| Leo Clubs | |
|---|---|
Leo Clubs Logo |
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| Motto | Leadership, Experience, Opportunity |
| Formation | 1957 |
| Purpose/focus | Youth secular service club |
| Headquarters | Oak Brook, IL |
| Membership | 150000 |
| Parent organization | Lions Clubs International |
Leo Clubs are a youth organization of Lions Clubs International. The word L E O stands for Leadership, Experience, Opportunity. [1]
The Leo Club objective is to "...to provide the youth of the world (with) an opportunity for development and contribution, individually and collectively, as responsible members of the local, national and international community."
Leo Clubs encourage youths to develop leadership qualities by participating in social service activities. They are dependent on a Lions Club to sponsor and initiate a Leo Club. Leo Club members are addressed as "Leos." They conduct various projects in the fields of health care, elders, children, differently abled, literacy and education, and self-development. Leos can raise funds by conducting fund-raising projects. They can conduct projects with another Leo Club, sponsoring Lions club, or with an outside organization. Leo Clubs are sponsored by Lions clubs and comprise an official program of the Lions clubs international.
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The first Leo Club was founded in 1957 by Jim Graver, the coach of the Abington High School, Pennsylvania baseball team. He was an active member of the Glenside Lions Club. The club was founded with the help of William Ernst, another local Lion. It adopted the high school's colors of maroon and gold. The club also created the acronym Leadership, Equality, Opportunity for the word Leo. The word equality was later changed to experience.[2]
In 1964 the Leo Club program became a sponsored program of the Lions district. It grew beyond Pennsylvania and the United States of America. By 1967 the program had grown to over 200 clubs in 18 countries and become an official youth program of Lions International. In the following year, the Leo program spread rapidly, more than quadrupling in size, to 918 clubs in 48 countries by the end of 1968.[3]
The stated purpose of Leo Clubs is:
To promote service activities among the youth of the community which will develop the individual qualities of Leadership, Experience and Opportunity. To unite its members in friendship, fellowship and mutual understanding.[4]
There are two club tracks in the Leo Club program. Alpha Leo Clubs are those that consist of members between the age of 12, the Leo Club program's minimum age, and the age of majority for the region the club is based in. Omega Leo Clubs are those that consist of members between the age of consent of the club's region, and an age determined by the Lions District.
The Leo program's maximum age of membership is 30 years of age, though it is at the discretion of the Lion's district to enforce younger upper-age limits for Omega clubs. There are no major differences in the operations or logistics of Alpha and Omega Leo Clubs. [5]
Leos conduct monthly general and board meetings. Typical Leo club officers include President, Secretary, Vice Presidents and Directors. At the end of every Leoistic year Leos hold a conference annually. In this conference Leos are recognized for their performance. Every country where Leoism exists is divided into districts. Each district have a separate executive officers which includes District President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Directors. Leos also hold multiple district conferences annually. There is a democratic procedure for Leos to select a District President. If a Leo district receives more than one nomination for the seat of District President, an election is called. Same procedure is made for the post of District Vice President.
The King Philip Regional High School Leo Club in Wrentham, Massachusetts (District 33K) claims the largest Leo Club membership in the world at a fluctuating 300 members annually. KP Leo Club's executive board consists of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, three town Representatives, Publicist, Webmaster, Underclassman Representative, and Alternate.