Who are the Lions?
They are men and women of good will grouped in an international organization, in which they know Friendship, learn to become leaders and devote much of their time to helping the underprivileged of this world, while improving the conditions in their own cities.
Lionisme
Lionism provides a positive answer to these questions because Lions believe in the future of man
- it is to fight against the abandonments and the demissions of our time;
- it is to fight against the "Rambo" mentalities and the nauseating rigors of money
- it is to warn our young people against certain thugs of the intelligence which lead them on paths without flowers and which leave their young hopes in ashes;
- it is to fight with all our strength against the inhuman history of humanity;
- it is to serve the man;
- it is to help the neighbor who needs man.
- On this day, after more than 100 years of Lionism, which is intended to be one of the human faces of our society of tomorrow, are we ready to contribute our share to the happiness of man? To each and every one of us his or her own answer!
(Excerpt from Jos Hilger's article, Lionism, the Human Face of Our Society,
published in 1992 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary
Lions Clubs International District 113)
The name and its origin
On June 7, 1917, in response to Melvin Jones' invitation, the delegates met in Chicago. The only area of disagreement was the name of the new association. Melvin Jones had thought of calling it Lions. He believed the lion represented strength, courage, loyalty and vital action. In a secret ballot, the name Lions was chosen over several others.
During the 1919 convention, a proposal to change the symbol was submitted, but a young lawyer from Denver, Colorado, spoke out against it. His name was Halsted Ritter. "The name Lions not only expresses brotherhood, friendship, strength of character and determination, but above all, the combination of letters L-I-O-N-S announces to the country the true meaning of citizenship:
LIBERTY, INTELLIGENCE, OUR NATION'S SAFETY
(Liberté, intelligence, la sécurité de notre nation)
Today, the official name of Lions is "The International Association of Lions Clubs" or just "Lions Clubs International.
The logo and its meaning
Designed in 1920 by Chicago lion Maurice Blink, the current emblem, last modified in 2008, has been the official emblem since December 31, 1921.
It consists of a golden letter "L", placed in a circle.
- Its border has two lion profiles facing outwards.
- The words "Lions" and "International" appear at the top and bottom of the emblem, respectively.
- Lions look to both the past and the future to indicate pride in their heritage and confidence in the future.
