Motto: We Serve
Slogan: Liberty,Intelligence,Our Nation's Safety
Colors: Purple and Gold
History of the Lion Clubs International.
In 1917 a Chicago insurance agent, Melvin Jones convinced his Business Circle of Chicago to ally itself with other independent clubs to form a national organization to improve the community as a whole. Twenty-two clubs from nine states met in Dallas,Texas three months later and formed the Lions Clubs Association. One of the groups invited was the Association of Lions Clubs, headquartered in Evansville, Indiana and led by Dr. W.P. Woods. Dr. Woods was elected as the first president of the newly formed national Lions Clubs Association. Constitutions, by-laws and colors were adopted. A beginning was made on the Lions Clubs Objects and a code of Ethics; both of which encouraged members to put service ahead of profit, and to uphold the highest standards of conduct in business and the professions. The association became International in 1920 with the formation of a club in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Today, clubs exist all over the globe. In countries previously closed to voluntary action until very recently, some 100 clubs are demonstrating the value of service to the community.
OBJECTS AND ETHICS OF THE LION CLUB INTERNATIONAL
Service Activites of the Lion Clubs
SightFirst: Lions Conquering Blindness
Lions Youth Outreach: Changing Tomorrow Today
Lions Drug Awareness Program
Sight Conservation
Work with the Blind
Hearing and Speech Action
Work with the Deaf
Environmental Services
Youth Exchange
Lion Clubs International Fund ( L.C.I.F. )
International Exchange
Cancer Control
Beginning in 1917
In 1917, a Chicago business leader asked a simple and world-changing question – what if people put their talents to work improving their communities? Almost 100 years later, Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization, with 1.3 million members and countless stories of Lions acting on the same simple idea: let's improve our communities.
That business leader was Melvin Jones. He convened an organizational meeting of clubs that formed Lions Clubs International on June 7, 1917, in Chicago. Later that year, Lions held the first national convention in Dallas and created a constitution, by-laws, objects and a code of ethics.
1920: Going International
Just three years later, Lions went international when we established the first club in Canada. Mexico followed in 1927. In the 1950s and 1960s international growth accelerated, with new clubs in Europe, Asia and Africa.
1925: Helen Keller and the "Crusade Against Darkness"
One of our earliest and most influential causes has been eradicating blindness. That began in 1925, when Helen Keller addressed the Lions Clubs International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA. She challenged us to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." Since then, we have worked tirelessly to fulfill her charge to aid the blind and visually impaired.
1945: Uniting Nations
The ideal of an international organization is exemplified by our enduring relationship with the United Nations. We were one of the first nongovernmental organizations invited to assist in the drafting of the United Nations Charter and have supported the work of the UN ever since.
1957: Establishing Youth Programs
In the late 1950s, we created the Leo Program to provide the youth of the world an opportunity for personal development and contribution. There are now more than 5,500 Leo clubs in more than 130 countries, with more than 140,000 Leos worldwide.
1990: SightFirst
In 1990, we launched our most aggressive sight preservation effort, SightFirst. This US$215 million program aims to rid the world of preventable and reversible blindness by supporting desperately needed health care services. In 2008, Lions completed Campaign SightFirst II, which raised more than US$200 million to expand the program.
Today: Local and Global Service
Lions Clubs International grows stronger and extends our mission of service every day – in local communities, in all corners of the globe. In 2002, we were the first international service club to be granted permission to organize and operate clubs in mainland China. And in 2007, a Lions club was formed in Iraq. These clubs join an international network that has grown to include 45,000 clubs located in more than 200 countries across the globe.
Send mail to info@muskegolions.com
with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified:
11/25/11