From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Twenty Bahamians Receive Queen’s Birthday Honours
Sep 24, 2009 - 11:06:28 PM
Recipients of the of the Queen’s Birthday Honours pose for a group shop during a gala ceremony at Government House on Thursday, September 24, 2009. Pictured in the foreground from left: Secretary to the Governor General, Diana Lightbourne; Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham; Governor General His Excellency Sir Arthur D. Hanna and President of The Bahamas Christian Council, Rev. Patrick Paul. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson)
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Nassau, Bahamas - Twenty Bahamian
recipients of The Queen’s Birthday Honours, 2008, were presented with
their medals during an investiture ceremony at Government House on Thursday,
September 24, 2009.
Governor General His Excellency
Arthur D. Hanna presented the medals.
Receiving the insignia of Commander
of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) (Civil Division)
(CBE) were Sen. the Hon. Vincent Vanderpool Wallace, Minister of Tourism
and Aviation; and Wendy Craigg, Governor of The Central Bank of The
Bahamas.
The insignia of Officer of
the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) were Dr. George
H. Sherman, for his contribution to medicine; Dr. Davidson Hepburn,
a former Ambassador to the United Nations; and Sylvia E. Scriven, a
former MP for Ann’s Town, for her contribution to politics.
The recipients of the Most
Excellent Order of The British Empire (M.B.E.) were Mrs. Marina Glinton,
Mr. John Campbell Albury, Mr. Frank Russell, Mr. Edwin Velock Brown,
Mr. Oswald Marshall, Ms. Yvonne B. Isaacs and Mr. Wilbert Braynen.
The Queen’s Police Medal
went to Christopher Noel McCoy, Retired Acting Deputy Commissioner of
Police; and Willard Minzo Cunningham, Chief Superintendent of Police.
Presented with the British
Empire Medal (BEM) (Civil Division) were Ms. Beryl Adams, Mr. Laurin
Knowles, Mrs. Melvern Bootle-Cornish, Rev. Newton Williamson, Ms. Barbara
Darville, Mrs. Joanna Newton-Russell, Ms. Felamease Sawyer, Mrs. Dolly
Mills and Mr. George Russell.
The Governor General thanked
the recipients for their contributions to The Bahamas.
“Honourees, you exemplify
those characteristics and qualities that make a nation proud,” the
Governor General said. “You’ve enriched the lives of so many Bahamians
with your generosity. You’ve put country before self in so many
instances and for this, we say a heartfelt thank you.”
Prime Minister the Rt. Hon.
Hubert A. Ingraham said that in an effort to secure its future and national
identity, a nation must take steps such as this.
“All nations, in an effort
to secure their futures and the conservation, cultivation and promotion
of their national identity and indigenous culture, must endeavour to
ensure their futures efforts taken are conducive to nation building,”
said Mr. Ingraham.
He said to this end, the Government
of The Bahamas continues with the tradition of recognizing deserving
Bahamians with the Queen’s Birthday honours.
Mr. Ingraham said: “When
our founding fathers, the Governor General included, sought to achieve
independence, they made a determination to retain the Queen of Britain
as Queen of The Bahamas as part of Bahamian heritage and legacy.
Their determination has not been altered.”
The Prime Minster also invited
Bahamians to assist the government in identifying individuals who have
contributed toward the political, intellectual, business, sport and
cultural development of the country.
“Each year, the government
is given a quota of awards which Her Majesty confers on the recommendation
of the Government of The Bahamas,” he said. “These awards
may be granted either at New Year’s or June. Those honoured
this morning represents the first batch of recipients of the honours
since the installation of the FNM Government in 2007.”
Governor General His Excellency Sir Arthur D. Hanna addresses recipients of the Queen’s Birthday Honours at a gala ceremony at Government House on Thursday, September 24, 2009. Also pictured is Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson).
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Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham addresses recipients of the 2008 Queen's birthday honours during a gala ceremony held at Government House on Thursday, September 24. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay).
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Your Excellency Arthur Hanna;
Colleague Ministers and Members
of Parliament;
Senior Government Officers;
Distinguished Honourees;
All
nations endeavour to secure their futures through the conservation,
cultivation and promotion of a national identity, an indigenous culture
and a common set of values conducive to nation building. This
is as true for young nations like our own whose longest period of history
and whose early identity were shaped by a distant colonial power as
it is for the colonial power whose history may have been shaped more
in the field of battle. But we are both the product and the shaper
of our history.
As
a young nation this endeavour to assure our future takes on a greater
urgency. Toward this end, the Government annually identifies deserving
and worthy individuals who have contributed toward the political, intellectual,
business or cultural development of our country for recognition and
reward. The selection of such persons is entirely our prerogative,
in every way reflecting a Bahamas consideration of those among its citizenry
who are most deserving of high honour.
The
highest Honours that our country can confer upon citizens today are
awards granted by Her Majesty the Queen in her role as Queen of The
Bahamas. When our founding fathers sought and achieved independence
from Great Britain, they made the determination that we would, as a
part of our heritage and legacy, retain the Queen of Britain as Queen
of The Bahamas. Their determination has not been altered.
