History & Legacy
Tracing the historic milestones that transformed a local business club founded in 1917 by Melvin Jones into the world's largest humanitarian service organization.
A Century of Service.
Tracing the historic milestones that transformed a local business club into the world's largest humanitarian organization.
The Beginning
Chicago business leader Melvin Jones challenged his local business club to address the betterment of their communities. The Association of Lions Clubs was born.
Going International
Just three years after founding, Lions became an international organization with the establishment of the first club in Windsor, Canada.
Knights of the Blind
Helen Keller addressed the International Convention and challenged Lions to become 'knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.'
Uniting Nations
Lions Clubs International was invited to assist in drafting the United Nations Charter, beginning an enduring relationship for global peace.
The First Leo Club
The world's first Leo Club was founded in Pennsylvania, USA, empowering young people to serve their communities and develop essential leadership skills.
Lions Reach Sri Lanka
The first Lions Club in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) was chartered in Colombo, officially bringing the international mission of humanitarian service to the island nation.
Formation of Provincial District 306
Sri Lanka was granted Provincial District 306 status. The District was formed with six Lions Clubs, providing a formal administrative structure for the country's growing Lions movement.
Establishing LCIF
The Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) was created to take global humanitarian efforts to the next level through large-scale grants and disaster relief.
First Leo Club in Sri Lanka
The Leo Club of Wattala was established as Sri Lanka's first Leo Club, laying the foundation for youth leadership and volunteerism.
Celebrating 1 Million Members
Lions reach a historic milestone by welcoming our millionth member, Barney Gill from Virginia, USA. Today, we have more than 1.4 million members worldwide.
Birth of Multiple District 306
To accommodate rapid growth, District 306 was divided into District 306A and District 306B, creating Multiple District 306. Lion Mahendra Amarasuriya became the first District Governor of District 306A. The late PDG Manoharan became the first District Governor of District 306B.
Lions Turn 100
The 100th year of serving local communities and the world is celebrated at the Lions Clubs International Centennial Convention in Chicago, Illinois, USA the same city where the association began.
Formation of Twelve Districts
Responding to unprecedented growth, Multiple District 306 was restructured from six districts into twelve districts: 306 D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10, D11 and D12.