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Lions Club international
Motto |
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Lions Clubs International (http://www.lionsclubs.org/)
is the world's largest service club organization with 1.4 million members in
46,000 clubs in 193 countries and geographical areas. Lions are men and
women who volunteer their time to humanitarian causes. Founded in 1917, the
volunteer organization's motto is
"We Serve" |
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Mission Statement
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To create and foster a
spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by
providing voluntary services through community involvement and
international cooperation.
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Lions
International Objects |
- To
Create
and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world.
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- To
Promote
the principles of good government and good citizenship.
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- To Take
an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of
the community.
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- To
Unite the clubs in the bonds of friendship, good fellowship
and mutual understanding.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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Lions Code of
Ethics |
- To Show
my faith in the worthiness of my vocation by industrious application
to the end that I may merit a reputation for quality of service.
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- To Seek
success and to demand all fair remuneration or profit as my just due,
but to accept no profit or success at the price of my own self-respect
lost because of unfair advantage taken or because of questionable acts
on my part.
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- To
Remember that in building up my business it is not necessary
to tear down another's; to be loyal to my clients or customers and
true to myself.
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Whenever
a doubt arises as to the right or ethics of my position or action
towards others, to resolve such doubt against myself.
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- To Hold
friendship as an end and not a means. To hold that true friendship
exists not on account of the service performed by one another, but
that true friendship demands nothing but accepts service in the spirit
in which it is given.
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- Always
to bear in mind my obligations as a citizen to my nation, my state,
and my community, as to give them my unswerving loyalty in word, act,
and deed. To give them freely of my time, labor and means.
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- To Aid
others by giving my sympathy to those in distress, my aid to the weak,
and my substance to the needy.
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- To Be
Careful with my criticism and liberal with my praise; to
build up and not destroy.
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Lions Club
International History |
The
International Association of Lions Clubs began as the dream of Chicago
businessman Melvin Jones. He believed that local business clubs should
expand their horizons from purely professional concerns to the
betterment of their communities and the world at large.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Lions
Clubs International has grown to include 1.4 million men and women in
46,000 clubs located in 193 countries and geographic areas.
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View a multimedia
presentation on
The History of Lions Clubs International, which is part of the Lions
Learning Center. Visit the
Lions Learning Center for directions on viewing the presentation or
to view more presentations. |
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