Lions Park is located at 5757 Irishtown Road in Bethel Park and consists of a Pavilion
capable of seating 130 guests.
The Pavilion has an equipped kitchen with gas stove, oven refrigerator and freezer.
Modern restrooms and a fireplace for those cool evenings.
The park is made available to local organizations for Weddings, Graduation parties, Picnics and other activities. A donation is required to cover costs of maintenance, utilities and cleanup.
The Bethel Park Baseball association has the use of the ball field from April through June.
Field is available by Noon on Saturday.
Our Lions Club has several Fund Raisers held at the Park. In May and September we have a Fish Fry, which is supported by the friendly people of Bethel Park, and surrounding communities.
Donation for the pavilion for 2012 is $300. for a Saturday, Sunday or Holidays, Fridays $200. and Weekdays $150. (other than Fridays or Holidays.)
2013 Park Rental: $325 – Sat, Sun, Holidays; $225 Fridays; $165 weekdays (other than Fridays and Holidays)
Picnic hours are 10:00 AM to 10:00PM
To request information and to make park reservations, please leave your name & phone number at Lions Park 412-835-9672 or Reservation Chairperson Lions Dave Ritchie at 412-854-4856 or by EMail at dlrichiepainting@gmail.com. Reservations for 2013 are available starting January 1, 2012
Please scroll down for park reservation calendar
Our Club meets on the first & third Tuesdays at 6:45 p.m. Meeting place October – May is at Delallo’s Restaurant on Fort Couch Rd. and June – September at our Lions’ Park located on Irishtown Road.
To become a member of a Lions Club you must be of legal majority, of good moral character and have a good reputation in the community; be recommended by a current Lion; be willing to attend meetings regularly and agree to help at fundraisers when possible. If you are interested in SERVING your community then LIONS is your club. For more information contact us by sending us your name, address and phone number by EMAIL and a Lion will contact you.
BETHEL PARK LIONS CLUB was originally organized as the Lions Club of Bethel Township on December 9, 1942, and the Charter was presented by District Governor Dr. Earl G. Bauman on February 9, 1943. Allen R. Reid was Charter President and Victor S. Pearson was charter Secretary. Following is an excerpt from the minutes of the first regular Club meeting held on December 8, 1942 at Lacher’s Restaurant:
“Those in attendance decided to organize a local Lions Club after hearing remarks by E. G. Moyer (International Representative), Dr. Arthur S. Haines (International Director), and Dr. Earl G. Bauman (District Governor), and a number of members from the Wilkinsburg and McKeesport Lions Clubs. They decided to have forty Charter Members in the Club. They decided to meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Officers were elected for the Club, and a number of committees were appointed.”
The Charter Presentation was held at Library Baptist Church on February 9, 1943, and the following is from the minutes:
“The banquet was a big success. We were visited by two O. P. A. agents whose names will not appear on the guest register as they did not enter the Church, but they did take our car license numbers. Lion Grogan of the Wilkinsburg Lions Club rendered a novel selection on the piano by playing Yankee Doodle with his left hand, Dixie with his right hand, Mary had a Little Lamb with his thumbs, and sang ‘Way Down Upon the Suwanee river, all at the same time! Miss McNary’s solos were well received. It would have been hard to improve on the meal.”
Subsequent minutes show that the trouble with the O. P. A. was finally resolved, and Lion Shanahan at the March 9th meeting “suggested that we get started on something constructive.” This suggestion has certainly been carried out during the past years, from Victory Gardens and War Loan Promotions to help for the deaf and blind, to Bethel Lions Park. In 1953, largely through the efforts of Lion Lawrence A. Layton, the Club received a charter as a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation called The Lions Club of Bethel Borough. In 1964 the name was officially changed to Bethel Park Lions Club.
Quite a few Bethel Park Lions have served the District, including the Charter President, Lion Allan R. Reid, who was Zone Chairman; Edward T. Colteryahn, Deputy District Governor; Ronald G. Bugos, Deputy District Governor; Joseph Williams, Zone Chairman; Charles M. Keeling, Zone Chairman and Malcolm F. Lovejoy, District Governor 1958-59; Carl L. Batistone, District Governor 1989-90 and PA Lions State Council Chair 1990-91 and as International Director 1998-2000; Dr. Jay R. Wells III, District Governor 2007-08 and PA Lions State Council Chair 2008-09.
