MONROE - They sang, they danced, they told jokes - they even sold light bulbs - all in the name of community service for the Lions Club of Monroe.
Today, Archie Myers, 93, and Bill Gyure, 92, are a little less nimble, but they're still telling jokes with a smile, a wink and a nod, and gather with their coffee group every morning at the Swiss Alps restaurant.
Myers, born and raised in Juda, and Gyure, born and raised in Chicago, met 63 years ago, as two of the 74 original charter members of the Monroe Lions Club when it re-launched on June 16, 1951. A previous Lions Club in Monroe had disbanded during WWII, Myers noted. The club has about 100 members today.
"It seemed like the thing to do, when they asked us," he said.
And it seemed to be geared toward the young men of the day, he added.
Lions Clubs International is a secular service organization founded by Melvin Jones in 1917.
"In Chicago," Gyure quickly pointed out.
Its mission was - and still is - to empower volunteers to serve and support their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs.
"Helen Keller born deaf and blind, after her fame, approached the Lions making eye testing and care as one of their premier programs," Myers said.
The organization also supports the Leader Dog program, supplies glasses for children and provides scholarships.
To start their new club, New Glarus Lions sponsored them, and Shafeek Mansour, a Lions International fieldman from Chicago who organized the local territory, came up to help. The Monroe club eventually sponsored a club in Argyle and Brodhead, he added.
And Myers was elected as the club's first president.
Lions' meetings in the 1950s and 1960s were not like they are today, Gyure and Myers said.
"We had a song leader," Myers said, "but they no longer sing."
The members belted out refrains from popular songs, such as "Home on the Range" and "My County "Tis of Thee."
They met in several locations around the city - mostly supper clubs, preferably with a bar.
"The bar was important," Gyure said, and grinned. "We serve - that was our motto."
Pride in the organization is still well-ingrained in the men.
"Know what LIONS stands for?" Myers asked, and Gyure joined in, "Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation's Safety."
Myers and Gyure recalled going from house to house selling light bulbs to raise money for the club's projects and programs. They disputed the reason the light bulb fundraiser was discontinued; it may have been the cheaper supply available for sale at local department stores. But they both agree that they sold a lot of light bulbs.
"... until Naomi and Pat Bernard decided they needed help building a band shelter," Myers said. "Pat Barnard was a civics teacher and band instructor."
Gyure nodded. "...Yep, needed a band shelter."
So the Lions' first big fundraisier project was for the band shell.
Great names in entertainment, such as Jack Benny and Rubinoff and His Magic Violin, were brought in for Lions fundraiser shows. The club members went into minstrel acting, eventually doing six shows in a week for each program.
The Monroe Evening Times on October 21, 1953, reported the Monroe Park Band and the Lions Club were sponsoring a "Madcap Minstrel" in November to supply extra fund for a city band shell, "in which musical and other programs of civic interest may be presented."
According to the article, "The Lions Club began the drive with the appearance of the famed violinist, Rubinoff, last spring and supplemented it with a part of the proceeds from a stand at the Green County Fair.
"Mrs. Allan F. Barnard has written the script for the minstrel show and Charles Figi has been named interlocutor."
Archie Myers Jr. was listed among those acting as "end men." He named Gyure, Don Ripp, Dr. Bob Smith, Charles Mathis, Duke Etter, Forrest Kubly and Paul Urban as others who performed with him. "End men" exchanged jokes and performed solos, and the interlocutor was the straight man.
"More than 700 persons packed the high school auditorium" on Nov. 10, 1953, to see the show, and Mrs. Barnard said $700 probably would be added to the band shell fund, according to news reports at the time.
All the talent was local and donated.
The band shell, erected in Twining Park, was destroyed, a $21,000 loss, in the Palm Sunday tornado in 1965. The Janesville Daily Gazette reported that amount was higher than the $18,000 it was insured for under Wisconsin Insurance Fund, who carried the insurance on city property.
The band shell has since been rebuilt.
Myers and Gyure say they are too old now to help the Lions Club in their activities, but they are still proud to be Lions and of the work that has continued since they first sold light bulbs.
They encourage everyone to buy a pork sandwich. Monroe Lions Club has a food trailer from which members sell their club's notable pork sandwiches and other food at a multitude of local events.
The stand was strategically located "right next to the beer stand" at the Green County Fair. "Can't go wrong with a pork sandwich and a glass of beer," Gyure said.
