Columbus Southeast Lions
Est. 1940
It's time for a great South-End/South-Side debate!
In honor of The Great South-end, South-side Debate and Reunion, make a donation to the Southeast Lions Club as a South-End or a South-Side supporter! Your donations help decide which title will reign in 2023! All donation proceeds support the South-end/side. Are you a south-ender or a south-sider? Cast your vote now!
Service. Friendship. Fellowship.



The Southeast Lions club has been serving the Columbus community since 1940. Our mission is to improve the quality of life in Southeast Columbus by taking a leadership role within the community to identify our neighbors challenges, and provide funding and support to those in need. Being a Lion is not just about service. It’s also about fun, friendship, and fellowship. Many life-long friendships are established through the Lions work be it, service projects, fundraising efforts and community meetings. As part of the Southeast Lions club, community is the center of what drives us to honor our mission.
About Southeast Lions
Lions Mission Statement
Improve the quality of life in Southeast Columbus by taking a leadership role within the community to identify and provide funding and support to meet these needs.
2022 Southeast Lions Roar Annual Newspaper
Since 1949, The Southeast Lions Club has published our annual report, “The Southeast Lions Roar — Good Newspaper” to our community providing information about the many projects completed in Southeast Columbus. We thank all who support our paper with advertising and donations so that projects are possible, benefitting this community. The Southeast Lions Club is proudly “The Club That Gets Things Done” thanks to you, our community!
This is your copy of our report to the community and our promise to our advertisers to distribute thousands of copies of our Southeast Lions Roar Newspaper throughout our community.
Lions Roaring Louder than Ever – Join Us!
The Southeast Lions have been serving our beloved South Side, South End neighborhoods since 1940. I grew up in the South End. My Dad was a Lion and he took our family to the annual Lions picnic at the YMCA Park throughout the sixties and seventies. My sisters and I went down the Grandaddy slide (built by the Lions) dozens of times. We played softball and ate lots and lots of hot dogs and burgers. My Dad and his fellow Lions went door to door and sold the Lions Roar (this newspaper) raising funds for local neighborhood schools and organizations.
But time goes by, and things change. That Grandaddy slide is no longer there. Many folks moved out of the neighborhood and many others moved in. Things seemed simpler back then, and many folks reflect on those times with nostalgia and even wish things had not changed. I love hearing stories from some of our older Lions. Their eyes tear up as they share moments when they gave a pilot dog to a new owner, or a big check to the Dominican Learning Center to support immigrants, or built and donated the Southeast Lions Park and on and on. The Lions have done so much good over the years in the South End.
There are some wonderful things to build on as we grow our club today. And we have
something today that makes what we build together even stronger. I look around now
at our members, and my eyes tear up as I see our incredibly diverse backgrounds, experiences, and talents. We represent so many different perspectives and communities. Yet, ALL OF US have one thing in common, even with those Lions from the 20th century. Every Lion is “willing to serve” and loves our South End. Every. Single. One. As we move forward with a membership that looks more like the South Side of today, I am confident that we will do better and that our neighborhood will gain strength and become more vibrant each and every day.
No matter where you come from, or what you do, if you are willing to serve and you love our neighborhood, we welcome you with open arms. As a Lion you will have an opportunity to help our neighbors grow and thrive. And your roar will be heard for many years to come.
Join us!
Lion Tom Grote
The Southeast Lions were founded in 1940 and and have been serving the southend/south-side of Columbus for 81 years and this is our 73rd edition of the Lion’s Roar. Much has changed throughout the years, but one thing remains the same, we all love our neighborhoods. Whether we grew up here or are just moving in, and whether we identify as South-enders or South-siders, we continue to love and serve our community welcoming everyone in our work space, our neighborhoods-all in hand helping our neighborhoods thrive.
