“Does that seem reasonable?” One must ask such a question when confronted with information while seeking solutions or answers to a situation.
Example 1
On October 24, 1916, Dr. William P. Woods of Evansville, Indiana, put his signature on the document Articles of Incorporation of his brand new organization, the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LIONS CLUBS, filed the following day by the Secretary of State of the State of Indiana in Indianapolis. In effect, it was a legal document recognized nationwide . The SEED was now planted which set deep, strong ROOTS, and produced a tree that bore FRUIT, over 30 chartered Lions Clubs scattered across the country. In successive months, it continued to bear more fruit. This WAS the FOUNDING by Dr. Woods of todays’ Lions Clubs International.
Example 2
Melvin Jones related that he called a meeting of civic-minded people to Chicago on June 7, 1917, to form a large organization with national intentions. Lions International has stayed the course, “officially ” recognizing Melvin Jones as the Founder of the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LIONS CLUBS on that very date. June 7, 1917, however, is not recorded ANYWHERE being an event related to Lionism. Extensive researches in the archives of old newspapers produced…NOTHING. Melvin Jones stated in his 11-page dissertation that Dr. Woods turned over his ownership of his organization so that a new organization could be formed. Dr. Woods , under oath , stated he was NOT in Chicago if such a meeting did take place. Is it reasonable to believe that Dr. Woods, who has spent considerable time and effort to charter his Lions Clubs around the country, and is a total stranger with Melvin Jones, to simply turn everything over to Mr. Jones so that he can lay a foundation to form what Dr. Woods has already founded in Evansville? “Officially”, Melvin Jones gets credit for “founding a founding.” To be sure, Dr. Woods did NOT vacate his ownership of his organization to Melvin Jones. Dr. Woods did turn over his ownership to the newly organized Lions Clubs at the Dallas Convention (Oct. 8-9-10). While Melvin Jones alluded to the date of June 7, 1917, he is on record by his own admission that he made a long distance call during a recess on that day to talk with the President of the Dallas Lions Club to set up a convention. What we have here is a man in the process of laying the foundation for the “new” Lions organization and communicating with a Lions Club that had received its charter on September of 1916.
Melvin Jones was only able to attend the Dallas Convention by representing his NEW Lions Club as its Delegate, thanks to the charter he received effective August 2, 1917 from Dr. Woods. His former ‘Business Circle’ club was now a Lions organization, today known as the ‘Chicago Central Lions Club.’ If Melvin Jones had actually organized this “new” club, still known as the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LIONS CLUBS and made arrangements with the Dallas Lions Club to hold a convention in that city, does it seem reasonable that he would be ignored or go unrecognized for what he did ? Just prior to the convention and each day of it, the newspapers reported this major event. It was BIG news, and the center of attention was actually Dr. William P. Woods. The DALLAS MORNING NEWS ( See Exhibits Page) identified Dr. Woods as the president of the International Association of Lions Clubs. It further reported that “Dr. Woods has been at the head of the movement to form an international organization of Lions Clubs.” The October 7, 1917 edition of the “NEWS” was particularly interesting, reporting programs of each day, and displaying a picture of Dr. Woods next to the article. The paper also mentioned “The club is only a year old.” That puts its founding back to October of 1916.
It should be pointed out that two factors were instrumental in getting Melvin Jones his coveted Secretary- Treasurer position: Dr. Woods backed him all the way at the Dallas Convention. If he would have backed anyone else, Melvin Jones would not have gotten elected. And not to be overlooked was America’s Declaration of War against Germany on April 6, 1917. Up until that time, Carmi Hicks, a personal friend of Dr. Woods and one of the three signers of the Articles of Incorporation that launched the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LIONS CLUBS, held the position of Secretary – Treasurer of the Lions Clubs. Dr. Woods read a letter aloud at the convention from Mr. Hicks, who regretfully submitted his resignation from that position since he was unable to serve two masters. As much as he loved the Lions Clubs, he loved his country more, and was now a commissioned Captain In the U.S. Army Infantry.
Scouring the newspaper archives was responsible for a startling discovery. Despite Melvin Jones proclamation that he “founded” the Lions organization on June 7, 1917, we already know he was not recognized as such at the Dallas Convention of October, 1917. And throughout the 1920’s, all newspaper articles of Lions Club news referred to Jones as “Secretary-Treasurer” and later as “Secretary-General.” It was not until the early 1930’s that he was also labeled as “Founder.”
One can only speculate that the “June 7, 1917” episode was put in place to ultimately convince the Lions organization that he was the man, and not Dr. Woods. So how could this come about? It goes back to about the time when Dr. Woods had completed his one year term as the first president of the International Association of Lions Clubs from the Dallas Convention or slightly beyond. Dr. Woods medical practice was rapidly growing and he soon realized that he could not devote enough time for both Lions and his patients. He loved the Lions organization, but he could not abandon the needs of his patients. Spending less and less time with the Association he founded, his communications with Melvin Jones tapered off to the point that they simply ceased. Dr. Woods noted that Melvin Jones began to treat him “coldly” and it was not long after that Mr. Jones started his campaign of telling one and all that HE was the “founder” of the organization. Of course, word got back to Dr. Woods from a number of his friends who complained about this, but Dr. Woods simply did not have the time to fight the issue except to tell some of his friends that he knew what Melvin Jones was claiming and “I knew that it was untrue.”
Dr. Woods was informed by several letters from E. A. Hicks, the organizer, after he had ceased working for the organization under Melvin Jones, “ telling me that he didn’t think Mr. Jones had treated me right and that Mr. Jones had informed him (Hicks) that I was connected with the old organization of the ‘International Association of Lions Clubs’, or some other name, but that I didn’t have anything to do with the present organization of the ‘International Association of Lions Clubs’…”
Mr. Coss was upset with Melvin Jones’ claims of being the “founder” and wrote to Dr. Woods on the issue (See Exhibits Page). Dr. Woods responded to his friend ”not to get so worked up about it, that evidently Jones was looking for honor and glory and if that is what he is looking for, let him have it…” Dr. Woods continued to stress the importance of his medical practice and that his patients needed him.
Despite the
shoddy treatment he had received
from Melvin Jones over the years, Dr. Woods
continued to take
the High Road
by giving credit
when credit was
due. At the
end of his
sworn affidavit, Dr. Woods
had this to say
: “I
give Mr. Jones a lot
of credit. I think
he did an
excellent job in
organizing as many
clubs that he
has, and overseeing
the organization of these
clubs. I give
him a lot of credit
for it.”