The Stow - Munroe Falls Lions Club, chartered in 1939, is the oldest service organization in Stow.  In 2004, the Stow and Munroe Falls Lions joined to better serve the sister communities.  Since 1917, Lions have served the world's population through hard work and commitment to make a difference in the lives of people everywhere. With nearly 1.4 million members serving in more than 47,030 clubs in over 196 countries and geographical areas, Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization. The programs are continually changing to meet new needs and greater demands, but the mission has never wavered:  "We Serve."

 The Stow Munroe Falls Lions members are men and women who strive to make a difference in their local community as well as communities worldwide.  Our efforts go beyond the support of vision care to addressing unmet health and education needs worldwide.

 For more information about the Stow Munroe Falls Lions Club, call  330-618-2405 or 330-686-6218

 History of The Lions Club

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.

 Jones' group, the Business Circle of Chicago, agreed. After contacting similar groups around the United States, an organizational meeting was held on June 7, 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 held in Dallas, Texas, USA in October of that year. A constitution, by-laws, objects and code of ethics were approved.

 Among the objects adopted in those early years was one that read, "No club shall hold out the financial betterment of its members as its object." This call for unselfish service to others remains one of the association's main tenets.

 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 1960s.

 In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions international convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA. She challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." From this time, Lions clubs have been actively involved in service to the blind and visually impaired.

 In 1990, Lions launched its most aggressive sight preservation effort, SightFirst. The US$202 million program strives to rid the world of preventable and reversible blindness by supporting desperately needed health care services. Lions have launched Campaign SightFirst II to raise at least US$150 million to continue and expand the extraordinary work of SightFirst.

 In addition to sight programs, Lions Clubs International is committed to providing services for youth. Lions clubs also work 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.  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.