 
Assembly Resolution No. 2040
 
BY: M. of A. Lupardo
 
        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.
Commemorating the 100th Annual New York & Bermuda Lions Convention

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