PIP W.R. “Dick” Bryan
100% Perfect Attendance Pin
1969-1970
PIP
James T. Coffey 100% Perfect Attendance Pin
1993-1994
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Multiple District 13 History 101
A simplified guide of how Multiple District 13 (MD13) evolved from 1917 to
the present.
By Lion Bill Keller (MD13 webmaster)
I want to stress that this page is under construction and by no means is a
complete guide at this time.
When completed I will have a hardcopy edition available as a PDF File.
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Lions Clubs began as the dream of Chicago businessman Melvin
Jones. June 7, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, an organizational meeting was held and the "Association of Lions Clubs" was formed. A national convention was held in Dallas, Texas, in October of that year. A constitution, by-laws, objects and code of ethics were approved. Complete list and photo's of all the Past International Presidents of Lions Clubs International. |
| 1918:
The associations first tentative grouping of the states into nine districts. Ohio was included in the Ninth District, which included Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Eastern Wisconsin. The first District Governor of the Ninth District was George W. Milligan of Chicago, Illinois. The First Lions Club Magazine published on November, 1918. Click here to read the complete magazine.  (Best
viewed at 75%) |
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1918:
The associations first tentative grouping of the states into nine districts.
Ohio was included in the Ninth District, which included Nebraska, Iowa,
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Eastern Wisconsin.
The first District Governor of the Ninth District was George W. Milligan of
Chicago, Illinois.
1920: March 13, the first Lions Club
“Cleveland Host” was organized and 12 Clubs in Ohio rapidly joined. The first
District Convention was held in Columbus, Ohio on October 14. The International
President Dr. C.C. Reid of Denver, Colorado presented all 13 Clubs their
charters; the Ashland Cub was organized later that year.
Dr B.W. Beatty of Dayton was elected to be first District Governor, and Ohio is now known as
"Ohio District".
John Ress of Columbus was the District secretary and a Advisory Board was put
into operation.
The association became International when the first club in Canada was
established in 1920.
Editors
Note:
List of District & State Conventions 1920-2007.
Organization
Charter and Closed Dates of Lions Clubs in Ohio 1920–2008.
 Dr B.W. Beatty |
1921:The second District
Convention held in Dayton. Dr B.W. Beatty was elected to serve as Governor, that
same year Dr. Beatty was elected to be Third Vice President of Lions
International, Beatty resigned as District Governor and Orson C. Norton of
Toledo was appointed to serve as District Governor. Editors Note: see Ohio's Chronological Participation In International Leadership for Ohio's International family details here . Editors Note: see the complete list of District Governors 1920-2007. |
1922: International re-districted the entire country and re-numbered them, Ohio
became known as District 13.
Orson C. Norton was elected to serve as District Governor and three trustees were
elected at the third District Convention held in Lima, Ohio.
Child Welfare was adopted as a Club/District project. Ohio now has 16 clubs and
1,018 members.
1923: May 24th at the fourth annual convention of District 13 in Akron, it was
decided to take over as a District project, the publication and free distribution of the
"Juvenile Braille Magazine" which the Cincinnati Lions Club had undertaken for
several years before. It was voted unanimously
to publish the magazine and send it to every blind child in Ohio. Albert Elton
of Youngstown was elected District Governor and three trustees.
Ohio now has 19 clubs and 1,078 members.
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1925:The ninth annual International Convention held in conjunction with the sixth
District 13 Convention held at Cedar Point, Ohio, Helen Keller challenged Lions to
become "Knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." Read Helen Keller's full speech here . Click on
program for larger image.Edward S. Babcox of Akron was elected to serve as District Governor and four trustees were elected. Governor Babcox appointed E.H. Boylan of Akron as District Secretary and John Ress of Columbus as District Treasurer. Later that year Governor Babcox organized the State officers. |
1926: Ohio Lions adopted first
State Constitution.
Horace Kerr of Columbus
was elected to serve as District Governor at the seventh District 13 Convention
held at Columbus and he appointed nine Lieutenant Governors.
Ohio now has 40 clubs and 1,806 members.
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1927: Horace Kerr of Columbus was elected to serve as International Director at the 11th annual International Convention held in Miami, Florida. He served this position until 1930. Walter Schmitt of Cincinnati was elected to serve as District Governor and Chet Moreland of Cincinnati was named District Secretary/Treasurer at the seventh annual District convention in Toledo. The District was to be administered in nine sub-districts each under a Lieutenant Governor. |
1928: The Juvenile Braille Magazine had now been adopted by Lions International.
