[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 27, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H2385-H2388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MELVIN JONES AND RECOGNIZING THE 
               CONTRIBUTIONS OF LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL

  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 399) honoring the life and legacy of Melvin Jones 
and recognizing the contributions of Lions Clubs International.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 399

       Whereas Melvin Jones was born in the Cavalry Outpost at 
     Fort Thomas, Arizona, on January 13, 1879;
       Whereas Melvin Jones experienced early success in the 
     insurance industry and that success led to his sole ownership 
     of an insurance agency;
       Whereas although many business clubs of the time exhibited 
     a self-interested attitude, Melvin Jones had a vision of an 
     organization of businessmen focused on volunteerism and 
     community service;
       Whereas the Association of Lions Clubs, known today as 
     Lions Clubs International, was begun on June 17, 1917, when 
     20 delegates gathered in the East Room of the Hotel LaSalle 
     in Chicago;
       Whereas, while Melvin Jones passed away on June 1, 1961, 
     his legacy lives on;
       Whereas, for over 85 years, Lions Clubs International has 
     honored Melvin Jones' legacy by following the simple rule 
     that he insisted be included in the organization's 
     Constitution: ``No club shall hold out as one of its objects, 
     financial benefits to its members.'';
       Whereas Lions Clubs International counts over 46,000 clubs 
     and 1.4 million members, and constitutes the largest network 
     of service clubs in the world; and
       Whereas Lions Clubs International continues to embrace its 
     motto ``We Serve'' by performing a wide range of services, 
     including cleaning local parks, supporting advances in 
     medical technology, bringing sight to the blind, mentoring 
     children, and organizing Liberty Day celebrations: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) honors the life and legacy of volunteerism and 
     community service of Melvin Jones; and
       (2) recognizes the contributions and service of Lions Clubs 
     International to communities and those in need throughout the 
     world.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Cannon) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon).


                             General Leave

  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H. Res. 399.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 399 recognizes the remarkable global 
contributions of Lions Clubs International, the largest service club 
organization in the world.
  Lions Clubs work to aid communities in 190 different countries with 
all sorts of humanity's problems. From collecting five million pairs of 
used eyeglasses each year to give to those with vision loss, to 
collecting thousands of books for hospitals and schools in need, and to 
establishing disease prevention programs, the Lions Clubs consistently 
live up to their long-stated mission, ``We serve.''
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution also honors Melvin Jones, the founder of 
the Lions Clubs. Jones grew up in Chicago and worked in the insurance 
industry as a young adult at the turn of the 20th century. He became 
affiliated with the business group known as The Business Circle, but 
was dismayed that the group focused only on improving the financial 
status of its members. Jones sought a business club that asked for more 
from its members.
  On June 17, 1917, Jones pulled together leaders of business clubs 
from

[[Page H2386]]

