NASSAU, Bahamas -- Under the theme, "Promoting Fathers of Excellence," fathers and other men of the community were honored at the annual Father's Day Ceremony, held at R.M. Bailey Senior High School this morning. The event was held for the purpose of "highlighting men who are making a valuable contribution toward nation building."
Among some of the special guests in attendance were Assistant Commissioner of Police, Leon Bethel; Leader of the DNA, Branville McCartney; Education Officer for the Southeastern District, T. Milton Lewis and keynote speaker Archdeacon James E. Palacious, along with other fathers, education officials and police officers.
During the morning prayer breakfast held for the guests, Assistant Commissioner Bethel took the time to recognize some young male officers from the community who were recently promoted. He also encouraged the development of a stronger partnership between the police and the schools.
Branville McCartney also gave remarks at the special occasion, noting that he was honored to be included in the day's celebrations as "it is very rare that fathers are acknowledged." He went on to state that his "greatest pleasure in life is being a father, not only to [his] three children but to other children and to other people."
Mr. McCartney implored the men in the audience to reach out to the wider community, by extending their fatherly status to those who are without fathers or father figures. He went further to add, "Let us be our brother's keeper in that regard. Let us look out for those persons who don't have father figures. Let us invite them into our homes, and let us make sure that they have the proper guidance. That is the first step to getting this country back on track."

Click here to read more at Bahama Islands Info