Lionism in Saskatchewan dates back more than three quarters of a century. Prior to 1928 Swift Current chartered the first Lions Club in the province. Immediately following and continuing for ten years, Saskatchewan was confronted with severe economic conditions created by the Great Depression. Probably unable to battle the drought and recessive conditions, Swift Current Lions Club dissolved in 1936, and although the club reorganized in 1946, it had thus forfeited the enviable position of being the first club formed in Saskatchewan.

Stepping up to replace Swift Current as number one was neighboring Moose Jaw. On October 11, 1928, led by President Fred Workman and assisted by Lion J.R. Booker, Deputy District Governor of District 5, thirty-six community-minded gentlemen organized the first permanent Saskatchewan Lions Club. Moose Jaw Lions received its charter on February 6, 1929 presented by Lion W. M. Oates of Aberdeen, South Dakota, District Governor of District 5.

Two other early clubs in Saskatchewan, Regina Central, organized in 1929, and Saskatoon Downtown (1937), after almost seventy-five years are still actively serving their communities. There was a sizable influx of new clubs in the forties, fifties, sixties, and seventies with approximately one hundred clubs being chartered during that time. There are still twenty-three active clubs in Saskatchewan that were formed before 1955. An estimated peak number of Saskatchewan Lions Clubs is two hundred and ten with one hundred and seventy-two still serving today.

At this time District 5 embraced the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba together with the states of Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The organizing in 1930 of Multiple District 5 with three districts, Manitoba-Minnesota, Saskatchewan, and North and South Dakota indicates the growth of Lions International. In 1937 at the first Multiple District Convention held in Moose Jaw, Manitoba and Minnesota were separated from our Multiple District 5. The remaining 2 districts of 5S (North and South Dakota) and 5N (Saskatchewan) carried on until 1948. At that time Saskatchewan became District 5C with Lion Gordon Snider of Moose Jaw Lions Club as District Governor. The growth of Lionism was such that by 1979 there were two districts in South Dakota, two in North Dakota, and four in Saskatchewan.

District 5CW, formed in 1968, takes in the southwest portion of Saskatchewan; District 5CE, organized in 1968-69 occupies the southeast area of the province; and 5CN, formed in 1957-58 covers the northwest area. The newest District, 5CA, incorporated in July 1979 from nineteen former 5CE clubs and eighteen from 5CN, occupies the northeast part of Saskatchewan. Lion Nestor H. Shevchuk, who passed away December 2004, was the first District Governor of the newly formed 5CA District.

Although not always in an official capacity, women have played an important role in the Lions Association. In 1975, Lions International, recognizing the significant part played by Women's Auxiliaries to Lions, approved the organizing of Lioness Clubs, and designed a modified Lion's emblem for Lioness. In the ensuing years, Lioness Clubs, sponsored by Lions Clubs, flourished in Saskatchewan districts. Today there are twenty-six Lioness Clubs in Saskatchewan. LionL's, although also doing notable community work, remained the unofficial auxiliary. In 1985 Lions International approved of women becoming members of Lions Clubs. The transition has been relatively slow, but today approximately 10% of Lions members is women. Some districts have chartered Lions Clubs made up of women members only--- 5CN has Prince Albert Top Hats and North Battleford Bonaventure Lions Clubs. 5CA has Churchbridge Lions/Lioness Branch Club.

The idea of Leo Clubs began with a High School Baseball Coach in Pennsylvania who also happened to be an active Lions Member. On December 5, 1957 the world's first Leo Club was chartered with the members made up mainly of baseball players from Arlington High School. The group chose their high school colors as the official Leo colors, maroon and gold. These remain Leo Club's official colors still today.

The name Leos comes from the words

• Leadership - (L)   Leos develop skills as organizers, time managers, and motivators through their community activities.
• Experience - (E) Leos learn the importance of cooperation through community service.
• Opportunity - (O) Membership gives young people a chance to excel, to develop positive character traits, and to receive recognition for their service to the community.

In October 1967, Lions Clubs International made the Leo Club Program an official Lions Program. Leos is open to both male and female youth from ages 8 to 28. The Objective of the Leo Program is to provide youth of the world with an opportunity for development and contribution as responsible members of the local, national, and international communities.

Leo Clubs have been organized in various areas of Saskatchewan. However, today (2008) only two Leo Clubs remain--- In District 5CA, the Pelly Leo Club was chartered in 2006-07. In 5CE, the Edgeley Youth Group Leo Club was chartered in Fort Qu'Appelle on March 13, 2006 with 44 members. Saskatchewan Lions are very proud of their Leo Clubs who remain extremely enthusiastic and dedicated to their undertaking.

The Pelly Leo Club has twelve members made up of both boys and girls ranging in age between eleven and thirteen years. Lion Kelly Smith took a lead role in getting this club organized and is their capable advisor; Wyatt Smith is president, Courtney Kabatoff is secretary, and Jordon Chernoff is tail twister.

Pelly Leos have an amazing array of fundraisers and projects that the members faithfully participate in. These are some of their fundraisers: Rent out picnic tables and barbecues; run kitchens for auctions; sell hand made Christmas ornaments; sell chocolates and flower bulbs in spring; sell glass flowers for Mothers' Day; sell energy efficient light bulbs (and will install them if asked); and they do any jobs requested by community members.

