Style Guide
From LionWiki
Official Logos and Artwork
Lions may download the official Lions logo and artwork in various formats from the international web site. Those downloading this artwork should familiarize themselves with the Association's guidelines for use, and be sure to use the proper colors in print materials.
Naming Conventions
International
Our Association is formally referred to as "The International Association of Lions Clubs". It is informally known as "Lions Clubs International (LCI)". Note that the word club is always used in the plural in both of these senses.
"Lions CLUB International" is an incorrect usage, because it implies that LCI is one large club, when, in fact, it is an "association" of autonomous local clubs, all chartered under and by the authority of all the clubs as "in association".
Multiple District
According to the Standard Multiple District Constitution approved by LCI, a multiple district should formally be referred to as "Multiple District No. ____, Lions Clubs International." For informal usage, one will see references to:
- Multiple District 4
- Multiple District 4 (California)
- MD-4
- MD-4 (California)
- MD4
Single- or Sub-District
According to the Standard District Constitution approved by LCI, a district should formally be referred to as "District No. ____, Lions Clubs International." For informal usage, one will see references to:
- District 4-C6
- District 4-C6, MD-4 (California)
- LCI District 4-C6
Local Clubs
According to the Standard Club Constitution, local clubs should formally be referred to as "The Lions Club of _____________" Club names will consist of or start with the name of the city or town in which they are based. In the case of multiple clubs in one city or town, additional nomenclature may be appended to the name to distinguish the clubs from each other. As with the International and District nomenclature, there are traditional formal and informal representations of local club names, e.g.:
When only one club exists in the town:
- (formal) The Lions Club of Windsor Locks
- (informal) The Windsor Locks Lions Club
Depending on the context, the state, country, or district number may be appended in the formal sense:
- (formal) The Lions Club of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, USA
- (formal) The Lions Club of Windsor Locks (Connecticut)
- (formal) The Lions Club of Windsor Locks, District 23-B, Connecticut, USA
- (informal) Windsor Locks Lions Club, Connecticut, USA
- (informal) Windsor Locks Lions Club, District 23-B, Connecticut, USA
- (informal) Windsor Locks Lions, Connecticut, USA
When more than one club exists in the town or city, the original club in the city will often bear the name "Host" to distinguish it as the original (or sometimes the oldest) club in the town or city:
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José (Host)
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José (Host), San José, California, USA
- (informal) San José Host Lions Club
Other clubs within the same city will bear names that begin with the same city name, but with additional, distinguishing nomenclature. This might be geograpically based (East, West, North, South, Central, Upper, Lower, etc.), or thematic (ethnic, profession-based, other uniquely identifying characteristics). Locally, these names might be shorthanded to the distinguishing part of the name. For example:
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Almaden Super
- (informal) San José Almaden Super Lions Club
- (informal - local) Almaden Super Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Beverly Burbank
- (informal) San José Beverly Burbank Lions Club
- (informal - local) Beverly Burbank Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Campbell W San José
- (informal) West San José Campbell Lions Club
- (informal - local) Campbell Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José East Valley
- (informal) San José East Valley Lions Club
- (informal - local) East Valley Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Los Amigos
- (informal) San José Los Amigos Lions Club
- (informal - local) Los Amigos Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Maharlika
- (informal) San José Maharlika Lions Club
- (informal - local) Maharlika Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José North Valley
- (informal) San José North Valley Lions Club
- (informal - local) North Valley Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Pioneer
- (informal) San José Pioneer Lions Club
- (informal - local) Pioneer Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Sampaguita
- (informal) San José Sampaguita Lions Club
- (informal - local) Sampaguita Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Scales Of Justice
- (informal) San José Scales of Justice Lions Club
- (informal - local) Scales of Justice Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Vietnamese American
- (informal) San José Vietnamese American Lions Club
- (informal - local) Vietnamese American Lions Club
- (formal) The Lions Club of San José Visionary
- (informal) San José Visionary Lions Club
- (informal - local) Visionary Lions Club
Note that the names used as examples are all actual clubs in existence at the time of this writing. All of the San José clubs listed are in the city of San José, California, USA, and its environs. Not every permutation of every name is listed. For example the formal names of any of the San José clubs might also have ", San José, California, USA" appended, or just "California, USA," "California," "CA, USA", etc. The informal or informal-local names might drop the word "Club" in some contexts.
