1927–2027
A century of service.
Thank you, Lexington. Your generosity has helped us serve our neighbors since 1927—and will carry that service into our next century.
Since 1927, Lexington Lions have brought local residents, businesses, and community partners together to help where help is needed. Our purpose has never changed: We Serve.
A hundred years is a long time to keep showing up for your neighbors—and that's what this club has done, one project at a time. The golf tournament, the pancake breakfast, broom sales, and our vision programs all carry on a century-old habit of local people helping local people.
See how we serve todayHOW WE BEGAN
Twenty neighbors, one purpose.
The Lexington Lions Club was chartered on April 15, 1927, by twenty civic-minded men who saw a need in their community and organized to meet it. The Reverend A. B. Obenschain served as the club's first, charter president. Lexington Lions is the eighth-oldest Lions club in South Carolina—only the Columbia, Spartanburg, Orangeburg, Anderson, and Greenville clubs (chartered in 1922), and the Charleston club and the Florence Day Club (chartered in 1923), came before it.
- C. M. Efird
- T. C. Callison
- Clyde S. Addy
- C. E. Leaphart
- H. Cromer Oswald, Sr.
- Ira M. Sligh
- R. E. Cook
- A. B. Obenschain
- J. D. Carroll
- B. H. Barre
- J. A. Barre
- D. F. Efird
- Norman S. Geiger
- J. E. Paxton
- W. W. Lorick, Sr.
- Harry Wessinger
- H. L. Harmon
- H. N. Kaminer
- C. E. Taylor
- S. J. Leaphart
A CENTURY IN MOMENTS
Milestones along the way.
- 1927
Chartered April 15 by twenty Lexington men, with Rev. A. B. Obenschain as the club's first president.
- 1940s
After roughly a decade of meeting in members' homes, the club moves to the Lexington Community Center, where members take turns cooking for the meetings.
- 1961
Three Lexington High School students form the Southern Belles singing group for the club. Their performances impress the Lions so much that the trio travels with South Carolina's Lions to the international convention in Chicago, and later to Atlantic City, New Jersey.
- Mid-1960s
Club membership tops 110, making Lexington Lions the only civic service club in town at the time.
- 1967
The club sponsors two new clubs, Swansea Lions Club and Seven Oaks Lions Club.
- 1970s
Members offer free polio vaccine, given as an edible wafer, to the community at the high school, and run a summertime concession stand at the Lake Murray dam.
- 1978
The club sponsors the Oak Grove Lions Club.
- 1980s
Fruitcake sales become one of the club's most memorable fundraisers.
- 1987
Under President Charles Gatch, the club establishes the Lions Club Walking Trail, starts its pancake supper fundraiser, and welcomes its first woman member, Shirley Fawley.
- 2005
Member Harold Looney, of Lexington's Chevrolet dealership, is recognized as South Carolina's oldest living active Lions Club member, at age 101.
- 2010
The club sponsors the Lake Murray Lions Club—its fourth sponsored club since 1967, alongside two Leo Clubs. Of them all, only the original Swansea Lions Club remains active today.
CLUB LEADERSHIP
Leading the way.
More than ninety members have served as club president since the 1927 charter. Club records name the following, decade by decade—through 2018, the most recent year in the record we have.
