About
History
Lions Clubs International was founded in the USA by businessman Mervin Jones in 1917. The first Lions Club in Australia was chartered in1947 in Lismore, Queensland. The Lions movement came to South Australia fourteen years later, with the chartering of the City of Adelaide Lions Club.
Glenside Lions Club came into being only in 1980, with 29 members. We celebrated our 45th anniversary at Eastwood Community Centre, which was among the first organisations to benefit from the Club’s support.
Almost immediately the Club started selling second-hand books from two trailers in a carpark. This business grew fast and within a decade had moved to a shed at Burnside Council’s depot in Conyngham Street. Two further moves took it to its present location: the Bookmart in Kennaway Street, built in 1938 as a scout hall.
The Bookmart remains our chief activity, but we also run an Art Show that was awarded Burnside Council’s Community Event of the Year trophy in 2023. The first show was held in 1986 and became an annual event in 1992.
As well as raising money for local, national and global causes, we have always delivered services directly to members of our community. Currently our main focus is health.
What We Do
Fundraising
Glendside Lions Club fundraises through the Bookmart and annual Art Show. In the last financial year, our donations totalled $219,000.
Promotion of Reading
The Bookmart has a large Children’s Section where all age groups are catered for and prices are low. Group visits are arranged out-of-hours.
Vision Screening
Free children’s vison screening at the invitation of schools and community groups. 25% of our members have been trained and accredited.
Hearing Tests
Free hearing tests when Hearing Australia’s mobile unit is brought to the Bookmart.
Foodbank
In-kind collections for Foodbank twice a year. The last collection yielded food for 366 meals.
Community Organisations
We engage closely with a number of local organisations, and run regular free barbecues at Hope’s Café, Beulah Park.
Networking
Collaboration and conventions bring us into contact with Lions from all over the state and beyond. The International Convention brought 11,000 Lions to Melbourne in 2024.
Training
Our operations require management and leadership skills, for which there are multiple Lions training programme to supplement on-the-job learning and our members’ lived experience.
Meetings
We meet twice a month: a business meeting on the 2nd Wednesday of the month and a social dinner meeting, usually on the 4th Wednesday; sometimes it’s a barbecue. There’s also a “coffee catch-up” on the 1st Wednesday of the month, for anyone who wants to drop in.
Disaster Response
Lions are known for rapid assistance to people impacted by disasters, natural or man-made. As well as donating to a global Lions disaster fund we have paid to transport medical supplies to Ukraine, and spearheaded an effort that provided $100,000 worth of feed to drought-stricken sheep farmers in Eyre Peninsula.
Enjoyment
We enjoy and value everything we do together, from fundraising and service projects, to meetings and social events.
The Global Dimension
Lions are active in their local communities but never forget that they are part of a global Lions community that numbers over 1.3 million.
While each Club determines its own priorities, there are nine “global causes”: Childhood cancer, Diabetes, Disaster relief, Environment, Humanitarian efforts, Hunger, Vision, Youth, and Mental health and wellbeing.
All the service clubs do a good job. Lions happens to be the biggest of them, and is privileged to have a consultative role at the UN. It also has wide recognition and a reputation for integrity and, equally important, kindness.
