Senate Resolution No. 2305
BY: Senator WEBB
COMMEMORATING the 100th Annual New York & Bermuda
Lions Convention, May 3-5, 2024
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to those renowned organizations of high purpose and worthy
accomplishment whose endeavors have faithfully served the welfare of the
citizens of the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the 100th Annual New York & Bermuda MD-20 Lions Convention,
May 3-5, 2024, at the Double Tree Hotel in Binghamton, New York; and
WHEREAS, The International Association of Lions Clubs began as the
dream of Chicago businessman Melvin Jones; he believed that local
business clubs should expand their horizons from purely professional
concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world at large;
and
WHEREAS, After contacting similar groups around the United States,
an organizational meeting was held on June 7, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois;
the new group took the name of one of the invited groups, the
"Association of Lions Clubs"; and
WHEREAS, Just three years after its formation, the association
became international when the first club in Canada was established in
1920; major international expansion continued as clubs were established,
particularly throughout Europe, Asia and Africa during the 1950s and
60s; and
WHEREAS, In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions international
convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, challenging Lions to become "knights of
the blind in the crusade against darkness"; since this time, Lions clubs
have been actively involved in service to the blind and visually
impaired; and
WHEREAS, Broadening its international role, Lions Clubs
International helped the United Nations form the Non-Governmental
Organizations sections in 1945, and continues to hold consultative
status with the U.N.; and
WHEREAS, In addition to sight programs, Lions Clubs International is
committed to providing services for youth, and also works to improve the
environment, build homes for the disabled, support diabetes education,
conduct hearing programs and, through their foundation, provide disaster
relief around the world; and
WHEREAS, Since its inception, Lions Clubs International has grown to
include 1.3 million men and women in approximately 45,000 clubs located
in 202 countries and geographic areas; and
WHEREAS, The first Lions Club in New York State was the Herald
Square Lions Club formed late in 1917; the oldest existing club in New
York is the Rochester Lions Club chartered in 1921; New York was
originally a part of a large District which included New York, New
Jersey, Delaware and Maryland; and
WHEREAS, In 1922, New York State split from the other states to
become District 20, and the first New York State Convention was held in
1925; since then, as membership continued to grow, the State was divided
into sub-districts beginning with four in 1938-39, and growing to the 11
which exit today; and
WHEREAS, Bermuda became a part of New York State Lions in 1968; New
York was chosen because Bermuda could not reach the minimum requirement
for a District on their own and the main U.S. port of entry for
Bermudians into the United States was New York; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the International initiatives supporting
relief and/or cures for sight, hunger, diabetes, childhood cancer and
the environment, the Lions of New York State support four major
projects: Lions Camp Badger which runs summer camping programs for
differently abled individuals aged 12 and up during 6 different summer
sessions; Lions SEE (Screening Eyes Early) which is a free vision
screening program targeting children from 6 months to 6 years of age and
screening for Amblyopia; the Alert Foundation which provides emergency
supplies and equipment to communities throughout New York State who fall
victim to natural disasters; and the New York State & Bermuda Lions
Foundation which raises funds to support various projects in the Lions
clubs' communities through grant assistance; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when
individuals and organizations of such noble aims and accomplishments are
brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by
all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 100th Annual New York & Bermuda Lions Convention; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Lions Clubs of New York and Bermuda, Inc.
