The officers elected as the first of the Gaston Lions Club were:
Presiden: James W Morgan
First Vice President: Russell H Lawson
Second Vice President: Charles F Myers
Third Vice President: Dr. F A Moore
Secretary: Cedric F Moore
Treasurer: Charles F Gronendyke
Lion Tamer: Merle S Markins
Tail Twister: Marl Douglas
Board of Directors: Ralph Milhollin
J K Jackson
John B Fornwald
Charles L Bryan
Other Charter members were Paul Benbow, William B Cambell, William L Gerrard, J F Kimmel, Dr. F R Langsdon, Bert Powers, Paul Powers, Edwin "Shorty" Sayre,Alden J Smith, and Paul Tudor.
During those erly years most meetings were held at the Gaston Town Hall. However, other meetings were held in various places around town, including Jackson's Cafe, Sayre's Barber Shop, the basement of the Methodist Church, Gaston High School gym, and even on Fornwald's porch.
From 1935 to 1955 the fair or festival, as it was called then, was held on the streets of Gaston. In 1953, thirteen members signed a note to purchase Rigdon Grove from Mr. and Mrs. Porter Rigdon to serve as the Lions Club Park. Three years later the fair was held at the park and since then numerous additions and changes to the park have occured to meet the growth of the community. The Gaston Lions Club Park now consists of thirty acres.
Many of the funds raised by the Lions Club in those early days came from horse and pony shows, horse pulls, and pony races. The club has held many tractor and truck pulls over the years and owns its own pulling sled. The Gaston Lions Club Fair has grown from a three-day fair to the current six-day fair. The Lions Club is famous for its Bar-B-Que chicken, which is usually cooked four times a year, twice at the fair, at Ag-Days, and at the Wes-Del Homecoming. The Lions rent the community building for parties, weddings, reunions, and other events.
The motto of the Lions Club is "WE SERVE" and the mission of the Gaston Lions Club is to serve the people of the community. Funds raised by the Lions Club are used to provide $3000 in scholarships to graduates of Wes-Del High school annually, purchase eye glasses and exams for children in need, provide Christmas baskets to about twenty families annually, contribute to the Leader Dog program to provide Seeing-Eye dogs for the sightless, contribute to research for cancer, diabetes, heart and lung disease, donate to youth and community groups, support annual 4-H livestock sale and maintain thirty-acre Lions Club Park.
The Gaston Lions Club started with twenty-two charter members in 1935 and membership has risen as high as sixty-five, standing currently at forty-three members. The 2005 Gaston Lions Club members are:
Larry Barker, Wayne Bothel, Greg Cox, Rick Dampier, Tom Dorton, Steve Dowling, Eric Ellenburg, Bill Everett, Wayne Fisher, Mitchael Harrold, Richard Harrold, Howard Harrold, Fred Herron, Don Humbert, Jeff Jackson, John Jacobs, Charles Johnson Jr, Donal Johnson, Richard E Johnson, Richard L Johnson, Carl Long, Robert Lutton Jr, Dean Marsh, Jim Mauck, Steve McColley, Robbie Parker, John Pugsley, John Pugsley Jr, Rick Reason, Gerald Richards, Jim Ritter, Bill Robertson, Don Sayre, Gary Struben, Tim Taylor, Dave VanNatter, and John Ward.