The Burtonsville Lions Club’s Bill Schell is pictured with Ms. Lashley of Fairland ES while donating classroom supplies to area schools.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs.
The Burtonsville Lions Club was chartered in 1954 to join with the other clubs in pledging unselfish service to our local community and to those less fortunate than ourselves. Club members volunteer their time and energy to a variety of fundraising efforts, all of the profits from which are then designated for charitable uses. In typical years, through the efforts of our members and friends, we staff White Cane collection days, sell Christmas trees, and conduct a charity golf tournament.
While a portion of our budget supports the programs of the larger International Association, our aim is to donate and otherwise spend our funds locally. Currently 80% of our annual operating budget is directed toward local efforts.
The History of Lion’s Clubs: International
The first Lions Club was organized in 1917 by Chicago businessman Melvin Jones. Since then the International Association of Lions Clubs has grown to an organization of more than 46,000 local clubs, comprising 1.35 million members located in over 200 countries. The stated purpose of Lions Clubs International is to organize and coordinate local clubs and to encourage service-minded individuals to serve their communities without personal financial reward.
In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the International Convention of Lions Clubs and charged Lions to be “Knights of the Blind.” Her speech is available here. From that historic moment onward, Lions Clubs International has had a special focus on aiding the blind and vision-impaired. In addition, Lions Clubs International has also supported blindness prevention, vision screening, and diabetes awareness.
While support for the blind and blindness prevention continues to be a major effort for Lions International, it is by no means the only one. The Club also provides disaster relief and participates in other large-scale humanitarian projects.
More information on Lions Clubs: International can be found by clicking here.
Our Administrative Expenses
Remember that the Burtonsville Lions Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and every penny of every donation, and every penny of profit from our fundraisers is returned to the community through our charitable grants.
As is the case with ALL Lions Clubs, it is our proud policy that no funds received from the public go toward any of the administrative or social costs of the club’s. These expenses are borne by the Club members themselves through dues and assessments.
Our regular dinner meeting, which usually features a guest speaker, allows us to blend social activity with the Club’s educational and administrative processes. We also encourage member visits to other Clubs, and schedule events such as picnics and dinner shows to include family and friends, always centered on the Lion’s motto that unites us …
Together We Can Make A Difference …
The Burtonsville Lions Club members give their time and energy to enrich the lives of others, and are rewarded by the knowledge that their efforts do make a difference. However, none of our charitable grants and activities would be possible without the support of individuals and organizations in our Community. We gratefully acknowledge the special generosity of the following “Lions sponsors”:
- Sandy Spring Bank
- National Delivery Services
- Potomac Financial Group
- Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
- Burtonsville Auto Body, Inc.
- Kia of Silver Spring
- Sport Chevrolet