PRINTER'S NO. 831
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
116
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY STEFANO, GORDNER, BREWSTER, MARTIN, ARGALL,
FONTANA, BARTOLOTTA, SCAVELLO, GREENLEAF, DINNIMAN, SABATINA,
BROWNE, AUMENT, HUTCHINSON, RAFFERTY, YUDICHAK, BAKER, COSTA,
SCHWANK, KILLION, MENSCH AND HUGHES, MAY 10, 2017
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 10, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 100th anniversary of Lions Clubs International
and designating the month of October 2017 as "Lions Month" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Lions Clubs International is a global organization
established to empower volunteers to serve their communities,
meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote
international understanding through Lions clubs; and
WHEREAS, In 1917, Melvin Jones, a Chicago business leader,
recommended to members of his local business club, the Business
Circle of Chicago, that they address the betterment of their
communities and the world; and
WHEREAS, On June 7, 1917, an organizational meeting was held
in Chicago, Illinois, to establish the "Association of Lions
Clubs"; and
WHEREAS, Following a national convention held in Dallas,
Texas, the Lions clubs became an international endeavor; and
WHEREAS, In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions Clubs
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International Convention, presenting a challenge to Lions clubs
to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against
darkness"; and
WHEREAS, The Lions clubs then launched their campaign on
behalf of the blind and visually impaired; and
WHEREAS, Lions Clubs International operates in 210 countries
with more than 46,000 clubs and 1.4 million members; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is proud that three native sons have
served as International President of Lion Clubs International:
Irving L. Camp (1927-1928), Monroe L. Nute (1954-1955) and
Joseph L. Wroblewski (1985-1986); and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's Lions Multiple District 14
encompasses 17 districts and includes nearly 400 Lions clubs and
nearly 20,000 members; and
WHEREAS, In 1948, Pennsylvania Lions Beacon Lodge Camp,
consisting of 583 acres, was founded by Pennsylvania Lions as a
summer camp for blind residents of this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania Lions Beacon Lodge Camp currently
affords the opportunity for recreational, educational and
personal adjustment for children and adults with special needs,
including blindness, deafness and physical and mental
challenges; and
WHEREAS, In 1959, the Pennsylvania Lions Sight Conservation
and Eye Research Foundation, founded by the Pennsylvania State
Council of Lions Clubs, was established to raise funds for eye
and diabetic research projects and equipment for clinical
procedures; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Lions Sight Conservation and Eye
Research Foundation and the Lions of Pennsylvania Foundation
presented major contributions to the Wills Eye Hospital, the
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Pennsylvania Lions Laser Center at the Eye and Ear Institute,
the Pennsylvania Lions Low Vision and Research Center, the F.M.
Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology at the University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the Scheie Eye Institute and
the Regulatory and Molecular Biology Research Laboratory at the
Pennsylvania of College Optometry; and
WHEREAS, On August 21, 1979, the Pennsylvania Lions Hearing
Research Foundation, a nonprofit corporation, was founded to
initiate and support research on hearing problems covering a
range of research from embryonic through adult stages of life
with special emphasis on preventing deafness and hearing
problems among the young; and
WHEREAS, In 1992, the Lions of Pennsylvania Foundation, a
tax-exempt corporation, was formed to fund Lions club projects
and provide resources to carry out its mission and sensory
impairment programs within this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Lions of Pennsylvania Foundation provides grants of
approximately $70,000 each year to Pennsylvania Lions projects;
and
WHEREAS, The Lions club emblem consists of a gold letter "L"
on a Lions face reflecting both pride of heritage and confidence
in the future; and
WHEREAS, The combination of the letters, L-I-O-N-S, heralds
the meaning of United States citizenship: Liberty, Intelligence,
Our Nation's Safety; and
WHEREAS, The motto of Lions Clubs International is "We
Serve"; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate commend Lions Clubs International
for its sustained participation in the challenging work of
improving communities and conducting meaningful local and global
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service projects; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the 100th anniversary of
Lions Clubs International; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of October 2017
as "Lions Month" in Pennsylvania.
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