A KID I know had this imaginary image of Baguio as a mountain hideaway that may be reached by passing through a difficult zigzag trail guarded by a giant lion.

The giant lion would only let somebody pass if the passer-by would leave something valuable at the foot of the lion.

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As we all know, this had basis in fact as there actually stands a giant lion's head along Kennon Road, and vehicles wanting to pass through the road had to pay toll fees to do so.

But I was bummed when this same kid asked me where the lion came from. Obviously, there are no lions in this part of the world, much less in the vicinity of the Cordillera highlands.

There's not even a zoo here. The question led me to my mini-archives in search of the story behind this lion figure that has become an international icon for Baguio City. Instead, I found the inspiring story of Melvin Jones, another popular Baguio name with a rather obscure history.

We are all familiar with Melvin Jones as a grandstand facing the football field at Burnham Park. At daytime, we know it to be the venue of large open space events aside from the favorite meeting place of juveniles and city high schoolers. At night, it is converted into some sort of a red light district where testosterone-filled individuals make sexual overtures or boldly ask passers-by: "Bos, gusto mo ng service, P150 lang?"

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The reputation of Melvin Jones abroad is a far cry from what we have permitted him to be known in these parts.

Melvin Jones traces his humble beginnings on January 13, 1879 in a dusty cavalry outpost at Fort Thomas in what was then known as the Arizona Territory, He later moved east with his family to St. Louis. Later, in Quincy, Illinois, he attended Union Business College and Chaddock College. After college, he moved to Chicago where he launched a successful career in insurance, first with the Johnson and Higgins agencies and later with his own business, the Melvin Jones Insurance Agency.

In 1909, he married women's professional golfer Rose Amanda Freeman, whose unwavering support was instrumental to her husband's success.

In 1913, an acquaintance invited Melvin to meet some local men who belonged to a club called the Business Circle. Like many groups at the time, the Business Circle was largely about old school "scratch my back and I will scratch yours" club. After his election as secretary in 1915, Melvin began to wonder how much could be accomplished if only the members of the Business Circle would pool their energies and talent for the greater good of their communities. Despite broaching this novel idea with other business organizations, their feedback was mixed at best. So Melvin put this unique vision into action and launched his own organization.

On June 17, 1917, he assembled 20 delegates representing 27 clubs nationwide in the East Room of the Hotel LaSalle, and a consensus was reached that a national organization should be formed dedicated to community service. Here, he was quoted as asking "What if these men who are successful because of their drive, intelligence and ambition were to put their talents to work improving their communities?"

After a spirited debate, the club voted by secret ballot to name the new organization the Association of Lions Clubs. Jones advocated for the name of Lions because it was a symbol of courage, strength, fidelity and vital action, which helped set the standard for the club. Thus was born what we know today as the Lions Club.

During the organization's constitution, he insisted that no club should adopt the objective of financial benefits to its members, a principle Melvin followed throughout his entire life. The Lions Club caught on so fast that it was just 3 years later after its birth that the club became international when it chartered a new club in Windsor, Ontario.

One of the profound moments of the club's history occurred in 1925 at their international convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, when Helen Keller challenged the Lions congregation to become knights of the blind in their crusade against darkness. From then on, the Lions have been serving and bringing sight to the visually impaired and made this one of their central priorities.

In 1950, membership surpassed the 400,000 mark, and the international board of directors conferred upon Melvin Jones the title of Secretary General of Lions Club International which title was changed to Founder and Secretary General in 1958.

Undaunted by old age, Melvin Jones' perfect attendance record was cut only by his death on June 1, 1961 at the age of 82. With more than 46,000 clubs in 193 countries today, Melvin Jones was a living example of the Lions Club motto, "We serve." That being told, I wouldn't mind having Melvin Jones' Lions along Session Road or in every Baguio household. (Comments welcome at adambaguio2009. wordpress.com)