Jones' group, the
Business Circle of Chicago, agreed.
After contacting similar groups
around the United States, an organizational
meeting was held on June 7, 1917
in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The new
group took the name of one of the
invited groups, the "Association
of Lions Clubs," and a national
convention was held in Dallas, Texas,
USA in October of that year. A constitution,
by-laws, objects and code of ethics
were approved.
Among the objects
adopted in those early years was
one that read, "No club shall
hold out the financial betterment
of its members as its object."
This call for unselfish service
to others remains one of the association's
main tenets.
Just three years
after its formation, the association
became international when the first
club in Canada was established in
1920. Major international expansion
continued as clubs were established,
particularly throughout Europe,
Asia and Africa during the 1950s
and '60s.
In 1925, Helen Keller
addressed the Lions international
convention in Cedar Point, Ohio,
USA. She challenged Lions to become
"knights of the blind in the
crusade against darkness."
From this time, Lions clubs have
been actively involved in service
to the blind and visually impaired.
Broadening its international
role, Lions Clubs International
helped the United Nations form the
Non-Governmental Organizations sections
in 1945 and continues to hold consultative
status with the U.N.
In 1990, Lions launched
its most aggressive sight preservation
effort, SightFirst. The US$143.5
million program strives to rid the
world of preventable and reversible
blindness by supporting desperately
needed health care services.
In addition to sight
programs, Lions Clubs International
is committed to providing services
for youth. Lions clubs also work
to improve the environment, build
homes for the disabled, support
diabetes education, conduct hearing
programs and, through their foundation,
provide disaster relief around the
world.
Lions Clubs International
has grown to include 1.3 million
men and women in approximately 45,000
clubs located in 200 countries and
geographic areas.
