Lions Clubs International

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Lions Clubs International logo

Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with 45,000 clubs and nearly 1.35 million members in 200 countries around the world. The international headquarters is situated in Oak Brook, Illinois.

Lions Clubs International was founded in the U.S.A. in 1917 by Melvin Jones and became truly International on 12 March 1920, when the first club in Canada was established in Windsor, Ontario.

Membership is by invitation and attendance at meetings is expected on a monthly or fortnightly basis. Lions are a community-based organization with a hierarchy that can take a member from a club to office at zone, district, national and international levels. All funds raised from the general public are used for charitable purposes, with the administration costs of a Club kept strictly separate and paid for by its members.

1 Spread of Lionism
2 International Convention
3 Lions Band
4 External links

[edit] Spread of Lionism

HK The Lions Club at the Peak, Tai Ping Shan, Hong Kong 國際獅子會 (香港)

Lions clubs have spread across the globe. Listed below are some of the key dates:

1917 United States of America
1920 Canada
1926 Republic of China (Tianjin or alternately spelt Tientsin)
1927 Mexico (Nuevo Laredo)
1927 Cuba (Havana)
1952 Brazil
1955 Hong Kong and Macau (Hong Kong Island)
1963 Turkey On 4 January 1963 with Law3512 signed by President Cemal Gürsel
2002 People's Republic of China (Guangdong and Shenzhen, chartered on May 14 are the first international service clubs to be granted permission by the government of the PRC to operate in mainland China)

Lions Clubs International has had a history of support for the work of the United Nations since that organization's inception in 1945, when it was one of the non-governmental organizations invited to assist in the drafting of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, California.

Lions are recognized worldwide for their service to the blind and visually impaired. This service began when Helen Keller addressed the International Convention at Cedar Point, Ohio on 30 June, 1925 and charged Lions to be 'Knights to the Blind'.

Lions plaque posted a location where a local club meets

Lions also have a strong commitment to community hearing and cancer screening projects. In Perth, Western Australia, they have conducted hearing screening for over 30 years, and provided seed funding for the Lions Ear and Hearing Institute instituted September 9, 2001, a center of excellence in the diagnosis, management and research of ear and hearing disorders. In Perth, Western Australia the Lions have also been instrumental in the institute of the Lions Eye Institute. In Brisbane, Queensland the Lions Medical Research Foundation provides seed funding to a number of researchers. Prof. Ian Frazer's initial work leading to the development of a cervical cancer vaccine was funded by the Lions Medical Research Foundation.

[edit] International Convention

The Lions hold an annual international convention in cities across the globe to meet other Lions, elect the coming year's officers, and partake in the many activities planned. At the convention, Lions can participate in elections and parades, display and discuss fundraisers and service projects, and trade pins and other souvenirs. The 90th convention, scheduled to be from 2 July to 6 July 2007, will take place in Chicago. The first convention was held in 1917 in Dallas, Texas, the first year of the club's existence. Some past convention locations include:

89th 2006 Boston, Massachusetts
88th 2005 Hong Kong
87th 2004 Detroit, Michigan
86th 2003 Denver, Colorado
85th 2002 Osaka, Japan
84th 2001 Indianapolis, Indiana
83rd 2000 Honolulu, Hawaii
82nd 1999 San Diego, California
81st 1998 Birmingham, England
80th 1997 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
79th 1996 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
78th 1995 Seoul, Republic of Korea
77th 1994 Phoenix, Arizona
76th 1993 Minneapolis, Minnesota
75th 1992 Hong Kong
35th 1952 Mexico City, Mexico

[edit] Lions Band

Many clubs sponsor a Lions Band to participate and compete in the International Lions Parade at the International Convention. The parade champions for 24 years between 1951 and 2007 were the Lions Band from Mississippi, USA. Mississippi Lion's All State Band has won the championship 4 years in a row.

[edit] External links

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