A Tradition of Service in San Diego and Imperial Counties
The story of Lions District 4-L6 is part of a century-long tradition of service in Southern California. Today, District 4-L6 brings Lions clubs together across San Diego and Imperial Counties, connecting coastal communities, inland valleys, the South Bay, North County and the Imperial Valley through a shared commitment to fellowship, leadership and humanitarian service.
Lionism reached San Diego early in the movement’s history. The San Diego Host Lions Club was chartered on September 8, 1921, sponsored by the Los Angeles Lions Club. From that beginning, Lions service spread across the region. San Diego North Park was chartered in 1926, San Diego Peninsula in 1946 and El Cajon Valley in 1947, each sponsored by San Diego Host. Those early clubs helped establish a network of local leadership and community service that would eventually become part of today’s District 4-L6.
Lionism was also taking root in the Imperial Valley by the 1920s. An Imperial Valley Press article dated March 21, 1928 reported that charter members of the newly organized Imperial Lions Club were luncheon guests of the already-established original El Centro Lions Club. This contemporary newspaper account documents an active Lions presence in Imperial County decades before the present El Centro Host Lions Club charter of 1947 and demonstrates that the tradition of Lionism in the Imperial Valley reaches back nearly a century.
The district’s organizational heritage is closely tied to the development of Multiple District Four, commonly known as MD4. In 1937, California Lions adopted the Multiple District Governors Plan, creating five districts designated 4-A through 4-E. The historical District 4-L6 governor roster begins with Roy O. Day of Pomona for the 1937–1938 Lion year, reflecting this broader organizational lineage even though the present 4-L6 designation did not yet exist.
As Lionism expanded, district boundaries and names changed. On July 1, 1957, MD4 was reorganized into 12 districts. The Council of Governors designated northern California districts with “C,” central California districts with “A,” and Southern California districts with “L,” following the letters in the then-common abbreviation “CAL” for California. Continued growth led to additional districts in 1960, 1962 and 1964. For that reason, the district’s history is best understood as an evolving organizational lineage rather than as beginning on a single unverified founding date.
By the 1950s and 1960s, the district leadership roster increasingly reflected communities familiar to today’s 4-L6. Dwight Stanford of San Diego Hillcrest-Mission Valley served as District Governor in 1952–1953 and later as a Lions International Director from 1960–1962. George W. Duryee of Chula Vista Host served in 1954–1955. William Sample Jr. of San Diego Host served in 1962–1963, followed by Harry R. Morgan of El Centro Host, Oscar J. Meyer of Oceanside Host and Eugene A. Johnson of Westmorland. Their home clubs illustrate the broad geographic identity that continues to define the district.
District 4-L6 leaders have also served Lionism beyond the district. William “Bill” Crawford of the Encinitas Lions Club served as a Lions International Director from 2004–2006. Mary J. Rynearson Zulkoski, associated with the La Mesa Lions Club, served as Multiple District Four Council Chair in 2015–2016. These leaders are part of a long tradition of District 4-L6 Lions contributing their experience and service at higher levels of the association.
That tradition continues through both long-established clubs and newer organizations. Recent growth includes San Diego Miramar, chartered in 2020; San Diego Stars in 2021; San Diego Renaissance in 2023; San Diego Dynamic in 2024; and Fallbrook Ranch in 2025. In 2026, District 4-L6 also welcomed the Chula Vista Trailblazers Lions Club and a new Calexico Lions Club, extending Lionism into new communities and creating additional opportunities for volunteers to serve.
Across changing boundaries, generations of leaders and more than a century of local Lionism, one principle has remained constant: Lions come together to serve. District 4-L6 carries that legacy forward by developing leaders, strengthening clubs, welcoming new members and responding to the changing needs of San Diego and Imperial Counties. Our history is not simply a record of the past. It is the foundation for the service still to come.