Lions Clubs Centennial Trivia

Here's a fun game you can play at one of your meetings to see how much your members really know about this great organization they are a part of:

Question 1:  Who is the founder of Lions Clubs International?

Question 2:  What famous woman challenged Lions to be "Knights of the Blind" in 1925?

Question 3:  What is the Lions' motto?

Question 4:  How many people have Lions pledged to help through the Centennial Service Challenge?

Question 5:  True or False -- All Lions can earn special awards for inviting new members through the Centennial Celebration Membership Awards?

Question 6:  In what year will Lions Clubs International officially celebrate its 100th anniversary?

Question 7:  What is the name of Lions' global blindness prevention program?

Question 8:  Finish this sentence.... The Centennial slogan is:  "Where there's a need, there's a _____."

Question 9:  True or False -- Many of the eye banks around the world were founded by Lions.

Question 10:  What is the name of Lions International art contest for children ages 11-13?

Question 11:  True or False -- There are Lions clubs in more than 200 countries and geographic areas around the world?

Question 12:  Lions Clubs became international in 1920 by chartering a club in which country?

Question 13:  What is the name of the youth program that Lions launched in 1957 to encourage young people to serve their communities?

Question 14:  True or False -- Women are now the fastest growing segment of new members in Lions Clubs?

Question 15:  True or False -- Mother Teresa received the Lions Humanitarian Award in 1986.

Question 16:  True or False -- Lions have pledged $30 million for vaccines to help save children from measles?

Question 17:  Which former president of the United States has been an active Lion for over 50 years?

And the answers are:
A1:  Melvin Jones
A2:  Helen Keller
A3:  We Serve
A4:  100 million plus
A5:  True
A6:  2017
A7:  SightFirst.
A8:  Lion
A9:  True
A10: Lions International Peace Poster Contest or Peace Poster
A11: True.  Lions are in over 210 countries and geographic areas.
A12: Canada
A13: Leo Clubs
A14: True.  40% of new Lions are women
A15: True
A16: True
A17: Jimmy Carter

100 Years of Lions

The following article was published in the 71st Gold Medal Basketball Tournament program honoring our 100 Years of Lions:

100 Years of Lions

The distinguished history of the Lions Clubs International forms the foundation for nearly everything Lions clubs do today.  From our humble beginnings to our commitment to sight initiatives, there is a significant basis for all our humanitarian services.  Knowing and understanding our history gives us perspective and helps us keep our dedication and community thriving.

Lions have been helping people since 1917.  That year, Melvin Jones, a Chicago businessman, encouraged his club, the Chicago Business Circle, to go beyond promoting good business practices.  He convinced the members that selfless service to others would create a better community -- a better world -- for all.

Melvin Jones also saw that a network of clubs working together could do much more than individual clubs acting alone.  He invited similar groups from around the United States to a meeting on June 7, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.  There, the Association of Lions Clubs was born.  Later that year, a convention was held in Dallas, Texas, USA to formally adopt a constitution, by-laws and a code of ethics.  The fledgling group became the International Association of Lions Clubs just three years later in 1920 when a new Lions club was formed in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Perhaps the single event having the greatest impact on the association's service commitment occurred in 1925, when Helen Keller addressed the Lions at the international convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA.  It was there that she challenged the Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness."

Broadening its role in international understanding, the association was one of the first nongovernmental organizations invited to assist in the drafting of the United Nations Charter in 1945 and has supported the work of the UN ever since.

In 1957, the Leo Program was created to provide the youth of the world with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering.

In 1968, the Lions Clubs International Foundation was established to assist Lions with global and large-scale local humanitarian projects.  Through our Foundation, Lions meet the needs of their local and global communities.

In 1987, Lions Clubs International became the first major service club to admit women as members.

In 1990, Lions launched their most aggressive sight preservation effort to date, SightFirst.  The program strives to rid the world of preventable and reversible blindness by closing the gap between existing health care services and those that remain desperately needed.

In the 100 years since its founding, the association -- usually called Lions Clubs International (LCI) -- has spread to all corners of the globe, where Lions are welcomed and respected for their vision, integrity, and dedication to our official motto:  "We Serve."

ORIGIN OF THE NAME "LIONS"
On July 17, 1917, at the invitation of Melvin Jones, delegates met in Chicago.  The only point of contention was the selection of a name for the new organization.  Melvin Jones researched the idea of calling the new organization Lions.  The name Lions was chosen on a secret ballot over several others because the lion stood for strength, courage, fidelity and vital action.  The official name of the association is "The International Association of Lions Clubs" or simply "Lions Clubs International."

