New Club Formation 1
Won t YOU Join Today? 2
Why Organize a New Lions Club? To serve To make a difference To assist those in need To introduce new projects to local communities Whenever a Lions club gets together, problems get smaller and the community gets better! 3
Lions Clubs International World s Largest Service Organization 1.43 million members in almost 48,000 clubs in over 215 countries/geographical areas First CENTURY of service 1917-2017! International Vision Statement: To be the Global Leader in Community & Humanitarian Service 4
You would be part of an International Association June 1917, Lions Club founded by Melvin Jones * 1 st President W. P. Woods from Evansville, Indiana 1920, Association became International with formation of club in Canada (Windsor, Ontario) 1925, Helen Keller addresses Lions at Intl Convention --will you be the Knights for the Blind in the crusade against Darkness? 5
Lions started in Indiana with the Lafayette Club in March 1920 7 Districts 9,975 members in 383 clubs 25 A, B, C, D, E, F, and G Council of Governors (7 District Governors (DG)) One Immediate Past DG (Council Chair) 6
www.lions25e.org 22 Southwestern counties of the state 65 Lions Clubs 9 Leo Clubs About 1519 Lions 7
Things Lions Can Offer Your Community
Halting Diabetes preventing new cases of diabetes & improving the quality of life for those already diagnosed Engaging our Youth supporting youth in your community or inspiring the next generation of volunteers by inviting Leos & other local youth to serve on a project with you Sharing the Vision preventing future cases of unnecessary blindness through vision screenings and educational events; giving the gift of sight through projects that benefit those who are blind or living with low vision Relieving Hunger improving access to healthy food for vulnerable populations in your community Protecting our Environment protecting & improving the environment to make your community a healthier place to live for everyone 9
Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) Serves the world with disaster relief tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunami, etc. Works to improve world health eradicate blindness and diseases such as measles. Provides grants for humanitarian efforts. [In 2007, LCIF was ranked #1 for a non-governmental service organization by The Financial Times --How LCIF Impacts the World]
Indiana Lions Foundation and Holding Corporation Mission: to assist Indiana Lions Clubs, Sub-districts of Indiana Lions, and the State Projects of Multiple District 25 to carry out their charitable purposes Matching grants of up to $750 are offered to assist Lions support community projects Dedicated grants are offered Indiana Lions license plates are offered through the IDMV with monies going to support the mission of the Indiana Lions Foundation
Eyeglasses & Hearing Aids Services To provide new glasses to the needy (programs may differ by individual club) To provide loaner hearing aids to children of needy families and low-cost hearing aids for those adults who qualify To collect used glasses & sunglasses for distribution in 3 rd world countries and by vision missions To collect used hearing aids for recycling Other recyclable items may also be put in the eyeglasses recycling boxes in Indiana: old cell phones, keys for Keys for Cancer Program, & pop tabs for Riley Hospital for Children 12
Indiana Leos Clubs A Lions youth organization providing: Leadership skills development Experience in working as a team member to serve the community Opportunities for meeting people across the state 13
Lions Cancer Control Fund of Indiana, Inc. Vision First: Indiana Lions Eye Bank, Inc. Indiana Lions Speech & Hearing, Inc. Indiana Lions for Leader Dog, Inc. Indiana Lions for the Indiana School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, Inc. 14
Indiana Lions Cancer Control Fund, Inc. 1946, First Lions state project established Purpose & Function: to establish, promote, manage, & control a fund to be used exclusively for the control of cancer and shall receive & disburse funds and property to accomplish this purpose To educate & encourage Lions clubs, other organizations, & individuals to become active donors To prolong life, relieve pain, & to give hope to thousands battling cancer Memorials & trust funds can be established upon request Gifts are fully tax deductible 15
Vision First is only eye bank in Indiana, providing approximately 2000 corneas for transplant annually Vision First has been helping to eliminate corneal blindness for nearly 50 years Vision First provides highest quality ocular tissue for transplantation & is primary provider of ocular tissue for surgeons Vision First provides full range of transplant services as well as research tissue & training consulting services for other medical professionals in our industry 16
Operation KidSight (under the umbrella of the Indiana Lions Eye Bank) Statewide free vision-screening program that identifies treatable or preventable causes of blindness in preschool children (ages 18 months-6 years) If further screening is indicated for preschooler, the child is referred to a physician Early screening is critical If eye problems are not detected early, a child s vision may deteriorate to the point of irreversible blindness Research indicates that 70-80% of what a child learns is visually acquired & there is evidence to suggest that children with undetected vision disorders are more likely to fail in school 17
Indiana Lions Speech & Hearing, Inc (ILSH) Mission is to assist those in-state with speech & hearing impairments who are unable to obtain help elsewhere; to this end, funds are made available for charitable, educational, and scientific research Loaner hearing aids are provided to children of needy families and low-cost hearing aids for those adults who qualify Informational booklets about topics related to speech/language & hearing are provided free of charge and are available to individuals, organizations, schools, & health care providers in the State Proud sponsor of Indiana Deaf Camps Foundation, Inc which sponsors camps & trips for the deaf & hard-of-hearing in the State ILSH established Miyamoto Fellowship to honor Lions & others for their dedication to their Lions Club, to LCI, & to those in need in their communities and around the world. 18
Indiana Lions for Leader Dog, Inc. Leader Dogs for the Blind Guide Dogs & training are free-of-charge to individuals upon recommendation of a Lions Club Offers services that empower clients to travel farther, travel safer, and prepare for their next life challenge. Has piloted new training techniques and has piloted the Prison Puppies initiative to place puppies within correctional facilities with carefully screened inmates. Has piloted Guide Dog Training in new locations (other than small city) to better fit client needs such as urban, warm weather, & cold climate environments. Offers university students hands-on learning in the field of blind rehabilitation Is committed to innovation & reviewing emerging travel related technologies 19
Indiana Lions for the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ISBVI) Indiana Lions specifically support the connection between Indiana youth and organizations of the blind ISBVI offers blind and visually impaired Indiana youth opportunities to have positive associations with and mentorship by successful blind or visually impaired adults Lions offer the annual Brian s Trike Race fundraiser which brings together Lions, students, & the public to benefit ISBVI and is held at the David Letterman Track at ISBVI 20
Important Factors When you have a fundraising event, LCI offers 1 Million Dollar Liability Insurance All money received from your public activities must be returned to your community in some service project 21
We Need YOU! New ideas for ways to serve your community New leadership & commitment More hands to serve your community 22
What YOU Will Receive Membership in the greatest (& largest) world s service organization Opportunities to make the Vincennes community better while gaining valuable skills Fun and fellowship while energizing your life A volunteer opportunity that fits your lifestyle New friends all over the state Self satisfaction in jobs well done 23
Member Benefits Reward Yourself Lions Clubs International Member s Benefit Program rewards our members with valuable savings & services. It is our way of saying how much we appreciate the good work you do as a Lion. Current Lions rewards programs include: Avis Car Rental Budget Rent A Car Play It Forward Golf Discounts Credit Cards Beltone Hotel Discounts Hertz Rent-a-Car In most cases, these benefits are also available to friends and families of Lions. Best of all, by participating in these programs, you will be helping to support Lions Clubs International programming at no additional cost to you. 24
Requirements for Joining LCI new member/charter member fee of $35.00 Dues: only $6.00 - $7.00 per month Attend meetings determined by the club members (attendance is not required but highly recommended) Service-minded citizens with a will do attitude
Won t YOU Join Today?