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Honors 64 Caribbeans By Annan Boodram |
Sir Albert and Sir Geoffrey topped the list of 40 Bahamians appreciated for their dedicated and outstanding contribution to the development of The Bahamas. They were each made a Knight Grand Cross of The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George.
Also in the list, three were made a Companion of the British Empire; four made an Officer of the British Empire; seven made a Member of the British Empire; nine received the British Empire Medal; two awarded The Queen's Police Medal; and 13 got The Queen's Certificate and Badge of Honour.
A remarkable story follows the life of Sir Albert, 75, who was born on Long Island in Feb. 1926 and became one of The Bahamas' prominent, successful and prominent businessman.
The co-chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd. and Group of Companies, Sir Albert was named the 1998 Business Person of the Year by The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce.
He joined the Royal Bahamas Police Force in 1943, and rose from detective corporal to deputy commissioner in 1968. He also acted as Commissioner of Police on five occasions. His climb on the force came by way of his unmatched discipline, relentless determination, outstanding hard work and extensive international training, his credentials revealed.
Sir Albert is no stranger to the Queen's honours. He is a Member of British Empire, and has received the Queen's Police Medal, the Colonial Police Medal, and the Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.
He is past president of the East Nassau Rotary Club and of the Freeport Rotary Club, Chairman of the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board, Honorary Chairman of the Junior Achievement of Grand Bahama, member of the Anglican Diocesan Finance Committee and former member of the Salvation Army Board.
Sir Albert serves as a director of the Solomon Brothers Ltd., Pepsi-Cola (Bahamas) Bottling Company Ltd., Grand Bahama Utilities Limited and the Freeport Oil Company.
He served as chairman of The Bahamas Electricity Corporation from 1992 to 1994, and assumed the chairmanship of The Bahamas Telecommunication Corporation in 1994.
Geoffrey Adams Dinwiddie Johnstone, 74, was born in Nassau in 1927 where he was educated, then in the United Kingdom.
The 74-year-old was first elected to the House of Assembly on the United Bahamian Party ticket for the Eastern District of New Providence in Nov. 1962. He was re-elected in 1967.
He served as Minister of Road Traffic and Records in the UBP Cabinet from 1964 to 1967. He is credited for having overseen the introduction of the first traffic lights on the island, and for the commencement of the modernisation of the Registrar-General's Office.
Sir Geoffrey was elected Leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly in 1970, and served for one year. Following the 1972 elections, in which he did not seek re-election, he concentrated his energies on his successful law practice.
A consultant in the law firm Higgs and Johnson, Sir Geoffrey is acknowledged as one of the ablest company and trust attorneys in The Bahamas. He served as president of The Bahamas Bar Association from June 1973 to June 1975 and as vice president of the association from June 1975, to June 1976.
In Oct. 1992, he was appointed chairman of the Hotel Corporation, serving until Dec. 1994. He was also credited for successfully leading negotiations to divestment of four poorly operated and maintained government-owned hotel properties, securing the commitment of the purchasers to invest considerable funding into the refurbishment and upgrade of each property.
Sir Geoffrey was appointed Deputy to the Governor-General during 1995 and 1996. In July 1995, he was appointed non-resident Ambassador of The Bahamas to Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
He is active in his church, the Kirk, and serves on the advisory board of the Salvation Army. He also served as member of the Council of The Bahamas National Trust from 1988 to date.
In her honours, the Queen made Companions of the British Empire former Commissioner of Police Bernard K. Bonamy, for his long and devoted service to law enforcement; William Saunders for outstanding contribution to the Tourism Industry; and Member of Parliament, and non-resident Ambassador to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama Vernon Symonette for his dedicated and faithful service to The Bahamas.
Made Officers of the British Empire were Member of Parliament Robert Sweeting; banker Anthony Allen; banker Peter Thompson; and businesswoman Eva Schaffner.
Named Officers of the British Empire were businessman Charles (George) Kelly Jr.; businessman Raphael Cartwright; for construction, Roosevelt Curry; contractor Willis Levarity; businesswoman Veronica Marshall; for fisheries, Roswell Sawyer; and Bishop Archileaus Cooper for long and dedicated community service.
Recipients of the British Empire Medal for their contributions to civics, religion and education were Rev. Dr. Allen Mills; Rev. Samuel Sands; Joseph Norris; Freda Russell; Rev. Copeland Morley; Rev. Roland Swain; Alpheus Ramsey; Rev. Clemon Ferguson; and Terry Laing-Russell.
The Queen's Police Medal went to Assistant Superintendent Larry Ferguson and Assistant Superintendent Leeland Russell for their outstanding and meritorious service to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
The Queen's Certificate and Badge of Honour for civics, religion and meritorious service went to Bernard Bethel, Prince Albert Bridgewater, Rev. Rufus Cooper, Elisha Davis, Chenenia Gibson, Nelson Knowles, Seberon Mackey, Rev. Lillian Pinder, Rev. Jonathan Rolle, Herman Russell, William Smith, Adline Wallace and Sam Williams.
