The Malad Lions Club, the oldest Lions Club in Idaho, was chartered in 1923.  On April 27, there will be an event held to celebrate this great achievement, which will have leaders and officers from surrounding clubs and the Lions International attending.  There will be further information about the event in the near future, and additional articles about what the Lions have done and provided for the community

We hope to see a large turnout for this event.

We would like to mention in this article some of the activities and projects the Lions were either responsible for or helped in getting accomplished for the City of Malad over the last hundred years.  These are just a few of the many activities done by the Club.

With the growth of the community and the smaller numbers of Club members, we felt that it was also a good time to remind and inform the public about what the Lions have provided for the citizens, who are still utilizing benefits from the efforts made by the Lions.  Many of the projects that were originally undertaken by the Lions Club are still important icons of the landscape of Malad City, which help make the city what it is today and has been for generations.

For the first few years, the Club spent its resources helping out Boy Scout Troops and their activities.  Starting in 1930, the Club began to take on major projects across town.

A selection of prominent Lions Club projects in the city:

1930  Promoted the installation of a new water system for the city

1937  Sponsored an ice-skating rink and help sponsor construction of a new county hospital

1950  The first of 27 years that the club conducted the Miss Malad Contest.  The first winner was Florence Ipsen.  The last winner was Jill Ward

1958  The club installed more modern and permanent street signs, ($3,000 activity)

1960  Fundraising started to get a swimming pool constructed in Malad

1962  Construction began on the swimming pool

1963  The swimming pool opened to the public in July

This project won the most coveted Ralph Garrett Memorial Award for developing the

Most worthy project for community betterment.

             Co-sponsored the Little League program and constructed dugouts at the field along with

Bleachers and a backstop

1967  Built public restrooms at the city park

1976  Construction of the picnic pavilion at the city park

1980  Furnished labor to build pavilion at LDS Stake Park

1982  USAF T-33 airplane installed at city park

1990  The Christy Minstrel singing group was presented by the club

Clyde Bowen’s granddaughters participated 

1992  Donated money to Senior Center to ensure the remodeling project could be completed

1994  Completed landscaping at the new Nursing Home wing

1996  Completed laying the sprinkler system for the hospital

1999  Framed and poured concrete foundation for Idaho Governor John Evans monument

2007  Assisted with two Eagle Scout Projects at Pioneer Park and Elementary School

2010  Provided labor to build the food booth at the city baseball fields

2021  Painted two buildings at the city walking park

Throughout the last few years have at times made dollar donations the Iron Door 

Playhouse and Senior Center

2022  Installed the sprinkler system in the city park (14,000 feet of pipe)

2023  Installed new seats at the Iron Door Playhouse

One of the main areas Lions have been involved with has been helping out with eyesight through the Sight Foundation, one of the largest fund raisers for this was to help the Price twins get surgery to correct their eye sight. The community stepped forward and through donations and the sight foundation, this was made possible.   We sponsor assistance with sight and hearing as part of our ongoing programs.

We collect old glasses, and if you have any and would like to donate, you can drop them off at the hospital clinic or the senior center.  The Lions Club has bought many people new glasses throughout the years.

The Lions Club for a lot of years did a noon barbeque on the July 4 as a fund raiser, 

I’m sure a lot of you still remember the great tasting meat that Foster Ipsen barbequed for this event.

The next article will be based on what the Lions Club have sponsored and or been involved in for the county.  The next article will focus on the activities the Lions Club has done to assist Malad schools.