A.W. SangsterTHE SEVENTH annual Best of St. Bess awards dinner was held in Kingston on November 29 and as chairman of the St. Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation Oliver Jones explained, it was deliberately held in Kingston as a fund raising event with each ticket costing a whopping $2,500. However, the 1/2 million dollars which should be raised will go specifically to education projects.
Chairman of the education committee of the Foundation, Mr. Crafton Miller gave some insights of the programme with one of the major objectives being to put computers in all the primary schools of the parish. Guest speaker the Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, the Minister of Tourism and Sport, spoke from the heart and shared her vision for tourism and the role of the industry in national development. Minister Simpson Miller spoke of the pride that St Elizabethans have in their parish and of the need for a greater involvement of all the people in the tourism industry.
The new thrust of South Coast Tourism represents an exciting new direction for development in St. Elizabeth and the Foundation is engaged in seeking to establish a major development fund to drive this and other developments in the parish.
Since its inception in 1994 the Golden Awards programme has honoured some 50 individuals with a wide range of awards. This year 12 new awards were made in the following categories:
The Arts, the Golden Microscope, Gerry Grindley; Education, the Golden Book, Mrs. Enid Hendricks; Govern-ment/Diplomacy, the Hon. Hector Wynter; Management, The Golden Gravel, Dr. Blossom O'Meally Nelson; Medicine, The Golden Thermometer, Dr. Kenneth Richards; Police/medicine, the Golden Badge, Asst. Commissioner Jerene Bent; Politics, the Golden Podium, Hon. Donald Buchanan and the Hon. Roger Clarke; Public Service, the Golden Pen, Mr. Stafford Neil; Science and Technology, the Golden Microscope, Dr. Lawrence Williams; Special Awards, the Golden Star, St. Elizabeth Parish Police Group to Supt. Herman Brown and in Legal Affairs to the Hon Vivian Blake.
Development
It was an evening of nostalgia, humour and pride as St Elizabethans of all walks of life gathered to celebrate and recognise those who were honoured. The St. Elizabeth Homecoming Week of events represents an important time in the life of the parish and provides the incentive for focusing on the development of the parish as well as recognising excellence and service.
The Bureau of Standards: The Bureau of Standards recently honoured the contribution of Dr. Artnel Henry who had served as its director for some 27 years. Members of the Council, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Technology, staff members and friends paid glowing tribute to the director who had led the Bureau over all those years. From a very small beginning with 4 divisions and 41 staff members the Bureau has grown to having some 21 divisions and 262 members of staff.
The Bureau has become a critically important institution in the national life of the country. The certification of products which are manufactured locally with the coveted "Standards Mark" has been an important development and the control of products coming into the country is another facet of the work of the Bureau. Hundreds of Jamaican professionals contribute to the development of the standards that are used.
It was clear from the genuineness of the tributes which were paid - in song and spoken word - and the way in which these tributes were accepted by the many staff members and the audience as a whole, that here was a man who had earned the tributes which were paid to him. Variously described as friend, brother, counsellor, confidant, team leader and manager. Dr. Henry has truly built up a formidable organisation by dint of vision, commitment, hard work, training, and the development of a team spirit.
Dr. Henry in his reply shared his memories of those exciting 27 years. He began by acknowledging God's enabling in the successes which had been achieved. In sharing his views on the successes of the bureau, he spoke of growth and development, of training and team building of risk taking, of having to challenge bureaucracy, of having a vision for the future and of making the Bureau a First World institution in a Third World country. This has certainly been achieved as evidenced by the recognition of the International Standards Organisation, and the requests from other countries for help from the Jamaican office.
Dr. Henry did share some of his disappointments, not the least of which was the lack of recognition of the contribution of the Bureau to the lifting of the ackee ban by the United States Food and Drug Administration. He also alluded to the obvious disparity in the remuneration paid to him compared with his successor. In a word of advice for the future he warned of the need to abide by principle in all the operations of the Bureau.
Dr. Henry a long time lay preacher and chorister in the Methodist Church, is now training for full-time ministry in the Church. This column salutes Dr. Artnel Henry, visionary, agricultural statesman (old farmer!) Jamaican patriot and Christian gentleman. Praise also for his faithful companion Merle.
A.W. Sangster is former President of the University of Technology.
