Lions District 2-A1, the A-1 District!

1959-1960  In 1959, District 2-A1 was created out of the original Texas 2-A which contained 58 Texas counties and covering 70,806 square miles. Districts 2-A2 and 2-A3 were created at the same time. The original District 2-A started on the Gulf Coast where District "S" left off and ran southward to the tip of Texas at Brownsville, the farthest south that Lionism extended in the USA. Then, the district boundary followed the Rio Grande westward for about one-half of the Texas-Mexico border. It contained one Founders' Club ---San Antonio. When 2-A1 was created, it had 54 clubs and 2800 members.

The first Mid-Winter Conference was held at the San Angelo Country Club. The first District 2-A1 Convention was held in Colorado City for the purpose of electing a District 2-A1 Governor, and to organize the District, which was the 3rd largest in size in the state. Lion J.W. Jones, of San Angelo, was elected as the first District Governor of 2-A1.

Governor J.W. Jones was able to add one new club that year, making a total of 55 clubs. The new club, the first to be organized in District 2-A1, was the Angelo Southside Lions Club, sponsored by the East Angelo Lions Club. The second District Convention was held in Brownwood in the Spring of 1960 with an attendance of 350 members. Lion Cecil Bridges, of Stanton, was elected the second Governor of District 2-A1. The first Queen Contest was held at this Convention.

1960-1961 Lion Cecil Bridges, of Stanton, was elected the second Governor of District 2-A1 at the 2nd District Convention held in Brownwood in the Spring of 1960. Lion David M. "Doc" Ellis was appointed as Cabinet Secretary.

In July 1960, the District sent its first delegate to the International Convention held in Chicago, Illinois. The District now contained 55 clubs with 2803 members. During the year 5 new clubs were chartered --- Kingsland, Buchanan Dam, May, Sonora Westside, and Ozona Southside for a total of 60 clubs. Total membership grew from 2803 to 3013, a net growth of 210 members. Lions Roy Minear and Frank Partridge represented the district as Directors of the Texas Lions Camp for Crippled Children in Kerrville, Texas.

1961-1962  In the Spring of 1961, the District Convention was held in Big Spring, Texas. Lion J.T. Jones, of Goldthwaite, was elected the District's 3rd Governor. Lion Harold Yarbrough was appointed as Cabinet Secretary.

During the year, membership grew to over 3200. One new club was created for a total of 61 clubs. Three clubs earned the District's first Melvin Jones Awards. One of those was Goldthwaite. The other two clubs names were not recorded by the Historian for that year. The Mid-Winter Conference was held in Ballinger for the second successive year. Roy A. Minear was District Director of the Texas Lions Camp. The Goldthwaite Club donated an electric auto for inner-camp travel.

San Angelo hosted the District Convention in the Spring of 1962 with a record attendance of 415. Lion David Evans of District 2-A2 was supported by our district in his race for International Director.

1962-1963  At the San Angelo Convention, David "Doc" M. Ellis, of Midland, was elected as the District's 4th Governor. The Cabinet Secretary for the year was Lion Robert H. Pine of Midland. Governor Ellis received an outstanding award from Lions International for bringing 200 members into Lionism.

The Brady Club was the host Club for the Mid-Winter Conference. The District Convention was held in Midland, the hometown of Governor Ellis. In attendance were 325 Lions who elected Louis D. Carothers as the District Governor for the year 1963-64.

1963-1964  The 1963 District Convention was held in Midland, the hometown of District Governor Ellis. Louis D. Carothers was elected as the District's 5th Governor. During the year, the District suffered a loss of over 100 members of which 25% were attributed to deaths. One Club canceled its charter. The District 2-A1 Convention was held in Brownwood on May 1-2, 1964. Lion Everett J. Grindstaff was elected as the 6th District 2-A1. Governor Carothers received the 100% District Governor's Award. Following this honor, he was named and given the title of International Counselor.

