White Cane metric stick introduced at Lions Club

( This article has been reprinted from the Village Vista of Nov. 19, 1975.)

The “White Can Metric Stick”, a stick with conversion tables from the current American system to the metric system, was introduced by its originator, J. Fred Smith of Bella Vista, at the Bentonville-Bella Vista Lions Club dinner meeting on November 5 at the Hill n’ Dale Restaurant in Bella Vista.

Several special guests attended the meeting, including Lions International Director Dr. Jim Fowler.

Smith, a member of the local Lions club, came up with the metric stick idea at the recent Lions International convention in Dallas, TX. The stick is white signifying the Lions sight conservation program. The blue on the stick shows the current American system and the red shows the metric system. The stick has conversion tables for length, distance, weight, liquids and temperature.

The sticks went on sale in the Bentonville-Bella Vista area November 7 at local banks and businesses. It sells for $1.

Each Lions Club that undertakes the selling of the sticks must place one stick in each classroom of their local school as a service program….Money raised from the sale of the stick will go to the Lions Kidney Bank, Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind, and the local Lions Clubs.

International Director Fowler said he was pleased to be at the introduction of the Lions project, especially since it came from Arkansas. He said there are 1.1 million members in 147 countries, and the metric stick will be available for all clubs to sell.

Courtesy Bella Vista Historical Museum The caption with this picture from the November 19, 1975 Village Vista reads, “The first white cane metric stick presented to a school was presented in the third grade of the Thomas Jefferson School in Bentonville. Shown left to right are: James Beckloff, principal, Cecil Boothe, assistant principal, Marvin Higginbottom, superintendent of schools, Dick Molter, Lions Club president, Mrs. Clyde Crow, third grade teacher, Sheila Ginn and Holly Richardson, third grade students, and J. Fred Smith, originator of the stick.

Xyta Lucas/Special to Weekly Vista Cecil Boothe (mask removed for photo) was one of the first visitors to the Bella Vista Historical Museum when it re-opened on Oct. 31, and he decided to look through the old Vistas on display at the museum, finding the group picture which included him in the 1975 issue. He and his family moved to Northwest Arkansas in 1975, then eventually his career took him to Conway, Arkansas. They have been back in this area and residents of Bella Vista since 2005. He is now retired and enjoying lots of fishing.