LET ME BEGIN BY THANKING THE ORGANIZERS FOR THEIR KIND INVITATION TO THIS EVENING’S AUSPICIOUS EVENT.

SECONDLY, I WISH TO EXTEND WARM CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HONOUREES WHO, I AM TOLD, COME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FROM A VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS AND FIELDS OF ENDEAVOUR.

IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU, THE HONOUREES, ARE HERE TONIGHT NOT BECAUSE OF ANY FAVOURITISM BUT BECAUSE YOUR COLLEAGUES AND YOUR COMMUNITY HAVE RECOGNIZED IN YOU A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE AND A DESIRE TO RENDER SERVICE.

IT IS WITH GREAT PLEASURE, THEREFORE, THAT I JOIN WITH YOUR FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES IN ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR GIFTS AS WELL AS YOUR POTENTIAL, MUCH OF WHICH IS STILL UNFOLDING.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

DURING MY INVESTITURE AS HEAD OF STATE, I DEDICATED MYSELF TO HELPING TO PROMOTE AND TO RENEW A GREATER NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY SERVICE AND VOLUNTEERISM. I PLEDGED THEN TO RENEW THE SPIRIT OF SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND HOMES; IN THE INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT; IN RELIGIOUS MINISTRY; IN CIVIL SOCIETY; IN OUR SCHOOLS AND VOLUNTEER GROUPS; IN COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.

IT IS THEREFORE HEARTWARMING TO NOTE THAT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BAHAMAS HAS INCLUDED SEVERAL VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENTS AMONG ITS COMPANY’S GOALS. THESE ARE: FACILITATING HONOUREES SHARING VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF BAHAMIAN PROFESSIONALS; BUILDING MENTORSHIP PROGRAMMES AND PHILANTHROPIC CAUSES THAT NEED URGENT ATTENTION; AND PUBLICLY MEMORIALIZING THROUGH THE COMPANY’S PUBLICATIONS, THOSE “UNSUNG HEROES” WHOSE UNSELFISH CONTRIBUTIONS OFTEN GO UNNOTICED.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

WE HAVE JUST EXPERIENCED THE WORST NATURAL DISASTER IN OUR NATION’S HISTORY. HURRICANE DORIAN DEVASTATED OR DECIMATED MUCH OF ABACO, THE ABACO CAYS AND GRAND BAHAMA. MANY ARE DEAD AND EVEN MORE ARE STILL MISSING. OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE HEALING AND RENEWAL WILL TAKE SOME TIME.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE CONTINUE TO MOURN THE DEAD AND TO PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO HAVE DIED OR WHO WERE INJURED. IT HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE THAT: “A HERO OR HEROINE HAS A THOUSAND FACES.”

WE SAW AND CONTINUE TO SEE THE FACES OF THE MANY BAHAMIAN HEROES WHO RISKED THEIR LIVES TO RESCUE AND BE OF SERVICE TO OTHERS DURING AND AFTER THE PASSAGE OF ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL STORMS EVER RECORDED IN THE ATLANTIC.

SOME USED JET SKIS TO SAVE AND TO PROTECT LIFE; SOME USED SOCIAL MEDIA TO LOCATE THOSE WHO NEEDED TO BE RESCUED; OTHERS TOOK NEIGHBOURS AND STRANGERS INTO THEIR HOMES AND; STILL, MANY ARE OFFERING THEIR TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE AS THE NATION SEEKS TO RECOVER AND TO RECONSTRUCT OUR SECOND AND THIRD MOST POPULOUS ISLANDS.

WHILE THIS OUTPOURING OF COMMUNITY SERVICE EXPRESSED WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BE “UNITED IN LOVE AND SERVICE”, SADLY, HOWEVER, WHAT ALSO BECAME EVIDENT, WAS THAT FOR THE MOST PART, THE OUTPOURING OF VOLUNTEERISM AND PHILANTHROPY IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE DORIAN CAME MAINLY FROM OUTSIDE THE BAHAMAS.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

IN THE AFTERMATH OF DORIAN, I VISITED GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO AND WAS STRUCK BY THE GENEROSITY AND VOLUNTEERISM OF THE MANY PERSONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO, NOT ONLY MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE PROVISIONS OF FOOD, WATER, CLOTHING AND MEDICINE BUT CAME THEMSELVES AND USED THEIR SKILLS TO ASSIST BAHAMIANS IN THE REBUILDING OF THEIR LIVES AND HOMES.

