[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 97 (Wednesday, June 7, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3342-S3343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL
Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary
Committee be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate
now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 174.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 174) recognizing the 100th
anniversary of Lions Clubs International and celebrating the
Lions Clubs International for a long history of humanitarian
service.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, 100 years ago today, Lions Clubs
International was created in Chicago, IL, and today the Senate is
considering adoption of this resolution, S. Res. 174, commemorating
this tremendous occasion. One hundred years later, Lions Clubs
International is the world's largest service club, with more than 1.4
million members who participate in more than 46,000 clubs across the
globe.
In my State of Kansas alone, we have more than 270 Lions Clubs, and I
have been a member of Lions Clubs since I graduated from college, went
to work, and got involved in the community. I have seen firsthand how
Lions Clubs make a significant difference in the communities they are
in, as well as their reach around the globe in addressing problems in
their communities and humanitarian needs around the world. Lions are
committed to caring for those less fortunate, from young to old, and
they do so in a way that shows care and compassion. It is all about the
right motivation. They care about people, and they make a difference.
It is this selfless service and commitment to a greater good that is
needed in our country today.
In the face of serious challenges, I believe those who volunteer
their time and their resources in community civic clubs, not-for-
profits, schools and fundraisers, in churches and charities are the
ones who have the greatest impact on people's lives. This kind of
involvement at the local level has the potential to make meaningful and
tangible differences in the lives of people around us, perhaps more so
than even the best intentioned Federal programs that come from the
Nation's Capital. I am of the view that we change the world one soul,
one person at a time, and it happens in Lions Clubs and their efforts
in their communities and globally every day.
Over their 100 years of existence, the Lions Clubs have supported the
blind, encouraged the young, provided relief to those struck by
tragedy, and fought to eradicate disease. They have contributed
hundreds of millions of dollars to humanitarian work internationally
and are committed to serving 100 million people around the globe.
As we reflect upon all the good that has come from the last 100 years
among Lions Clubs members, may our commitment to our neighbors, our
communities, and our fellow men and women be strengthened and renewed.
Today, Lions Clubs begin another century of service to others as they
seek out ways to better our world.
I offer my congratulations to Bob Corlew of Milton, TN, who is the
international president, and I welcome Lions members from around the
globe as they gather in Chicago later this month for their
international convention. From 100 years ago in Chicago to this month,
100 years in which they celebrate their birth, the Lions Clubs motto is
``We serve.''
Mr. TILLIS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to; the Moran amendment to the preamble be
considered and agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and
the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 174) was agreed to.
The amendment (No. 222) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To remove references to specific entities)
On page 6, strike the fourth whereas clause.
On page 6, in the seventh whereas clause, strike ``the
United Kingdom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation'' and
insert ``partner organizations''.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to. The resolution, with its
preamble, as amended, reads as follows:
S. Res. 174
Whereas, on June 7, 1917, Chicago business leader Melvin
Jones founded Lions Clubs International in Chicago, Illinois,
based on the principle that ``[y]ou can't get very far until
you start doing something for somebody else'';
Whereas the motto of Lions Clubs International, ``We
Serve''--
(1) was selected in 1954 after having been submitted by
Lion D.A. Stevenson of Font Hill, Ontario, in an
international contest; and
(2) applies to the charitable and humanitarian priorities
of Lions Clubs International, including--
(A) eyesight preservation and blindness prevention;
(B) services for individuals with disabilities;
(C) hearing and speech conservation;
(D) diabetes awareness;
(E) youth outreach;
(F) services for older individuals;
(G) activities that promote international goodwill;
(H) disaster relief; and
(I) environmental protection;
Whereas, with over 46,000 clubs and 1,400,000 members in
over 200 countries and geographical areas around the globe,
Lions Clubs International is the largest service organization
in the world;
Whereas the purposes of Lions Clubs International include--
(1) to create and foster a spirit of understanding among
people around the world;
(2) to promote the principles of good government and good
citizenship;
(3) to take an active interest in the civic, cultural,
social, and moral welfare of the community;
(4) to provide a forum for the open discussion of all
matters of public interest, except that members of Lions
Clubs International may not debate partisan politics and
sectarian religion;
(5) to encourage service-minded individuals to serve their
communities without personal financial reward; and
(6) to encourage efficiency and promote high ethical
standards in commerce, industry, public works, and
professional and private endeavors;