1,886 copies were sent to blind children in Ohio.
Ohio now has 48 Clubs and 2,159 members.
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1932: John Lloyd of Portsmouth was elected to serve as International Director at the 16th annual International Convention held in Los Angeles, California and served this office until 1936. See the Ohio Lions District 13 Convention Programs from the 1930's here. |
1933: District 13 Ohio divides into Multiple District 13 (MD13) composed of
13A & 13B.
Don Gibbs of Urbana was elected District Governor of 13A and Harry Shanks of
Dayton elected District Governor of 13B at the fourteenth annual convention
held in Cleveland.
1934:Ohio Lions have always been active in blind work and the visitors at the
fifteenth annual District convention of Ohio Lions in Cincinnati had the privilege of
witnessing the printing of the Juvenile Braille Monthly Lions magazine
for blind children, printed by the blind women of
Clovernook.
Ohio now has 86 clubs and 2,760 members.
1935: Guy W. Brentlinger was elected to serve on the Executive Council Board of
Directors of Lions International.
1936: A.H. Alexander was elected to serve on the Executive Council Board of
Directors of Lions International.
1937:At the eighteenth annual District 13 convention in Toledo a new District Governors organization was adopted.
Each Governor was to have a Deputy Governor and Zone chairman. District
Committees at the time where: Executive & Advisory Committees, Credentials,
Resolutions, Constitution & By Laws, Custodian of Brail Fund and Controller and
a Convention Committee.
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1941-1942: MD13 divides into 4 new sub-districts 13A, 13B, 13C, & 13D. |
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1945: Guy W. Brentlinger of Lima was appointed to serve as International Director there was no International or District Convention due to the war. Each sub-district held it’s own meeting for general business and election of officers. |
1947: MD13 divides from 4 sub-districts to 6 sub-districts and adds 13E &
13F.
Clarence Jenkins named 1st
State Secretary of Ohio Lions; Jenkins passed away suddenly and was
replaced by George Bormuth.
Constitutional changes were made to accommodate the office of State Secretary
and the State office was opened in October 1948 in the Southern Hotel in
Columbus. This was an outstanding year for Ohio, 23 new clubs had been
organized making a total of 207 Clubs and
11,295 members.
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1948: MD13 divides from 6 sub-districts to 7 sub-districts and adds 13G. A. Blee Dredge of Springfield was elected to serve as International Director held at the 31st annual International Convention in New York, New York. Dredge was defeated for 3rd VP in 1950. Click on poster for larger picture. A.B. Dredge was killed in an automobile accident on August 1951. |
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1950: MD13 divides from 7 sub-districts to 8 sub-districts and adds 13H.
Erwin C. Baum was employed by Lions International as a special representative to
organize new clubs and service others in Ohio.
Ohio now has 278 clubs and 14,054 members.
See the Ohio Lions MD13 State Convention Programs from the 1950's
here.
State Directories photo page
1950's . Council of Governors photos
1957-1959.
1951:William C.
Wiseman of Dayton was endorsed as a candidate for International Director but was
appointed as Chairman of the Board of International Relations at LCI.
1952: George Bormuth resigns as State Secretary . A new State Secretary Erwin
C. Baum was appointed by the State Council.
Ohio Lions Eye Research Fund (OLERF) started, Everett R, Steece of Columbus was
elected as Custodian. The contributions received was to be used at specified
Universities for research in the cause of blindness.
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1953: Dr. Dan Martin of Greenville was elected to serve as International Director at the
36th annual International Convention in
Chicago, Illinois. Martin was
defeated for 3rd
VP in 1956.
Lions International building dedicated in Chicago, Illinois. The first Eye Research contribution of $1200.00 was presented to Dr. Doan, Dean of the Medical College at Ohio State University at the thirty-fourth annual State convention of Ohio Lions held in Columbus on May 8-10,1953. |
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1954:The motto, "We Serve," was adopted by Lions International.
Clarence Stuckey was employed by Lions International as a special representative
and would be working in Southern Ohio on extension work.
1956:Ruth Reeder is hired as State Office Secretary assistant she held that position until 1968.
