Page 110 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote and Some Stuff I Didn't (2011) H. Morris Williams

August. 7, 2003
OLD TIGERS FADE AWAY

After 20 years of great fun, fellowship, and general tomfoolery, the 'Old
Tigers Club' held its final meeting last Wednesday, at Ryan's restaurant.

Attending the final meeting were Hugh Wilson, T.A. Hackney, Gerald Witt,
Bill Campbell, W.C. Keaton, Doug Epperson, Jim Pittman, and Captain Biddy
Crawford. Most were athletes under legendary CHS coach Hobe Hooser
(1932-41). in fact, some called the club 'The Hooser Boys'.

The final meeting was rousing good fun with the usual kidding, joke telling
and medical reports.

These guys have been friends for more than 60 years.
They went through the Great Depression and World War II together. They are
part of the 'Greatest Generation.' They helped build our town and our
country.

Two great speakers helped make the final meeting lively and enjoyable.
Shayne Morgan (CHS 1991), who has done so much to compile CHS football
scores back to 1911, told of the honor he felt in speaking to the men who
started CHS's great winning tradition.

Larry Douglas (CHS 1954) told hilarious stories of what it was like being a
kid accompanying his father, George, as he did the first CHS football
radiocasts.

Larry also recalled when W.C. Keaton gave him his first
childhood job repairing bicycles and paid him the going rate of 25 cents per
hour.

The old Tigers Club began in the early 1980's. They organized to plan the
highly successful reunion of the eleven CHS football teams Coach Hooser had
in Lake City. More than 400 people attended from all across America and it
was the social event of the year in the county.

After the marvelous reunion, the local players decided they wanted to form
a club and meet every three months to continue their fellowship. They
discussed a club name, got 8 suggestions, couldn't remember any of them,
and started calling themselves the 'Old Tigers Club'. The name stuck for
20 years.

The club was immediately successful. The meetings had overflow attendance
and everybody always had a great time. Over the years, the club met at Lake
City Country Club, Wayside Restaurant, Beef O'Brady's, The Gathering Place,
and Ryan's Restaurant.

Many came from out of town to attend. Buddy Camp, from Jasper; Jack Davis
from Live oak; Judge Wallace Jopling, Earl Bedenbaugh, Ben Kinard, Fred
Rozelle, and Gertrude Hooser from Gainesville; Mack Adams, Foster Milton,
and Homer Boyette from Jacksonville; Robbins Woodell from Perry; and Lynwood
Cumbie from Tallahassee.

104
www.LakeCityHistory.com LCH-UUID: 644B81FB-81A1-47B2-8D77-49DC2A1A0BE8