New Board installed at Lions Club of Grand Cayman

Local entrepreneur Carmin Godfrey has been installed as the new Lions Club of Grand Cayman president.

This year’s induction ceremony, which was held on Saturday, was significantly different from previous years as the Club installed the new board of directors in a virtual ceremony at its Lions Community Centre headquarters.

Due to COVID-19 protocols the ceremony had to be scaled back and the swearing in procedure modified to follow social distancing rules. The event was broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube to allow members and the public to follow along.

Godfrey, who has been a Lion for 22 years, said she has Lionism in her DNA as her parents Neals and Olsie Godfrey are Lions and are also charter members of the two clubs in Grand Cayman.

In her inaugural address Godfrey as the 48th Lions Club of Grand Cayman president pledged to continue the Lion tradition of service to the community.

She said Cayman, like most of the world, has changed the way business and service clubs will have to operate.

However, she said the Club, which has been an integral part of the community for the last 47 years, will not waive in its humanitarian mission.

“COVID-19 has given us numerous new challenges and we know it’s been difficult for many, as Lions we must continue to assist wherever possible adjust our sails and continue to steer the course in a new way forward in current environment while continuing to stay safe,” Godfrey said.

She said her theme this year is “Together we Serve with Compassion” as she challenged Lions aim to fulfill this.

“Compassion and kindness not only to those in need but to each other as members and the wider community in general,” she said.

Godfrey said her main focus for her presidential year is to re-educate the club on lionism including club protocol and past achievements of the club “while giving younger Lions the “New Voices” the opportunity to participate and grow in the Lions movement and to one day stand here as president.”

She took over the reins from Immediate Past President Cordella Chollette.

Chollette, in her report on her tenure at the helm, said, while the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the Club’s efforts and restricted many planned activities there were still a number of successful projects.

“Our Club showed is resilience by adapting to Zoom meetings and answering the call to contribute to our country’s various assistance programmes. The Club made various donations including $15,000 to assist the Needs Assessment Unit with food vouchers for those that had been displaced, 50 laptops to various government schools on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac to ensure that our children’s education could continue and an additional $5000 to further assist Jasmine,” she said.

As part of the Club’s commitment to ensure that the community was informed and advised on how to keep safe during “these unusual times” Chollette said, the Club also sponsored COVID safety public service announcements.