Celebrating Lionism

Living and Serving Melvin Jones' Vision
of Bettering Our Communities
PID Jerome Thompson

We meet to rededicate OURSELVES to the vision of Lions and the legacy of Melvin Jones, born in Fort Thomas, Arizona on January 13, 1879. He passed from this life on June 1, 1961. However, it was the dash between those years — that spanned some 82 years — of service to others. What an example to each of us.

At age 33 he was the sole owner of his own insurance agency in Chicago and became a member of the local business circle and was elected secretary shortly thereafter.

Prompted by his personal code — "You can't get very far until you start doing something for somebody else" — in 1917, Jones was a 38-year-old Chicago business leader who told members of his local business club they should reach beyond business issues and address the betterment of their communities and the world.

Today, I am going to suggest that we must move beyond the “Business” of Lions and return to his "vision of bettering our communities."

From 1917 until 1925, Lions Clubs in the U.S. and Canada focused only on the most pressing needs of their community. Why? Because “Loving Individuals Offered Needed Services.”

In 1925, a great Alabamian, Helen Keller challenged the Lions to become "knights of the blind" in the crusade against darkness. It was on that day, the first global cause was accepted by the Lions. For the next 75 years, Lions continued to meet the needs of their community and to address the needs of the visually impaired.

Since 2000, Lions International has adopted other global causes in addition to Vision. We have added Hunger, Environment, Childhood Cancer and Diabetes. With the addition of each new global cause, Lions Clubs has been distracted from our founder's dream of Bettering the Community.

The distraction from Community has resulted in a decline in membership, a decline in service to our local community, and a decline in leadership development. If we are going to meet the challenge of Mission 1.5, we must pause and ask ourselves to rededicate our efforts to, in the words of Melvin Jones, “address the betterment of our communities and the world?”

For a moment, think about your community, your neighbors, your friends, your family. What are the biggest challenges facing them?

Let me suggest to you that our “Slogan” — Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nation's Safety — must be changed to Lions In Our Neighborhood Schools.

The biggest need in most communities revolves around our youth.

• Across America, 2022 data indicates there are approximately 18.3 million children who live without a father in the home — this comprises about one in four U.S. children.
• About 84% of single-parent homes are led by single mothers.
• 90% of homeless and runaway children come from fatherless homes.
• 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.
• 85% of children who exhibit behavior disorders are from fatherless homes.
• Last year, more than 700,000 children stood before a Juvenile Court to be adjudicated on a delinquent or criminal charge.
• Every two minutes a child is removed from their home and placed in foster care — that's more than 260,000 children placed in foster care last year.
• Almost 15,000 children are suspended or expelled from public schools daily.
• Gun Violence is the leading cause of death of children one-to-19 years old.

When we, the Lions of the United States abandoned the vision of Melvin Jones to better our community, we abandoned the family unit and the children of our community.

Let that settle in.

Lions International is the only organization and group of individuals, who can provide Hope to the Hopeless, life skills to our youth, and enhance the quality of life for everyone in the community by helping our youth to find a path to greater success... Help them to break the cycle of poverty, abuse, and neglect by providing them with the resources and tools that we have at our disposal — Lions Quest.

Will you join me in the crusade to enhance the lives of our youth?

Lions always meet and exceed each challenge laid before us. We are six months into Mission 1.5 – our quest to serve one billion individuals by increasing our membership to 1.5 million members. And yet we, the Lions of Constitutional Area 1, have not done our part in forming new clubs, attracting new members and retaining current members with new and exciting service opportunities.

Who is responsible for this growth in service, membership, and leadership? I submit to you that it is the responsibility of each of us.

• “Oh, but I am not a leader of my club.”
• “Oh, but I do not hold a position in the District Cabinet.”
• “Oh, but I am just a member of my club.”

Can someone tell me the year that Melvin Jones was an International Director? When was he our International President?

He was not. But he took the initiative to start clubs across the United States and beyond. He took the time to type, on a manual typewriter, letters to other business clubs asking them to join in his vision for a better tomorrow.

It is time for each of us to begin to ask others to join in our vision for a better tomorrow. People do not want to join a dinner club, a social club or waste their time with endless discussion. However, people will line up to assist us, to join our efforts, to embrace our vision for a better tomorrow for our local communities.

Tomorrow will be better when we build community playgrounds for the disabled; impact the lives of at-risk youth through Lions Quest; screen the vision of all children in our schools; become visible, vibrant and valuable in our communities.

While Lions International will continue to support many global causes, we have a responsibility to evaluate the needs of our local community and focus on the LOCAL causes, which will drive membership and service to new heights.

Success will not be found by only those who have titles beginning with “Past” or even current executive officers, directors or district governors. Success will be found when every District Governor-elect holds a Build a Vision summit inviting all Lions to participate; Build a Plan of action; and works that plan, with regular communication, to Build Greater Success.

Will you contact your DGE to ask how you can assist to Build a Vision for a better tomorrow?

In 1917, the world’s largest service organization, Lions Clubs International, was started by the efforts of one man — Melvin Jones. In 2024, our success will be based on one member in each club putting forth the effort to mobilize their club in the movement to enhance local service, provide leadership to the community, and embrace diversity in our membership.

Are you the spark in your club, zone, and district that will create the vision for a better tomorrow? Will you be the modern day Melvin Jones?

It is not IP Patti Hill, the vice presidents, the international directors, nor even your District Governor that needs you to step up and show out.

It is those in your community — the silent cry at night without hope for a better tomorrow — that need YOU to be a “Loving Individual Offering Needed Services.”

I am committed to be the "Melvin Jones" in my club. Are you?

Thank you.