Lions vs. Lion's
A Lions Club is not a Lion's Club. That is to say, a Lions Club does not belong to a Lion. It is a club of Lions; its members are individuals each referred to as being a Lion. The singular possessive never applies to a Lions Club. None of these usages is correct:
- San José Host Lion's Club
- The local Lion's Club.
- The president of the Lion's Club.
In each of those cases, the usage of an apostrophe is wrong. These examples would be correctly stated thusly:
- San José Host Lions Club
- The local Lions Club.
- The president of the Lions Club.
The only time a possessive would be appropriately applied to the word Lions would be the plural possessive in reference to a quality or the property of an entire club, or the Association. For example:
- The Lions' mission is to prevent all blindness.
- The property is leased to the Lions club by the city, but the building is the Lions'.
However, it is usually better to construct such sentences so as not to need the possessive form, e.g.:
- It is the mission of Lions to prevent all blindness.
- The property is leased to the Lions club by the city, but the building belongs to the Lions.
Lioness Clubs
Lioness Clubs follow the same naming conventions as Lions Clubs, and observe the same principles regarding the use of the possessive. Note that -- historically -- Lioness Clubs do not stand alone and operate as projects of the sponsoring Lions Club, under its authority and jurisdiction. Many Lioness clubs still exist and provide valuable service to their communities.
Lioness Lions Clubs
Since the Association began admitting women in 1987, growth of new Lioness clubs has crawled to a virtual stop. It is now possible for extant Lioness clubs to re-charter as Lions Clubs, maintaining the term "Lioness" in their club name. Details on this special bridge program can be found on the international web site.
Leo Clubs
The Standard Leo Club Constitution calls for a Leo Club to formally be referred to as "The Leo Club of _____". Clubs may be named for municipalities where they serve, or institutions within which they serve. For example:
- (formal) The Leo Club of Mountain View High School, Mountain View, California
- (informal) The Mountain View High School Leo Club
- (informal) MVHS Leos
Leo vs LEO
Note that although the word Leo is also used as an acronym to mean Leadership, Experience and Opportunity, as expressed Article II of the Standard Constitution, it is not typically capitalized as LEO Club. Technically, this usage is referred to as "backronym," since it is likely that the name Leo was selected to refer to young Lions, and then the expression "Leadership, Experience, Opportunity" was created to fit the existing name. Backronyms, unlike acronyms, are not always expressed in all caps.
Leo Lions Clubs
It is possible for a group of Leos who have decided to progress from Leo membership to Lions membership to form a "Leo Lions Club". Details on such a club can be found on the international web site.
Individual Forms of Address
All Club Members
Lions Club Members are referred to as "Lions". A Lions Club member is referred to as "a Lion". The same convention holds true for Lionesses and Leos.
The term "Lioness" is reserved for a member of a Lioness Club. It has no other usage. It is not used to refer to female Lions Club members, nor to the wives of male Lions. Lions Club members -- women and men both -- are referred to as Lions. Lioness Club members -- women and men both (yes, men can belong to a Lioness Club) -- are Lionesses. Spouses, partners and significant others of Lions are referred to exactly as such: spouse, partner, significant other, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc.
Some Clubs observe a practice whereby members refer to each other (in written or verbal address) by the use of the honorfic "Lion" prepended before a name (full, given or surname):
- Lion Al Brandel, International President
- Lion Joan Smith, District Governor
- "Lion Ken will lead us in prayer."
- "Lion Barbara, will you be attending our pancake breakfast this weekend?"
- "As I was saying to Lion Keith earlier this evening . . . "
- "Dear Lion Jones, ..." (salutation in a letter or email)
This practice is also often observed by Lionesses and Leos. It is always appropriate to address a Lion, Lioness or Leo using this form of address, regardless of office or past office held, and regardless of whether the custom is considered mandatory or not by any given club. The use of the honorific should always be taken as a mark of respect for a fellow Lion, Lioness or Leo.
