History of the Lions Clubs
In 1917, Melvin Jones, a Chicago business leader,
told members of his local business club they should
reach beyond business issues and address the
betterment of their communities and the world.
Jones’ group, the Business Circle of Chicago agreed.
After contacting similar groups around the United
States, an organizational meeting was held on June
7, 1917, in Chicago. The new group took the name
the “Association of Lions Clubs” and a national
convention was held in October of that year.
Within three years, Lions became an international
organization, establishing the first club in Canada
followed by Mexico in 1927. In the 1950s and
1960s international growth accelerated, with new
clubs in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Eradicating Blindness:
In 1925, eight years after our founding, Helen Keller
addressed the Lions Club International Convention
in Cedar Point, Ohio and challenged Lions to
become “knights of the blind in the crusade against
darkness.” Since then, Lions Clubs have worked
tirelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired.
Youth Programs:
In the late 1950s, the Leo Program was created to
provide our youth with an opportunity for personal
development through volunteering. There are
approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo Clubs in
more than 140 countries worldwide.
Foundation:
The Lions International Foundation was established
in 1968 to assist with global and large-scale local
humanitarian projects. Through our Foundation,
Lions meet the needs of their local and global
communities.
Almost 100 years later, Lions Club International is
the world’s largest service club organization, with
1.35 million members in more than 46,000 clubs in
over 200 countries. Our mission and services
include sight, health, youth, elderly, the environment
and disaster relief.
Woodbury Lions Club History
Founded in 1936, the Woodbury Lions Club primary
mission is to bring together service-minded people
for the purpose of serving their community through
fund raising and service projects. Some of the
contributions to our community in the past 79 years
include:
Scrap Drive during World War II
Assisting in the effort to establish the swimming
pond at Hollow Park in 1968.
The design and construction of the pavilion at
Hollow Park in 1985 (dedicated in 2010 to the
memory of the architect and past club president
Lion Robert P. Keating).
Construction of the bandstand on the North
Green, dedicated to the memory of composer and
Woodbury resident Leroy Anderson in 1986.
Donating the cost of training one FIDELCO
Guide Dog, $20,000, in 2007.
The Woodbury Lions Club supports various sight
and hearing related causes; collects used
eyeglasses for those in need, helps support the
Lions Eye Research Center at Yale University
and provides local sight and hearing screenings
throughout the year.
Over the years we have provided scholarships to
local students through our Woodbury Lions Club
Foundation. These annual Awards have totaled
over $170,000 in the past twelve years.
Other contributions and services to our community
include:
American Flags displayed on Main Street in
Woodbury from Memorial Day through Veterans
Day.
Luminaries that line the Woodbury streets on
Christmas Eve.
The benches found throughout the town are
placed in memory of past Lions Club Members.
The Woodbury Food Bank and other local nonprofit
organizations receive annual donations
from the Woodbury Lions Club Foundation.
In addition to the Annual Car Show, the Woodbury
Lions Club holds two other fundraisers each year:
The Haunted Hayride which began in 1991
provides a night of Halloween entertainment for
“children” of all ages.
The Duck Race, our newest fundraiser for sight
and hearing related causes, started in 2010. On
Race Day, thousands of yellow rubber ducks are
launched into a local river with the first to
navigate all the hazards, keep from getting
trapped along the riverbank and cross the finish
line winning a prize for their “owner”. As we
approach our 80th year we remain committed to
serving our community. Through our fundraisers
and the generous contributions to our
Foundation, we hope to continue in the tradition
of giving with our annual charitable grants and
scholarships. Leo Clubs
The Woodbury Lions Club has sponsored two
Leo Clubs
The Woodbury Middle School Leo Club
Sponsored in 1997
The Nonnewaug High School Leo Club