Udumalpet Lions Club’s 50-Year Legacy of Service
Today part of District 3242-C, Udumalpet Lions Club began its journey on February 28, 1974, when it was inaugurated by the then District Governor K. Chinnaswamy of District 324B. It had 37 members and a town to serve. Sponsored by Pollachi Lions Club under the guidance of Extension Chairpersons S. Mahadevan and Dr. R. Poonuraj, the club received its charter on May 16, 1974, and soon set about earning its place in the community.
It did not take long for that commitment to be tested. In the club’s early years, a dam on the Gudaganaru River near Dindigul burst, displacing thousands. Members fanned out across Udumalpet with handcarts, collecting utensils, clothing, rice, and household essentials for those affected. Around the same time, the club took on a quieter but persistent problem: the spread of parthenium, an invasive weed responsible for respiratory illness across the region.
The decades that followed brought larger projects. The club established the Udumalpet Lions Vocational Training Centre, inaugurated on September 7, 1986, with support from Lions members, local philanthropists, and the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF). Since then, the centre has offered training in computer skills, tailoring, and typewriting to students from low-income families, equipping generations of young people in the taluk with practical skills for employment.
The building also houses an auditorium used for both club programs and public events.
In 2013, the club added the Udumalpet Lions Dialysis Centre at Sri Dhanvanthiri Hospital, inaugurated on March 30 by District Governor S. Paramasivam. Monthly free eye camps, held in partnership with Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore, continue to bring specialist care closer to residents who would otherwise have to travel considerable distances.
Today, the club has 108 members and two Past District Governors among its ranks. One of its charter members, Prof. M. Rajagopal—a Life Member of Lions International—remains active and recently edited the club’s Golden Jubilee Souvenir, documenting five decades of presidents, district governors and service.
Over five decades, the projects have evolved with the needs of the community — from handcarts carrying relief supplies to centres providing skills, healthcare and hope. Through it all, one thing has remained unchanged: the club’s willingness to show up wherever it is needed most.
~ With inputs from Charter Member Prof. M. Rajagopal
PDG M.Gurunathan
PDG M.Gurunathan
Over five decades, the projects have evolved with the needs of the community — from handcarts carrying relief supplies to centres providing skills, healthcare and hope. Through it all, one thing has remained unchanged: the club’s willingness to show up wherever it is needed most.
~ With inputs from Charter Member Prof. M. Rajagopal