The SE Lions have proudly supported hundreds of neighborhood programs, schools and organizations throughout the decades, donating millions of dollars and logging tens of thousands of service hours. Despite our long history of service, we are invigorated by the spirit and resiliance of our neighbors and are committed to serve for decades to come. And we ask for your help. Whether you would like to join our club, donate your time, your treasures, or simply be a good neighbor by being an advocate in your community. We ask that you commit to help making 2022 better than 2021, by joining us. Every member, every hour of sevice, every dollar and frankly, every friendly gesture like a wave or smile, will help us all thrive. We ask that you join us in celebrating and supporting our beautiful South-end/South-side neighborhood. You can be the example of what it means to be united in our community. We are all in this together!
Learn more about our SE Lions club and our neighborhood now! Please consider making a donation.
The Southeast Lions are a 100% volunteer service organizagion and all proceeds donated to the south-end/south-side stay in the south-end/south-side. Let us know if you are a South-ender or South-sider and post a video or photo on our Facebook group page “Columbus Southeast Lions Club”. We wish you a 2022 filled with good cheer, great neighbors, good will toward one another and great times together.
Lions Code of Ethics
Lions Code of Ethics from 1950 Lions Roar
To show my faith in the worthiness of my vocation by industrious application to the end that I may merit reputation for quality of service. To seek success and to demand all fair enumeration or profit as my just due, but to accept no profit or success at the price of my own self-respect lost because of unfair advantage taken or because of questionable acts on my part.
To remember that in building up my business it is not necessary to tear down another’s, to be loyal to my clients or customers and true to myself. Whenever a doubt arises, as to the right or ethics of my position or action towards my fellow man, to resolve such doubt against myself. To hold friendship as an end, not a means. To hold that true friendship exists not on account of the service performed by one to another, but that true friendship demands nothing but accepts service in the spirit in which it is given. Always bear in mind my obligations as a citizen to my nation, my state and my community, and to give to them my unswerving loyalty in word, act, and deed. To give them freely of my time, labor and means. To be careful with my criticisms, and liberal with my praise, to build up and not destroy.
Donations
Southeast Lions Club Foundation
We are a 100% volunteer organization. The entirety of your donation goes to worthy programs that support our neighborhoods.
Newspaper
Please download your copy of the Lion’s Roar and donate any amount here to support our South Side Neighborhoods. If you have purchased an ad for the paper you may make payment here as well.
Projects
This year, the Southeast Lions will have given to over 2,040 separate projects since our founding in 1940. (How cool is that?!)
Here is a list of the organizations we have supported since our founding.
Support for Ron Derry’s inspirational school presentations. The GOOD program shines the spotlight on students who work hard, exhibit good citizenship and develop good study habits.
South High School Band Boosters
Financial assistance and provide meals.
Keep Columbus Beautiful
Clean up initiative, manpower to pick up trash.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Board
Provide meals for patrons.
Camp Echoing Hills
Financial support for disabled children to attend summer camp.
The Dominican Learning Center (DLC) serves adult learners seeking to improve reading, pass the GED examinations or learn English as a Second Language (ESL).
Dominican Learning Center
Financial assistance provided.
St. Ladislas and St. Vincent de Paul Society Food Pantry
Support provided for the food pantry.
Support to assist children attending Reeb Center after school and summer projects.
Newsreel Magazine
Financial support provided.
Schiller Community Center
Fishing Derby for Youth – Financial support provided.
Charity Newsies
Financial assistance to clothe children in need.
Have sponsored the annual Easter Egg Hunt for over 70 years providing financial support and volunteers.
Support provided for the food pantry.
General support provided.
Support for Rich Sammon’s Park and Southeast Lions Park.
Support to enroll children from Southend.
Support provided for Honor Flights.
Support for reading services to the visually impaired.
Support provided for cornea implant program.
Help collect eye glasses for the organization.
Membership
Members of the our club range in age from their 20s to their 90s. We have veterans from WWII and members who just graduated from college. This makes our club special as members learn from each other and serve together to make the neighborhood stronger and more vibrant. We welcome diversity. The only requirement for joining is a willingness to show up and selflessly serve. Come meet us at one of our general meetings and get to know our pride. Email us at contact@columbussoutheastlions.org