all over the U.S. to discuss a new business-oriented organization that 
also would be committed to community service. The nascent group was 
called the Association of Lions Clubs, and it has grown into the 
largest service club organization on Earth with 1.4 million members 
worldwide today.
  This year is the 125th anniversary of Melvin Jones' birth and, 
therefore, a fitting time to pay tribute to his commitment to 
volunteerism and service.
  Mr. Speaker, the Lions Clubs International are truly worthy of 
commendation by this House, and I would encourage anyone interested in 
volunteer opportunities to think about contacting a nearby Lions Club 
chapter.
  I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy) for his work to 
honor Melvin Jones and the Lions Clubs. I know the gentleman from 
Minnesota has been a Lions Club member for many years. I congratulate 
the gentleman for advancing this resolution to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today we honor the life of an American hero, Mr. Melvin 
Jones, and the institution he helped created, the Lions Clubs 
International. A driven and thoughtful man, Melvin Jones made his home 
in Chicago, Illinois and formed his own insurance agency in 1913.
  Mr. Jones, like many other businessmen, worked extremely hard for his 
success. Unlike some, however, Melvin Jones did not find satisfaction 
in his personal success alone. He wanted to improve his community. He 
believed that he and other successful businessmen should work together 
for the betterment of the community.
  Mr. Jones is quoted as asking at a businessmen's luncheon, ``What if 
these men who are successful because of their drive, intelligence and 
ambition were to put their talents to work improving their 
communities?''
  Thus, on June 7, 1917, the Lions Clubs International was born. The 
first meeting was held in Chicago and two principles were set forth. 
One, meetings were not to be of a social nature, and members could not 
promote their own business interests.
  The group was to focus on volunteerism and community service. Melvin 
Jones became so engulfed in the Lions Club that he left the insurance 
agency he had created to work for the club full time. He was a living 
example of the Lions Club motto, ``We serve.''
  Although Mr. Jones passed away in 1961 at the age of 82, his legacy 
in the Lions Club lives on. Today with more than 46,000 clubs in 193 
countries, Lions Club has expanded its focus to help meet the ever-
increasing needs of our global community. One of the Lions Club's 
biggest programs is to improve the quality of eye care for the less 
fortunate. The Lions Club provides thousands of people around the world 
with free eye care. In addition, the Lions Club collects more than 5 
million pairs of eyeglasses each year to be distributed in developing 
countries.
  Melvin Jones, the man, whose personal code was, and I quote, ``You 
cannot get very far until you start doing something for somebody 
else,'' became a source of inspiration for people working all over the 
world for the good of mankind. I am delighted to know this history and 
origin of the Lions Club and proud to say that at one time I, too, was 
a member of a Lions Club and one of its creators in my own community 
and my own neighborhood, and I can remember distributing eyeglasses to 
people who needed them.
  So we thank Mr. Jones for his vision, for his creativity, and his 
sense of giving back to his community. I am privileged to support this 
legislation. I view Mr. Jones as one of our real visionaries.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the mellifluous gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for his contribution to the Lions Club in his 
area.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy), the distinguished sponsor of this 
legislation.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Cannon) for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 399, a 
resolution I introduced to honor the life and legacy of Lions Club 
International founder, Melvin Jones, and to recognize the contributions 
of this fine organization.
  Over 200 years ago at the end of the Constitutional Convention in 
Philadelphia, a curious woman asked Benjamin Franklin, ``Sir, what have 
you given us?'' He replied, ``a republic, if you can keep it.'' Part of 
our responsibility of maintaining our republic is encouraging the 
active involvement of our citizens and our government in serving our 
community. No one understood this better than Melvin Jones.
  The club he founded, Lions Club International, embodies that spirit 
through a program called Liberty Days.
  The history of Lions Club International of which I am a proud member 
from the Watertown, Minnesota chapter goes back nearly 100 years. After 
a humble beginning that began on January 13, 1879 in a dusty cavalry 
outpost at Fort Thomas in what was then known as the Arizona Territory, 
Melvin Jones moved east with his family to St. Louis.

