Let us bow our heads in a moment of quiet reflection.
And tomorrow, let us go out and be Lions.
In every Lions Club across the globe—whether in Delhi or Detroit, Nairobi or Nottingham—the Loyal Toast is not a political act. It is a promise . It says: our service does not exist in a vacuum. We serve because we belong. We belong because we are loyal—to our country, to our community, and to each other. Lions Club Invocation And Loyal Toast
That was the birth of the .
Fellow Lions, there is a second object on that imaginary table with Melvin Jones’s lantern. Not a lantern—a cup. A simple, unadorned cup. Let us bow our heads in a moment of quiet reflection
Tonight, we have done both. We have remembered the divine spark that calls us to kindness. And we have sworn again our earthly bond to nation and neighbor.
You may wonder: why an invocation and a toast? A prayer and a pledge? It is a promise
Tonight, I ask you to stand. Raise your glass—water, wine, or soda—it does not matter. What matters is the chain.
A Story for Lions Part One: The Invocation – Lighting the Lantern (The speaker steps to the podium. The room settles. A single candle or club banner is illuminated.)