4-C1 History

Lionism in California and Nevada, now known as Multiple District 4, had its beginning the same time that Lions International was founded. The Oakland Lions Club was organized on October 27, 1917, and was the first Club in the District extending from the Mexican border on the south to the Canadian border on the north, and from the Pacific Ocean on the west to the Utah state line to the east. The states included were California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

In 1919, the FIRST District was divided and the new FIRST District included California, Nevada, and Hawaii. In 1922, the FIRST District became the FOURTH District. On August 8, 1936, the Lions of Hawaii became District 50, and California-Nevada remained as District 4. In 1937, District 4 adopted the Multiple District plan with five District Governors for Districts 4-A, 4-B, 4-C, 4-D, and 4-E. The first club formed in what is now District 4-C1 began with the organization of the Marysville Lions Club, sponsored by the Sacramento (Host) Lions Club (no longer in existence), in 1921. The second oldest club still in existence is the Chico (Host) Lions Club, organized in 1922, followed by Dunsmuir in 1923. Several more clubs came into existence in what was then known as District 4-A.

In the 1957-58 fiscal year, the District became District 4-C1, with Lion Kenneth H. Spencer, of Citrus Heights, as District Governor that year. The following year, the District's borders were shrunk again to accommodate the growth of Lionism throughout the Multiple District. Finally, District 4-C1's current borders were designated in fiscal year 1963-64. The Clubs within the counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, and Yuba are included in District 4-C1.

Effective July 5, 2006, the clubs of District 4-N separated from MD-4 and formed the new District 46. MD-4 now includes only clubs from California.

Current news about the District is available on the In The News and Mane Lion pages.