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OUR HISTORY

– – Compiled from this webpage: https://md4lions.org/about

Multiple District Four had its beginning in Oakland with the organization on February 27, 1917, of the first Lions Club on the west coast. It was not until June 7 that the International Association of Lions Clubs was organized at the Hotel LaSalle in Chicago by Melvin Jones. California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada formed what was then known as the “First District.”

On September 8, 1918, the second club, Lions Club of Los Angeles, was admitted to International. The third club was Berkeley, organized on June 14, 1919. By 1920, there were nine Lions Clubs in the “First District.” The additional clubs were: Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, and Pasadena, and OUR OWN CLUB, Stockton Host (formed August 19, 1920)!!! Website: stocktonhostlions.org

In 1921, the “First District” was divided, so Oregon and Washington became District 19; and the new “District 4” consisted of California, Nevada, and Hawaii.

In 1925, at the eighth annual International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, an address by Miss Helen Keller changed the direction of the growing International Association of Lions. Miss Keller stood on the stage of an auditorium filled with Lions and, in a ringing voice, unaided by electronic gadgets, she challenged her audience to help the world conquer her own affliction – blindness. Touched by her humanitarian appeal, the Lions promptly made her an Honorary Member, the only woman so honored in the history of the all-male association.

In 1932, District Four was divided into eight “zones”. In 1937, five separate areas were designated as Four-A, Four-B, Four-C. Four-D, and Four-E. On July 1, 1957, Multiple District Four was divided into 12 “Districts,” those in the middle of the state (our district) are known as the “A” districts.

Rapid growth of Lionism during the next decade caused the creation of several new districts in the Multiple. In 1960, the 13th district was added to “Multiple District Four,” and in 1962, two more districts were added – bringing the total to 15. In 1964, the 16th district was added. In 1980, the most recent new district was created when 4-C2 was divided into 4-C2 and 4- C7, giving the Multiple District 17 districts. In 1998, due to declining membership, district 4-C2 and 4-C7 merged to create one district, 4-C2. On July 5, 2006, District 4-N (Nevada) officially separated from Multiple District 4 and became District 46. MD4 remains with 15 sub-districts – District 4-C1, District 4-C2, District 4-C3, District 4-C4, District 4-C5, District 4-C6, District 4-A1 (our district), District 4-A2, District 4-A3, District 4-L1, District 4-L2, District 4-L3, District 4-L4, District 4-L5, and District 4-L6.