A street performance ends, and a student stays back with a question. A mehendi trainee takes on a paid assignment before completing her course. Girls under 15 and women over 40 take the field on the same cricket team.
Across six states—Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra and Gujarat—ten all-women Lions clubs are working in classrooms, marketplaces, school grounds, healthcare settings and community halls. Their projects differ, but many share the same practical instinct: look beyond the first activity and ask what must happen next.
A livelihood workshop is connected to a place to sell. Awareness is followed by vaccination. An exhibition gives women entrepreneurs both a marketplace and a network. Through these projects, women and girls gain opportunities to earn, ask questions, compete, make informed choices and bring their work into public view.
The clubs themselves have different histories. Some were formed decades ago, some are relatively new, and others transitioned from Lioness clubs. Their members span ages and professions, bringing their knowledge, networks and experience to the work.
These stories show women’s membership as an active force within Lions—shaping projects, building partnerships and creating more ways for women and girls to participate.
The Second Step
Several clubs in District 318A start from a practical question: what does someone need next? Trivandrum Icons Lions Club, formed in 2023, has built much of its work around it. Through its Solace project, the club taught mothers of children undergoing cancer treatment to make detergents and household cleaning products, a skill they could use to earn an income while managing the demands of care.
Other sessions have covered jewellery making, food preservation, umbrella making and crafts using recycled materials. They have reached women in care homes, mothers of children with disabilities and others looking for skills they may be able to use for income.
Being a Lion to me means…
Using my skills to serve, helping others grow, and turning compassion into action.
My favourite Lion memory is being part of the Kompella Lions Dialysis Centre (KLDC) project. Seeing it provide affordable dialysis to people who need it reminds me why I became a Lion.
~ Dr. Lakshmi Murthy
Dr. A S Rao Nagar Century Lions Club, District 320C Lion for 16+ years
The next step is a place to sell. Twice a year, the club holds a mega sale where women vendors pay for table space and sell directly to visitors. The club uses the proceeds from those tables to fund its service projects, so the same event that puts vendors in front of customers also finances the club’s service activities. Its annual women-only Dandiya Night is another innovative fundraising program.
The question of what comes next extends beyond livelihood. Another all-women club in the district, Trivandrum Daffodils Lions Club, organized Manoyanam, a mental health session at Salvation Army Higher Secondary School in Kowdiar. Led by Dr. Renju, the session gave students an opportunity to ask questions and talk about the challenges they face during adolescence. Trivandrum Petals Lions Club also conducted a mental health awareness program for over 120 women at Parassala, located in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala.
These projects serve different needs, but each looks beyond a single activity: women learning a skill may also need a place to sell, while students and other community members benefit from opportunities to learn about mental health.
Rooted in Service, Driven by Purpose
Tested on Wall Street and refined in corporate law, Lyon’s early career instilled a lasting devotion to accountability and excellence. One of his favorite bosses, Lou, taught Lyon something he still lives by: “Never hand in a piece of work that your boss wouldn’t be happy to sign as their own.”
Lyon also got involved in local politics so he could make an even bigger impact. He’d found success in his professional and personal life, but it took a golf outing in 1996 with a former classmate to realize there was something missing.
His golf partner was the newly elected president of the Brookfield Lions Club, and their conversation sparked Lyon’s interest in the organization. He showed up at a club meeting and realized that he recognized almost everyone in the room from his years in local politics.
ROOTS MATTER BUT SO DOES HOW WE GROW.
ROOTS MATTER BUT SO DOES HOW WE GROW.
“Except nobody was talking politics,” he recalls. “They were all just Lions discussing what the club was doing. I started listening and I said to myself, ‘This is where I’m supposed to be.’ So I joined immediately.” It’s a story Mark likes to tell, and it’s a moment that marked the beginning of three decades of service.
For Lyon, service is the cornerstone of our global organization, no matter the size of the project. “Whether in Nebraska collecting canned goods or in India building hospitals, each is just as important,” he says. “There’s no project that’s too big or too small.”
Mark Lyon is now our international president, but he’s still connected to home. He still reveres tradition. He’s still grounded in faith and optimism. And he still loves a great story because it can do more than teach us — it can inspire us. That’s why he loves Connecticut’s Charter Oak. The Charter Oak became a symbol of freedom in 1687 when colonists hid Connecticut’s Royal Charter inside the great tree to protect their right to self-govern. The tree fell in 1856, but it endures as a lasting symbol of resilience and perseverance.
“The Charter Oak reminds us that our roots matter, but so does how we grow,” Lyon says. He believes this symbol speaks to who we are and why we are a symbol to the world.
As Lions, our roots run deep. We offer so much to the world we serve, and we are also deeply connected to the world we share. Lyon believes we can make the world a better place when we remain rooted in service.
Rooted in Service
Picture a mighty oak — a symbol of strength and endurance. It stands as a powerful emblem, enduring, unshakable and inspiring generations to come. Lions are like that tree, rooted in purpose and service. Our strength comes not from standing tall alone, but from the shelter, nourishment and life we provide to the world around us.
For more than 100 years, our clubs have supported, strengthened and served the communities and places we call home. We have offered help in times of hardship, hope in moments of despair and compassion when it’s needed most. Service is the soil in which our organization grows — the lives we touch, the communities we change, the impact we make.
Just as the Charter Oak became a symbol of what people can achieve when they stand together, Lions embody that same truth today. Every meal served, every hospital built, every child supported is a reminder that our roots run deep, that our service is rooted in strength — and built to last.
ADVOCACY ISN’T JUST ABOUT POLICY — IT’S ABOUT VISIBILITY. PEOPLE SHOULD SEE THE GOOD WE DO.
ADVOCACY ISN’T JUST ABOUT POLICY — IT’S ABOUT VISIBILITY. PEOPLE SHOULD SEE THE GOOD WE DO.
Growing Together in Service
Each moment of service strengthens the foundation of our clubs and communities. Here’s how we can grow and thrive together.
Get back to our roots.
Our commitment to service makes us who we are. When we focus on acts of service, both big and small, we strengthen our communities, our clubs and the bonds we share. Embrace the joy of service and the purpose it brings.
Plant the seed.
Every Lion holds the power to grow their club. With each new member, our service, our impact and our potential grow, allowing us to do more and be more for our communities. Invite a new member and plant the seed for growth.
Let our leadership shine.
We change lives through our service, but we are also advocates for the people and causes we serve. We can expand our reach by connecting with key community stakeholders and partners who share our passion. Let’s start big conversations, and even greater change.
Lean on your global foundation.
Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) offers more than funding — it’s a lifeline of compassion and hope. The transformative work that Lions and LCIF bring to life is made possible by you. So support LCIF and let LCIF support you.
Cultivating Success
Be the ripple.
Clubs have the potential to create change that is felt throughout the community. It all starts with that moment of purpose, that act of kindness. It starts with you. Be the ripple that travels far and wide, touching lives along the way.
Build it to last.
Great clubs and supportive communities don’t just happen — they are built by people who put their hearts and souls into them. So invest in building your club and community to ensure they are places where everyone can thrive.
Stay connected.
For Lions, connection is about people — the people who serve, and the people we serve. Embrace the personal connections we make through the Lion experience to create a culture of gratitude, positivity and fun.
Branch out.
We get better and our future gets brighter when we engage the next generation in our mission of service. Young people are ready to serve and lead, so give them a chance to do it as Lions and Leos.