Whereas, on March 12, 1920, a Lions Club was chartered in
Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and Lions Clubs became an
international organization;
Whereas, in 1925, at the Lions Club in Cedar Point, Ohio,
Helen Keller charged members of Lions Clubs International
with becoming ``knights of the blind in the crusade against
darkness'';
Whereas, in 1926, polar explorer and member of the District
of Columbia Lions Club, Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Jr., flew
over the North Pole carrying the flag of Lions Clubs
International;
Whereas, in 1930, after witnessing an individual with a
vision impairment having difficulty crossing a street, Lion
George Bonham painted a cane white with a red band for use by
visually impaired individuals;
Whereas, in 1931--
(1) the first Lions Club was established south of the
United States in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; and
(2) the first Lions Clubs International convention was held
in Toronto, Ontario;
Whereas, in 1935, during the Lions Clubs International
convention in Mexico City, Amelia Earhart, who was an
honorary member of the New York City Lions Club, completed a
record-breaking nonstop flight from Los Angeles, California,
to Mexico;
Whereas, in 1939, the members of the Detroit Uptown Lions
Club converted an old farmhouse in the State of Michigan into
a school to train dog guides for visually impaired
individuals, helping to popularize dog guides worldwide;
Whereas, on June 6, 1939, the first Little League baseball
game was played at Park Point in Williamsport, Pennsylvania,
after Lion Carl Edwin Stotz appealed to Lions Clubs
International, the Young Men's Christian Association, and
other community partners for support to provide an organized
baseball program for children;
Whereas, in 1944, the first eye bank in the world was
established in New York City, and as of March 2017, most eye
banks are sponsored by Lions Clubs International;
Whereas, in 1945, Lions Clubs International assisted in
drafting the Charter of the United Nations, which began a
lasting relationship between Lions Clubs International and
the
[[Page S3343]]
United Nations that includes Lions Clubs International aid
and volunteers for--
(1) the United Nations International Children's Emergency
Fund;
(2) the World Health Organization;
(3) the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization; and
(4) other humanitarian projects;
Whereas, in 1957, the Leo Clubs youth program of Lions
Clubs International was established to provide young people
with the opportunity for personal development through
volunteer work;
Whereas, as of March 2017, there are approximately 157,000
Leos and 600 Leo Clubs in over 200 countries and geographical
areas worldwide;
Whereas, in 1968, the Lions Clubs International Foundation
(referred to in this preamble as ``LCIF'') was established to
assist Lions Clubs International with global and large-scale
local humanitarian projects;
Whereas LCIF has given more than $826,000,000 in grants to
support the humanitarian work of Lions Clubs International;
Whereas, in 1972, LCIF awarded its first grant, in the
amount of $5,000, to assist flood victims in South Dakota;
Whereas, in 1977, Lion Jimmy Carter became the 39th
President of the United States;
Whereas, in 1985, LCIF awarded its first Major Catastrophe
Grant, in the amount of $50,000, for earthquake relief in
Mexico;
Whereas, in 1986, Mother Teresa accepted a Lions
Humanitarian Award;
Whereas, in 1987, Lions Clubs International amended its
bylaws and invited women to become members, and women are now
the fastest growing group of new members in Lions Clubs
International;
Whereas, in 1990, LCIF launched SightFirst, an initiative
that--
(1) assists Lions Clubs International in activities to
restore eyesight and prevent blindness on a global scale; and
(2) eventually raised more than $415,000,000 to target low
vision, trachoma, river blindness, childhood blindness,
diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma;
Whereas, in 1995, LCIF began a partnership with the Carter
Center, led by former President and Lion Jimmy Carter, to
combat river blindness in Africa and Latin America, and by
2003, LCIF and the Carter Center had provided 50,000,000
river blindness treatments;
Whereas, in 2001, LCIF partnered with the Special Olympics
on Opening Eyes, an initiative to provide vision screening
for Special Olympics athletes;
Whereas, in 2002, Lions Clubs International chartered a
club in China, which became the first voluntary membership
group in China;
Whereas, in 2007, the Financial Times ranked LCIF as the
best nongovernmental organization worldwide with which to
establish a partnership;
Whereas, in 2011, LCIF awarded its 10,000th grant, bringing
the total amount awarded to grant recipients by LCIF to
$708,000,000;
Whereas, in 2013, LCIF partnered with the GAVI Alliance to
protect millions of children from measles and rubella in
2013;
Whereas LCIF committed $30,000,000 for immunizations, an
amount matched by partner organizations;
Whereas, in 2013, with the support of Lions Clubs
International and the Carter Center, river blindness was
eliminated in Colombia; and
Whereas, in 2014, Lions Clubs International launched the
Centennial Service Challenge, a global initiative to serve
100,000,000 people around the world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) congratulates Lions Clubs International on its 100th
anniversary on June 7, 2017;
(2) recognizes Lions Clubs International for 100 years of
promoting community service and humanitarian assistance;
(3) encourages Lions Clubs International to continue to
emphasize the values of community service and improving the
community for all individuals; and
(4) applauds Lions Clubs International for instilling in
young people the value of community service.
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