See the full list of presidents, 1927–2018
1927–1930
- 1927Charter President A. B. Obenschain
- 1928–29C. E. Leaphart
- 1929–30J. A. Barre
1930–1940
- 1930–31J. D. Carroll
- 1931–32T. C. Callison
- 1932–33H. C. Oswald
- 1933–34W. W. Lorick
- 1934–35Holly Harmon
- 1935–36Omar Derrick
- 1936–37B. H. Barre
- 1937–38H. Odelle Harman
- 1938–39R. H. Berley
- 1939–40H. L. Looney
1940–1950
- 1940–41S. J. Boles
- 1941–42J. T. Steppe
- 1942–43Harold Sale
- 1943–44T. H. Caughman
- 1944–45Wise Caughman
- 1945–46H. L. Shull
- 1946–47W. T. Bruner
- 1947–48T. C. Haygood
- 1948–49G. R. McSwain
- 1949–50Duke Richardson
1950–1960
- 1950–51A. F. Metz
- 1951–52A. Layman Harmon
- 1952–53C. E. Black
- 1953–54D. H. Caughman
- 1954–55J. G. Keisler
- 1955–56S. A. George
- 1956–57Walter Rawl
- 1957–58M. Alex Bouknight
- 1958–59E. Kellers Mitchell
- 1959–60J. Kermit Addy
1960–1970
- 1960–61R. H. Caughman
- 1961–62Ray F. Wingard
- 1962–63T. H. Rawl
- 1963–64William P. Madden
- 1964–65J. Leon Corley
- 1965–66Joseph M. Bedenbaugh
- 1966–67B. B. Oswald
- 1967–68T. P. Steele
- 1968–69Eugene C. Jackson
- 1969–70Lucius Porth
1970–1980
- 1970–71David E. Frye
- 1971–72Jack G. Hendrix
- 1972–73William L. Mathias
- 1973–74H. V. Sandifer
- 1974–75Paul Rawl
- 1975–76Edward Corley
- 1976–77Robert Lindler
- 1977–78Don Caughman
- 1978–79Elford Roof
- 1979–80Frank Havird
1980–1990
- 1980–81Estes Howell
- 1981–82Karl Fulmer
- 1982–83Jack Gould
- 1983–84James Gladden
- 1984–85Ray Rauch
- 1985–86Charles Haggard
- 1986–87Delos Corderman
- 1987–88Charles Gatch
- 1988–89Norman S. Corley
- 1989–90Walter Kemp
1990–2000
- 1990–91Ernest Littlejohn
- 1991–92James Raymond
- 1992–93Norman E. Corley
- 1993–94G. Ben Livingston
- 1994–95George W. Masters
- 1995–96Charles F. Thompson, Sr.
- 1996–97Timothy R. Chandler
- 1997–98David Hendrick
- 1998–99Bob Douglass
- 1999–2000Tom Neal
2000–2010
- 2000–01James Raymond
- 2001–02Norman W. Gaines
- 2002–03Bobby Bowers
- 2003–04Larry Moody
- 2004–05Eddie Howard
- 2005–06Bobby Bowers
- 2006–07G. Ben Livingston
- 2007–08Tom Anderson
- 2008–09Ken Minier
- 2009–10Catherine Neff
2010–2018
- 2010–11Wendell Christine
- 2011–12Gary Sullivan
- 2012–13Bill Barkley
- 2013–14Hugh Ham
- 2014–15David Hudepohl
- 2015–16Philip Flynn
- 2016–17Bill Barkley
- 2017–18Eric Easterling
RECOGNIZED BY THEIR PEERS
Club honors.
Two Lexington Lions have been inducted into the South Carolina Lions Hall of Fame, and many more have been honored with the club's own long-service awards.
SC LIONS HALL OF FAME · 2017
Joseph M. Bedenbaugh
- Member since 1960
- Club President, 1965–1966
- Sight Conservation Chairman for 43 years
- Lion of the Year three times: 1995, 2002, 2008
- Melvin Jones Fellow, twice: 1990 and 2018
- A Lexington-area educator for 36 years, including principal of Lexington Elementary and Lexington High School
SC LIONS HALL OF FAME · 2014, POSTHUMOUS
William "Bill" Porter, Jr.
- Member since 1989
- Club Secretary, with Awards of Appreciation in 1990–1995 and 2003–2004
- Lion of the Year four times: 1991, 1992, 2002, 2010
- Lions Busy Bee Award, 2006–2007
- Melvin Jones Fellow, 2005 · Dr. Franklin Mason Fellowship, 2013
- Retired Colonel, US Army Reserves, following service in the US Air Force
See more club awards, 1987–2018
Melvin Jones Fellows
- 1989John Culler
- 1990Joe Bedenbaugh
- 1991Ebby Houghton
- 1993Walter Kemp
- 1995J. Leon Corley
- 1998Norman S. Corley
- 1999Robert Lindler
- 2000Lucius Porth
- 2001Buck Harmon
- 2003Eugene C. Jackson
- 2004Robert E. Matthews
- 2005William R. Porter, Jr.
