LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL began as a dream of Chicago insurance man Melvin Jones. He believed that local business clubs should expand their horizons from purely professional concern to the betterment of their communities and the world at large. The first meeting was held on June 7, 1917 in Chicago, consisting of Jones’s own business group and similar groups around the country. Three years later the organization became international when the first club in Windsor, Ontario, Canada was established. Probably the single event having the greatest impact on the associations service commitment occurred in 1925 when Helen Keller addressed the Lions International Convention in Ohio, USA. She challenged Lions to become “Knights of the Blind” in the crusade against darkness. In 1990 Lions launched their most aggressive sight preservation effort – First Sight. The program strives to rid the world of preventable and reversible blindness by closing the gap between existing health care services and those that remain desperately needed. In 1987 Lions Clubs International became the first service club to admit women as members.
APPLETON EVENING LIONS CLUB was chartered on January 25, 1964 with 45 members. Two charter members still remain in the club, Lion Tom Lison and Lion Dave Thiel. Appleton Evening was sponsored by the Appleton Noon Lions and the charter took place at the Conway Lodge in Appleton.
DUES – Each club accesses an entrance fee and annual dues which are used for administrative purposes and to pay international and district dues. Our dues are $45 for six months. An additional family member pays $35.25. The Lion’s calendar runs from July 1 to June 30. Clubs maintain two separate accounts – activities and administrative.
COST – Besides the dues that are paid bi-annually, the cost of being in the Appleton Evening Lions Club is zero, unless you would like to be an active member in the club. Both of our monthly meetings are dinner meetings and cost $14 per meal. A choice of three entrées, soup or salad, along with bread/rolls, dessert, coffee and milk are included. You may attend the meetings without eating if you so choose. Any extra drinks, alcoholic or non alcoholic, are out of your wallet. If you want to participate in the raffles and/or auction, cost starts at $1. You may be fined by the tail twister for a variety of reasons but the usual limit for the fine is 25 cents.
STRUCTURE OF THE CLUB – A Lions Club is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board consists of the President, Immediate Past President, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Lion Tamer, Tail Twister, Membership Chair, and four or more directors. Officers are elected annually for a term of 1 year. Directors are elected for a 2 year term. Any member may attend the Board meeting.
- President – Chief executive officer who presides over all meetings of the Board and the Club.
- Immediate Past President – Official greeter
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd Vice-Presidents – Steps in for the President if President is unable to perform his/her duties and oversees the functioning of the committees of the club as the President designates.
- Secretary – Submits monthly reports, has custody of and maintains general records of the club, issues statements of the clubs dues to members.
- Treasurer – receives and deposits all monies collected, has custody of and maintains general records of club receipts and disbursements, prepares and submits monthly financial reports.
- Lion Tamer – Custodian of Club Property.
- Tail Twister – Promotes harmony, good fellowship, and enthusiasm at club meetings, and imposes fines on members for various reasons.
- Membership Director – Responsible for the development of membership growth programs and retention programs, the implementation of recruitment programs and the preparer of orientation sessions.
COMMITTEES – Committees are dependent upon the service projects and fundraisers a club chooses to participate in. Our committees as of now are as follows:
Service:
- Appleton Warming Shelter
- Community Clothes Closet
- Eye Glasses for the needy
- Food Pantries
- Dictionaries for 3rd Graders
- “Light the Night” LLS Walk
- Float
- Eye Glass Recycling
- Appleton Lions Park
- Fundraising:
- “Roses For Spring”
- Geranium Sale
- Pizza King Cards
- Entertainment Books
- Haunted House
- Brat Fries
- 4th of July Parking
Fellowship:
- Timber Rattler Tailgate and Game
- Golf Outing
- Family Picnic
- Lions Day at Lions Camp
- Christmas Party
- Valentines Party
MEETING LEADERS – Raffles, Prayer, Song, Attendance, Greeter.
BEHIND THE SCENES COMMITTEES – Historian, Webmaster, Newspaper editor, Publicity, Meals, Welfare, Equipment Maintenance, LCIF POC (Lions Clubs International Foundation Point of Contact), WLF POC (Wisconsin Lions Foundation Point of Contact).
RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE STATE – Appleton Evening is part of MD (Multiple District) 27, which is the State of Wisconsin. Wisconsin has 10 Districts – A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D1, D2, E1, E2.
Appleton Evening is in District B1 which is comprised of Waushara, Calumet, Winnebago,
Sheboygan, Fond Du Lac, Green Lake, and Marquette Counties and only the City of Appleton in
Outagamie County. There are 72 Clubs, 13 Lioness Clubs, and 1 Leo Club with approximately
2800 members. Our District Governor is Dawn Christensen for the 2013-2014 year.
Our District has 5 Regions – We are in Region 3.
Our Region has 3 Zones – We are in Zone 1.
Our Zone has 6 Clubs – We are zoned with Appleton Noon, Buttes Des Mortes,
Larsen/Winchester, Menasha & Neenah.
There is a State Convention usually in May.
There is a District Convention, ours is in November.
There is no Region Meeting.
There are 3 Zone Meetings, usually on September, January and April.
Our Club Meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm with the Board
meeting at 5:30 pm on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, unless otherwise stated.
Meeting Agenda is enclosed.
LION FACTS.
Official Name: The International Association of Lions Clubs. The name was chosen because of the symbolism of
what a Lion represents – Courage, Strength, Activity, and Fidelity.
Mission Statement: To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by
providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation.
Motto: “WE SERVE” – adopted at the 1954 International Convention.
Slogan: Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nations Safety adopted at the 1919 International Convention.
Official Colors: gold and purple (changed to royal blue in 2011). Colors were picked in 1917 when Lions were
founded. Gold symbolizes sincerity of purpose, liberality in judgement, purity in life and generousity in mind,
heart, and commitment to mankind. Purple and now royal blue represents loyalty to country, friends, to
one’s self and to the integrity of mind and heart. It is the color of strength, courage and dedication to a cause.
Official Emblem – Lion
.