We Are
The Lions are men, women and youth who reside in your community and volunteer our time and efforts to humanitarian causes throughout our district, the State of Virginia and the world. By conducting service projects and raising funds they strive to help indigent people locally and throughout the world community. The Lions' motto is "We Serve".
Lions Club was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1917. Lions Clubs International has grown to be the world's largest service organization with more than 1.4 million members belonging to approximately 46,000 local clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas.
In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions at their convention in Cedar Point, Ohio and challenged them to become "Knights of the Blind in the Crusade against Darkness." Since that challenge, service to the blind and visually impaired is one of the association's most significant activities.
Virginia Lions Clubs have been serving their communities since November, 1921. Over the years and on an average the Lions of District 24-A have contributed more than a million dollars a year to Lions causes in the local communities and the world. We provide eye examinations and eyeglasses, hearing aids, food baskets to the indigent, scholarships to handicapped students, support for youth activities, diabetes awareness programs, drug abuse awareness, Leader Dogs for the Blind, hearing dogs for the hearing impaired. Lions of Northern Virginia operate the Northern Virginia Lions Youth Camp, which is located in the Shenandoah Valley. Please visit the web sites that are linked to our web page to see detailed information about the programs supported by the Lions Clubs. The Lions, Lionesses and Leos of District 24-A make a difference in their communities. When there is a need the Lions are there to help.
Lions are always looking for civic minded citizens who are willing to donate some time and effort toward making our communities a better place to live. If you are interested in visiting a Lions Club in your area, please contact DG Lion Sally Kellerman, PDG Lion Woody Woodard or Lion Jay Mouhon, PDG to receive an invitation to a Lions Club. You can join us and learn more about what Lions really do to help their fellow man. Membership in a Lions Club is by invitation only. Through membership, Lions not only help people in need, but they have opportunities to develop personal friendships and gain valuable leadership skills which can be used in their work as well as their personal lives.
Do You Need The Lions Help?
In our continuing effort to serve our communities, the Lions Clubs of Northern Virginia provide several telephone help hotlines. Some telephone help hotlines use voice mail recordings. Messages left on these voice mail systems are checked daily. Each message is then forwarded to the Lions Club responsible for serving the caller's locale. Although the primary mission of the Lions Clubs is in the areas of sight, hearing, and diabetes, all Lions are committed to assist, people in their community that require help. Therefore, our help hotlines are available to anyone needing help or wanting to learn more about Lionism. These hotlines have proven to be an exceptional boost to the Lions community service and clearly demonstrates our commitment to the community we live in.
Mason Neck Lions Club of District 24-A
We Serve the Mason Neck and Lorton Area of Fairfax County, Virginia
Contents
Who We Are
What We Do
Fund-Raising
When and Where We Meet
Becoming a Member
Eyeglass Collection Sites
Do You Need The Lions Help
Who We Are
As members of the Mason Neck Lions Club, we volunteer our time to humanitarian causes in the Mason Neck and Lorton, Virginia areas and the world community. By conducting service projects and raising funds, we strive to help those in need, wherever the need exists.
To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation.
To Show my faith in the worthiness of my vocation by industrious application to the end that I may merit a reputation for quality of service.
To Seek success and to demand all fair remuneration or profit as my just due, but to accept no profit or success at the price of my own self-respect lost because of unfair advantage taken or because of questionable acts on my part.
To Remember that in building up my business it is not necessary to tear down another's; to be loyal to my clients or customers and true to myself. Whenever a doubt arises as to the right or ethics of my position or action towards others, to resolve such doubt against myself.
To Hold friendship as an end and not a means. To hold that true friendship exists not on account of the service performed by one another, but that true friendship demands nothing but accepts service in the spirit in which it is given.
Always to bear in mind my obligations as a citizen to my nation, my state, and my community, as to give them my unswerving loyalty in word, act, and deed. To give them freely of my time, labor and means.
To Aid others by giving my sympathy to those in distress, my aid to the weak, and my substance to the needy.
To Be Careful with my criticism and liberal with my praise; to build up and not destroy.
What We Do
From 1925 to the present, Lions have been recognized throughout the world for their service to the blind and visually impaired. A majority of the world's eye banks are established and supported by Lions, as are hundreds of Clinics, Hospitals and Eye Research Centers.
Since our club was chartered in 1967, countless members of our local community have been helped with free quality eye care, eyeglasses and hearing exams, that they would not have otherwise been able to obtain. The majority of our funds are used to support the Lorton Community Action Center and the Local Community.
Fund-Raising
One of our major fund raising projects is the sale of Fresh Shrimp during the months of October thru December. (When the Georgia Shrimp are running). Our Shrimp Chairman, Lion Rich LaVallee (703-627-8480), or Lion Joe Chudzik (703-541-3123) will be happy to assist you or your club in obtaining Shrimp, either for your own consumption, or for resale by your club (ask about bulk sales discount).
When and Where We Meet
Our Club holds its dinner meetings on the Second and Fourth Wednesday of each month at the IHop 7784 Gunston Plaza Dr. at 6:30 PM social, 7 PM dinner and meeting. All are welcome to attend. Please e-mail the secretary if you plan on visiting. We conduct Lions business at our monthly board meetings, held the Fourth Wednesday of each month. Currently, all active members of the club are considered to be board members. Each 3rd Wednesday morning, we host a breakfast get together at 8:00AM also at IHop. Everyone is invited. Find us on Facebook, search “Mason Neck Lions Club” or our website http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/masonneckva/index.php.
Becoming a Member
Membership in a Lions Club is by invitation only. Through membership, Lions not only help people in need, but also have opportunities to develop personal friendships and gain valuable leadership skills. The membership committee may be reached via our website: http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/masonneckva/index.php
You may also obtain Lionism information from any other member of the Mason Neck Lions Club.
Please contact us to receive an invitation to one of our meetings, and then join us, and learn more about being a Lion and making a difference in your community.
Eyeglass Collection Sites
Please look for our eyeglass donation boxes at the following area locations:
Golds Gym in Gunston Plaza
Lorton Senior center in Gunston Plaza
Lorton Community Library
Pohick Church
Cranford Church
Clearfinity Eyecare on Lorton Station Blvd.
The Fairfax