THE HUMAN HEART AND SOUL ARE MADE FOR SERVICE, FOR EMPATHY AND FOR GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT. INDEED, IT IS THE CHARACTER OF ONE’S HEART THAT DEFINES THE GOOD LIFE. TONIGHT, YOU WHO ARE GATHERED HERE ARE PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE GAINED OR HAVE ACCESS TO ECONOMIC AND MATERIAL SUCCESS.

BUT WE KNOW FROM THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND THE INSTINCT OF OUR INDIVIDUAL HEARTS THAT LIFE IS ABOUT MORE THAN MAKING A LIVING OR ACCUMULATING WEALTH. SOME MAY ARGUE THAT THE MOST ENDURING JOY IS TO MAKE A LIFE WORTH LIVING. BUT MY GREATEST JOY OTHER THAN MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, HAS BEEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE MY COUNTRY AND MY COMMUNITY, INCLUDING IN PUBLIC LIFE AND AS A ROTARIAN.

I AM ALSO GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE WORLD OF COMMERCE, IN POLITICAL LIFE, AND NOW TO SERVE AS YOUR HEAD OF STATE.

WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE BEEN BORN AND LIVE IN ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULARLY BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL AND STABLE SMALL COUNTRIES ON EARTH. THERE IS NO QUESTION BUT THAT OUR BAHAMAS HAS ENORMOUS HUMAN AND PHYSICAL POTENTIAL.

NOTWITHSTANDING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, PERMIT ME TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS GIFT: THERE IS NO GREATER JOY OR EXPRESSION OF CITIZENSHIP THAN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS.

DEAR HONOUREES:

YOU ARE STILL IN THE BUILDING PHASE OF LIFE, WITH YOUNG CHILDREN OR PERHAPS CHILDREN ON THE HORIZON. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENJOY YOUR MATERIAL SUCCESS, ENJOY LIFE. BUT DO NOT LET YOUR MATERIAL SUCCESSES BECOME THE ‘BE ALL AND END ALL’ OF YOUR LIFE. ECONOMIC AND MATERIAL SUCCESS ALONE CANNOT SATISFY THE ETERNAL LONGINGS AND THE GENUINE DESIRES OF THE HUMAN HEART. WE ARE NOT MADE BY OUR CREATOR FOR OURSELVES - WE ARE MADE FOR OTHERS.

IN THIS SPIRIT, MAY I OFFER SOME THOUGHTS TO HONOUREES, PAST AND PRESENT, ABOUT HOW YOU MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREATER NATIONAL GOOD AND IN THE PROCESS LEAD A MORE JOYFUL LIFE. THERE ARE TWO FORMS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE THAT MAY PROMOTE THE COMMON GOOD IN OUR COMMONWEALTH: VOLUNTEERISM AND PHILANTHROPY.

A YOUNG FRIEND OF MINE, WHO ONCE SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER TEACHER OVERSEAS, OFFERED ME THIS NOTION THAT HE HAD HEARD FROM THE ORGANIZATION WITH WHICH HE SERVED: “SOME GIVE BY GOING AND SOME GO BY GIVING.” BOTH VOLUNTEERING AND PHILANTHROPY ARE FORMS OF GIVING OR RENDERING SERVICE AND ASSISTANCE TO OTHERS.

YOU MAY ASK, HOW CAN I BECOME INVOLVED AND HELP?

