We Serve in Dry Heat

About the Book

We Serve in Dry Heat is a history of the start of Lionism in Arizona and the origin of Lions Club International, researched and written by Past District Governor James D. "Jim" Bailey.

"After living in Arizona for several years and being involved in Lions Club activities there, I felt something was missing. There didn't seem to be a definitive history of how Lions Clubs were started in Arizona, along with the story of how Lions Clubs International was actually started by a native of Arizona.

I had been involved in Lionism for 50 years. I was first a member of a Wisconsin Lions Club in 1952 and later served as a District Governor. Since I had been appointed the Historian for the Lions of Arizona, I decided to investigate the background of Arizona Lionism. I spent the next five years researching and writing the book, focusing on the Lions' motto, We Serve.

The text of the book includes historical development of Arizona Lions Clubs starting in 1923; Lions who were elected to district and international offices; humanitarian projects; programs of Arizona Lions Clubs with the infusion of women and youth into Lionism, and more.

I've included information about the origin of Lions Club International, and the influence of blind and deaf Helen Keller, who asked the Lions to become "Knights of the Blind. " This cause has been carried on since 1925, and has evolved into Lions raising millions of dollars to eradicate blindness on a worldwide scale as well as the simple task of providing eyeglasses for local school children.

The title, We Serve in Dry Heat, is evocative of Lions Club members as they provide humanitarian service in the heat of Arizona summers, sometimes serving in temperatures reaching 122 F degrees as well as in the dry winter months.

The founder of Lions Clubs International is a man by the name of Melvin E. Jones, who was born in 1879 at Fort Thomas, Arizona, where his father was stationed as a military officer. Jones eventually had a successful insurance business in Chicago. After joining a local business club, whose motto seemed to be "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," he felt that something else was needed. He gathered together a number of local and regional clubs who agreed with him. It was from this gathering that Lions Clubs International was started in 1917.

As the author of such a commanding amount of material, I have utilized many sources quite freely for relevant historical and related information and have given clear acknowledgement of these sources." says Bailey.

About the Author

The author as of 2002 is a retired 50-year Lion who "Just Does It." After his Wisconsin involvement as a working Lion, District governonr and council chairman, he moved to Sun City, Arizona where he found his "just do it" philosophy has kept him as busy during retirement as he was during nearly 45 years as an advertising and public relations pro. He has been an editor and publisher of a number of publications as well as a contributor of articles to newspapers and magazines over the years.

He hit the ground running in Arizona as he quickly got involved with the Sun City Ambassadors welcome center, the Mid-Week Lions club, a barbershop chorus, a performing arts association, his church choir and the Shrine/Masons where he has been the public relations chairman for teh el Zeribah Shrine in Phoenix.

He was the Public Relations Chairman for the Phoenix '94 Lions Clubs International Convention. Since then, he has been the editor of the Canyon State Lion Magazine, Public Relations Chairman and Historian for the Lions Multiple District 21. He has been a presenter for Lions International, Wisconsin and Arizona, Conventions as well as conducting communication seminars.

Before moving to Arizona, he taught graphic arts and printing in Colorado, spent seven years as a broadcast journalist in Wisconsin and Minnesota, managed a Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, owned a Minneapolis public relations agency, was public relations officer for a Wisconsin college, and for eleven years was the public relations officer for a Wisconsin vocational district. He is listed in six Who's Who publications.

Though an accomplished trumpet player, he switched to being dance band drummer and decided to take banjo lessons, in addition to being a ventriloquist and a platform speaker.

His avocation has always been as a freelance writer and at one time he wrote a popular newspaper column called "Bailey's Bag." He says he has written so many news releases and publications for different organizations over the years that he has lost track of how many he has written. His father's advice of "If you are going to do something, do it right and do it now." is why he developed a "just do it" philosophy.

His interest in writing the book We Serve In Dry Heat came about when he viewed several books on Lionism, and from serving as Historian for Multiple District 21. He felt something was missing and so he began researching and writing the book on Arizona Lionism. The end result is the publication of We Serve in Dry Heat.

Bailey is married to a Retired Nurse. The couple have six daughters, three of whom are nurses in Wisconsin, with another departing from nursing to run a dairy complex with her husband in New Mexico; one who runs an antique store in Wisconsin and another who is Principal of an elementary school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They also have 13 grandchildren.