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HISTORY

HISTORY OF LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL
In 1917, Melvin Jones, a 38-year-old Chicago business
leader, told members of his local business club they should
reach beyond business issues and address the betterment of
their communities and the world. 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
the month of October of that year. A constitution, by-laws,
objects and a code of ethics were approved.
Within three years, Lions became an international
organization. Since then, we've earned high marks for both
integrity and transparency. We're a well-run organization
with a steady vision, a clear mission, and a long- and proud
- history.

Beginning in 1917: Melvin Jones asked a simple and
world changing question what if people put their talents
to work improving their communities? Almost 100 years
later, Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service
club organization, with 1.35 million members in more than
48,000 clubs and countless stories of Lions acting on the
same simple idea: let's improve our communities.

1920: Going International: Just three years after our
founding, Lions became international when we established
the first club Canada. Mexico followed in In the 1950s and
1980s international growth accelerated, with new clubs
Asia and Africa.

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