What are we going to do about the children?
In September 1948, at the first director’s meeting, three Lion district governors held a planning meeting to address questions such as: “How can we unite the Lions of Texas to support a project that is not located in their district? How will we find 100 children per session to attend the camp? Will parents let their children stay away from home so that they can attend camp?” Despite opposition, these dreamers pursued their goal with optimism. In the spring of 1949, the Texas Lions Camp was born at a Council of Governor’s meeting in Brownsville. With only six of the eight Texas governors in attendance, all six signatures were needed on the charter to have a two-thirds majority vote. The dream finally became a reality when all six men signed:
- W.R. Rutherford of Dumas
- Schley Riley of Big Spring
- Jack Wiech of Brownsville
- Pat Jackson of Nacogdoches
- Reagan Smith of Conroe, and
- Virgil Minear of Hallettsville
The Camp’s Charter was filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and approved as a tax exempt corporation on April 4, 1949. At the Lions International Convention held in New York that July, the international directors approved the camp project, and granted permission for the League to use the name “Lions” in connection with the Camp.
In the fall of 1950, the land had been secured, but a provision in the deed stated that $100,000 earmarked for the construction of facilities on the site must be raised within six months. In August 1950, the League’s treasury showed a balance of$76,631.57. The League directors decided a face to face campaign at individual clubs might sell more Lions on the Camp. The first club to hear the story was the Downtown Dallas Lions Club in the “birth city of Texas Lionism.” Jack Wiech, now president of the League, described the proposed camp in detail at this meeting on October 14, 1950. He pointed out, “that a child is handicapped through no fault of his own, and every child has the right to a happy childhood.” He told them that hundreds of youngsters with disabilities would benefit from such a camp.
Even with success in Dallas, the deadline for the needed $100,000 neared and the campaign was more than $20,000 short of the goal. The camp’s future looked grim when, at the last minute, District Governor Sealie McCreless came to the rescue and “loaned” the League the required $20,000. The check from McCreless was never cashed and is still on display at the Texas Lions Camp today. The deed to the 504 acre tract was delivered and the formal ground-breaking ceremony took place on September 28, 1950. On the same day, the construction of the first two bunkhouses began. The year 1951 was devoted to building bunkhouses and planning camp operations. By the fall of 1952, the League had finished the kitchen.