What My Research and Common Sense Show
Searching for truth of the founding and early historical related documentation of Lionism has been a journey fraught with endless frustrations the past few years. The desire to succeed in obtaining the needed answers seemed to be competing with sources equally determined to prevent me from doing so. But the mission became more progressive when I found myself involved with a few others who shared that same goal—searching for that elusive truth and then verifying it with other sources. But it took research…and more research…before that ray of light appeared at the end of the tunnel.
Strangely enough, the answers were pretty much in plain view all along. Yes, the papers of Melvin Jones and the affidavit of Dr. Woods supplied most of the material. But here we have two men whose founding narratives totally contradicted each other. Dr. Woods was under oath with his sworn affidavit. Melvin Jones was not was his rambling ego boasting throughout. But neither document was sufficient to conclusively prove who was telling the truth without corroboration from other sources. That is where the subscription to archives of old newspapers came to the rescue as shown in the preceding analysis.
Unfortunately, the official founding that LCI stands by are based on the words of Melvin Jones which are totally unsubstantiated. LCI has its foundation based on Jones having Dr. Woods turning over his claim and title to the Lions name. As stated previously, this never happened, yet it remains the basis of the falsified founding that persists today. The “old” Evansville club and the “new” Chicago club is an elaborate smokescreen to cover up the valid founding by Dr. Woods in 1916.
Melvin Jones has been praised for being a wonderful Secretary through the years with LCI. I feel it is necessary to question that. A secretary is duty-bound to keep and protect records in an orderly manner. When Dr. Woods was elected the first President of the Lions at the Dallas Convention in 1917, he was required to hand over all of his files and records he had on Lionism to Melvin Jones who had been elected Secretary Treasurer at the same convention. This was done and Melvin Jones had all this material delivered to Chicago. Where are all these valuable Lions documents today? LCI doesn’t seem to have them. The fact that they would prove Dr. Woods to be the founder Lionism, is it possible that someone destroyed the “evidence?” And there is the mystery of the charter that the ‘Business Circle’, Melvin Jones’ business club, received when it officially became the Chicago Lions Club on August 2, 1917. It was signed by Dr. Woods. But in the 1970s it was reported that the Chicago Central Lions Club office space in the Illinois Athletic Club had lost all of its records, including its charter, when the building was undergoing a renovation project “unbeknownst” to the club. Lost or not, it seems that no copies exist of the valuable charter.
Nonetheless, the official founding credited to Melvin Jones is a myth perpetuated by Lions Clubs International these past many decades and only time will tell if the Lions membership will eventually embrace the truth at hand or at least show some interest in verifying or researching facts that have been presented.
Again, Lions Clubs International has been shown to be a wonderful service organization, making significant differences in advancing humanitarianism around the globe through the kindness of its members. LCI’s motto is true that, “Where there is a need, there is a Lion.” And the world is a better place as a result.
LCI, however, is remiss not only in not recognizing Dr. Woods as the legitimate founder, but also by ignoring some very dedicated Lions early on who devoted their lives in advancing the growth of our organization. Some of those individuals are recognized on this website. And while LCI has produced photos of all the past international presidents, it has never followed through by providing biographies for them all. Such information is available for many of them from old newspapers.
The purpose of this project was merely to seek the truth and let it be known. If one feels that there is an omission, misquote, other otherwise an error somewhere in this presentation, by all means make it known. I welcome dialog and will not delay an answer to a question. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I will do my best to continue researching until I find them.
Yours in Lionism,
Bruce Eastley