Melvin Jones Fellows
At their October, 2019, meeting the New Bloomfield Lions Club celebrated two new Melvin Jones Fellows. Lion Alan Fry has been treasurer of the New Bloomfield Club for many years. Lion Kim Hummel was recognized for his many years of work backstage for Lions Community Theatre and for his multi-year appearances as the Easter Bunny at the Lion-sponsored egg hunt. Pictured (from left) are Lion Norm Harrison, DG Lion Sam Wagner, Lion John Sanderson, Second VDG Lion Peggy Hummel, Lion Kim Hummel, Lion Alan Fry, PDG Lion David McCluskey, and Lion Raymond Adams.
The Fellowships recognize Lions for their service to club and community. Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) was founded in 1968. The Foundation provides grants for disaster relief and for services needed by communities. It is funded entirely by charitable donations. Over the years, LCIF has awarded more than $1billion in grants. The New Bloomfield Lions Club is proud of its new Melvin Jones Fellows, and of its contribution to LCIF.
The Melvin Jones Fellowship program was established in 1978, as a way to recognize donations of more than $1,000. The New Bloomfield Lions Club recently donated a total of $2,000 to LCIF, earmarked for New Bloomfield Lions Club to award fellowships to Lions Fry and Hummel in recognition of their years of service to the club and the community.
Lions Clubs International began in Chicago, IL, in 1917, when businessman Melvin Jones gathered members from several men’s clubs to form an organization that would work to improve local communities. Since then, Lions International has grown to 46,000 clubs throughout the world, and has included women members. Helen Keller addressed the Lions Clubs International Convention in 1925. She urged the Clubs to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” Since that time many Lions service projects have been sight-related.