Sunday evening, July 11th, 1954.
There were at least three professional photographs taken of the Lions Band. One was taken in New York City the day of the big parade, one was taken when the Band visited the White House in Washington, DC and met President Eisenhower, and one was taken when the Band visited the US Capitol on Saturday, July 10, 1954.
NOTE: News articles in The Ottawa Herald indicated that when the train crossed the Mississippi River Darrell Burkdoll, Donna Barber, Delores Northway, Carolee Burns, Duane Bechtle, Jack Davis, Jane Sands, Ken Suffron, Meredith Williams, Bill Coltrane, Warren Bruner, Bob Kile, Morgan Williams, and Gary Hornbuckle saw the Mississippi river for the first time. Back to Top
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Kansas Lions Club Band From Ottawa, Kansas
Visiting Washington, DC, Saturday, July 10, 1954
Photograph In Front of the US Capitol
Back Row Standing------------------------------- Left to Right
|
Name
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
Jack Davis
|
1954
|
|
2
|
Meredith Williams
|
1957
|
|
3
|
Terry Fanning
|
1954
|
|
4
|
Gary Burgess
|
1956
|
|
5
|
Walter Butler
|
|
Saunders/Butler's Music Store
|
6
|
Mrs. Walter Butler
|
|
|
7
|
John Hammer
|
|
Rep. of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
|
8
|
Mrs. William Barker
|
|
|
9
|
William "Bill" Barker
|
|
Band Director)(OHS Band Director
|
10
|
Bill Hafner
|
1953
|
|
11
|
Trexel Warren
|
1953
|
|
12
|
George Kramer
|
1956
|
|
13
|
Duane Bechtle
|
1953
|
|
14
|
Kenneth Suffron
|
1955
|
|
Middle Row Kneeling---------------------------- Left to Right
|
Name
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
Jolene Brink
|
1957
|
|
2
|
Jane Sands
|
1952
|
|
3
|
Joyce Cutting
|
1955
|
|
4
|
Betty Salmon
|
1956
|
|
5
|
Carolyn West
|
1956
|
|
6
|
Carolee Burns
|
1956
|
|
7
|
Delores Northway
|
1955
|
|
8
|
Donna Lee Barber
|
1955
|
|
9
|
Eila Mae Denker
|
1955
|
|
10
|
Darlene Larkin
|
1954
|
|
Front Row Sitting--------------------------------- Left to Right
|
Name
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
Jon Pritchard
|
1954
|
|
2
|
Darrell Burkdoll
|
1956
|
|
3
|
Jim Green
|
1956
|
|
4
|
Larry Bancroft
|
1957
|
|
5
|
Joel Berglund
|
1957
|
|
6
|
Bob Kile
|
1957
|
|
7
|
Gary Hornbuckle
|
1957
|
|
8
|
Gary West
|
1955
|
|
9
|
Eugene Hardinger
|
1952
|
|
10
|
Warren Bruner
|
1957
|
|
11
|
John Kramer
|
1952
|
|
12
|
Morgan Williams
|
1957
|
|
13
|
Ron Myers
|
1957
|
|
14
|
J. P. Feighner
|
1955
|
|
15
|
Larry Northway
|
1954
|
|
16
|
Bill Coltrane
|
1957
|
|
Lions Club Band Members Not Shown In This Photograph
|
Name
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
Kay Crites
|
1956
|
|
2
|
Jim Shelden
|
1956
|
|
3
|
David Woods
|
|
Blum Dance Band
|
Kay Crites and Jim Shelden traveled with their parents to NYC and back and did not go on the train.
We do not know why David Woods was not in the photograph. Back to Top
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Kansas Lions Club Band From Ottawa, Kansas
Lions Club International Convention Parade
Wednesday, July 7, 1954, New York City
Sixth Row---Back Row----Left to Right
|
Name
|
Instrument
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
Duane Bechtle
|
Tuba
|
1953
|
|
2
|
Bill Hafner
|
Bass saxophone
|
1953
|
|
3
|
Delores Northway
|
Alto saxophone
|
1955
|
See top of hat and plume only
|
4
|
David Woods
|
|
|
|
5
|
Larry Northway
|
Trumpet
|
1954
|
|
6
|
Terry Dean Fanning
|
Trumpet
|
1954
|
|
7
|
John Kramer
|
Clarinet/sax
|
1952
|
|
8
|
Jane Sands
|
Clarinet
|
1952
|
Far right
|
Fifth Row----Left to Right
|
Name
|
Instrument
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
Warren Brunner
|
Trombone
|
1957
|
Can see hat and plume only
|
2
|
Walt Butler
|
|
|
Butler's Music Store
|
3
|
Meredith Williams
|
French horn
|
1957
|
|
4
|
Gary West
|
Baritone
|
1955
|
|
5
|
Kay Crites
|
Sax
|
1955
|
Hidden--can see plume only
|
6
|
Jon Pritchard
|
Drum
|
1954
|
|
7
|
Eila Mae Denker
|
Clarinet
|
1955
|
Far right
|
Fourth Row----Left to Right
|
Name
|
Instrument
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
Jim Shelden
|
Trombone
|
1956
|
|
2
|
Morgan Williams
|
French horn
|
1957
|
|
3
|
Joyce Cutting
|
Flute
|
1955
|
|
4
|
Jim Green
|
Snare drum
|
1956
|
|
5
|
Gary Hornbuckle
|
Trumpet
|
1957
|
|
6
|
Kenny Suffron
|
Trumpet
|
1955
|
|
7
|
Donna Lee Barber
|
Clarinet
|
1955
|
Far right
|
Third Row----Left to Right
|
Name
|
Instrument
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
Jack Davis
|
Trombone
|
1954
|
|
2
|
Bill Coltrane
|
Baritone
|
1957
|
|
3
|
Darrell Burkdoll
|
Alto saxophone
|
1956
|
|
4
|
Jolene Brink
|
Flute
|
1957
|
|
5
|
Ron Myers
|
Clarinet
|
1956
|
|
6
|
Joel Berglund
|
Snare drum
|
1957
|
|
7
|
Bob Kile
|
Trumpet
|
1957
|
|
8
|
Carolee Burns
|
Clarinet
|
1956
|
Far right
|
Second Row----Left to Right
|
Name
|
Instrument
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
Gary Burgess
|
Bass
|
1956
|
|
2
|
George Kramer
|
Baritone sax
|
1956
|
|
3
|
J. P. Feighner
|
Saxophone
|
1955
|
|
4
|
Larry Bancroft
|
Clarinet
|
1957
|
|
5
|
Trexal Warren
|
Trumpet
|
1953
|
|
6
|
Eugene Hardinger
|
Clarinet
|
1952
|
Far right
|
Front Row----Left To Right
|
Name
|
Instrument
|
Class Year
|
Notes
|
1
|
William "Bill" Barker
|
|
|
Band Director
|
2
|
Carolyn West
|
Twirler
|
1956
|
|
3
|
Darlene Larken
|
Drum Major
|
1954
|
|
4
|
Betty Salmon
|
Twirler
|
1956
|
Far right-can see edge of skirt, part of leg & white boot
|
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