From The Desk Of the Editor - An Article On Lions Clubs International (Informative)

Lions Clubs International

Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, the organization aims to meet the needs of communities on a local and global scale.

Lions Clubs International (LCI) is a secular service organization with over 44,500 clubs and more than 1.368,683 million members in 191 countries around the world founded by Melvin Jones Headquartered in 

Lions Clubs International, a service membership organization of 1,368,683 members world-wide, was founded in the United States on June 7, 1917 by “Melvin Jones” a Chicago businessman.

Jones asked, with regard to his colleagues, "What if these men who are successful because of their drive, intelligence and ambition, were to put their talents to work improving their communities?" Jones' personal code, "You can't get very far until you start doing something for somebody else," reminds many Lions of the importance of community service.

The Lions motto is “We Serve.” Focal Lions Club programs include sight conservation, hearing and speech conservation, diabetes awareness, youth outreach, international relations, environmental issues, and other programs.

Purpose

1 To organize, charter and supervise service clubs to be known as lions clubs.

2 To coordinate the activities and standardize the administration of lions clubs.

3 To create and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world.

4 To promote the principles of good government and good citizenship.

5 To take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of the community.

6 To unite the clubs in the bonds of friendship, good fellowship and mutual understanding.

7 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.

8 To encourage service-minded people 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.

Charitable Work

Much of the focus of Lions Clubs International work as a service club organization is to raise money for worthy causes. All funds raised by Lions Clubs from the general public are used for charitable purposes, and administrative costs are kept strictly separate and paid for by members. Some of the money raised for a club’s charity account goes toward projects that benefit the local community of an individual club.

Membership

Membership is by invitation, though individuals are rarely turned away, and attendance at meetings is expected on a monthly or fortnightly basis. Due to the hierarchical nature of Lions Clubs International, members have the opportunity to advance from a local club to an office at the zone, district, multiple district and international levels.

In 1986 the constitution of Lions Clubs International was amended to allow for women to become members. Since then many clubs have admitted women,

Extensions of the Lions family

In addition to adult Lions Clubs, the Lions family includes Lioness Clubs, Leo Clubs and Campus Lions Clubs. These divisions are important parts of Lions Clubs International. They allow service-minded individuals the opportunity to build better communities at the high school and college or university level.

Lioness Clubs

Lioness Club Membership is generally for service-minded women, with exceptions of men also becoming Lioness members nowadays. They are formed under a parent Lions Club. The Lions Club thus becomes the Parent Club for the Lioness Club. Naming of the Club is also like that of the Lions Club.

Leo Clubs

Leo Clubs are an extension of the Lions service organization which aims to encourage community service and involvement from a young age. Leo Clubs much like Lioness Clubs are sponsored by a parent Lions Club. Leo Clubs are a common school-based organization with members between the ages of 12-18 from the same school, these are commonly referred to as Alpha Leo Clubs. Community based clubs also exist, these generally cater for 18-30 year olds and are referred to as Omega Leo Clubs. Leo Clubs are required to have a Leo Club Advisor, a member of the sponsoring Lions Club who attends meetings and provides general advice to the club. Lions International includes more than 144,000 Leo club members in 139 countries.

Campus Lions Club

Many Leos join a Campus Lions Club if they attend a university or college after high school graduation. There are more than 125 Campus Lions clubs in the world including nearly 2,500 members on college and university campuses in Australia, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, ElSalvador, England, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan,Panama, Peru, Philippines, Russia, SriLanka, Thailand, Uganda, United States, Venezuela, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Ghana-Lions KNUST. Campus Lions Clubs empower their members to create meaningful change in their communities while developing leadership and professional skills.

Source:  Wikipedia (The free encyclopedia)