Book reviewing can be a daunting task and getting involved with a non-fiction work, one had better have a good grasp of the material at hand. It becomes somewhat more challenging if the work is not entirely truthful when portions are obviously fictionalized, perhaps not even to the awareness of the author.
But after spending the last few years researching Lions history, I feel less challenged in critiquing the following titles that represent some of the major works dealing with our organizational history.
Paolo Mobrici is a medical doctor and a lover of archeology, history, numismatics, and a meritorious member of the Deputation of Homeland History for Calabria, Italy. Dr. Mobrici has been a member of LCI since 2000 and has been a scholar of the history and culture of the Association and has intensified his studies and researches heavily in these past few years. Among his numerous articles he has authored are on the National and District Lions Magazines and the book, ‘The Purple and Gold, Handbook of Lionistic Culture’ (2006).
There is not a shortage of books on the market that purport to inform the reader of the history of Lionism, but shortcomings of most as shown on the reviews of the previous listings draw a sharp distinction with Dr. Mobrici’s book. It should be pointed out that Lionism was founded by Dr. William Perry Woods of Evansville, Indiana and Dr. Mobrici makes that very well known to the reader. Interesting, yet somewhat embarrassing is that our beloved organization was originally an American institution, but it has taken a foreigner to set the record straight. Rest assured, you’ll find an abundance of material you won’t find elsewhere, and Dr. Mobrici has made sure that his facts were recovered entirely from official documents and articles.
We are fortunate that while Dr. Mobrici had this book published in his Italian language, he followed immediately with his English version. Hopefully, other language versions will soon follow to allow maximum worldwide memberships to be properly informed of the legacy that Dr. Woods created, ‘The International Association of Lions Clubs.’
This book made quite a splash when it was released in 1949. The reading right from the beginning, however, proved to be a major disappointment with unrecognizable and falsified data that is easy to repute today. The book is all about Melvin Jones and not a single mention of Dr. William Perry Woods anywhere. The index credits 92 pages containing a reference to Melvin Jones, even though his date of birth is incorrect. What is most astounding are the detailed information and photos of the past International Presidents of the Association, beginning with L.H. Lewis of Dallas. Mr. Lewis was the second president (1918) after Dr. Woods (1917), and one has to wonder about the source(s) of information. Granted that the computer and Internet were yet to be valuable resources in the future, records should have revealed more accurate results. The only redeeming value of the book is accounts of various Lions of importance and events of those early years that are not as detailed in later histories. Not too surprisingly, it was copyrighted by Lions International.
Writing a history of Texan Lionism, especially those first 50 years, was very crucial in that the Lone Star State was first and foremost in establishing new clubs at a record pace, and the many men who were responsible for this growth were truly unsung heroes. The author, however, seemed to have lost his focus somewhat right from the beginning of his work. Displaying copies of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS that clearly indicate Dr. Woods as being the president of the Lions Club and “at the head of the movement to form an international organization of Lions Clubs,” attention was immediately directed to Melvin Jones in that “It was a big day for him! An idea that he had long cherished was to be realized on this day.” Jones arrived at the Dallas Convention merely as one of the two delegates from the newly formed Chicago Lions Club, thanks to its charter of August 2, 1917, compliments of Dr. Woods. Hyer, by now drifting further and further afield, states that Jones “had written many letters to club-heads in various states, conferred with some already-established organizations and finally won them all to a foregathering in Dallas on October 8, 1917.” Perhaps Mr. Hyer was not aware that ALL the clubs attending the Dallas Convention were those having been chartered by Dr. Woods. Hyer attempts to brief the reader on some ‘Royal Order of Lions’ facts, but falls short. He asserts that ‘Royal Order’ changed its name to THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LIONS CLUBS. He is apparently unaware that the two organizations co-existed for a period under separate charters. He also missteps about the forming of the earlier ‘Royal Order’ clubs, writing that “one was chartered in El Paso in June, 1915, in San Antonio in October, 1915, and Galveston in November, 1915. None survived.” Well, don’t let the San Antonio Found Lions Club know that they don’t really exist. And El Paso did not fail, they simply unwisely changed their name to a private club.
Despite his hollow disclaimer early on, “This narrative will not become involve in the age-old controversy, ‘Who founded Lions International?’ Hyer is firmly in the camp of Melvin Jones. Aside from this and what has been previously challenged, Mr. Hyer deserves much praise for his sterling historical accounts of Texas Lionism and the importance that the state has played in ‘We Serve.’
The copyright alone gave me a hint as to where this book was going. The sleeve started it off: “We Serve: A History of the Lions Clubs is an international success story. It tells the tale of how practical-minded visionaries banded together 75 years ago in Chicago to cerate an organization …” Yes, credit goes to Chicago and not Evansville, Indiana. At the time, it was acknowledged that Lion Martin had published more than 450 articles in a number of known magazines such as Parade, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping and Better Homes and Gardens, to name a few. With such a diverse field of subjects, one would wonder how much time Martin had to devote to getting his facts in line. His Foreward, written by past International President, H.C. Petry, Jr. (1950-1951), gave a response: “Mr. Paul Martin, who spent more than two years in researching and writing this book ….” Martin also credits others, “First of all, staff members of Lions Clubs International played a major role in providing informational and guidance in shaping the manuscript. They were indispensable in every phase of the work.”
