Your Excellencies, Deputy Prime Minister and Mr. Pratt, Distinguished Cabinet colleagues, Mr. Leader and members of the Opposition, members of the Diplomatic Corps, distinguished archbishops, Heads of Denominations, honourees, ladies and gentlemen:

I have often said that being exposed to people of a country who have distinguished themselves in service to the country is a very humbling experience.  During the process of the awards being presented by Her Excellency, I thought of the Roman edict that all Caesars ought to have someone standing behind them reminding them “Caesar, thou art mortal”.  Well, it is always instructive and educational for a political leader to witness a broad array of citizens being honoured for what they have done in service to their country and their community without ever seeking reward for that service.  It is humbling – as it ought to be – but instructive.

The tragedy always is, and it is for me to say it as often as I can, that we have not done a good job in our country of writing these stories that make up their lives.  And even though and oftentimes one would ordinarily expect each of you to assume the responsibility of arranging to tell your own story, sometimes a country has to do it for you on the basis that the stories of the men and women who have given much to their country make up the history of that country.

I have taken licence and liberty from this very platform in this historic hall, if I may dare use the word, to put out as a form of admonishment to those who rank higher than I; even to Her Excellency Dame Ivy, to ensure that her story is told and that future generations of Bahamians would have a greater appreciation and understanding, not only of who and what she became, but able to retrace the journey from a small village in an island called Long Island.

It is with great pride, therefore, that I say yet again… it has become so important that only this week I have instructed the Cultural Commission headed by Mr. Winston Saunders to advise me why I ought not – in the shortest possible time – employ those of our writers who exist in our service to commence the recording of the individual histories of those of you who in the words used by one of the honourees, the motto of John Wesley and I paraphrase: “Do all you can, for all the people that you can, and in every place that you can at all times that you can for as long as you can”.  That’s what you all represent.

William Cartwright
Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michel & St. George
Mr. William Cartwright can be described as one of the founders of the modern democracy of our country.  One who did so much, who walks around The Bahamas unknown and maybe unappreciated for the value of what he has given this country by being a founding member of the first political party of the country.

Pastor Frederich ‘Ed’ Allen
Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michel & St. George
Then I must qualify what I say, by disclosing that I am partial to the next honouree Mr. Ed Allen who is a first cousin of mine.  He comes from a place called Tarpum Bay where my mother came from.  In everyone’s life; in every community’s life there are people who personify all that is good and who serve as an example for one’s own life.  That’s what he is and that’s what he always was; not just to me but to thousands of Bahamians.

Bishop Samuel Greene
Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michel & St. George
Then there’s Bishop Sam Greene of Mangrove Cay, who is synonymous with “never forget who you came from”.  The story is told oftentimes by him – in very graphic language – of the relationship between a certain knowledge of your past and how you should conduct yourself in the present as you move toward the future.  And he describes life in his times of poverty, of challenges, of overcoming all the obstacles.  You have heard how he had a distinguished career in many fields.  He served with distinction in the Christian Council as President and did so much to bring all of the denominations together.

Judy Monroe
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
And then there’s this distinguished lady, Mrs. Judy Munroe, a woman whose achievement speaks for itself.  Again, another story that should be told: about where she defied the odds and went into business and distinguished herself in business; about where she is equally as committed to her religious pursuits, equally as committed to her philanthropic pursuits.  She is someone who has given much and she has described herself accurately in terms of what she believes and who walks in here presenting very well, all lovely.

George McKinney
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
George Washington McKinney - Wulff Road.  A man who represents to so many people over so many years, everything: banker asue holder, advisor, counsellor; very close to the former Deputy Prime Minister when I was growing up; advisor to him who has given much to Bannerman Town; who’ll never let you forget that really – though he’s on Wulff Road – he’s out of Bannerman Town, Eleuthera.  Again; another wonderful story that should be told.