- 2006George W. Masters
- 2007Jim Satkowski
- 2008G. Ben Livingston
- 2009Jim Raymond
- 2010David Hendrick
- 2011Bobby Bowers
- 2012Larry Moody
- 2014Estes Howell
- 2015George F. Wessel
- 2016William (Bill) Barkley
- 2017Ken Minier
- 2018Joe Bedenbaugh
Lion of the Year
- 1987–88Walter Kemp
- 1988–89Jim Raymond
- 1990–91Robert Lindler
- 1991–92Bill Porter
- 1992–93Charles Thompson
- 1993–94Jim Raymond
- 1994–95Tim Chandler
- 1995–96Joe Bedenbaugh
- 1998–99Bob Matthews
- 1999–2000Ben Livingston
- 2001–02Bill Porter
- 2002–03Joe Bedenbaugh & Bill Masters
- 2003–04Jim O'Neil
- 2004–05David Hendrick
- 2005–06Greg Cupstid
- 2006–07Bobby Bowers
- 2007–08Gary Sullivan
- 2008–09Joe Bedenbaugh
- 2009–10Bill Porter
- 2010–11Hugh Ham
- 2011–12Jim O'Neil
- 2013–14Greg Cupstid
- 2014–15Ken Minier
- 2015–16Jim Satkowski
- 2016–17Roy Payton
- 2017–18Larry Moody
- 2018–19Hugh Ham
Dr. Franklin Mason Fellowship
- 2013William (Bill) Porter, Jr.
- 2014Donald L. Crewdson
- 2015William (Bill) T. Barkley
- 2016William (Bill) Mathias
- 2016Jim Satkowski
- 2017Gary Sullivan
- 2018Jim Raymond
WHERE WE'VE GATHERED
A home away from home.
The club met in members' homes for its first decade, then at the Lexington Community Center through the 1940s. Over the years, meetings have also been held at Hites Restaurant, Smokey Oaks BBQ, and Ryan's Steakhouse, before settling at today's meeting place, the Flight Deck Restaurant. Ladies Night has traveled even further afield over the decades—Embassy Suites and the Assembly Street Supper Club in Columbia, Cold Stream Country Club, Golden Hills Country Club, the Lexington Country Club, and the Flight Deck have all played host.
STORIES WORTH TELLING
Did you know?
Only five Secretaries, ever
As far as club records show, only five members have ever held the Secretary's pen: J. A. Barre, John Culler, Bill Porter, Jim Satkowski, and current secretary Bob Martin.
Serving beyond the club
Members Lucius Porth and A. J. Dooley each served in the South Carolina Legislature, while J. Leon Corley, A. J. Dooley, Walter Rawl, Ray Wingard, and Bobby Bowers all served on Lexington's District 1 School Board.
A ride when it mattered
Starting in the late 1980s, member Walter Kemp began driving people in the community to hospitals near and far—a quiet tradition of showing up for neighbors in need.
Summers on the water
Cold watermelon at Gibson's Pond, hamburger cookouts at the County Maintenance Shed, and an annual gathering at Lucius Porth's Summer Lake pond house were once fixtures of the club's summer calendar.
Four presidents, twice each
Club records show that four members have served more than one term as president. Ask a longtime member which ones—it's still a favorite piece of club trivia.
A family affair
In the 1980s and '90s, three generations of one family—Norman S., Norman E., and Norman P. Corley—belonged to the club at the same time. In 2024, Dottie, Angela, and Megan Short did the same.
Historical details on this page are drawn from materials the club shared at its 90th anniversary celebration in 2017. As with any long memory, club members note that the years may have gently rounded a detail or two along the way.
A CENTURY LATER
Still showing up.
Twenty founders started this club in 1927 to meet needs in their community. A hundred years on, that's still the job—here's what Lexington Lions accomplished together in the 2025–2026 club year.
65
Service activities
4,317
People served
291
Volunteers
901
Volunteer hours
$6,565
Funds raised
$7,070
Funds donated
Source: Lexington Lions Club 2025–2026 service activities report, Lions Clubs International.
LOOKING AHEAD
Building for tomorrow.
Our 100th anniversary arrives in 2027, and we're looking forward to celebrating it with the community that made a century of service possible. As centennial plans take shape, we'll share details here and on our Facebook page.
Want to be part of it?
Whether it's coming to a meeting, joining a project, or lending a hand at an event, there's a place for you as we head into our next century.