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1957: Sub-District 13A divides into (2) new sub-districts A-1 & A-2. W.R. “Dick” Bryan of Doylestown was elected to serve as International Director held at the 40th annual International Convention in San Francisco, California. Ohio Lions Eye Research becomes incorporated and trustees are elected. We now have 445 clubs and 19,452 members. Click on image for larger picture or a even larger printable map is available here. |
1958: Sumner W. Terry Loomis
replaced Baum as State Secretary.
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1959: Clarence DenHerder replaced Loomis as State Secretary. Sub-District 13F divides into (2) new sub-districts 13F-1 & 13F-2. Click on image for larger picture or a even larger printable map is available here. |
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1960:Change in District designation from 13A-1,A-2, B, C, D, E, F-1, F-2, G, and H
to 13A, B, C, D, E, F, G H, I and J. Click on image for larger picture or a even larger printable map is available here. |
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Also in
1960,
Ralph Blaney of Old Fort was elected to serve as International Director at the
43rd
annual International Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Each Multiple District or
State issued a small pin usually in the shape of their state for their delegates
to trade at the International Convention. These pins where called FRIENDSHIP
PINS. See Lions International
Pin Trading Club
for more information.
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1961:Founder of Lions International, Melvin Jones passes away in his home at
Flossmoor, Illinois on June 1st.
Click on magazine for larger picture. And read the article here. (Best viewed at
100%)If you look closely at the bottom of the first page, it was published in Dayton, Ohio. 1962:Carl Yingling replaced DenHerder as State Secretary. |
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1963: District 13I changes letter designation to 13K. The reason was not to be
confused with MD131. Click on image for larger picture or a even larger printable map is available here. Homer Hoover of Wooster was elected to serve as International Director at the 46th annual International Convention in Miami, Florida. |
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1966: Another statewide redistricting took place and was done all over MD13 to
make a more equal distribution of clubs and membership among the sub-districts
(Our current map). Ohio now has 447 clubs and 20,800 members. Ohio Lions Uniform Chairman was Alton B. Moore, he held this position until 1975. |
1968:Projects and Finance Advisory Committee began.
Dee Sutphin
is hired as State Office Secretary assistant.
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1969: W.R. “Dick”
Bryan
of Doylestown was
elected President of Lions Club International 52nd
annual International Convention, held in Tokyo, Japan. “Ohio’s
First International President”. |
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1970: John "Jack" Thomson hired as State Secretary replaces
Yingling. Thomson's Office Secretary assistant was Jeanne Rector.
State Directory photo page
1970's . See the Ohio Lions MD13 State Convention Programs from the
1970's.
Council of Governors photos 1970-1979.
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1972: Merle W. Hartle of Piketon was elected to serve as International
Director at the 55th
annual International Convention in Mexico
City, Mexico. |
1973:Council Chairman are now elected from the previous Council of Governors.
1974:The "Buckeye Lion"
Newsletter was published the editor was Jack Rollings and art director Jim
Mitchell.
Note: click on the link above for full details and pictures of our past
newsletters.
1975:The State Office is now located at the Neil House on North High Street in
Columbus.
Ohio Lions Uniform Chairman was PDG Harold Wood, he held this position until 1979.
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1977: William P. Leibensperger of
Columbus was
elected to serve as International Director held at the 60th annual
International Convention in
New Orleans, Louisiana. The first USA Lions Forum was held in
Rosemont, Illinois. |
1979:Ohio Lions Uniform Chairman was Gene Wells he held this position until 1982.
1980: James T . Coffey
of Toronto was elected to serve as International Director held at the 63rd
annual International Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Canadian Lions asked to
officially join the USA Lions Forum in St. Louis, Missouri. The
USA Lions Forum is now called the
"USA/Canada Lions Forum".
State directory
photo page 1980's. See the Ohio Lions MD13 State Convention Programs from
the 1980's.
1981:The State Office is now located at the
Arlington Arms Hotel on Dublin Road in Columbus.
1982/1983: PID William "Bill" P. Leibensperger
endorsed by the Lions of Ohio at the MD State Convention in 1982 as a candidate
for 3rd
V.P.
Read the story of PID Bill "A Lion On The Verge of Obtaining the Presidency of
our Association" by PIP Jim Coffey
here
1984:The Ohio Lions All State Youth Band was started.
1985:Ohio Lions Foundation
(OLF) was formed.
