In 1973, a small group of men decided that a second Lions Club was needed in Michigan City. The objective was not to compete with the Michigan City Lions Club, which met every week at noon, but to form a smaller club that would meet twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Thursday evenings. This became and has ever since been the Michiana Lions Club.

The purpose of Lions Clubs worldwide is to live up to our motto, "WE SERVE." Lions Clubs are the largest service organization in the world, existing in many nations. At Michiana, we strive to make achieving this goal interesting and fun.

Our meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of every month.  The December meeting is our Christmas celebration. The meeting in July is when we install our new officers for the new Lions year, which runs from July 1st to June 30th. Meetings are currently held at the Salvation Army church starting at 6:00 PM. Our meetings consist of dinner, which is prepared by the Salvation Army staff, and going over the club's business or a short program of interest. 

Our main fundraising events consist of  "Candy Days", the collection of money outside Al's Franklin St., and Al's Karwick Plaza.  The "Terri Lynn Candy and Nuts" sale runs from September through October, and participation in the Zone 3-A Lions Club golf outing on the Friday of Memorial weekend in May.  Six (6) clubs from zone 3-A participate in the golf outing fundraiser.  All profits from these events are given to charitable causes in amounts as decided by the Finance Committee and approved by the members.

We also participate in projects that serve our community. Vision screening of young children to detect the early onset of sight problems is currently held at the Imagination Station, where we have been screening up to 60 youngsters each year. This month, we are adding the Head Start Program at Neiman School, where we will screen more than 200 youngsters. Our members may individually participate in local free lunch programs, housing for the homeless, ramp construction, etc.

Our Treasurer maintains our funds in three separate accounts. The operating fund pays our dinner bills, International and District per capita assessments, and any other costs associated with operating the club. The emergency fund is used to help any members or members' families in need, and the project fund is used solely for our charitable giving. The Emergency fund is capped at $600.00 and stays at that amount unless used, at which point it is slowly rebuilt.

Our yearly dues are $75.00 per member, payable in June. The cost for each meeting is currently $5.00, which covers the cost of your meal. At each meeting, a Lion titled the Tail Twister visits each member, receiving contributions for any specific reason the member wishes to honor. The member may also get fined if the member has no Lions identification in view. 25% of these voluntarily given funds go to replenish the emergency fund if it has fallen under $600.00, and the rest goes into operating costs. Honored events may consist of family birthdays, anniversaries, and noteworthy happenings. Some of our members with many descendants contribute heavily to the Tail Twister. 

Last but not least, Lions Clubs International has been and will always be dedicated to improving the lives of those who are visually impaired. To that end, Lions collect used eyeglasses (and you will see the collection boxes in various stores, offices, and clubs) and process them, including repair, cleaning, determining scripts, and packaging individually. Then they are shipped to Mexico, where groups of visiting Lions screen applicants to find glasses that fit their needs and give them out free. U.S. law prohibits giving them out in the United States. 

Leader Dogs (once called seeing-eye dogs) are trained and provided in Rochester, Michigan. One dog costs $41,000.00, but they are given free to those in need. The recipient is trained with the dog for three months at the training facility, and all expenses are covered. Donations from Lions Clubs and individuals support this program.

Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world.