Brooklyn Canarsie Lions Club President Jean Joseph was sworn in for a fourth one-year term on Tuesday, July 22, during an elaborate Installation and Award Ceremony at Community Board 18 on Bergen Avenue in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
“I feel both immense gratitude and a renewed sense of responsibility to stand before you again, re-elected as president of the Canarsie Lions Club,” Dominican-born Joseph, a certified public accountant, told the ceremony after she was sworn in by Lions District Gov., Guyanese Jennifer Seymour-Wright. “I am deeply honored.”
She said the Lions Club International has always been more than “a meeting of minds; it’s a movement of hearts.
“And tonight, I want to recommit to that heart, that purpose, and the future we’re building together here at the Canarsie Lions,” said Joseph, thanking “each of you, whether you voted for me or not.
“I thank all of you not only for your confidence in me but for the unwavering commitment you show to our community,” she added. “The Lions Club has long been a place where dedication meets compassion, where vision becomes action.”
But Joseph noted that even the strongest organizations face tests—”not only from the outside world, but sometimes from within.
“And so, as we usher in this new term, I want to focus on unity—not just as an idea, but as a choice, as a practice,” she said. “We are not all the same. We come from different backgrounds, ages, experiences, and perspectives. And that is not a problem; it’s our strength.”
But Joseph asked that members put their differences aside, stating that disagreements only become a problem “when we stop listening to each other, when we start labeling instead of learning, when we forget that disagreement is not disrespect.
“Unity doesn’t mean uniformity; it means alignment of purpose; it means remembering why we came together – to serve, to uplift, to lead,” she said, “because, when we put our egos aside, when we make room for this club to become not just functional—it’s transformational.”
Therefore, in her new chapter, she said, “We’re going to focus intentionally on club-building—not just more events but deeper connections; not just bigger numbers but stronger impact.”
Joseph said a key component of this transformation will be the focus on succession leadership, which will be targeted particularly at the Leos.
She said part of that vision means embracing new voices, stating that the club’s future depends on inviting young people in—not just to volunteer but to lead.
“We must show them that Lions is not an institution to inherit but a legacy to shape,” Joseph said. “Through mentorship, fresh projects, and bold outreach, we’ll open the doors wider and make sure the roar of service is heard by every generation.”
Joseph said these projects include “ramping up old ones, like our food distribution, and creating new ones, like an educational program for young people.
In recent years, she said the Brooklyn Canarsie Lions Club has committed to addressing food insecurity in the neighborhoods “one step further” by weekly distributing fresh organic fruits from Trader Joe’s.
She said the club has purchased a van to ease the transportation cost and make the program more effective.
Joseph said among some of the club’s upcoming initiatives is a back-to-school event at Sunners Park in Canarsie on Aug. 23.
“Looking forward to the next term, I ask of you that we work together to make these and every other project and program we undertake here at the Canarsie Lions successful endeavors,” she urged.
Joseph said leadership in the club “has never been about one person—it’s about all of us, standing shoulder to shoulder in service and purpose.
“Leadership is not a title; it’s a torch,” she said. “And I intend to pass that torch—not just when my term ends, but every time I invite someone to lead a project, shape a program, or share their vision.
“That’s how we build enduring communities,” Joseph added. “That’s how we build a Lions club that roars for generations to come.
“So, thank you for your trust, passion, and our presence,” she continued. “Let us go forward together, grounded in unity and committed to growth. The future is ours to build — and we’ll build it, together.”
Other officers sworn in for the 2024-25 term were: Charlene Wilson (first vice president); Debbie Louis (second vice president); Lawrence Kantor (third vice president); Sophia Casimir (secretary); Thelma Moore (treasurer); Tomi Marshall (lion tamer); Jenny Troman (tail twister); and Gladys Egwuonwu, Paul Curiale, Sheila Wiltshire and Joel Cohen (directors).
Others were: Camille Hastick (membership chairperson), Dr. Zulema Blair (club LCIF coordinator), June Davis (club service chairperson), Darlene Jolibois (club marketing communications), and Cheryl Celestine (club administrator).
Honorees for services performed were: Joseph, Casimir (Lion of the Year), Lawrence Kantor (treasurer), and June Davis and Karen Dalzine (pantry).
New York State Sen. Roxaane P. Persaud, the Guyanese-born representative for the 19th Senate District in Brooklyn, and City Council Member Faran N. Louis, the daughter of Haitian and Bahamian immigrants, who represents the 45th Council District in Brooklyn, also presented some club members with citations. Both are members of the Brooklyn Canarsie Lions Club.
Past District Gov. Jacqueline V. Philips was among other officials who witnessed and officiated at the ceremony.