The practice does vary from club to club. Some clubs opt for a more casual approach, dropping the honorific. Some only apply it to visiting Lions and dignitaries. Some clubs, however, do fine members who forget to observe this custom. :)
Addressing Club Officers and Chairs
Again, this practice varies widely in terms of compliance. Some clubs do, some don't, but again, one can never go wrong in observing these customs:
- Lion President Al
- Lion Secretary Smith
- Lion Treasurer Jeff Jones
This form of address, if used, is generally only applied to the principal officers of the club: President, Secretary and Treasurer.
Any officer or chair may be addressed, in writing, by his or her name, prepended by "Lion" with the office he or she holds appended after a comma:
- Lion Jean Riley, 1st Vice President
- Lion Dave Anderson, Convention Chair
King Lion
The president is also sometimes referred to as "King Lion".
Addressing Sitting District and International Officers
Forms of Use
- District Governor Cathy Garcia
- Lion Cathy Garcia, District Governor
- Lion Cathy Garcia, DG
- DG Cathy Garcia
- DG Cathy
Single- or Sub-District
- District Governor (DG)
- 1st Vice District Governor (1st VDG)
- 2nd Vice District Governor (2nd VDG)
- Cabinet Secretary (CS)
- Cabinet Treasurer (CT)
- Cabinet Secretary-Treasurer (CST)
- Region Chair (RC)
- Zone Chair (ZC)
- District Chair (DC)
Multiple District
- Council Chair (CC)
International
- International President (IP)
- 1st International Vice President
- 2nd International Vice President
- International Director (ID)
Forms of Address for Past Officers at All Levels
A past holder of any office may be referred to as a "Past _________" (P____). A Past International President may be referred to as:
- Past International President Bill Biggs
- Lion Bill Biggs, Past International President
- Lion Bill Biggs, PIP
- PIP Bill Biggs
- PIP Bill
Holders of any office from club president to international president may be addressed in similar forms. A list of offices and their "past" designations:
- Past President, PP
- Past Secretary, PS
- Past Treasurer, PT
- Past District Governor, PDG
- Past Cabinet Secretary, PCS
- Past Cabinet Treasurer, PCT
- Past Cabinet Secretary-Treasurer, PCST
- Past Region Chair, PRC
- Past Zone Chair, PZC
- Past District Chair, PDC (unconventional usage)
- Past Council Chair, PCC
- Past International Director, PID
- Past International President, PIP
Immediate Past Executive Officers
The chief Executive Officer that presided over the past Lions year is always referred to as the "Immediate Past _____". This is more than an honorific. These are constitutional offices with official standing and a vote on the Board of Directors. Immediate Past executive officers are especially valuable resources for their successors, offering guidance and lending their expert knowledge of the organization they just spent the last year presiding over. Their titles and abbreviations:
- Immediate Past International President, IPIP
- Immediate Past District Governor, IPDG
- Immediate Past President, IPP
Which Title to Use?
A sitting officer is always referred to by his or her current title.
Generally, a past Lions officer is referred to by the highest office he or she has held. A Past International President is assumed to also be a Past International Director, A Past District Governor, a Past Zone Chair and a Past President (club).
A Vice President or a Vice District Governor usually advances through the chairs to the Presidency or to become District Governor. Therefore, one normally does not hear Past Vice President (PVP), or Past Vice District Governor (PVDG), though there's certainly no prohibition against such usage. It just may create confusion.
Similarly, since a District Chair isn't an officer, strictly speaking, the use of Past District Chair (PDC) is not particularly common. Again, though, no prohibition exists against it. Frequently, a District Chair will be someone who has held club or district office in another capacity anyway and would be otherwise entitled to a different form of address.
Depending on context, it may be appropriate, or endearing, to refer to a holder of higher office as a past holder of a lower office. For example, in his home club, Past International President Bill may simply be referred to as "Past President Bill," as a sentimental reminder that this Lion who has served in the highest office of the Association was once president of his local club.
Order of Preference
Note: rules of protocol govern the order of preference when addressing a group of Lions containing several officers or past officers in attendance at a meeting or function.