So once again the official founding of LCI is set at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago on June 7, 1917. Martin writes, “On May 16 of that year, Melvin Jones asked Dr. Woods to attend the Chicago meeting with a view to lining up our organization (The Business Circle) with yours.” Commenting on the first day of the convention, Martin reports that L.H. Lewis was elected President by acclamation. Like so many other sources, Martin confuses “nomination” with “election.” Lewis was nominated, but Dr. Woods was elected by acclamation. While acknowledging that “Twenty-three Lions clubs have functioned continuously since then [the Dallas Convention] and in the convention of 1951, they were officially designated a ‘Founder Club of Lions.’ Curiously, Martin did not credit any club formed before 1917, and a number of the “founder clubs” were chartered in 1916 and San Antonio in 1915. Despite the so-called date of founding of June 7, 1917 giving Dr. Woods credit for the founding, the rest of the writings shifted credit to Melvin Jones.
At one point Martin ignores what he had written early that the Articles of Incorporation filed by Dr. Woods on October 1916 indicates the founding date, stating that LCI was “born during the fury of the First World War.”
Despite the discrepancies as noted above, Martin goes into great detail in describing the many accomplishments of Lionism both nationally and internationally. As an interesting addition to the book is “The Extension of Lionism” section in the Appendices which lists the countries and territories of the world that have embraced the organization according to the year they first became involved.
The author makes it clear that the “information in this book is attributed exclusively to Donald Rasmussen and not to the International Association of Lions Clubs.” Past District Governor Lion Rasmussen has gone to great lengths to present Wisconsin Lionism in great detail, but despite the title of his work, the second half of the book is dedicated to Lions International. And in this section, he wastes not words in making it known that Dr. William Perry Woods was the “Founder, owner, twice President of the International Association of Lions Clubs.” He gives a detailed biography of Woods and also the doctor’s first organization, the secretive fraternal ‘Royal Order of Lions.’ Rasmussen has made good use of his research material by outlining events leading up to the Dallas Convention of October 8-10, 1917 and the convention itself. Somehow, however, he gets the name of “Samuel” Hicks listed as Dr. Woods’ former Secretary Treasurer when in fact it was “Carmi” Hicks. This error can be found in a number of Lions histories, and the origin is unknown.
Rasmussen, like so many others, acknowledged the alleged meeting in Chicago on June 7, 1917 of civic-minded men bent on forming a national association. And while most sources place Dr. Woods at this meeting, Rasmussen does not, writing, “there is not record of Jones having invited the Evansville doctor to Chicago. However, it was not long after the June meeting at the La Salle Hotel that Melvin Jones visited Dr. Woods in Evansville. Inf August 1917, the business Circle Club of Chicago joined the International Association of Lions Clubs.” Rasmussen gives the reader a fine insight of Lions activities in both his home state Wisconsin and that of the international scene. A pretty good read overall.
Note: this book has the disclaimer, “This work is not an official publication of Lions Clubs International. All opinions expressed are solely those of the author and not necessarily of The International Association of Lions Clubs.”
The title itself is very unsettling knowing that Melvin Jones was not in fact the Founder of this great service organization. The author indicated that “For a long time we have been collecting data and information for the publication of this book, which represents to us the completion of our efforts to know a little more about our roots and the history of our association.” This, however, appeared as the Preface of the Portuguese edition—1984, and it was indicated that “this revised edition includes new data and extensive research …” da Silva, however, has some of the history wrong by stating that in 1944 Melvin Jones had been in the association for 37 years instead of the actual 27 years and that R. Roy Keaton was named General Director. Keaton was actually named ‘Director General’ and in 1950. da Silva states that “Six years later, the 19676/68 International President, Jorge Bird of Puerto Rico, held a Board Meeting on October 12, 1967 at the Hotel Adolphus, in Dallas, where fifty years before, Melvin Jones had held the first Lions Convention and founded our association.”
Past International Director Zander Campos da Silva of Brazil has been a very dedicated Lion and his accomplishments are to much too numerous to list. Unfortunately, the list of his historical “facts” is even longer and I certainly question the inadequate sources of information that he relied on. While he does give credit to Dr. W.P. Woods originating the International Association of Lions Clubs, he floats the idea that the Royal Order was ultimately transformed into the LCI that we have today. Admitting that Woods held all the rights over the name of LIONS and the PIN with the with the mark of two heads of Lions, he promotes that Woods gave these up so he could be the first elected President of the Lions Organization (see Jones’s 11 pages).