(Franklin Area Lions Club thanks Vice District Governor 44N Tom Geno for sharing this with us.)                                               

LIONS HISTORY

IN 1917, MELVIN JONES, A BUSINESSMAN, BELONGED TO A CLUB NAMED THE BUSINESS CIRCLE OF CHICAGO. HE FELT STRONGLY THAT “YOU CAN’T GET VERY FAR UNTIL YOU START DOING SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE ELSE” AND AS A RESULT HE BELIEVED THAT LOCAL BUSINESS CLUBS SHOULD EXPAND FROM PURELY  PROFESSIONAL CONCERNS TO FOCUS ON WORKING FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.  HE CONTACTED MEMBERS OF SIMILAR INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATIONS AND INVITED THEM TO A MEETING. MOST AGREED TO MERGE AS ONE ASSOCIATION OF CLUBS, AND TOOK THE NAME OF THE LARGEST GROUP. THE INDIANA BASED ASSOCIATION OF LIONS CLUBS.

THE FIRST CONVENTION WAS HELD IN OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR IN DALLAS TEXAS.  DR W.P. WOODS ELECTED THE FIRST PRESIDENT AND MELVIN JONES WAS ELECTED SECRETARY.

IN 1920 THE 1^ST CLUB CHARTERED IN WINDSOR, ONTARIO CANADA. TODAY THERE ARE OVER 1.35 MILLION MEMBERS IN 46,000CLUBS IN OVER 200 COUNTRIES AND GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS.

IN 1925, HELEN KELLER ADDRESSED THE LIONS AT THEIR INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION IN OHIO. SHE CHALLENGED THE LIONS TO BECOME “KNIGHTS OF THE BLIND IN THE CRUSADE AGAINST DARKNESS.” EYESIGHT REMAINS TODAY, THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF LIONS INTERNATIONAL.

IN 1930 THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEORIA, ILLINOIS LIONS CLUB SAW A PROBLEM AND CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF SUPPLYING WHITE CANES TO BLIND PEOPLE AND INTRODUCED LEGISLATION IN PEORIA, GIVING THE RIGHT OF WAY TO PERSONS WITH WHITE CANES. BY 1956 EVERY STATE HAD PASSED WHITE CANE LAWS.

IN 1954 OUR MOTTO “WE SERVE” WAS CHOSEN. A SIMPLE MOTTO THAT SAYS IT ALL.

IN 1987 WOMEN WERE ALLOWED TO BECOME LIONS. PREVIOUSLY THEY HAD THEIR OWN CLUBS, CALLED “LIONESS CLUBS” AND THEY WERE FOLDED INTO THE PREVIOUSLY ALL MALE DOMAIN. TO THIS DAY, SOME WOMEN HAVE PREFERRED TO REMAIN “LIONESS” MEMBERS, AND CLUBS REMAIN. WE HAVE A FEW HERE IN NH.  WOMEN NOW MAKE UP 21% OF ALL LIONS.

IN 1989 THE INTERNATIONAL PEACE POSTER CONTEST WAS ESTABLISHED FOR CHILDREN OF MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE. THOUSANDS OF POSTERS ARE RECEIVED EACH YEAR AND THE INTERNATIONAL WINNER APPEARS BEFORE THE UNITED NATIONS TO ACCEPT THE AWARD.

TODAY THE LIONS ARE MADE UP OF PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF, THE PEOPLE WHO DO THE WORK AND HAVE FUN DOING IT. EACH  IS A MEMBER OF A CLUB, LED BY THE KING LION.  EACH CLUB IN TURN IS PART OF A ZONE COMPRISED OF NEARBY CLUBS AND LED BY A ZONE CHAIR.  EACH ZONE IS PART OF A REGIONAL GROUP OF ZONES, ENCOMPASSING A LARGER AREA, AND IS LED BY A REGION CHAIR. ALL THE ZONES TOGETHER FORM A DISTRICT. IN NH, WE HAVE 2 DISTRICTS, 44N AND 44H.EACH DISTRICT IS LED BY A DISTRICT GOVERNOR, ELECTED EACH YEAR AT THE SPRING CONVENTION. WE ARE PART OF DISTRICT 44N AND ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN MULTIPLE DISTRICT 44, LED BY A MULTIPLE DISTRICT CHAIR.  THIS OFFICE IS HELD ALTERNATELY BY THE OUTGOING DISTRICT GOVERNER OF EITHER DISTRICT.  INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORS ARE ELECTED BY REGION THRU OUT THE WORLD. AN INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT IS ELECTED EACH YEAR AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION. LAST YEARS CONVENTION WAS IN BUSAN, KOREA, AND NEXT YEAR'S IS TO BE HELD IN HAMBURG, GERMANY.

THIS GIVES YOU A LITTLE HISTORY OF LIONS, AND HOW WE WORK WORLD-WIDE.