The official opening ceremony of the 2010 Goodwill Reunion was held on the Emancipation Day weekend which highlighted our cultural heritage.
Preparation for the two weeks of activities started last Monday with a group of young men from the Goodwill area coming together as a team to clean the Lindo Park and paint the building there, which will be transformed into a resource centre: truly a koudmen. This was certainly an amazing sight considering the often sordid news that seems to perpetuate the youths.
The official opening ceremony started with the unity walk followed by an evening with the Music Lovers Band under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency the President, Dr. Nicolas Liverpool. Special honouree for the evening was Mr Hesketh Casimir. Five other persons received appreciation awards: Ms Eraline Bastien, Mr Ibrahim Brohim, Mr Kenneth Richards, Mrs Decima Rolle and Mrs Stella Symes. Attendees were also entertained by the St. Alphonsus Youth Choir in praise with several songs by the Music Lovers Band. The ceremony ended with a grade finale as the Music Lovers furnished the attendees with a treat of the pulsating trumpet sounds of Defe Mama Defe as the final song. In retrospect, this reunion confirms a blueprint casted four years ago by Albert Bannis, the reunion’s director, which has finally come to fruition with the help of members of the committee both at home and abroad.
The week continued with a donation of books to the Winston Ward of the Princess Margaret Hospital, an unforgettable History Night, and a delicious Dominican breakfast. So far the Youth conferences have been well attended. It would have been good to have some media personnel see how the youths were happily engaging in their newly learnt skills and doing so with pride. Sometimes it is only fair to provide media coverage when young persons are engaged in action so that positive reinforcement is promoted. While a potential tropical storm forced the Goodwill Reunion to cancel the long awaited boat cruise, the concern was safety first and it was strongly believed that this should not be compromised.
Thursday will start with the West Tour – Wacky Rollers Adventure Park and climax with the Ladies Night at the Goodwill School Primary Auditorium at eight p.m. The youth conferences will continue on Friday with the topic, Using the Internet for self-employment by Diane Corriette at nine a.m. and the Introduction to Filmmaking at 11 a.m. That evening, folks of the Pottersville community will collaborate plans to give us a memorable night with Goute Pottersville. The week will end with a Mini Netball tournament among the different communities of the Roseau North Constituency at the Stockfarm Stadium and a Basketball Match at the Lindo Park followed by a blockorama.
To date, there has been progress with Goodwill Reunion’s goal to encourage a positive dialogue between the different communities as well as doing joint initiatives. As in any communal setting, there remain challenges in this area, but the future thus far seems promising. The Goodwill Reunion Committee encourages all persons of the Roseau North constituency and Dominicans on a whole to celebrate with us in this historic event. After all, just being born at Princess Margaret Hospital makes almost every Dominican a Goodwillian by default.
My home..whosssssss