History

History of The Lions Club of Buffalo, Host Club

  • 1919: Buffalo businessmen established a downtown luncheon club called “OT- YOK- WA” (Brotherhood in the Algonquin language). Its aims are simple yet profound and ambitious: “Community Interest, Charitable Enterprise, and rendering the highest service to the city, state and nation”. These ideals evidently appealed to many men in the Queen City of the Lakes, for the membership soon grew to nearly 300.

 

  • Also 1919: Chicago insurance man Melvin Jones and his associates had similar ideas for serving their fellows and communities, but a catchier name: the Lions Club! The Lions organization had chartered 250 local Clubs in the two years before the OT- YOK- WA members heard about it; the Buffalonians were impressed by this growth, and applied for a charter.

 

  • October 1921: “OT- YOK- WA” became “The Lions Club of Buffalo, Inc.”, only the second Lions Club in New York State, with 130 charter members. Harry A. Newman, First Vice President of Lions International presented the charter to our first President, Harry P. Brainard, in a ceremony in the old Iroquois Hotel. Lions founder and Secretary-General Melvin Jones was present for the occasion. (As the Queen City was subdivided into seven Lions service areas in later decades, the term “Host Club” was added to our name, so many call us the “Buffalo Host Lions”.)

 

  • 1925 – In the Lions’ International Convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, famous educator Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf, urged us all to become her “Knights of the Blind in this crusade against darkness”. Lions have made vision-related services a principal focus of their efforts, but since then have expanded that constituency to include the Deaf – another idea of Keller’s – the Hard-of Hearing, and other citizens with disabilities who may be in need.

 

  • The 1930’s: Buffalo Lions are enthusiastic in pursuing service – and fun! The records list picnics, dances and dinners for the blind, plus the annual Thanksgiving “Turkey Shoot”, inside restaurants, not using live birds, but targets and BB guns, with member Lions ducking the ricochets!

 

  • Three Buffalo Host members have been Lions District Governors. Originally District 20 comprised all of New York State, (and eventually “Multiple District 20” included Bermuda as well): Robert Forrest in 1932, Dr. Albert Syrcher in 1946, and Walter Weber in 1970. In 1938, District 20 was sub-divided, the four westernmost counties (Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua), becoming District 20-N, so Bob Forrest was the last Buffalo Host Lion to run the whole state!

 

  • 1941:The work continues as the turbulent times of World War II approach: a sheet in our files assigns over 100 Lions to 23 committees, so many wear multiple hats.

 

  • 1945: Buffalo Host Lion Joseph Albrecht, a tax lawyer, heard about corneal transplants; he led our and other Clubs to form the Buffalo Eye Bank and Research Society, Inc., only the second Eye Bank in the nation. With the help of Lions Earl Ferguson and Dr. Al Syrcher, Buffalo Host raised over $10,000 through creative fund-raisers, raffling off cars, refrigerators, motor scooters; other clubs in the area contributed money and equipment.

 

  • Late 1940’s: Joe Albrecht invented a metal shipping container for human eyes that was still used by eye banks around the world until 1964, (according to the Eye Bank Association of America’s website).

 

  • 1951: In order to fund Buffalo Eye Bank, inspired by the now-defunct Buffalo Main-Line Lions Club, Buffalo Host and seven other clubs create the Lions Blind & Charity Fund, Inc. – and Joe Albrecht was co-designer of the Lions Blind Seals that are a key part of its fundraising. Half of all of LBCF’s direct mail appeal funds go to underwrite the work of the Eye Bank, and its successor (more below).

 

  • The 1950’s: The Club was so active for a time, that we had a paid Executive Secretary, Madge Gedge, who managed the files and correspondence from our office in the Statler Hilton Hotel, where our weekly luncheon meetings often filled the ballroom. Once again, volunteer Lion member Secretaries took over this role after Madge’s passing, around 1958.

 

  • 1957: Our last Lions Club Charter member, Ernst Landes, owner of Landes Printing, goes to his final reward. His successor leading the company, Donald Krieger, was also a Lion until his passing; and Don’s son Jim is currently a Buffalo Host Lion, as well.

 

  • 1960’s to 1990’s: We continue many kinds of service to the Blind and the community, gradually embracing service to individuals with non-vision-related disabilities.

 

  • 1982: Originally a private club of white male businessmen, doctors and lawyers, Buffalo Host was pleased to increase its diversity with the addition of a Lion of color, Willie Hines. In the years following, the “complexion” of the Club continues to change.

 

  • 1993: Buffalo Eye Bank and Research Society, Inc. merged with another tissue donation agency that was founded in 1981, Upstate New York Transplant Services, Inc., retaining UNYTS’ more comprehensive name and gaining a newer, more spacious office.

 

  • 1994: After years of offering invitations for women to become full Lions (as compared to joining the Lioness auxiliary that some Clubs have), Buffalo Host gains its first female Lion, Catherine Deinzer. She met and married Lion Joe Graves in 1996, and they were the first couple granted Family Membership, when that category was created, a decade later.

 

  • 2004: The First Club President that is a person of color, Buffalo State College Professor Sol Ahiarah who was born in Africa; (First Vice President Marion Ashwood, an African-American, was in line for that distinction years earlier, but passed on.)

 

  • 2004: As part of Lions Clubs International’s efforts to encourage smaller-than-Club-size branches that cater to a particular interest group, our first such sub-unit was created when 23 Spanish-speaking Western New Yorkers were enrolled as the Latino Branch. While its membership has varied, they eventually intend to spin off into a freestanding Club.

 

  • 2005: A note of poignancy and pride: before his passing at age 99, Buffalo Host Club Lion and retired YMCA executive Donald Meyncke became New York State’s Senior Monarch with 65 years of seniority.

 

  • 2006: The first female Lion to become Club President, Catherine Colicchia, is installed.

 

  • 2014: To assist them in better serving their constituencies in the Queen City, recognized not-for-profit organizations and agencies were invited to compete for up to $10,000 in Community Betterment Grants offered by Buffalo Host Club; generally, this would be used to complete projects in progress. The first grantee was Horizon Human Services, which improved the crumbling entrance to its inpatient substance abuse treatment facility, Horizon Village Terrace House. (More information and a link to the Application on the Home page)

 

  • Mid-2019: After two years of research, seeking to more clearly convey its purpose, Upstate New York Transplant Services, Inc. (UNYTS) became ConnectLife Blood & Organ Donor Network, located in Williamsville.

 

  • Today: There has been a big change from the professionals and “Captains of Industry” who began Buffalo Host Club 99-plus years ago. Many of our current membership are not-for-profit-agency employees, retirees, and people with various disabilities. We continue to serve local residents and the community at large though a number of avenues. (See the Services section).