PDG Earl "Butch" Strawn replaces Thomson as State Secretary now known as State
Executive Administrator (SEA).
1986: Ohio Lions Uniforms & products taken over by C. Lee Weddell ( C.L.W.
Distributors) sold Lions goods until 1997.
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1986: Daniel W. "Dan" Cole of
Marietta was elected to serve as
International Director held at the 69th
annual
International Convention in New Orleans,
Louisiana. OLF State committee formed. |
1987: The State office is now
located at the Eastland Professional Plaza on Refugee Road in Columbus.
Cindy Rawlins replaces Jeanne Rector as State Office Secretary assistant.
1990:The State office is now located in Groveport.
State Directory photo page
1990's .See the Ohio Lions MD13 State Convention Programs from
the 1990's.
1991:"The
Ohio Lion " Newsletter was published and the editor was PDG Bob Lowry.
1992:Lion W.M. "Bill" Riggs Jr. replaces
Strawn as SEA. One of the many task the SEA had to carry out was the editing and
printing of the Ohio Lion newsletter.
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1993: James T. Coffey of Toronto was elected President of Lions Club
International 76th annual International Convention held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Editors Note: see Ohio's Past International Presidents and Directors photos and biographies here. Title of Senior Deputy Governor is now Vice District Governor and Junior Deputy Governor is now Deputy District Governor. Click on magazine for larger picture. 
James T. Coffey's
Inaugural
Address |
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1995: Floyd Newberry, Jr. of Sardinia was
elected to serve as
International Director held at the 78th
annual International Convention in Seoul, Republic of Korea. A State Office building was purchased on March 10th in Grove City. |
1997:PDG Ray Empson replaces Riggs as SEA.
Membership, Extension, and Leadership (MEL) Coordinators formed.
1998:Lion Jim Green replaces Empson as SEA. Lions uniforms now taken over by B&L
Distributors owned by PDG Bill & Lion Loretta Rauch until 2005.
1999:The first
Campus Club of MD13 "The Ohio State University" was charted on October 28, 1999.
PDG Ray Empson was responsible for starting the first Campus Club.
2000: PDG Bob
Woodside takes over as full time editor of The Ohio Lion Newsletter and held
this position until 2003.
State Directory photo page 2000.
See the Ohio Lions MD13 State Convention Programs from
2000.
2001:
Multiple District 13 website goes
online.
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2002:
Title change from State Executive
Administrator to Multiple District Secretary/Treasurer (MDST) Membership, Extension, Retention, and Leadership (MERL) Coordinators formed. |
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2003: Gary L. Brown of Urbana was
elected to serve as
International Director held at the
86th annual International
Convention in Denver, Colorado.
First on-line Fall issue newsletter called "The Ohio On-Lion News" produced by
Lion's Mark Page and Bill
Keller. |
2004: PDG Ed Green replaces Jim Green (no relation to each other) as Interim Multiple District
Secretary (MDS) and PDG Richard Kisamore becomes Interim Multiple District
Treasurer (MDT). Note: It was decided by the Council of Governors to split the
duties of the MDST.
Lion Bill & Cindy Keller
take over as full time co-editors of The Ohio On-Lion Newsletter.
2005:Lion Debbie Luttrell replaces Green as MDS and PDG Jay Gray replaces
Kisamore as MDT.
MERL changes name to MERL+ adding Women's Development and Campus Club
Coordinators.
PDG Jerry Smith
(District 13A) and PCC PDG Steven Sherer (District 13G) announce their
candidacies at the Annual Fall Conference in Columbus on November 6, 2005 to run
for International Director.
Wildcat Sports take over as Ohio Lions
Uniforms & products provider.
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2006: At the 87th Annual State Convention May 20th, 2006 in Cincinnati, PCC PDG Steven Sherer is elected and is endorsed by the Lions of Ohio to run for ID in Boston. Steven D. Sherer of New Philadelphia was elected to serve as International Director held at the 89th annual International Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. The 30th Annual USA/Canada Lions Leadership Forum was held in Columbus. |
Editors
Note: All International Directors served a two year term unless otherwise noted.
1938 &
1953
International Convention pins &
PIP Dick Bryan & PIP James
Coffey 100% perfect attendance pins courtesy of
CLPTC.
Ohio 1960 State pin,
PIP Dick Bryan &
PIP James
Coffey pins
courtesy of Ohio Pin Traders.
History researched from:
