• Lions History
• The Lions Emblem
• Mission Statement
• International Objectives
• Code of Ethics
• Activities

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.

Jones' own group, the Business Circle of Chicago, agreed. After contacting similar groups around the country, an organizational meeting was held on June 7, 1917 at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago. A national convention of the "Association of Lions Clubs" was held in Dallas in October of that year, approving a constitution, by-laws, objects, and code of ethics.

In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions at their annual International Convention, challenging them to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." Since that time, service to the blind and visually impaired has become one of the association's most significant activities. That crusade has resulted in the establishment of International SightFirst, in 1990, an aggressive global blindness prevention program.

Forty million people are blind, yet 80 percent of all blindness is preventable or reversible. International Sightfirst is an unprecedented program which joins leading blindness experts, blindness prevention organization, governments and Lions in an effort to establish long-term solutions in eliminating blindness.

The emblem consists of a gold letter "L" on a circular purple field. Bordering this is a circular gold area with two lion profiles facing away from the center. The lion profiles are meant to face both a proud past and confident future. The words "Lions" and "International" appear at the top and bottom. The official Lions colors are gold and purple, as seen on the emblem, purple for loyalty and integrity; gold for sincerity, liberality, purity, and generosity. The Lions Club motto "We Serve" is often displayed along with the Lions emblem. The current Lions emblem was adopted at the 1919 convention.

To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation.

To create and foster a spirit of understanding among the peoples of the world.

To promote the principles of good government and citizenship.

To take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social, and moral welfare of the community.

To unite the clubs in the bonds of friendship, good fellowship, and mutual understanding.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Whenever a doubt arises as to the right or ethics of my position or action towards others, to resolve such doubt against myself.

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 to another, but that true friendship demands nothing but accepts service in the spirit in which it is given.

Always to bear in mind my obligations as a citizen of my nation, my state, and my community and to give them my unswerving loyalty in word, act, and deed. To give them freely of my time, labor, and means.

To aid others by giving my sympathy to those in distress, my aid to the weak, and my substance to the needy.

To be careful with my criticism and liberal with my praise; to build up and not destroy.

With nearly 1.3 million Lions members in 202 countries and geographic areas around the world, Lions Clubs International is able to support numerous sight, hearing, and youth related activities. Visit