Lion Club, District 404B2, harps on community development

Lion Club, District 404B2, has reiterate commitment to community development in Nigeria. This was made known to journalists recently in Lagos by the District Governor of Lion Club, District 404B2, Lion Asiwaju Ayobola Samuel.
The event was to commence the Lion’s service year.

According to him, “Lion club, at present, is the largest service club organisation. It has over 1.4 million members in 210 countries. Our members do whatever is needed to help their local communities, everywhere we work, we make friends and reach out to children, youth and aged people who need improvement to their sight; with people who don’t have enough to eat and giving helping hands to people they may ever meet.”

He said that by so doing, “Lion clubs international, has set the pace and given the direction for service delivery, as we enter into another century. Through the introduction of Lions Club international (LCI) forward, we are expected to triple our impact worldwide by improving the lives of at least two hundred million people per year by 2020-2021 through expanded humanitarian service.”

He said,“we strive to do things that will have direct bearing on the people. We will sustain the five service challenge areas of: engaging the youth, relieving the hungry; protecting our environment; sight preservation; diabetes screening and awareness campaign.”

“However, having experienced the devastating effect of sickle cell anaemia in the past, I want to give special attention to education and enlightenment on sickle cell disease and work with relevant non- governmental organisation and groups for support and treatment of victims.” He added.

He said that, in 1917, Melvin jones, a thirty eight years old Chicago business leader, told members of his local business club that they should see beyond business issues and address the betterment of their communities and the world as a whole.”

He said that Jones’ group, the business circle of Chicago, agreed and that is what formed the Lions Clubs international today.

He said,“After contacting similar groups around the United States, an organisational meeting was held on the seventh of July, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The new group took the name of one of the invited groups, the ‘Association of Lions Clubs’ and a national convention was later held in Dallas. Texas, USA, in October of that year. A constitution, by-laws, objectives and code of ethics were approved. The rest is now history.”

Asiwaju also stated that, “As we celebrate our 100 years anniversary in 2017, it is a moment to look back at our long and proud tradition of service and the numerous achievements of our association and Lions around the world.”