Lionism District Members Activities Calendar Newsletter Resources Links Site Map Contacts Home	The motto of the Lions, "We Serve", says it all. The Lions are a world-wide association of clubs whose members seek to serve their communities and those in need throughout the world. Lionism began in Chicago in 1917, when Melvin Jones, a young insurance salesman, issued a call to some local business circles to refocus the drive, intelligence and ambition of its members to improve the plight of those less fortunate, rather than their own self-betterment. In 1925, Helen Keller called upon Lions to become "Knights of the Blind, in the Crusade against Blindness". The Lions answered the call and has been instrumental in saving the sight of millions. Today, there over 1.4 million Lions in more than 44,500 clubs in 186 countries. In addition to helping the sight-impaired, the Lion's tradition of service now extends to working with the deaf, and various educational, recreational and other community related services. Lions Ethics Lions Objects