Rupert ‘Junior’ Roberts
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
And then there’s Rupert Roberts.  I suppose I could say that in recent times he’s been lamenting the fact that I no longer walk around his store doing the shopping because I shopped the groceries in my family in those days.  Here again is another wonderful story of someone who didn’t start off with the silver spoon, but who worked to become one of the great businessmen of our country; one of the great achievers of our country in terms of all that he has become.  I applaud him in terms of all of those things and I am so happy that Her Majesty has recognised that achievement.

Pauline Davis-Thompson
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
We the people of the country have paid great honour to an athlete and now Her Majesty the Queen has bestowed upon her this honour, Pauline Davis Thompson. I just say that being someone who always believed that if God had just given him another year in The Bahamas and his father hadn’t sent him to England to study law, I might have – myself – received such a great honour; because I was a great athlete myself. (raucous laughter)  I am the only one who’ll say that now, but that’s how it is… but there you are.  For this country to witness someone who could give so much to athletic endeavour over so many years in so many games who could set such an outstanding example of commitment was just a wonderful, wonderful exercise for her and I applaud her for all that she was; all the gold medals and silver medals but much more importantly the fact that she continues to this day to use her athletic ability and her discipline, dedication and determination to pass on to this generation of athletes.

Maureen Duvalier
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Now, here I am partial again.  Maureen Duvalier.  I am old enough to remember some of the old ones.  So forgive me.  Of course, I can remember this lady.  The first time I saw her coming down Bay Street.  David Kemp in charge of one group – who is now deceased – and this lady, all resplendent in her Junkanoo costume, leading a Junkanoo group coming down Bay Street when I was a little boy holding on to my mother’s arms.  What a wonderful manifestation at a time when it was not generally considered to be socially correct to do such things… but there was Maureen Duvalier.  We had a Leon Duvalier living in the Valley then and so I saw her as a part of that family and I knew her as a child.  I read and heard about the rest of it.  It was so incredible to see the cultural development that she has impacted.  She is aptly described as a cultural icon.

Mabel Isaacs Bostwick
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Mabel Bostwick.  What can I say?  A woman who lives in Young Street.  A woman who is the matriarch of that part of East Street; who has made political leaders, who has fashioned those who fell in the second, the third and the fourth line… who is synonymous with the lodge.  Walking all over the place, doing all sorts of things – counselling and everything else.  And you wonder; how can we honour her and not her husband?  I wish they could share it sometimes in this country because, mind you, there are some husbands and wives who are indivisible in terms of how they conduct themselves.  But there you are.  I am so happy that the Queen has done so much for this woman.  Her story must be told.

Leroy ‘Duke’ Hanna
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Leroy ‘Duke’ Hanna.  Adversity is something we must deal with.  It is so good to see you and so good to know of you and to hear of you and whether its President Emeritus of the Musicians Union, whether its your time in the presidency of the National Congress of Trade Unions, whether it is what you have done – I mean - I almost expected you to start singing ‘I did it my way’ up here, but then I realised you would defer to King Eric who came after you… Again, we have this wonderful display of cultural impact sitting in this room.

These are all people of different backgrounds who all were able to achieve the summit in their field of endeavours.

‘King’ Eric Gibson
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
King Eric… I suppose you’re one of those old soldiers who never die, but just fade away.  You keep on pushing, keep on pushing, keep on being young, keep on rowing, keep on doing things that stimulate everyone around you.  That’s just you.  I’m so happy the Queen has honoured you.

Edgar Outten
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Now we come to Mr. Edgar Outten.  Again, one would hardly know Mr. Outten except by legend and by reputation for his great charitable heart.  He is someone who did not originate in The Bahamas, but someone who came to The Bahamas and became a Bahamian and helped define for us what Bahamians really are by his spirit of giving, his spirit of generosity, his spirit of humility.  It is told that he has great impact in the community from which he comes.

