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History
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The International Association of Lions Clubs started in the mind of a young Chicago insurance agent, Melvin Jones. His dream was to consolidate several existing, independent clubs, into one strong influential unit in service to humanity.

This dream was presented to the leaders of the various independent groups at a meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on June 7, 1917, at which time the Lions organization was officially established. From that meeting came a call for the association's first annual convention held on October 8-10, 1917, in Dallas, Texas, with 22 clubs attending. Thus the conception and founding of the world's largest, most active and most representative service club organization began.

The association did not become international, in fact, until 1920, when the first Lions Club was organized in Canada. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th countries to join were China, Mexico, and Cuba in 1926 and 1927. Eight years later, Central America entered the fold and in 1936, the first South American clubs were established in Columbia.

In 1945, Lions Clubs International was already an established world-wide service organization; Founder Melvin Jones and Past Intl. Presidents Fred W. Smith and D.A. Skeen were asked to help develop the non-governmental organization (NGO) charter for a new global organization known as the United Nations. In the years following both organizations cooperated on many humanitarian ventures such as UNICEF (the U.N. Children's Fund), WHO (World Health Organization), and UNESCO (U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).

The first Lions Club in Europe was organized in Stockholm, Sweden, on March 24, 1948. Major international expansion continued as clubs were established throughout Asia and Africa during the 1950's and 1960's.

Although the largest by far, the Lions are the youngest of the major service club organizations. For many years there has been chartered an average of more than two clubs per day.

Perhaps the single event having the greatest impact on the association's service commitment occurred in 1925 when Helen Keller addressed the Lions at the International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio. It was there that she challenged Lions to become "Knights of the Blind in the crusade against darkness."

In 1990, Lions launched their most aggressive sight preservation effort to date--"Campaign Sight First." The more than $145 million-plus program strives to rid the world of preventable and reversible blindness by closing the gap between existing health care services and those that remain desperately needed.

As we move into the next century, our focus is on our youth. Leo Clubs, Lions-Quest, Youth Outreach will all help develop our Lions of the future.

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I pledge allegiance to my country and to the cause of peace throughout the World. I believe in the principles of Lionism as contained in the Lions Code of Ethics. I am proud to be a Lion dedicated to the service of others.

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• 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 of 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 my fellow men, 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 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 my fellow men 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.

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• 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 men and women 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.

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The Lions Toast

Not Above You
Not Beneath You
But With You.

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iberty,

ntelligence,

ur

ation's

afety.

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Emblem

Signs displaying the emblem of Lions International are common sights wherever Lions are active. The emblem consists of a gold letter "L" on a circular purple field. Bordering this is a circular gold area with two lion profiles at either side facing away from the center. The word "Lions" appears at the top and "International" at the bottom. Symbolically, the Lions face both the past and the future--proud of the past and confident of the future.

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Purple stand for loyalty to country, friends, and to one's self and to the integrity of mind and heart. It is the traditional color of strength, courage, and tireless dedication to a cause.

Gold

Gold symbolizes the sincerity of purpose, liberality in judgment, purity in life and generosity in mind, heart, and purse towards your fellow man.

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