HONOUREES;

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE ON THE GROUND IN ABACO AND GRAND BAHAMA, AS WELL AS BAHAMIANS IN NEW PROVIDENCE AND THROUGHOUT OUR FAMILY ISLANDS, WHO ARE FEEDING, CLOTHING, SHELTERING AND HELPING OTHERS THEY ARE A PART OF THE ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS HELPING TO RESTORE, TO REBUILD AND TO RENEW OUR COUNTRY AFTER THE HEARTBREAK INCURRED BY HURRICANE DORIAN.

THERE ARE ALSO OTHERS SERVING BY GENEROUSLY GIVING AND OFFERING FINANCIAL AND/OR MATERIAL ASSISTANCE.

IN ACCEPTING YOUR COVETED HONOUR TONIGHT, MAY I SUGGEST THAT EACH OF YOUR 40 CORPORATE ENTITIES PLEDGE TO UNDERWRITE THE COST OF SENDING 4 EMPLOYEES FOR 4 DAYS TO GRAND BAHAMA OR ABACO TO PROVIDE 40 HOURS OF WORK TO ASSIST FAMILIES WITH THE REBUILDING OF THEIR LIVES, THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEIR HOMES.

IMAGINE THE POSITIVE IMPACT THAT THIS GESTURE WOULD HAVE ON BOTH THE VOLUNTEER AND ON THE RECIPIENT OF YOUR GENEROSITY. IMAGINE ALSO IF EACH OF YOU COULD INFLUENCE FOUR OTHER COMPANIES TO FOLLOW YOUR EXAMPLE. IT COULD DEVELOP INTO AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS AND WILL SEND THE MESSAGE THAT IN TIMES OF DISASTER WE ARE OUR BROTHERS’ KEEPERS.

HONOUREES:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THERE ARE EXTRAORDINARY NEEDS IN OUR COUNTRY REQUIRING MANY AVENUES FOR SERVICE AND EMPATHY. I WISH TO HIGHLIGHT EDUCATION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AS TWO MAJOR PATHWAYS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.

IN THE GOVERNMENT OPERATED SCHOOL SYSTEM THERE IS A DIRE NEED FOR TUTORS IN AREAS SUCH AS MATHEMATICS, ENGLISH, THE SCIENCES AND OTHER SUBJECTS. I INVITE YOU EITHER AS A GROUP OR AS INDIVIDUALS TO CONSIDER, OFFERING YOUR GIFTS AND YOUR SERVICE AS TUTORS.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO DO SO, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER OFFERING TO FINANCIALLY ASSIST A PRIMARY, JUNIOR HIGH OR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TO RECEIVE TUTORING.

IN THE AREA OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, THERE ARE MANY PROGRAMS WHICH NEED MENTORS AND VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO DEVELOP SOUND LIFE SKILLS AS WELL AS THEIR GIFTS AND TALENTS.

I INVITE YOU TO CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING OR RENDERING SOME FORM OF SERVICE THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF YOUNGER BAHAMIANS.

HONOUREES:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

IN PLACE OF NEGATIVITY AND INCIVILITY THAT ARE TOO OFTEN RESIDENT IN OUR COUNTRY, INCLUDING SOMETIMES ON SOCIAL MEDIA, LET US REPLACE THESE WITH A SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY AND COMPASSION.

WHEN HUMAN BEINGS ARE BUSY HELPING OTHERS OR DOING GOOD DEEDS, THERE IS LESS ROOM FOR CYNICISM OR FOR COMPLAINING.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

WE ARE ONE PEOPLE, ONE BAHAMAS. IN THIS SPIRIT, LET US JOIN HANDS AND HEARTS TO REMAIN “UNITED IN LOVE AND SERVICE” IN PURSUIT OF THE COMMON GOOD AND TO THE RENEWAL OF OUR HEARTS AND THE COUNTRY WE LOVE.

I WISH AND PRAY FOR YOU AND THE JOY OF SERVICE! THANK YOU AND CONTINUE TO ENJOY YOUR EVENING.

 

The Governor General is pictured (right) presenting the 'Unsung Hero' Award to d'Sean Smith of Abaco for his bravery during Hurricane Dorian. Sharmarco Forbes is at left.

(BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna)