Our History
1917 - Melvin Jones, a 38-year-old 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 1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs and countless stories of Lions acting on the same simple idea: let's improve our communities.
1920 -Just three years after our founding, Lions
became 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 addressed the Lions Clubs International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA, and challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." Since then, we have worked
tirelessly to aid the blind and visually
impaired.
To Show my faith in the worthiness of my vocation by industrious application to the end that I may merit a reputation for quality of service.
To Seek success and to demand all fair remuneration or profit as my just due, but to accept no profit or success at the price of my own self-respect lost because of unfair advantage taken or because of questionable acts on my part.
To Remember that in building up my business it is not necessary to tear down another's; to be loyal to my clients or customers and true to myself.
Whenever a doubt arises as to the right or ethics of my position or action towards others, to resolve such doubt against myself.
To Hold friendship as an end and not a means. To hold that true friendship exists not on account of the service performed by one to another, but that true friendship demands nothing but accepts service in the spirit in which it is given.
Always to bear in mind my obligations as a citizen to my nation, my state, and my community, and to give them my unswerving loyalty in word, act, and deed. To give them freely of my time, labor and means.
To Aid others by giving my sympathy to those in distress, my aid to the weak, and my substance to the needy.
To Be Careful with my criticism and liberal with my praise; to build up and not destroy.
Lions Clubs International is the World's Largest service Club Organization.
mission
To empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs.
1945 - 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 - In the late 1950s, we created the Leo Program to provide the youth of the world \ with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering. There are
approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo clubs in more than 140 countries worldwide.
1968 -Lions Clubs International Foundation assists Lions with global and large-scale local
humanitarian projects. Through our
Foundation, Lions meet the needs of their local and global communities.
Vision
To be the global leader in community and humanitarian service.
1990 - Through SightFirst, Lions are restoring sight and preventing blindness on a global scale. Launched in 1990, Lions have raised more than $346 million for this initiative. SightFirst targets the major causes of blindness:
cataract, trachoma, river blindness, childhood blindness, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
Today Lions Clubs International extends our
mission of service every day – in local communities, in all corners of the globe. The needs are great and our services broad, including sight, health, youth, elderly, the
environment and disaster relief. Our
international network has grown to include
over 200 countries and geographic areas.
2018-2019 International President
Gudrun Yngvadottir is from Iceland
We can achieve this if we focus on maximizing four important areas of Lions:
01 Moving membership forward
Each member matters. Inviting new members, and keeping current members engaged, is the best way to build the strongest service possible. In many regions, we also need to focus on inviting women to join us to reach our full potential.
02 Increasing leadership development
Every Lion is a leader. By providing members with leadership skills, and increasing leadership opportunities for women, we can help all Lions reach their potential.
03 Promoting the fellowship of Lions
Friendship is a key component of Lions. The relationships we develop are lifelong and create the ties that make our service so strong. Let’s make sure this shines through in every member’s club experience.
04 Sharing our stories
Storytelling is powerful. When we share our life-changing service stories, our communities will understand who we are and what we do. Social media and marketing can help us get our message out and invite others to join us in making a difference. We can reach a new world of service that lies beyond the horizon.
To Organize, charter and supervise service clubs to be known as Lions clubs.
To Coordinate the activities and standardize the administration of Lions clubs.
To Create and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world.
To Promote the principles of good government and good citizenship.
To Take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of the community.
To Unite the clubs in the bonds of friendship, good fellowship and mutual understanding.
To Provide a forum for the open discussion of all matters of public interest; provided, however, that partisan politics and sectarian religion shall not be debated by club members.
To Encourage service-minded people to serve their community without personal financial reward, and to encourage efficiency and promote high ethical standards in commerce, industry, professions, public works and private endeavors.
Burke Lions Club @ 2015
Stay Connected