In 1917 a group of independent clubs responded to an idea presented to them by a young Chicago insurance agent, Melvin Jones. The proposal was one of service, as a group, to their fellow men without regard to politics, religion, race, or in any way the personal interests of the members. This was a departure from the current trend at that time of forming fraternal/social clubs. Lions Clubs was formed with the ideal of service to our communities, local, national and international.
The name LIONS stands for: Liberty, Intelligence Our Nation's Safety. The emblem consists of a gold letter "L" on a circular purple/blue field. Bordering this is are two lion profiles facing away from the center. Symbolically, the lions face both past and future, proud of the past and confident of the future. The color purple stands for loyalty and integrity to country, friends, and one's self. Gold symbolizes sincerity of purpose and generosity in mind and heart.
The International Association of Lions Clubs has grown to be the largest service club organization in the world, there are over 44 thousand clubs. The Association's headquarters is located in Oak Brook, Illinois, U.S.A. The Association is governed by an elected board from all parts of the world.
Each club's charter, as recommended by the Association, may be adapted by the local club to suit its own particular needs. Each club's autonomy allows it to participate in a vast variety of projects important to their communities. These projects range from cleaning up local parks, providing vision and hearing assistance to less fortunate members of the community or assisting victims of natural disasters. Lions clubs has provided millions of people with the opportunity to give something back to their communities.
Since , when Helen Keller asked Lions to be knight for the blind, Lions have dedicated much of their efforts to end preventable blindness.
