Top of
PageThe Lancaster County Association for the Blind and the Lancaster Lions Club have established the Ralph Taylor Fellowship with a three-fold purpose:
- To honor Ralph A. Taylor, a Lion since the mid-1920s and a dedicated leader with the Association for over 50 years;
- To present the Fellowship to an individual or organization, who, through an extraordinary commitment to the community, represents the best of Lion Ralph Taylor;
- To raise funds in support of the services provided by the Lancaster County Association of the Blind, a not-for-profit, independent organization serving the citizens of Lancaster County.
The award is presented in the form of a 12" tall statuette with an inscribed base. In addition, both the recipient and the donor will be honored on a plaque hung at the Association.
Persons or organizations who wish to honor a citizen with this fine award may do so by making a $1,000 donation to the Association. Interested individuals should secure an application for the Fellowship. Further information about the award or copies of the application may be obtained through:
Lion Stephen (Steve) Patterson (717-291-5951)
President of the Lancaster County Association of the Blind
Lion Abram (Abe) Shrom, P.D.G. (717-859-1091) or (717-397-5277)
Chairman of the Board of Directors - The Lancaster County Association of the Blind
Lion Steven (Steve) Jones (717-394-0711)
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors - The Lancaster County Association of the Blind
Lion Walter (Walt) Reese, P.D.G. (717-872-7675)
Lions District Chairman 14-D
The International Association of Lions Clubs began as the dream of Chicago insurance man Melvin Jones, who wondered why local business clubs - he was an active member of one - could not expand their horizons from purely business concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world at large. Jones' idea struck a chord within his own group, the Business Circle of Chicago, and they authorized him to explore his concept with similar organizations from around the United States. His efforts resulted in an organizational meeting at a local hotel on June 7, 1917. The 12 men who gathered there overcame a natural sense of loyalty to their parent clubs, voted the "Association of Lions Clubs" into existence, and issued a call for a national convention to be held in Dallas, Texas, USA in October of the same year.
Thirty-six delegates representing 22 clubs from nine states heeded the call, approved the "Lions Clubs" designation, and elected Dr. William P. Woods of Indiana as their first president. Guiding force and founder Melvin Jones named acting secretary, thus began an association with Lionism that only ended with his death in 1961.
A Fellowship was established in the name of Melvin Jones by Lions International. In order for an individual to receive a Melvin Jones award, a donation of $1000 must be made to Lions International. Receiving this award is one of the the highest honors a Lion can achieve.
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