                              {time}  1430

  Later, in Quincy, Illinois, Melvin Jones attended Union Business 
College and Chaddock College. After college, he moved to Chicago where 
he launched a successful career in insurance, first with the Johnson 
and Higgins agencies and later with his own business, the Melvin Jones 
Insurance Agency.
  In 1909, he married women's professional golfer Rose Amanda Freeman, 
whose unqualified support was instrumental as Melvin worked tirelessly 
to get the Lions Club rolling. In 1913, an acquaintance invited Melvin 
to meet some local men who belonged to a club called the Business 
Circle. Like many groups at the time, the Business Circle was largely 
about old school ``scratch my back and I will scratch yours'' club.
  After his election as secretary in 1915, Melvin began to wonder how 
much could be accomplished if only the members of the Business Circle 
would pool their energies and talent for the greater good of their 
communities. Despite broaching this novel idea with other business 
organizations, their feedback was mixed at best. So Melvin put this 
unique vision into action and launched his own organization.
  On June 17, 1917, he assembled 20 delegates representing 27 clubs 
nationwide in the East Room of the Hotel LaSalle, and a consensus was 
reached that a national organization should be formed dedicated to 
community service. After a spirited debate, the club voted by secret 
ballot to name the new organization the Association of Lions Clubs. 
Jones advocated for the name of Lions because it was a symbol of 
courage, strength, fidelity and vital action, which helped set the 
standard for the club.
  Furthermore, during the organization's constitution, he insisted that 
it include a plank that no club should hold out as one of its objects 
financial benefits to its members, a principle Melvin followed 
throughout his entire life.
  The Lions Club caught on so fast that it was just 3 years later after 
its birth that the club became international when it chartered a new 
club in Windsor, Ontario.
  One of the profound moments of the club's history occurred in 1925 at 
their international convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, when Helen Keller 
addressed, challenging the attendees, the Lions, to become knights of 
the blind in their crusade against darkness, and from then on, as my 
fellow colleagues have noted, the Lions have been serving and bringing 
sight to the visually impaired and made this one of their central 
priorities.
  In 1927, the Lions Club had the support of 11,063 local clubs and 
comprised 60,000 members worldwide. In 1950, when Lions membership 
surpassed the 400,000 mark, the international board of directors 
conferred upon Melvin Jones the title of Secretary General of Lions 
Club International which was changed to Founder and Secretary General 
in 1958.
  Throughout his life, Jones' refusal to accept the limitation of old 
age was an inspirational reminder to all Lions of his dedication to 
serving others.
  In 1960, at the age of 81, even after several strokes the year 
before, he

[[Page H2387]]