Today, Archie Myers, 93, and Bill Gyure, 92, are a little less nimble, but they're still telling jokes with a smile, a wink and a nod, and gather with their coffee group every morning at the Swiss Alps restaurant.
Myers, born and raised in Juda, and Gyure, born and raised in Chicago, met 63 years ago, as two of the 74 original charter members of the Monroe Lions Club when it re-launched on June 16, 1951. A previous Lions Club in Monroe had disbanded during WWII, Myers noted. The club has about 100 members today.
"It seemed like the thing to do, when they asked us," he said.
And it seemed to be geared toward the young men of the day, he added.
Lions Clubs International is a secular service organization founded by Melvin Jones in 1917.
"In Chicago," Gyure quickly pointed out.
Its mission was - and still is - to empower volunteers to serve and support their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs.
"Helen Keller born deaf and blind, after her fame, approached the Lions making eye testing and care as one of their premier programs," Myers said.
The organization also supports the Leader Dog program, supplies glasses for children and provides scholarships.
To start their new club, New Glarus Lions sponsored them, and Shafeek Mansour, a Lions International fieldman from Chicago who organized the local territory, came up to help. The Monroe club eventually sponsored a club in Argyle and Brodhead, he added.
And Myers was elected as the club's first president.
Lions' meetings in the 1950s and 1960s were not like they are today, Gyure and Myers said.
"We had a song leader," Myers said, "but they no longer sing."
The members belted out refrains from popular songs, such as "Home on the Range" and "My County "Tis of Thee."
They met in several locations around the city - mostly supper clubs, preferably with a bar.
"The bar was important," Gyure said, and grinned. "We serve - that was our motto."
Pride in the organization is still well-ingrained in the men.
"Know what LIONS stands for?" Myers asked, and Gyure joined in, "Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation's Safety."
Myers and Gyure recalled going from house to house selling light bulbs to raise money for the club's projects and programs. They disputed the reason the light bulb fundraiser was discontinued; it may have been the cheaper supply available for sale at local department stores. But they both agree that they sold a lot of light bulbs.
"... until Naomi and Pat Bernard decided they needed help building a band shelter," Myers said. "Pat Barnard was a civics teacher and band instructor."
Gyure nodded. "...Yep, needed a band shelter."
So the Lions' first big fundraisier project was for the band shell.
Great names in entertainment, such as Jack Benny and Rubinoff and His Magic Violin, were brought in for Lions fundraiser shows. The club members went into minstrel acting, eventually doing six shows in a week for each program.
The Monroe Evening Times on October 21, 1953, reported the Monroe Park Band and the Lions Club were sponsoring a "Madcap Minstrel" in November to supply extra fund for a city band shell, "in which musical and other programs of civic interest may be presented."
According to the article, "The Lions Club began the drive with the appearance of the famed violinist, Rubinoff, last spring and supplemented it with a part of the proceeds from a stand at the Green County Fair.
"Mrs. Allan F. Barnard has written the script for the minstrel show and Charles Figi has been named interlocutor."
Archie Myers Jr. was listed among those acting as "end men." He named Gyure, Don Ripp, Dr. Bob Smith, Charles Mathis, Duke Etter, Forrest Kubly and Paul Urban as others who performed with him. "End men" exchanged jokes and performed solos, and the interlocutor was the straight man.
"More than 700 persons packed the high school auditorium" on Nov. 10, 1953, to see the show, and Mrs. Barnard said $700 probably would be added to the band shell fund, according to news reports at the time.
All the talent was local and donated.
The band shell, erected in Twining Park, was destroyed, a $21,000 loss, in the Palm Sunday tornado in 1965. The Janesville Daily Gazette reported that amount was higher than the $18,000 it was insured for under Wisconsin Insurance Fund, who carried the insurance on city property.
The band shell has since been rebuilt.
Myers and Gyure say they are too old now to help the Lions Club in their activities, but they are still proud to be Lions and of the work that has continued since they first sold light bulbs.
They encourage everyone to buy a pork sandwich. Monroe Lions Club has a food trailer from which members sell their club's notable pork sandwiches and other food at a multitude of local events.
The stand was strategically located "right next to the beer stand" at the Green County Fair. "Can't go wrong with a pork sandwich and a glass of beer," Gyure said.