The Dallas Founder Lions club was organized March 31, 1916 as the Dallas Lions Club and our club received it's charter on September 19, 1916
After meeting in Illinois in the summer of 1916 with businessman Melvin Jones, and deciding to form an association of clubs to be of service to our communities, it was decided to hold our convention forming our association in Dallas.
We hosted twenty-five founding clubs (eleven from Texas) at the 1st International Convention, which met at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, TX on October 8, 1917. At this convention, we formed the International Association of Lions Club. Since that humble beginning in 1917, Lions Clubs have spread throughout the World with over 48,000 clubs in 202 countries, 1,4 M members, and we are still growing.
Three members of the Dallas Founder Club have been elected to be Presidents of the International Association of Lions Clubs, a feat unmatched by any other club.
Our club has always been a leader in Lionism, and in our community. In 1929 our club sponsored the organization of the Park Cities Lions Club and the Oak Cliff Lions Club. Later, it sponsored the Dallas Inwood Lions Club, the Dallas Central Lions Club, the Carrollton Lions Club, the Dallas East Dallas Lions Club, and the Dallas South Lions Club. We also established Lionism in Egypt with our sponsorship of the Lions Club in Cairo in 1970's.
Our Club founded the Julian C. Hyer Youth Camp in 1974. The Camp was named in honor of our Past International President, Julian C. Hyer, who also pioneered the youth exchange club program in 1966, which was later to be adopted by Lions Clubs International as 'Youth Camp and Exchange Program.'
Lions activities in our club include providing eyeglasses to school children and needy adults, scholarships, youth contests, diabetic day camp, sports events for the blind and visually impaired, drug awareness programs, Leader Dogs for the blind, disaster assistance around the world, homeless activities, Christmas gifts for needy children, and many other community programs.
WE'RE MOVING FORWARD
We are proud to be called the Dallas Founder Lions Club "Where It All Begins"
The First Lions Club in Texas!
We meet on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month at Noon at
Celebrity Restaurant, 4503 W Lovers Ln, Dallas, TX 75209
"You make a living by what you earn; you make a life by what you give"
TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME
