Jones’ idea struck a chord within his own group, the Business Circle of Chicago, and they authorised him to explore his concept with similar organisations from around the United States. His efforts resulted in an organisation meeting at a local hotel on June 7, 1917.
The 12 men who gathered there overcame a natural sense of loyalty to their parent clubs, voted the “Association of Lions Clubs” into existence and issued a call for a national convention to be held in Dallas, Texas, USA in October of the same year.
Thirty six delegates representing twenty two Clubs from nine states heeded the call, approved the “Lions Clubs” designation and elected Dr.William Woods of Indiana as their first President. Guiding force and founder, Melvin Jones was named acting Secretary. Thus began his association with Lionism that only ended with his death in 1961.
That first convention also began to define what Lionism was to become. A Constitution and Bye-Laws were adopted, the colours of purple and gold approved, and a start made on Lionism’s Objectives and Code of Ethics.
One of the objects was startling for an era that prided itself on mercenary individualism and has remained one of the main tenets of Lionism ever since. “No Club”, it read, “shall hold out the financial betterment of its members as its object”.
Community leaders soon began to organise clubs throughout the United States and the association became “International” with the formation of the Windsor, Ontario, Canada Lions Club in 1920.
The International Association of Lions Clubs is today the largest service club organisation in the world with over 1.3 million members in more than 46,000 clubs in 202 countries.
The International Association of Lions Clubs is the largest non-governmental organisation associated with the United Nations and was called upon by the United Nations and the World Health Organization to raise funds for an international program of sight conservation. In 1990 the International Association of Lions Clubs began a program of fund raising that they called “Campaign SightFirst” in order to prevent 40 million cases of blindness worldwide. Over US$ 148 million have been raised by Lions all over the world for this program. In the last three years Lions world wide have raised an additional US$200 million towards "Campaign SightFirst II".
