08/16/2007: "Lion's Club International Report #6"

“We Serve” became the association’s official motto at the International Convention in New York City in 1954. More than 6,000 suggested mottos had been submitted...

“We Serve” became the association’s official motto at the International Convention in New York City in 1954. More than 6,000 suggested mottos had been submitted. The winning motto was created by Lion D.A. Stevenson of Font Hill, Ontario, Canada.

“We Serve” symbolizes the moving sprit of Lionism: to help others, to tear away the shrouds of ignorance and distrust that separate one human being from another. “We Serve” is daily translated from words to living reality on every continent.

In 1988, International President Judge Brian Stevenson described Lionism’s international impact this way: “In promoting the ‘We Serve’ imperative of Lionism, we are demonstrating our adherence to a humanitarian philosophy that for seven decades has personified the very best qualities of human nature. In reaching out to others- the infirm, the indigent, the homeless- we are giving undeniable evidence that the spirit of volunteerism can be one of the most powerful forces in the world….. As I have underscored so very often, those two profound words, ‘We Serve’ say who we are, what we are, and why we are….” Lionism is understood and honored in communities spanning the earth.

Credit given to Paul Martin

We Serve: A History of the Lions Club