commuted to the club each day alone from his suburban Chicago home, 
never missing a moment of the Lions International Convention where 
thunderous applause for the Founder shook the rafters.
  On June 1, 1961, Melvin's perfect attendance record ended with his 
passing into the next life. Soon after, the international board of 
directors proclaimed January 13, Melvin Jones' day as a memory each 
year for his contributions to the world of Lionism. In 1965, the Melvin 
Jones Lions International Memorial was dedicated near his birthplace at 
Fort Thomas, Arizona.
  In June 1999, the Lions international board dedicated a prestigious 
50-foot spire in his honor as a lasting tribute to his memory.
  During his remarkable life, Melvin Jones accumulated dozens of award, 
honors and accolades, including participation in a White House business 
leaders conference to discuss the economy in 1932 and representing the 
Lions Club at the preliminary planning for the United Nations in 1945.
  Today, the Lions Club International is the largest network of service 
clubs in the world, comprising more than 46,000 clubs and 1.4 million 
members in 193 countries.
  In addition to bringing sight to the blind, the Lions help build a 
brighter future for their communities by performing a wide range of 
services from cleaning up local parks and developing youth programs to 
assisting the hearing impaired and promoting diabetes awareness.
  One of the Lions' newest and most exciting programs is the Liberty 
Day Program. Unfortunately, as most of us are well aware, over the 
years civics education has become only voluntary in many schools across 
the country. Even where it is taught, many American government and 
history books have left out the two most important documents in our 
history, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These 
omissions will have a detrimental effect on our republic, with young 
people learning less about our founding and how precious our democracy 
is.
  As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to give back to our 
communities and combat the cynicism and apathy that some of our 
constituents have towards government.
  In the summer of 1966, two members of the Youth Service Committee of 
the Lions Club in Denver, Colorado, started a small program in Denver 
schools to distribute books containing the Declaration of Independence 
and the Constitution. The program immediately got traction and 
volunteers sought out private donations for the printing of these 
little booklets.
  Other Lions Club members and volunteers pitched in and recruited 
elected State officials in Colorado ranging from the Speaker of the 
State House, Russell George, to former Senator Gary Hart and Attorney 
General Gale Norton to speak to classes and distribute the books. The 
response was unbelievable.
  Soon, every State had its own booklet on Liberty Day, and many have 
Statewide Liberty Day coordinators, who are continuously seeking to 
promote and collect private donations to print these books. In fact, in 
2000, both the House and the Senate passed resolutions honoring and 
recognizing the contributions of Liberty Day.
  I am proud to be State Chairman of Minnesota's Liberty Day program. 
In my State, I have had the honor of participating in more than a dozen 
of these celebrations, talking to thousands of students and adults, and 
the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
  Liberty Day has evolved into more than just a celebration for 
students. It is a celebration in which the whole community can 
participate. Many communities celebrate by holding public lectures, 
displaying sections of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution 
in public places and staging mock debates on issues our Founding 
Fathers grappled with more than 200 years ago. These celebrations are 
terrific opportunities to connect with our constituents and provide an 
example and opportunity to give something back to our communities who 
have entrusted us with the responsibility of doing the people's 
business. It is also a chance to leave a lasting impression in the 
minds of young and old alike and erase some of the cynicism they have 
towards government and public officials.
  In closing, none of the outstanding programs and services provided by 
Lions Club International that have touched the lives of many millions 
around the world would have been possible without the selfless 
dedication of Melvin Jones and the millions of volunteers who have 
followed in his pursuit of serving others.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution and give 
Melvin Jones and the Lions Club International the congressional 
recognition they deserve.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lions Club 
International founder, Melvin Jones, for his legacy of volunteerism and 
community service. Melvin Jones was born on January 13, 1879 at Fort 
Thomas, Arizona, and passed away on June 1, 1961 at the age of 82. He 
founded the Association of Lions Clubs in 1917, the same year they held 
their national convention in Dallas, TX.
  Melvin Jones abandoned his job at an insurance agency to devote 
himself full time to the Lions. He was a dedicated individual who gave 
back to his community and worked hard to improve the lives of others. 
Melvin Jones had a vision for the Lions to expand their focus to help 
meet the ever-increasing needs of our global community.
  Today, Lions International has over 1.4 million members in over 170 
countries worldwide. As a proud member of the Oak Cliff Lions Club in 
Dallas, TX, I am pleased to celebrate their 75th anniversary and salute 
each member who graciously gives their time, skills and resources for 
our communities and internationally. As global members, Lions provide 
immediate and sustained relief in time of disaster and offer long-term 
assistance to those in need. Lions International has raised millions of 
dollars for various charitable causes, including sight conservation, 
diabetes awareness and cancer research. For over 85 years, Lions 
International has benefited countless persons by fulfilling the mission 
set out by Melvin Jones in the association's motto: ``We Serve.''
  Mr. Speaker, and I am pleased to honor the service and commitment 
Melvin Jones made to build a brighter future for our country, and I 
know my colleagues will join me today in recognizing his valuable 
contributions.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House 
Resolution 399, honoring the achievements of Melvin Jones and 
recognizing the contributions of Lions Club International.
  One of our Nation's great success stories began when Jones, then an 
insurance agent, looked around his business luncheon group and asked a 
question:
  ``What if these men, who are successful because of their drive, 
intelligence, and ambition, were to put their talents to work improving 
their communities?''
  On June 7th, 1917, Lions Clubs International was born. Jones 
eventually left the insurance business to devote himself to the 
organization full-time. With his guidance, Lions Club International 
became one of the world's leading service associations. Jones's 
leadership was held in such high regard that he was recruited as a 
consultant during the organization of the United Nations.
  Today, almost 1.4 million Lions Club members in 193 countries tackle 
problems like blindness, drug abuse prevention, diabetes awareness, and 
disaster relief. Lions build parks, support hospitals and establish 
water treatment programs. The largest Lions Club in the United States 
meets in Lubbock, Texas, where they've served since 1929.
  The Lions have been with us for 85 years. Melvin Jones's philosophy 
that ``You can't get very far until you start doing something for 
somebody else'' has become the motto of service-minded folks the world 
over. Where there's need, they're there. Where there's work to do, they 
serve.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Schrock). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 399.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

[[Page H2388]]



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