1964-1965  The election of District Governor Everett "Ebb" Grindstaff, the District's 6th Governor, became a first in Lions International since his father, E.C. Grindstaff, had also served as the District Governor of District 2A; thus making the first father and son District Governor's in the same District. Lion Price Middleton of Ballinger served as the Cabinet Secretary.

Three inactive clubs: May, Blanket and Richland Springs, were dropped. Governor Grindstaff started the year with 2590 members and ended with 2614, a net gain of 24 members. This was a great accomplishment considering the dropping of 3 inactive clubs. Brownwood Downtown, Roscoe, East Angelo and Coahoma received Melvin Jones Founders Awards.

The District Convention was held in Sweetwater in the spring of 1965. Attendance was 290. Lion George M. Thompson was elected as the District 2-A1 Governor for the year 1965-66.

1965-1966  Lion George M. Thompson, a member of the Sweetwater Lions Club, was appropriately elected the District's 7th Governor in his home city of Sweetwater, which hosted the 1965 District Convention.

Four new clubs were added during Governor Thompson's administration: Sweetwater Evening, Bronte Evening, Eldorado Eastside and Menard. At the end of his term, there was an increase from 57 clubs to 61 and membership grew to 2868, a net gain of 254 members. Seven clubs received the Melvin Jones Award--- Sweetwater Downtown, San Angelo Westside, San Saba, Brady and Coahoma. District 2-A1 also won the Melvin Jones Award. The Goldthwaite Club won the International President's Banner for 5th place in world membership gain which was 44 new members.

Governor Thompson won many awards during his term: the International Merit Award, the International President's Certificate, the 100% Governor's Award and the Extension Award.

David A. Evans was elected 3rd Vice President of Lions International. The District Convention was held in San Angelo, Texas with an attendance of 482. This was the largest attendance on record for a District 2-A1 Convention. Lion Harvey J. Palmer was elected District Governor for the year 1966-67.

1966-1967  Lion Harvey J. Palmer of San Angelo was elected as the 8th District 2-A1 Governor.

During Governor Palmer's regime, a new club, the San Angelo Sundown Lions Clubs of Carlsbad, was chartered. Eight Clubs received the Melvin Jones Award--- East Angelo, Sundown, Junction, Midland Morning, Bronte Evening, Robert Lee-Silver, Midland Downtown and Goldthwaite. Midland Downtown won third place in membership in Lions International with an increase of 102 members. For the second consecutive year, District 2-A1 won the Melvin Jones Award. The year ended with 3059 members.

The District Convention was held in Midland, Texas. Lion J. Marvin Allen, of San Angelo, was elected for 1967-68 as the District Governor for the year 1967-68.

1967-1968  Lion J. Marvin Allen, of the San Angelo Downtown Lions Club, was elected as the District 2-A1's 9th District Governor. Serving as the District Cabinet Secretary was Lion Elmer Hurley of Bronte.

The year's term began with 63 clubs and 2979 members. Two new clubs were chartered--- Colorado City Evening and Coleman Evening. Twenty-seven clubs qualified for the Melvin Jones Award. The Midland Westside club had the largest membership percentage gain in the state. Lion David Evans became a candidate for President of Lions International. The year ended with a membership of 3380 and 65 clubs, which earned the Melvin Jones Award for the third successive year.

The District Convention was held in Brownwood. Lion Conner O. Scott was elected District Governor for the coming year 1968-69.

1968-1969  Lion Conner O. Scott, from Brownwood, was elected as the District's 10th Governor for the coming years 1968-69. Lion Roy Fisher was appointed as Cabinet Secretary.

The Texas State Council of Governors meeting was held in San Angelo. District membership dropped from 3380 to 3100 at the close of the year. However, two new clubs were chartered--- Hill Country of Junction and Sand Springs. One club, the Blackwell Lions was placed on status quo and the District finished the year with 66 clubs, a net gain of two.

The District Convention was held in Big Spring. Lion A.E. Prugel was elected District Governor for the 1969-1970 years. Lion David A. Evans was installed as President of Lions International at the International Convention in Tokyo, Japan.