COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THROUGH THE YEARS
The South Holland Lions participated in funding for the original Village Hall. We also spearheaded the drive to purchase the first Village paramedic vehicle and an additional vehicle, as well as purchasing inhalators and radio euipment for emergency vehicles. We also purchased a thermal camera and training for its use and a rescue sled for the fire department.
The South Holland Lions have assisted in funding the South Holland Community band, village parks and park facilities; including remodeling the Heritage House, the playground equipment at Gouwens Park, contributed to the daycare room at the Community Center, trees and the Flag Plaza at Veterans Park, flowers along South Park and the railroad underpass on Route 6, boy scout and cub scout troops, Little League and Babe Ruth League baseball teams and hockey leagues.
South Holland Lions helped found the original Village Library and contibuted both funding and equipment to the current Library. We have purchased a speacial magnifying reading machine for use by residents with vision issues.
We have assisted special needs children with special school tuition and recreational camp enrollment.
We purchased a Xenon photocoaguator for use in eye surgery at Ingalls Memorial Hospital.
INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL & ILLINOIS HISTORY & ACTIVITIES
LIONS OF ILLINOIS FOUNDATION
South Holland Lions, with the combined efforts of all Illinois Lions, support the Lions of Illinois Foundation and its programs:
LEADER DOG SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND HADLEY SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
DIALOGUE RECORDED MAGAZINE FOR THE BLIND
CAMP LIONS - SUMMER CAMP FOR THE BLIND
MOBILE GLAUCOMA SCREENING AND MOBILE HEARING UNITS
C.A.R.E. PROGRAM AND EYE DONOR REGISTRY
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY
In its largest project , the Lions of Illinois committed to raise $5,000,000 to construct the Lions of Illinois Eye Research Institute located at the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Chicago.
The South Holland Lions Club responded and donated $10,000 to the project during the early 1980’s. The Club has again responded recently with another $10,000 donation to the Sight First Program.
INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL LIONS
The International Association of Lions Clubs was organized in 1917 by Melvin Jones, a young Chicago insurance agent. The original organization of 25 independent clubs has grown to be the largest service club organization in the world, represented by over 34,000 clubs with a membership exceeding 1,306,000 in 150 countries and geographic areas. Our motto is "WE SERVE", and from the start the emphasis has been on service to less fortunate members of the community. Although active in many community projects, we place special emphasis on sight conservation and work with the blind, as well as hearing conservation and the hearing impaired and diabetes education.
INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL LIONS
The International Association of Lions Clubs was organized in 1917 by Melvin Jones, a young Chicago insurance agent. The original organization of 25 independent clubs has grown to be the largest service club organization in the world, represented by over 34,000 clubs with a membership exceeding 1,306,000 in 150 countries and geographic areas. Our motto is "WE SERVE", and from the start the emphasis has been on service to less fortunate members of the community. Although active in many community projects, we place special emphasis on sight conservation and work with the blind, as well as hearing conservation and the hearing impaired and diabetes education.
Blindness knows no geographic, economic or ethnic boundaries. All over the world, disease, malnutrition, ignorance and accidents plunge hundreds of thousands of people into the tragedy of eye impairments. In America, 10 million people have uncorrectable vision impairment. 700,000 Americans are legally blind.
South Holland Lions Melvin Jones Recipients
Jacob S. Aggen Harold Kerber Theodore J. Ver Haar
Egbert Bolhuis Frank Knittle John L. Vinke Sr
Warren DeGraff Herman E. Paarlberg Vernon Vollbrect
Bert Doctor Henry Smits Carl A. Walvoord
Earl Gossett Warren Teichler Harry Witvoet
Albert Gouwens Lawrence J. Van Drunen William Wognum Jr
Ralph F. Heinz Wayne Van Swol Craig Vinke
Ronald Karns James H. Veld
Melvin Jones (January 13, 1879 – June 1, 1961) was the founder and secretary-treasurer of Lions Clubs International.
Melvin Jones was born in Fort Thomas, Arizona Territory. His father was a captain in the United States Army. In 1886 or 1887, the family moved east when his father was transferred. Melvin Jones settled in Chicago, where he studied at the Union Business and Chaddock colleges of Quincy, Illinois. At age 33 he was the sole owner of his own insurance agency in Chicago and became a member of the local business circle, and was elected secretary shortly thereafter.
After two years, prompted by his personal code – "You can't get very far until you start doing something for somebody else" – Jones proposed that the talents of the circle's members could be better utilized in other areas of community life.
He invited representative from other men's clubs in and around Chicago to a meeting to devise a suitable organization and from that meeting, Jones subsequently integrated his club into an existing initiative that further led to his selection as Secretary of the "International As
sociation of Lions Clubs" later to be named "Lions Clubs International". Jones eventually gave up his insurance agency to work full-time at Lions International Headquarters. In 1945, Jones represented Lions Clubs International as a consultant at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco.
