Editing Lions Clubs International (section)

==Membership==
Membership in the Lions Club is by "invitation only" as mandated by its constitution and by-laws. All member applicants need a sponsor who is an active member and of good standing in the club they intend to join. While sponsorship may be obtained by an applicant in order to become a legitimate member, sponsorship is no guarantee of membership. Acceptance of membership is still subject to the approval of the majority of the club's board of directors. A Lions Club chooses its members diligently as it requires time and financial commitments. Prospective applicants must be a person of good moral character in his or her community. Attendance at meetings is encouraged on a monthly or [[fortnight]]ly basis. Due to the [[hierarchy|hierarchical]] nature of Lions Clubs International, members have the opportunity to advance from a local club to an office at the zone, district, multiple district, and international levels.

In 1987 the constitution of Lions Clubs International was amended to allow for women to become members.<ref>{{cite web|title=Women in Lions|date=2009-11-29|url=http://4c1lions.org/womenmembers.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130112061258/http://4c1lions.org/womenmembers.htm|archive-date=January 12, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=LIONS ADMIT WOMAN, LOSE SOME MEN |newspaper=Washington Post |date=1998-01-25 |access-date=2022-01-17|
url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1998/01/25/lions-admit-woman-lose-some-men/63762453-e75a-46f1-843e-fbf782423ab1/ }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-07-05-mn-2330-story.html| title=Lions Club International Ends Ban on Women |date=1987-07-05 |access-date=2022-01-17 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Since then many clubs have admitted women, but some all-male clubs still exist. In 2003, 8 out of 17 members at the Lions Club in [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], England, resigned when a woman joined the club.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/2931370.stm | title= Club members quit when female joins | work= BBC News | date= 23 May 2003 | access-date= 29 November 2009 }}</ref>

Among the famous and noteworthy members of Lions International are former U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]],<ref>[http://www.lionsclubs.org/resources/EN/pdfs/press-releases/2014-05-16-lcif-carter-center-announce-expanded-partnership.pdf Press Release] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204182705/http://www.lionsclubs.org/resources/EN/pdfs/press-releases/2014-05-16-lcif-carter-center-announce-expanded-partnership.pdf |date=February 4, 2016 }}. Lions Clubs International (2014-05-16)</ref> [[Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh]], a member of the Wokingham Lions Club and Royal Patron of the Lions Clubs of the British Isles,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lionsclubs.co/Public/stories-and-history/ |title=Stories and history &#124; Lions Clubs International |publisher=Lionsclubs.co |access-date=2016-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203135407/http://lionsclubs.co/Public/stories-and-history/ |archive-date=February 3, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Sir Edmund Hillary]], a member of the Remuera Lions Club in New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kingston |first=Tara |title=Service organization: Lions Clubs International |url=https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2009/04/07/service-organization-lions-clubs-international/46470287007/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Canton Repository |language=en-US}}</ref>