Archive | September, 2011
The Ashburton Sports and Cultural Organisation Incorporated; ASCO Inc. now has a new executive to handle the affairs of the organization for the next year. At the organisation’s 21st AGM held last evening at the Gomea Methodist Church Hall, the group re- elected unopposed its founder and longstanding president Dennisford Foster to serve as president for the 22nd consecutive year. He will have as his Vice President new comer Holly Ann Franklyn, Secretary Andrea Cupid who was re-elected unopposed for the third consecutive year. Among the other members are; Assistant Secretary Daryl Franklyn, the new Treasurer is Veta Franklyn. Diane Questelles lost her position as Vice President and is now the new PRO. Three committee members were also elected. They are Leon Chandler, Claudette Questelles and Solomie Farrell.
The clubs 21st anniversary celebrations culminate this evening – Friday with a club social at the Belair from 7:00pm. This year’s celebrations were held under the theme:” We’re blessed with twenty one years of steady progress”.
Twenty Six (26) Secondary Schools are this week winding up their presentations for participation in the 2011 preliminaries of the Lions Club South, Secondary Schools Public Speaking Competition.
The Zonal Preliminaries are scheduled for next week – Tuesday October 4th – Friday October 7th, at various venues across St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Public Speaking Competition which began in 1996, is part of the Club’s youth outreach programme and aims to foster healthy public debate among the nation’s youth.
It also affords them an opportunity to improve and enhance their oratory skills in a keenly contested environment.
According to Chairman of the Public Speaking Committee, Lion Ronald Christopher, ‘the competition over the past fifteen years has taught students how to better communicate with other persons, which is a talent that will always be in demand”.
Highlighting the benefits of Public Speaking, Christopher opined, “That it helps to polish and perfect your voice, it teaches you how to speak clearly so that others can understand your message. It also gives you confidence so that your voice will carry and so you can look straight into the eyes of those you speak with’.
“Grow Your Savings” is the theme for the 10th year of observing October as Financial Information Month, which is a regional financial education campaign celebrated in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) since 2002.
This year, saving consistently and regularly is being lauded as the means to achieving one’s goals be it education, a vacation, starting a business, owning a home, or securing finances for retirement. The 2011 Financial Information Month theme advocates that saving is a pre-requisite for a good life.
During the month, financial institutions will collaborate with ECCU member governments, the media and other public and private sector partners to host a series of informational and educational initiatives geared at empowering all residents of the ECCU to achieve their life’s goals.
Financial Information Month is a collaborative effort among the ECCU member governments, financial and academic institutions, the media, private and public sector institutions and community–based groups.
The month forms part of an ECCU financial education programme coordinated by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).
The programme incorporates a series of initiatives designed to support the attainment of the goal of “a financially developed and vibrant ECCU region that fosters strong and sustainable economic growth and the improved well-being of the citizenry.”
When the government fails they must be held accountable for their failure. So says the Hon. Dr. Godwin Friday who was speaking at an NDP town hall meeting on the topic of the black sigatoka disease in Marriaqua on Tuesday evening.
Friday said the government particularly the Minister of Agriculture should be responsible for the spreading of the black sigatoka disease. He said the banana industry should not be treated as a joke or taken lightly as it is people’s livelihood and an industry that a lot of people can identify with. Dr. Friday said the government has a role to play in preparing the conditions in order for people to make a living.
He added that while it is easy for the government to doge around potholes in the roads they cannot dodge around the black sigatoka disease.
Friday said what the government has allowed to happen to the banana industry is an injustice to farmers.
The number of people who are on poor relief here is not something to boast or brag about says opposition leader the Hon. Arhnim Eustace.
Eustace said the government has treated the issue of the number of persons they have placed on poor relief as something to be proud of but in actuality this is something that the government should be ashamed of.
The opposition leader said government’s job is to provide employment for those who are unemployed, making them independent instead of being dependents on the government for monthly handouts.
He said while he does not have a problem with putting persons on poor relief he believes that it is always better to provide jobs for the unemployed as this is a means of empowerment.
The amount of people currently on poor relief is an admission of failure on the government’s part he further added.
Despite the fact that the Ministry of Agriculture began conducting the spraying of banana fields since Wednesday, farmers yesterday picketed in front of parliament house to express their disapproval in the slow handling of the black sigatoka disease.
Farmers expressed their disapproval of not only the handling of the disease but also the way in which the banana industry is being currently run by the government.
Among other concerns was the fact that farmers who are also members of different farmers Association boards sit on these boards for government creating conflict of interest in the process.
