Smith Brothers

in 1917 in Illinois, Lions club members are to “reach beyond business issues and address the betterment of their communities”; “promote the principles of good government and good citizenship”; “take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social, and moral welfare of the community”; and “to encourage serviceminded people to serve their community without personal financial reward” among many aims. The most well known of the Lions Clubs service projects concerns the blind and visually impaired, which began shortly after Helen Keller addressed the club’s international convention in 1925.

Club membership was restricted to males only until 1987 when the Constitution of Lions Club Internationnal were amended to allow a female to join.