Lions Clubs International District 410A (Western Cape, Northern Cape, Namibia)

History

The year was 1917; the city, Dallas, Texas. It was the first convention of Lions Clubs International and an event, which witnessed much of the basic structure, which the association put in place. Among the most important documents drafted and adopted by this convention, or any Lions convention, for that matter, was the Lions Code of Ethics, standards that were designed to identify and guide the type of individuals who were and who would become members of Lions clubs. The code was also handwritten on hotel stationery and submitted to delegates at the convention in St. Louis the following year.

There have been only minor changes in the code over the years. It has, most assuredly, stood the test of time during these nine decades and exists today as a criterion, which defines, without reservation, the mode of behaviour and personal demeanour, which is expected and required of a person who is a Lion.

Lions clubs worldwide should review the Code of Ethics on a regular basis. Many clubs, in fact recite it at the opening of each meeting. Every member needs to be familiar with our code to ensure that his or her conduct is in keeping with the Lions Code of Ethics.

To show my faith in the worthiness of my vocation by industrious application to the end that I may merit a reputation for quality of service.

To seek success and to demand all fair remuneration or profit as my just due, but to accept no profit or success at the price of my own self-respect lost because of unfair advantage taken or because of questionable acts on my part.

To remember that in building up my business it is not necessary to tear down another’s; to be loyal to my clients or customers and true to myself.

Whenever a doubt arises as to the right or ethics of my position or action towards my fellow men, to resolve such doubt against myself.

To hold friendship as an end and not a means. To hold that true friendship exists not on account of the service performed by one to another, but that true friendship demands nothing but accepts service in the spirit in which it is given.

Always to bear in mind my obligations as a citizen to my nation, my state and my community, and to give them my unswerving loyalty in word, act and deed. To give them freely of my time, labour and means.

To aid my fellow men by giving my sympathy to those in distress, my aid to the weak and my substance to the needy.

To be careful with my criticism and liberal with my praise; to build up and not destroy.

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It was Melvin Jones, a young American Insurance broker whose vision and dedication to the concept of international humanitarian service gave birth to the Lions movement. Jones, a member of a lunchtime business circle, pioneered the group’s community service programme which eventually led to the amalgamation with several other service groups. One of these was LIONS and this name was then adopted for the fledgling organization.

In 1917 this acronym was appropriately determined to mean

L - Liberty
I - Intelligence
O - Our
N - Nations
S - Safety

When Melvin Jones, the association first General Secretary, died in 1961 Charles F Kettering wrote:

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The International Association of Lions Clubs is the world’s largest service and non profit organisation with 1,3 million male and female members in 202 countries and geographical areas worldwide. Founded in 1917 in Chicago USA it rapidly spread through the American continent and reached Southern Africa in 1957 when the first club was chartered in Cape Town.
Now this district stretches from the Cape to Namibia, includes 53 Lions clubs and over 1088 volunteer members who are committed to assisting the less fortunate in their local communities and through district projects.

District 410A (Western Cape, Northern Cape & Namibia) is one of four districts, A, B, C & D, making up Multiple District 410 Southern Africa and there are few, if any humanitarian projects, in which Lions members and their clubs are not involved and our Association has a proud record of international service stretching back over ninety one years.

Since 1925 Lions have been responding to the challenge of Helen Keller to become “knights of the blind” and resultantly Lions Clubs worldwide are in the forefront of an international campaign to eradicate curable and preventable blindness.

Today, in South Africa, we are one of only two community based organisations continuously committed to reducing the indigent cataract surgery backlog which is well over 15000 patients in the Western Cape alone. In Namibia there are an estimated 12000 sufferers and the Lions of Region E are investigating the establishment of a linked Lions project to cater for the indigent patients in that region.

Lions service projects range through local, national & international involvement and there are many clubs successfully working with others across the world to the benefit of the needy in district 410A – spectacles and lenses from Europe & Australia, medical equipment & supplies, school room furniture, hearing aids & audiology equipment, wheelchairs etc. The Windhoek Alte Feste club has been involved with German clubs and their Government bringing significant funding and expertise into Namibia to build clinics, hospitals, schools and other community facilities for the past twenty years. The highly acclaimed Swakopmund Seniors Home has been operating for over 40 years, has been valued at R16 million and is a project funded by the club and the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF).

We serve is not just a motto, it is an action plan that has served the world well and will continue to do so as volunteers respond to the call to help their fellow men – Lions Life Skills are being provided here in our schools and to over 6 million young leaders in 33 countries, teaching them how to deal with the pressures of modern living, informing and educating them about dealing with HIV AIDS, smoking, drinking and peer pressure.

Membership offers not only the opportunity to assist the less fortunate but it also provides an opportunity to personally develop through the many and varied skills offered by the district’s training programme coordinated by qualified and experienced Lion trainers.

Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) formed in 1968 has raised millions of dollars worldwide to meet its three major objectives – Humanitarian Services, Vocational Assistance and Major Disaster Relief and has provided priceless benefits throughout this district in grants for the Sight / Cataract Surgery Project and emergency aid for those affected by tornados, floods, droughts & other major calamities.

All funds raised from the public are only used for community service and it is member’s dues that pay for the association’s operating costs.