Also among the honorees were eight Barbadians, representing a range of exploits from business to teaching.
While no knighthoods were awarded this time, three people respectively became Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Officer of the Order of the British Empire, while two received the Member of the Order of the British Empire.
They are: Alister O'Brien Campbell, Alfred Henderson Clarke, QC; Kenneth Rudolph Hewitt, (CBE); Arthur St Clair Farmer, Jean Cynthia Robinson, Lloyd Bismarck Weekes (OBE); and Thelma Parris and Clarence Festus Thompson (MBE).
Campbell, director-general of the Insurance Association of the Caribbean Inc., has been serving in the insurance industry for 29 years, having started in 1973 as a broker.
Clarke, a director of Life of Barbados (LOB) and Barbados Light & Power Company, is a well-known attorney-at-law and a former major in the Jamaica Defence Force reserves section.
Hewitt, a prominent cricket enthusiast who is at home in the business community where he is respected as a chartered accountant, founded the firm Ken Hewitt and Company, providing auditing services to companies.
For nearly half-a-century of volunteer work with the country's emergency services, Farmer, a former radio operator with Cable & Wireless and long-time employee of Brydens Limited, was awarded the OBE.
Robinson's creations, as a member of the Barbados Horticultural Society, have brought much pride to the country, winning gold medal after gold medal at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show, while Weekes, a former Postmaster General, was recognised for his contributions to the Public Service. He served in the Barbados Postal Service for 41 years.
Parris is a 68-year-old retired nurse who started her career at the Christ Church Almshouse and served the profession for nearly 40 years, retiring as a senior health sister at Edgar Cochrane Polyclinic.
The final recipient, Thompson, 78, is a household name in musical and Anglican circles in Barbados, starting his career with the St Michael's Cathedral Choir in 1934. Since then he has served as organist at Holy Trinity, St Silas, St Paul's and St Ambrose, along with stints in England and Canada.
Other honorees included two Belizeans, five Grenadians, two from St. Christopher & Nevis and six from St. Vincent & the Grennadines.
Belizeans the Rev Charles David Goff and Allan Miguel Sharp received the MBE for service t
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the community and to sport respectively. The OBE went to Grendians Mrs Glenda Mason-Francis, for service to education and Julien David Rapier for service to the community. Fellow Grenadians Mrs Dorothy Chichester received the MBE for service to nursing and to business while Joseph Eric Barriteau and Cebert Bernadine received the British Empire Medal for service to the fishing.
From Saint Christopher and the Nevis Charles McDougal Brisbane received the OBE for public service and Robert Ezrick Manning, the MBE also for public service.
And from St. Vincent & the Grennadines Christian Ivor Martin received the CMG for service to the financial sector, Joel Fitz-Gerald Huggins the OBE for service to the electricity industry and Leopold Parnel Errie Stoddard the OBE for service to law and order.
Receiving the MBE were Mrs Pearl Agatha Elritha Best for service to education, Ms Rhonda Patricia Fraser for service to the community and Alderic Peter Williams for service to law and order.
British based Trinidadian, Sterling Betancourt was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE).
One of Trinidad & Tobago's most famous panist, Betancourt, 77, who grew up in Laventille, is widely agreed as a prime mover in the spread of pan culture throughout the UK and Europe. He helped pioneer pan projects in English schools.
He began his career in Port of Spain in the 1930s as a tamboo-bamboo player and subsequently moved up to the rudimentary three-note tenor, forerunner of the more melodious instruments developed at the turn of the forties. During that decade he played with Hell's Kitchen, Hugh Borde's, Tripoli and became leader and tuner of Crossfire, another steelband from the St James area.
In 1951, he was selected as a member of the Trinidad All Stars Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) for a tour to England as part of this country's contingent at the Festival of Britain.
At the end of the TASPO tour, Betancourt stayed on in England and together with pianist Russell Henderson and doo-doop player Ralph Cherrie (later replaced by Mervyn Constantine) formed a trio that featured the tenor pan, the first of its kind in Europe.
Betancourt meanwhile toiled at getting the British school system to recognise the value of pan, an effort that yielded fruit when the Elmwood Junior band made it to the finals of the National Music Festival at Royal Albert Hall.
He has been a professional pannist and arranger all his life, touring, teaching and playing music and manufacturing instruments.
Also receiving the MBE was NEIL Flanigan a well known community worker. Neil received the Member of the British Empire (MBE) Award for his outstanding services to the community in Surrey. He served the Royal Air force during the second World War and is one of the founding members of the West Indian Ex Servicemen and Women's Association in Clapham, South London.