Each
year, we are given a quota of awards which Her Majesty will confer on
the recommendation of the Government of The Bahamas. These awards may
be granted either at New Year’s or in June in what are termed Her
Majesty’s Birthday Honours. This morning we recognize the first
group of individuals selected for recognition and award by my Government
since my Party’s return to office in 2007. These awards are
given from the 2008 quota of awards available to The Bahamas and were
granted as Birthday Honours by Her Majesty.
Awardees
join scores of other deserving Bahamians in being recognized and honoured
by the Government. I take this opportunity to invite Bahamians
to consider persons in their communities who are deserving of recognition
and high honour for their contribution to our national development and
I urge all citizens and residents of The Bahamas to recommend such persons
as future awardees. Often, we find ourselves lamenting upon the
passing of a citizen that his or her unselfish dedication to country
had not been nationally recognized in life.
And
so, I ask each of you to assist us in identifying worthy recipients
for future high honour. Your recommendations should be submitted
to the Cabinet Office so that they may be included among those considered
by the Government.
I
am privileged and honoured to join all of you as His Excellency the
Governor-General, Her Majesty’s representative in The Bahamas, confers
awards granted by Her Majesty as Queen of The Bahamas to each of you.
We
acknowledge, thank, applaud and honour all of you for your invaluable
contribution to The Bahamas.
This
morning one person from New Providence is receiving the award of Commander
of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) (Civil Division).
She is Mrs. Wendy Craig in recognition of her outstanding contribution
in our financial services sector.
Two
individuals will receive the award of Officer of the Most Excellent
Order of the British Empire (OBE): Dr. George H. Sherman, medical
doctor for his distinguished service in medicine, and Mrs. Sylvia E.
Scriven of Long Island, for her contribution to community development
and politics.
Two
senior police officers are being awarded the Queen’s Police Medal
(QPM) for distinguished service to our nation in law enforcement.
They are:
Mr.
Christopher Noel McCoy, for his exemplary courage and proactive leadership
in the execution of his duties as a law enforcement officer, and Mr.
Willard Minzo Cunningham, for his dedicated service to the growth and
development of the community as a law enforcement officer.
Seven
individuals are being made members of the Most Excellent Order of the
British Empire (MBE) for their contribution to business, architecture,
charitable organizations, trade unionism, community development, politics
and education:
Mrs.
Marina Glinton (New Providence), Mr. John Campbell (Jack) Albury (Abaco),
Mr. Frank Russell (Abaco), Mr. Edwin Velock “Vikie” Brown (New Providence),
Mr. Oswald Marshall (New Providence), Mrs. Yvonne B. Isaacs (New Providence),
and Mr. Rodney Wilbert Braynen (New Providence).
Nine
individuals are being recognized by the award of the British Empire
medal (Civil Division) (BEM) for their contributions to banking, business,
education, fishing, community service and development, politics and
law enforcement:
Mrs.
Beryl Adams, New Providence
Mt.
Laurin Knowles, Long Island
Mrs.
Melvern Bootle-Cornish, Abaco
Rev.
Newton Williamson, Acklins
Ms.
Barbara Darville, Exuma
Mrs.
Joanna Newton-Russell, Grand Bahama
Ms.
Felamease Sawyer, Abaco
Mrs.
Dolly Mills, Abaco
Mr.
George Russell, Grand Cay
Some
recipients have excelled in their careers or special field of endeavour;
others have demonstrated yeoman’s service at the national level or
in their local community and still others have, in the ordinary course
of their life and work, proven to be outstanding nationals worthy of
recognition and praise.
NASSAU, Bahamas -- Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham greets newly installed Chief Protocol Officer, Melvin Seymour (left) during the gala ceremony held for recipients of the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours at Government House, Thursday, September 24. Also Pictured: Aide-de-Camp, Inspector Kirk Douglas. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay).
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I
know that some of you have been surprised at having been singled out
for honour believing that you have simply done your job, developed a
business, honed a talent, or followed an inclination to become involved
in politics at the community level.
I
want to say to you today, that there is nothing ordinary about doing
a good job, giving excellent service and being dedicated to the improvement
of our social and civic conditions. You are all deserving of having
your names and your accomplishments etched in the annals of our history.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The
challenges of this still new century: the breakdown of the traditional
family, the glorification of material wealth, and the effects of social
pressures fostered by virtual instant access to information are combining
to create generations of self-centered individuals who seek instant
gratification and who tolerate what most of us see as intolerable levels
of violence.
It
is important for all of us but especially for young people who are daily
bombarded with such images to be provided with wholesome role models;
that is, people who have succeeded because of honest hard work, dedication
and perseverance.
I
believe that all of you gathered here this morning are such role models.
I say to you that your contributions in tourism, in business, in politics,
in community development and in a variety of professions have been essential
to nation building.
Because
of your service, we are better and we may look towards an even brighter
tomorrow. Congratulations.
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