It shall be the primary mission of the Lyme - Old Lyme Lions Club to support and foster Community Service and local eye care service by sponsoring and participating in events that meet the direct need of the Lyme Old Lyme community. Such as; eye exams, eye related care, Community charities (fuel funds, soup kitchens etc..) within the Lyme - Old Lyme area. Further, this club will support scholars who have demonstrated excellence in Community Service as well as academia and athletics. Also the Lyme - Old Lyme Lions Club will support regional eye related care and research endeavors. Such as; The Low Vision Center of SECT and CLERF.

It shall be th emission of the Lyme - Old Lyme Lions Club to foster and support Eye Related endeavors and other Community Service, in the following order; Lyme - Old Lyme area, Southeastern CT, Statewide, Nationally and Internationally.

Since 1917, Lions clubs have offered people the opportunity to give something back to their communities. From involving members in projects as local as cleaning up an area park or as far-reaching as bringing sight to the world's blind, Lions clubs have always embraced those committed to building a brighter future for their community.

The International Association of Lions Clubs began as the dream of Chicago businessman Melvin Jones. He believed that local business clubs should expand their horizons from purely professional concerns to the betterment of their communities and the world at large.

Jones' group, the Business Circle of Chicago, agreed. After contacting similar groups around the United States, an organizational meeting was held on June 7, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The new group took the name of one of the invited groups, the "Association of Lions Clubs," and a national convention was held in Dallas, Texas, USA in October of that year. A constitution, by-laws, objects and code of ethics were approved.

Among the objects adopted in those early years was one that read, "No club shall hold out the financial betterment of its members as its object." This call for unselfish service to others remains one of the association's main tenets.

Just three years after its formation, the association became international when the first club in Canada was established in 1920. Major international expansion continued as clubs were established, particularly throughout Europe, Asia and Africa during the 1950s and '60s.

In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions international convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, USA. She challenged Lions to become "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness." From this time, Lions clubs have been actively involved in service to the blind and visually impaired.
Broadening its international role, Lions Clubs International helped the United Nations form the Non-Governmental Organizations sections in 1945 and continues to hold consultative status with the U.N.

Here in southeast Connecticut, the Lyme – Old Lyme Lions have ever increasingly expanded upon the original goals and ideas set out by the original lions club back in 1917. Since formed in 1972 the Lyme - Old Lyme Lions have prided themselves on helping the community in every way possible. The dollars for scholars program, continues to aid graduating high school seniors, by providing a scholarship in attempt to aid their efforts in succeeding at their next level of education. In addition to encouraging and helping the youth, the Lyme – Old Lyme Lions consistently come to the aid of our elders. Today, in addition to their international SightFirst program, the Lyme – Old Lyme Lions extend their commitment to sight conservation through countless local efforts.
The annual visit of the sightmobile makes an effort to provide free quality vision testing for our community.

In conclusion, today, with more than 46,000 clubs in 193 countries and geographical areas, Lions have expanded their focus to help meet the ever-increasing needs of our global community.