Capital City Lions Club
Santa Fe, NM
Melvin Jones was born January 13, 1879.
In 1913 he formed his own insurance agency and joined a luncheon group called the Business Circle. This group later joined with other men's groups to form Lions Clubs International.
In 1945 he represented the Lions Clubs International, as a consultant to the organizing group creating the United Nations.
(The awarding of the annual Peace Poster Contest grand prize takes place at the United Nations on “Lions Day”)
Melvin Jones died on June 1, 1961.
Who are the Lions? - You may not be familiar with the Lions Clubs and are wondering, “Who are the Lions?”.
The Lions Clubs International was developed by Melvin Jones in 1917. It became an international club in 1920 with the charter of a Canadian club.
Melvin Jones personal code was “You can’t get very far until you start doing something for somebody else”. He believed it was the duty of local businessmen’s clubs to return something to their communities. After contacting various business groups around the country, an organizational meeting was held and the Lions Club was born.
Find out more: Click here to learn more about Lions Clubs International.
At the 1925 convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, guest speaker Helen Keller challenged the clubs to become more involved with service to the blind and visually impaired. “I am knocking at your door. I want to be adopted”, she said as she asked for support to the newly formed American Foundation for the Blind.
Today Lions clubs around the world are recognized for their contributions to fulfill that challenge with sight programs such as eye screening and glasses recycling.
Helen Keller was born June 27, 1880.
At the age of 19 months, she became severly ill and was not expected to survive. By a miracle, she did survive, but was both blind and deaf from the ordeal.
At the age of 7 she met Anne Sullivan who was able to teach her to communicate with the outside world. She became involved with providing better care to the blind, and was instrumental in the creation of the American Foundation for the Blind.
In 1957 a drama “The Miracle Worker” was written depicting her childhood struggle.
Helen died June 1, 1968.