LOGO
The Lions emblem (or logo) is a recognized and respected symbol all around the world.  Although it has been modified and modernized, the basic design dates back to 1919.  It consists of a gold "L" on a blue field surrounded by a gold circle.  On either side of the circle is the profile of a lion's head, one looking back upon a proud past and the other looking optimistically toward the future.

Various forms of the emblem may be downloaded for member and club use from the LCI website.  You should know, however, that the emblem is a registered trademark in most countries and should only be used in accordance with the Lions Club International Trademark Policies, which may be found on the LCI website.

Alaska Centennial Honorarium

The following was presented to District Governor Karen Burns by the Alaska Legislature:

*Honoring the Lions Club Centennial*

The Thirtieth Alaska State Legislature joins the Lions in celebrating their hundredth year of service. From their humble beginnings as a club to improve the community in Chicago to their administration of over 10,000 grants, the Lions Club’s impact can be seen wherever members focus their efforts.

The Lions Club was started in 1917 when Melvin Jones told members of his local business they ought to focus not only on business issues, but to the betterment of their communities and the world. The group took on the name of the “Association of Lions Clubs”, and before the year’s end had adopted a constitution, bylaws, objectives, and a code of ethics.

As the organization grew, it continued working towards the goal of the betterment of the world. The first international growth of the Lions happened with the chartering of a club in Canada in 1920, and just over a decade later the first international convention outside of the U.S. took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Lions took on the challenge of blindness with Helen Keller’s charging of them to be “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness”. To this end, in 1930 the Lions introduced the iconic white cane with a red band as a means of assisting the blind in independent mobility—an idea that went on the become statute in every state in the U.S. and numerous other countries. The club’s fight against blindness continues to this day alongside the numerous other efforts of the club.

In 1968 the Lions Clubs International Foundation was established to support the humanitarian work of the Lions. Since its inception, the foundation has distributed over $826 million in grants to support humanitarian efforts from floods in South Dakota in 1972, to eliminating river blindness in Colombia in 2013.

Alaska Lions carry on the club’s mission in the state with their contributions to vision screening, eyeglass recycling, and the Joint Sight Committee. They provide glasses to the needy, assistance for the visually impaired, and financial assistance to those who are unable to purchase eyeglasses for themselves. The Aurora Borealis Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center has recycled approximately 40,000 pairs of eyeglasses per year, sending roughly 30,000 to eye care missions.

Emphasizing the club’s dedication to bettering their communities, one of the Alaska Lions’ most remarkable contributions was their pivotal role in housing inhabitants from Ag’waneq and Port Wakefield. After the villages were destroyed in the Good Friday earthquake in 1964, the Lions were instrumental in having housing built for the displaced Alaskans, issuing a grant of $1 million dollars to fund the creation of Port Lions.

The Lions Club has contributed in countless ways to improving their communities and the world, demonstrating the value of individuals coming together to make meaningful change. The members of the Thirtieth Alaska State Legislature are honored to celebrate the Lions Club’s 100^th year of service, and look forward to their future accomplishments.

PCC Neil Atkinson with Lions Donna Hurley, Sasha Soboleff, and District Governor Karen Burns

#Lions100

February Centennial Service Activities

Winter is here and it seems we slow down a little and enjoy the slower pace.  Here's a list of Centennial Service Activities that were reported into MyLCI for the month of February:

Sharing the Vision:

• Copper River Basin provided vision screening to Glennallen Elementary.  They screened 7 children.  
• Girdwood Turnagain Arm provided vision screening at Chinook Elementary School.  Screened 518 students and made 8 referrals.  

Engaging our Youth:

• Anchorage Mt.  McKinley donated $2,000 for the Lions Quest 49A Project.  Funds will be used to start the program in the Anchorage School District.

Relieving the Hunger:

• Anchorage Mt. McKinley delivered food boxes to Anchorage residents for FISH.
• Anchorage Mabuhay volunteered to serve lunch at Bean's Cafe.  
• Juneau Mendenhall Flying Lions assisted in a weekly distribution of food from Helping Hands.  

Ten clubs have completed all four Centennial Service Activity categories:

1. Anchorage
2. Kenai
3. Kodiak
4. Soldotna
5. Spenard
6. Copper River Basin
7. Juneau Mendenhall Flying Lions
8. Anchorage Mabuhay
9. Eagle River Sleeping Lady  Mt.
10. Wasilla

Way to serve 49A!   #Lions100