Calvin Neilly
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
And now a man from the Bluff in North Eleuthera.  Senator Calvin Neilly.  A taxi driver.  It is wonderful.  My father was a taxi driver, you’re a taxi driver.  Don’t ever stop driving.  One day someone will tell the story about you… Again, don’t ever stop driving.  My dad always said when you stop work, you die.  So even if you go off for one hour a day, you keep on driving you have done so much to represent your country.  You continue to symbolise the gentlemanly behaviour and the scholarship that must be in the people who are on the front line of tourism and I’m so happy that the Queen has honoured you.

Pedro Roberts
Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
…And of course, we have Mr. Pedro Roberts.  I happen to have had the honour to work with Mr. Roberts in the Ministry of Health.  Pedro has defined what a pharmacist is, not only here, but throughout the Caribbean.  And I’ve seen and witnessed his impact, as I said, not only here, but also throughout the Caribbean.  Pedro Roberts has been a big churchman.  Pedro Roberts is the fun of any group he is in.  And now he has to demonstrate as I continue to admonish him to do the fact that he is able to deal with his adversity with such grace and majesty.  [Editor’s note – Mr. Roberts is confined to a wheelchair.]  And I just say that one of the great challenges we have in our own lives is that when something happens to us of a physical nature and we’re suddenly struck down, how wonderful it is to see this absolutely great display of courage and fortitude.

Ethelyn Michael
British Empire Medal
We come now, ladies and gentlemen to Mrs. Ethelyn Michael.  This Ethelyn Michael story, someone has to write about it sometime.  It’s just giving, giving, giving, giving, giving – a true heroine.  She was married to a man called Palestine Michael who was one of a kind in the field of agriculture.  He is no longer with us, but giving, giving, giving, giving.

Alma Trotman
British Empire Medal
We come now to Alma Trotman who is also no longer here.  And this is one of the things that remind us… last year when we came to honour, we thought Dr. Offfff, Tyrone Fitzgerald who is no longer with us would be around.  He was around, the Queen agreed and accepted and acknowledged of his greatness, but by the time we got it in here, he was no longer with us.  Similarly as a woman, a great spiritual woman, a woman of God who was able to transcend whatever she was in religion to touch all the lives of the great leaders; whether its Archbishop Drexel Gomez or whether it was William Thompson or whether it was Sam Greene; whatever she was.  She was going to another church along Carmichael Road, but nevertheless she was a parishioner for them in terms of how she reached out and she is no longer with us.

Rev. Lawrence Laing
Rev. George Emmanuel
Mabel Colton
Granville Coleby
Eloise Colebrook
Leonard Dames
Captain Frederick Morgan
British Empire Medal
Reverend Laing, its good to see you from East Grand Bahama.  That’s wonderful.  You know, one tends not to go into these places and to know what the stories are that happen out there, but as life is played out in these small communities; it’s just wonderful.  Whilst I’m at it, let me just say in the same breath to Reverend Emmanuel and Mrs. Colton and our honourees, one from Salina Point, Acklins and the other from West End and Mr. Coleby from North Andros…

So we have these persons who have just been so much.  Miss Colebrook… Mr. Dames from Exuma… It’s just a wonderful group of people who have given so much, whose stories we will never hear of and read about and we have a duty to try and understand the continuity and the wholesomeness of our country is made up of all people of this kind.

Douglas Hanna
ACP Ellison Greenslade
Queen’s Police Medal
We come now to the two police officers, one past and one present.  Douglas Hanna whose own story of police bravery and courage is now taken into the private sector, but who could have been anything on our police force and who has now decided to pursue a private career.  Assistant Commissioner Greenslade who is present ACP for the northern Bahamas and who has a great future.

I think I’ve covered everyone and I think it was important for me to do it this way to show the significance of the society and the community and the country in which we live and why it is so important for us to find another way, before people die, to recognise more of them in some other form, some other way, in addition to what we do here so that people in their lifetime can have Her Excellency is some form, recognise them on behalf of the nation; rising above all the divisions that we have and giving this great feeling of wholesomeness that enables us to have the kind of pride in our country that our country demands of us.

I thank you all for this opportunity and I offer on behalf of the Government our sincerest congratulations and wish you all a long life.

Thank you.