High point of the Club’s membership was April of 1954 when the Club had 147 members. Presently our club has 60 members.
| 1942-43 | Allen Reid * | 1977-78 | Simon D. Dodson * | |
| 1943-44 | James J. Shaw + | 1978-79 | Joseph C. Clark * | |
| 1944-45 | P. S. Edwards + | 1979-80 | William E. Fox + | |
| 1945-46 | Merle D. Long + | 1980-81 | T. Blake Parker * | |
| 1946-47 | E. T. Colteryahn + | 1981-82 | David Livingston + | |
| 1947-48 | Albert M. Roeser + | 1982-83 | James R. Willison | |
| 1948-49 | James C. Simmons | 1983-84 | Reno Virgili | |
| 1949-50 | W. Howard Young + | 1984-85 | Joseph A. Bayto * | |
| 1950-51 | Malcolm F. Lovejoy PDG + | 1986-87 | Carl L. Battistone PID | |
| 1951-52 | Walter E. Adlard * | 1987-88 | Robert G. Friend PDG | |
| 1952-53 | Frank J. Graham + | 1988-89 | Dr. P. G. Lorincy * | |
| 1953-54 | Milton E. Hamel + | 1988-89 | Harry L. Vilsack | |
| 1954-55 | William A. Tissue + | 1989-90 | Louis J. Cain * | |
| 1955-56 | Dr. J. S. Schnabel + | 1990-91 | Raymond A. Friend + | |
| 1956-57 | Lawrence A. Layton * | 1992-93 | Dr. Jay R. Wells III, PCC | |
| 1957-58 | William C. Yount * | 1992-93 | James J. Flinn, Jr. | |
| 1958-59 | James E. Hindes + | 1993-94 | Dr. J. M. Wehner | |
| 1959-60 | Joseph J. George + | 1994-95 | John P. McCrorey + | |
| 1960-61 | Halsey E. Harmon * | 1995-96 | Robert S. Ridge + | |
| 1961-62 | Wesley E. Kerlin + | 1996-97 | Jim Manion | |
| 1962-63 | Frank J. Baker + | 1997-98 | Pete Agnew * | |
| 1963-64 | Ollie S. Gee + | 1998-99 | Patricia A. Friend + | |
| 1964-65 | John S. McCabe + | 1999-00 | Robert G. Friend PDG | |
| 1965-66 | Ray H. Karper + | 2000-01 | Charles R. Diehm | |
| 1966-67 | William L. Schnabel + | 2001-02 | Reno Virgili | |
| 1967-68 | Francis A. Imber + | 2002-03 | James P. Hannan | |
| 1968-69 | Ronald G. Bugos # | 2003-04 | John Andrejko | |
| 1969-70 | Richard H. Hauser * | 2004-05 | James Willison | |
| 1970-71 | W. G. Weissgerber * | 2005-06 | Robert McKnight | |
| 1971-72 | D. C. Hutchinson * | 2006-07 | Robert Pflueger | |
| 1972-73 | John M. Coffey * | 2007-08 | Susan Fornadel | |
| 1973-74 | L. Ronald Lewis # | 2008-09 | James Drew | |
| 1974-75 | Charles M. Keeling * | 2009-10 | Jack Boyle | |
| 1975-76 | George Perich, Jr + | 2010-11 | Nancy Wells | |
| 1976-77 | William C. Baker * |
* = Charter Member + = Deceased # = Transfer
| We honor these LIONS, who after many years of service, have passed on to their final rest. May their many good works never be forgotten, and their memory be kept by the memorial Trees in their honor at Bethel Lions Park. |
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| The following persons have been signally honored by being named Melvin Jones Fellows. This has been accomplished either through action by the Board of Directors in making a contribution to the Lions Clubs International Foundation (L.C.I.F.), or by similar action by individuals. It is the hope of the members of the Club that one or more Melvin Jones Fellows can be added to this list each year. | ||||
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| 1985 | Malcom F. Lovejoy, PDG + | 1994 | Patricia A. Friend + | |
| 1987 | William E. Fox, PDG + | 1994 | Robert G. Friend, PDG | |
| 1988 | Ray F. Klinzing + Charter Member | 1995 | Frank M. Hootman + | |
| 1989 | Scott Albert Marlowe | 1995 | Paul L. Henney | |
| 1990 | Carl L. Battistone, PCC, PID | 1995 | Fred Armen + | |
| 1990 | L. McClure Lanning + | 1995 | Cliff Morton | |
| 1991 | Thomas A. Davies + | 1996 | John L. Weber Jr. + | |
| 1991 | Oliver S. Gee + | 1996 | Dr. John S. Schnabel + | |
| 1992 | Alvin F. Smith + | 1997 | Ruth Battistone | |
| 1993 | Raymond A. Friend + | 1998 | Arline L. Fox | |
| 1993 | Edward M. Case + | 2000 | Harry Martin | |
| 1994 | Mildred Smith | 2002 | Bernie Hubert | |
| 1994 | John A. Kilger + | 2006 | Roy W. Smith * | |
| 1994 | David Livingston + | 2006 | Domenick Battistone, Jr. | |