Following the observation of the black sigatoka disease in 2009, which recently got out of control because of what is being claimed as the irresponsibility of some civil servants at the Ministry of Agriculture, the Minister with responsibility said among the civil servants in his Ministry he is not to be blamed for the way in which the Ministry handled the disease.
The farmers who picketed in front of parliament yesterday are also calling on the government to compensate them for their loss in order to assist in replanting following the black sigatoka cutback exercise.
Now more equipped to monitor and supervise Information Communication Technology (ICT) is education officers to transfer to the classroom, following a two week workshop.
The training started on September 19th and concluded Yesterday September 29th. It includes a mixture of theoretical work with practical experience in the use of ICT tools.
Encouraging participation in the use of ICT and teaching and learning process in the classroom, one senior education officer outlined that the knowledge gained by the trained officers will be applied to the teachers so that they can use it as an experience for the classroom.
According to this country’s constitution Attorney General Judith Jones Morgan is not guilty of any wrong doings, having voted in the re-election process of house Speaker Hendrick Alexander.
This comes in yesterdays sitting of Parliament. According to Speaker of the House Hendrick Alexander acted within the confines of the law when she voted in the December 29th 2010 elections process of (him) the speaker of the house.
Alexander added, according to the executive summary received from the constitutional expert Dr. Francis Alexis Q.C of Grenada, the Attorney General who is a Public Officer and an unquestionable member of the house has the right to vote on such a matter in parliament since the constitution of St Vincent & the Grenadines has no provision that prohibits her from voting.
The report further stated that a client comfortable majority voted in favour of Hendrick Alexander to be re-elected as speaker of the House.
Alexander said that the Attorney General is not caught by section 42 of the constitution, he said she was entitled to vote and there was no questions of knowing or having reasonable grounds for knowing, he was not entitled to vote which is a summary he give and said he will asked the surgeon of arm to take it to the Leader of the opposition.
A strong call was made in the house of parliament encouraging citizens to work harder and to be each other’s keeper. The first call was made by parliamentary representative for Central Kingstown Honourable St. Clair Leacock and reiterated by other members of parliament. This comes as they addressed the recent increase in crime and violence across the island.
Tributes were made by the MPS to persons whose lives were recently cut short in the state of killings; including ‘Ingrid Jack’ and her neighbour ‘Mauva James’, formerly of Campden Park, Sharpes residence ‘Anthony Brassy Nero’ and recently ‘Marion John’ of Fitz Hughes.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Honourable Girlyn Miguel has condemned the violence here and in more specifically the killing of women.
Miguel said that ‘It has to be accepted from the evidence that there is an ever presents threat to physical harm, especially to women which must be listened.
She added that this issue could no longer be considered as a matter of growing concern; it is a concern that has reach to a point where the society as a whole should stand up in the fight against it.
Miguel further stated that we all should play our part to ensure respect for self, God and our neighbours; she said that women are the first teacher in any human and a state injustice is being meted out to them
Bahamian national Deacon Kari Xavier Marcelle, will be Ordained as an Anglican Priest at the St. George’s Cathedral in Kingstown today.
Anglicans from the Diocese of the Windward Islands, and other Dioceses of the Church in the Province of the West Indies and the Anglican Communion are expected to gather here to witness the Ordination.
A release from the Anglican Archdeaconry says Deacon Marcelle, who is twenty–six years old, is a graduate of the St. Frances Academy Baltimore Maryland, and holds a Master of Divinity Degree from Wycliffe College, Toronto.
He also holds a Diploma in Secondary Education with Certification in Religion and is currently a Post Graduate student at Nash-otah House Theological Seminary, Wisconsin reading for a Masters of Sacred Theology Degree.
Deacon Marcelle has been serving in the Parish of St. Paul’s Calliaqua with St. John’s Belair, since December 16th, last year.
Following his Ordination tomorrow, he will be the youngest Priest within the Diocese of the Windward Islands and will continue to serve in the current parish.
It will be the First Ordination to Priesthood administered by Bishop of the Windward Islands, Leopold Friday.
The Ordination Service begins at five today afternoon at the st. George’s Cathedral.
The newly ordained priest will celebrate his First Mass on Friday September 30th at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Calliaqua at 6:00 pm.
Kari Marcelle is the son of Agatha K. Marcelle, former Bahamian MP and PS and is inspired and encouraged by the words adapted from an ancient hymn entitled, Thou art coming O my Saviour- “time appointed may be long, but the vision must be sure , certainly will make us strong, joyful patience shall endure”.
Your prayers and presence are requested – to witness this historic occasion within the Diocese of the Windward Islands.
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