His Excellency the Governor-General, as Chancellor of the Societies of Honour established under the National Honours Act, 2016, in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, and the National Honours Advisory Committee, is pleased to announce the following awards under the Act.

THE ORDER OF THE BAHAMAS

The award of the Order of The Bahamas is conferred upon any Citizen of The Bahamas who has achieved outstanding distinction in The Bahamas, and given distinguished and exemplary service to The Bahamas.

The Order of The Bahamas includes three ranks of membership, namely Companion, Officer, and Member. A Companion is conferred with the title of "Right Honourable" before their name and the placement of the letters "C.B." after their name. An Officer is conferred with the title of "Honourable" before their name and is also entitled to place the letters "O.B." after their name: A Member is entitled to place the letters "M.B." after their name. The names of the persons set out below show the level of the Order to which they are appointed as well as the applicable title and post-nominal.

Companions:

The Rt. Honourable Reverend. Dr. Phillip Rahming, C.B.

The following have been awarded this honour posthumously:

The Rt. Honourable Timothy Gibson, C.B.
The Rt. Honourable Reverend Dr. Hervis Bain, C.B.

THE ORDER OF DISTINCTION

The award of Order of Distinction also includes three ranks of membership, and the following have been appointed at the levels of Companion, Officer, or Member. A Companion is entitled to place the letters "C.D." after their name. An Officer is entitled to place the letters "O.D." after their name. A member is also entitled to place the letters "D.M." after their name. The names of the persons set out below show the level of the order to which they are appointed as well as the applicable title and post-nominal. Persons awarded this Honour are recognized for the exemplary service provided to The Bahamas.

Companions:

Mr. Frank Watson, C.D.
Mr. Orville "Tommy" Turnquest, C.D.

Officers:

Mr. Keith Vere Mason Sr. O.D., LVO, OPM, MBE
Dr. Elwood Donaldson, O.D.
Mr. Frank Rolle, O.D.


Members:

Dr. Gail Saunders, D.M., O.B.E,
Mrs. Angela Missouri Sherman-Peter, D.M.
Mr. Godfrey Kelly, D.M., C.M.G, M.A., LL.M
Mr. Edward "Dud" Maynard, D.M.
Mrs. Lynn Holowesko, D.M., C.B.E, J.P.
Mr. Norwood Rahming, D.M.


THE ORDER OF MERIT

Companions:

Reverend Dr. Charles Saunders, C.M.
Bishop Carrington Pinder, C.M.


The following have been awarded this honour posthumously:

Mr. Edmund Moxey Sr. C.M.
Mr. Louis George Adams Sr. C.M.


Officers:

Reverend J. Carl Rahming, O.M.


Members:

Reverend Charles Sweeting, M.M.

Reverend Oral Rex Major M.M., A.C.P, B.A., M.Div., Th.M., D.D. (Hon), J.P.

Government House

July 9, 2019

Nassau, The Bahamas

Last month, hundreds of men and boys were privileged to witness Apostle Raymond Wells, of Living Waters Kingdom Ministries, embark on an annual mission to recognize men who are making an invaluable impact on the country, men who have made a choice to leave the world a better place than they met it.

According to the apostle, this vision was birthed while having a conversation with a friend. It was noted that a lot was being done for women and mothers but not so much for men and fathers.

Apostle Wells was right-on with his assumption.

We must all agree that women carry a weighty burden, especially the single mother. They are the backbone of the family. That’s why Mother’s Day is one of the most celebrated days on the calendar.

The 46th Anniversary Independence Celebrations Beat Retreat on Sunday, July 7, 2019 took place at Rawson and Parliament Squares, attended by Their Excellencies, Governor General the Most Hon. Cornelius A. Smith and Mrs. Smith; Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis; the Hon. Mr. Justice Brian Moree, Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; President of the Senate, the Hon. Katherine Forbes-Smith; and other senior officials.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force Band, The Royal Bahamas Defence Force Band, and The Department of Correctional Services Band performed for the spectators -- under the theme, "United We Stand Bahamas.... Together We Can.