The Lions Club

The International Association of Lions Clubs is made up of over 1.4 million members in more than 44,550 clubs in 180 countries and territories. The Lions Club was founded by Chicago Businessman, Melvin Jones. It was his vision that local businesses should expand their support from purely professional concerns to the betterment of their local communities and the world as a whole. Melvin Jones' group, the Business Circle of Chicago, agreed and after contacting other groups around the country, held an organizational meeting on June 7, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois. In October, a national convention of the "Association of Lions Clubs" was held in Dallas, approving a constitution, code of ethics, and by-laws.

In 1925, Helen Keller spoke to the Lions at their annual International Convention, challenging them to become "Knights of the Blind in the crusade against darkness." Since then, service to the blind and visually impaired has become one of the Lions main activities. This crusade has resulted in the establishment of International SightFirst, an aggressive global blindness prevention program. International SightFirst is a program which joins leading blindness experts, blindness prevention organizations, governments and Lions in an effort to establish long-term solutions in eliminating blindness.

As Lions, we volunteer our time and efforts to humanitarian causes throughout our district and the State of Virginia. By conducting service projects and raising funds, we strive to help those in need - wherever the need exists. Today, the Lions has expanded its efforts to include hearing problems, diabetes awareness, youth activities and scholarships, and community support. Our motto is "We Serve."