Pelly Leo Projects include: Sponsoring a farm boy in Cambodia who is their age and lives in a high aids population; sponsor a jersey for the Little League Hockey team; donate to the Community Shinny Team; give an annual donation to the Autistic Children Association, and are available to help any community member needing assistance.

Obviously Saskatchewan Leos are enhancing Leadership skills; learning service skills by Experience ; and are taking advantage of the Opportunity to develop positive character traits. Leo Clubs, like Lions Clubs, are proud of the many ways they find to help those less fortunate than themselves.

In 1957 Lions International passed regulations regarding Leo Clubs for youth aged eight to twenty-eight. Leo Clubs have been organized in Saskatchewan, but unfortunately there are none at the present time, although some districts are making valiant efforts to interest youth in this worthwhile segment of Lionism.

Since 1928, Saskatchewan Lions have advanced many programs to enhance the life style of our province including:

• Saskatchewan Lions Eye Bank - established in 1981-2 with the aid of a Lions Clubs International Foundation Grant and through extensive efforts by the District Governors of the time and Saskatchewan Lions Clubs - purpose to collect and transplant cornea. Since its incorporation 900 corneas have been transplanted and donations from Lions and Lioness have been in excess of a million dollar.
• Corneal Professorships - established by the Lions Eye Bank dedicated to treatment, research, and teaching related to corneal disease and transplanting. Financed by Saskatchewan Lions and Lioness and an anonymous donor family (over $500,000.00 in total)
• Financial assistance to Canadian National Institute for the Blind to enable continuing aid to Saskatchewan's blind and sight impaired.
• Lions Foundation of Canada - (Dog Guide Program for the blind, deaf, and disabled). Incorporated February 20, 1983,located in Oakville, On. Since 1983,thirty-three dog guides have been provided free of charge to Saskatchewan citizens (with six on the waiting list for the current year), and Saskatchewan Lions and Lioness have donated over eight hundred thousand dollars in financial support.
• Lions Annual Diabetes Cavalcade --since 1989 has raised and donated more than $500,000. for diabetes research and for improving quality of life for Saskatchewan's nearly 50,000 diabetic citizens.
• Lions Quest Program (renamed "Thrive"), funded in part by Lions Clubs International Foundation Grants, has helped train the province's teachers in the use of the Life-skills Curricula for the guidance of grades one to twelve students.
• All districts contribute to International programs including Lions Clubs International Foundation and Sight First. To date Saskatchewan has five hundred and seven Melvin Jones Fellowships, the highest award provided by LCIF.

OTHER MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS DISCUSSED FURTHER IN OTHER ARTICLES:

• Lions International Youth Camps and Youth Exchange
• Lions Clubs International Peace Poster Contest
• Recycling of Eyeglasses and Hearing Aids
• Sight and Service Foundations organized by Saskatchewan   Districts

Lions Clubs have sawed, hammered, and revamped the face of Saskatchewan. They have not shouted from the rooftops for recognition or acclaim; instead they have gone about it quietly and got it done. This is the reason Lions have the reputation of being "the best kept secret in Saskatchewan".  

It is safe to say that every Lions Club in Saskatchewan sprung up because of a specific need in the community that everyone knew Lions could and would accomplish. In this way Lions have built kiddies playgrounds, spray parks and roller parks, skating and curling rinks (with artificial ice), swimming pools, camping and recreational parks, ball diamonds and sports grounds. In addition Lions of Saskatchewan have built and furnished Seniors Complexes, built Houses for Humanity and Community Recreation Centre's, have contributed funds and manpower to built hospitals, or special wings, and furnished rooms or specialized equipment in them. The list cannot be exhausted, and Lions continue to maintain and improve these structures once they are in place.

In many areas Lions have organized and manned the many community functions like Annual Fairs, Sports Days, New Years Festivities, Trade Shows, Craft Sales, Bonspiels, Golf Tournaments, Dances and Socials, Dinner Theatres, Music and Art Shows, Music Festivals, and Diabetic and other Health Clinics. Lions have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Educational Scholarships, Sports Equipment for Schools and Uniforms for League Teams, have arranged to send students on Youth Exchanges and to Lions Camps, have bought specialized individual medical supplies, and paid emergency medical travel expenses. Something that is overlooked is that Lions are often among the main contributors to other charity drives like United Appeal, MS, Cancer, Heart & Stroke, Alzheimer's, and Telemiracle.

So where do Lions get the funds to do all these wonderful things, Lions have spent millions of hours running bingos, selling raffle and other tickets, working in food booths and behind bars, baking and selling Christmas cakes and all manner of food items, and walking (or pushing- Bed Pushes) in all manner of fund-raising walks. Lions Clubs have sponsored Snowmobile, ATV, Biking, Fishing, Water Skiing, and other Rallies. Many of the community functions mentioned above proved to be moneymakers for the sponsoring club, and the funds were put back into the community. Whatever the imagination can conger up, Lions have done it.

The Lions motto "We Serve" was adopted in 1954. Then and now the motto perfectly describes the philosophy of Lions Clubs everywhere. Lions of Saskatchewan continue to abide by the objects of Lions Clubs International as is evidenced by their long history of serving others, "To take an active interest in the civic, cultural, social, and moral welfare of the community". Lions Clubs are everlastingly grateful to their communities for the support and co-operation received as they go about "Serving" humanity.