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PM Praises Girl Guides Officials for ‘Outstanding Work’

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DSC_3241#Bahamas, August 18, 2017 – Nassau – Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis met with officials of the Bahamas Girl Guides Association (BGGA) Thursday (August 17, 2017) during a visit at the BGGA’s Headquarters, located Marcus Bethel Way and West Bay Street.   The BGGA is a non-profit, voluntary organization for girls and young women.

Prime Minister Minnis was accompanied by His Excellency, Joshua Sears, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Prime Minister.   The Girl Guides Movement has been in existence in The Bahamas for more than 100 years (102 to be exact).

Prime Minister Minnis lauded the organization for the “outstanding work” they have done, and continue to do, in training and developing thousands of Bahamian girls and young women into productive, responsible and contributing members of society.

The leadership of the BGGA has managed to keep Guiding “relevant” in The Bahamas over the many years despite the many social, cultural and other changes that compete for the attention of girls and young women since the Movement first hit our shores 102 years ago.

“This Programme remains relevant because it is predicated on the premise of the girls learning social and survival skills, through a number of activities including camping, hiking, sports, community service, songs, fun and games,” Guiding officials said.

“Not only are these activities fun, but embedded in them also are opportunities for the girls to learn through the Patrol System for the girls to develop leadership skills and responsible citizenship at an early age.”

DSC_3244Guiding in The Bahamas has produced many outstanding women who have risen to the top of the Bahamian society in areas such as religion, education, administration, politics, public service, the judiciary, the legal profession, banking and finance, sports, business and industry and culture.

The list reads like a Who’s Who in Bahamian history and includes Her Excellency, Dame Ivy Dumont, GCMG, the first female Governor-General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; Retired Chief Justice, Dame Justice Joan Sawyer, DCMG; Mrs. Anita Bernard, CMG; Miss Marjorie Davis, OBE; the Hon. Janet Bostwick; Dr. Gail Saunders; Mrs. Clarice Granger, Mrs. Wendy Craig; Retired Justice, Mrs. Claire L. Hepburn; Mrs. Elma Garraway and Mrs. Constance Miller among many, many others.

A number of them will forever be imbedded in the annals of Bahamian history as having served as “the First Female” Governor-General (Dame Ivy Dumont); first female Governor of the Central Bank (Mrs. Wendy Craig); first female elected to the Bahamian Parliament (the Hon. Janet Bostwick); First Bahamian female Magistrate and Judge (Mrs. Stephanie Unwala); First Female Director of Education in The Bahamas (Ms. Marjorie Davis) and Mrs. Keva Bethel, the First President, female or otherwise, of the College of The Bahamas (now University of The Bahamas).

The list of “First Female” title holders involved in Guiding does not stop there and goes on to include Dr. D. Gail Saunders, first female Archivist of The Bahamas; Ms. Melanie Roach, First Bahamian Female Civil Engineer and Director of Public Works; Mrs. Joy Jibrilu, the First Bahamian Female appointed as Director of Investments, Bahamas Investment Authority; and The Reverend Angela Palacious, First Female Deacon and First Female Priest in the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands and others.

DSC_3230Guiding officials say the principles and values that are taught and adhered to, have made “an indelible impact in positively influencing lives and molding the characters of thousands of girls and young women, not only in The Bahamas, but indeed worldwide.”

The BGGA promotes a wide range of skills and interests through education, games, outdoor activities, survival skills training, healthcare, arts, crafts and culture.

Fundamental objectives of the Association are to provide girls and young women opportunities for self-training and discipline in the development of good character through service to God, country and fellowman, and to foster and promote a full sense of citizenship through community service and international goodwill.

The Girl Guide Movement was started in The Bahamas in 1915 and was incorporated as the Bahamas Girl Guides Association by an Act of the Bahamian Parliament on May 4, 1975.

Story by: Matt Maura (BIS)

 

CAPTIONS

Header photo: Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis (far end) meets with officials of the Bahamas Girl Guides Association during his visit Thursday, August 17, 2017. Prime Minister Minnis was accompanied by His Excellency Joshua Sears, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Prime Minister. (Photo/Yontalay Bowe, OPM Media Services).

1st insert:  Dr. D. Gail Saunders (left) and Mr. Keith Sands (right) lead Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert Minnis on a tour of the BGGA’s Grounds during the Prime Minister’s visit Thursday, August 17, 2017. (Photo/Yontalay Bowe, OPM Media Services)

2nd insert: Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert Minnis meets with Mrs. Clarice Granger (at right), the longest tenured Chief Commissioner in Guiding history in The Bahamas.   Mrs. Granger served as Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guide Movement in The Bahamas from 1970-1985. Guiding officials credit Mrs. Granger with ushering in growth and expansion in membership in addition to implementing a number of advancements during her tenure as Chief Commissioner.   Mrs. Granger is still actively involved in Guiding in The Bahamas. Also pictured (at left) is Mrs. Iris Dillet-Knowles. (Photo/Yontalay Bowe, OPM Media Services)

3rd insert:  Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert Minnis with officials of the Bahamas Girl Guides Association during his visit Thursday, August 17, 2017. Pictured (from left) are: His Excellency, Joshua Sears, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Prime Minister; Mrs. Elma Garraway; Mr. Alvan Rolle; Dr. D. Gail Saunders; Prime Minister Minnis; Mrs. Michelle Fields; Mrs. Sonia Adderley; Mrs. Mena Griffiths; Mrs. Constance Miller and Mr. Keith Sands. (Photo/Yontalay Bowe, OPM Media Services)

 

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Get your laugh on, March On, family drama by Gea Pierre, debut this weekend in Turks and Caicos 

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Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale again this weekend, the show debuts Friday night.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew where shows are set for Brayton Hall, for Friday May 10 at 8pm and Saturday has two showings; matinee at 4pm and evening, 8pm.

Tickets are $75 VIP. General admission is $60.

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attentattention.

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. The full team returns on Friday, May 10 with the comedy production being held under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stop laughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”

 

 

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The Bahamas Successfully Hosts Its Fourth World Athletics Relays

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NASSAU, Bahamas – Hundreds of people from around the world turned out in full force for the BTC World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 that took place at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, May 4 -5, 2024.

This is the sixth edition of the relays and the fourth time that The Bahamas has hosted the event, which actually made its debut in The Bahamas in 2014.

President, World Athletics, Sabastian Coe said after three very successful editions from 2014 to 2017, the World Athletics Relays has quickly become one of the World Athletics vibrant competitions, developing a culture of fun and innovation that gives it a unique flavour.

 

He thanked the Bahamas Government, the local World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 committee and the Bahamian people for agreeing to host the relays.  However, his main thanks were to the “world’s best sprinters” travelling from all the continents to compete in preparation for the road to Paris, France, in two months’ time.

During the opening ceremony, the athletes were given words of advice from Carl Lewis, one of only four Olympic athletes to have won nine Olympic gold medals, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

 

He said, “Keep it simple, do not try to do anything extra.  Do what your coaches said.  Leave on time, leave on time, leave on time.”

The athletes and crowds were treated to the sounds and sights of Junkanoo at the end of the opening ceremony.  The Junkanoo performers stuck around for the two days of competitions, playing for the sprinters as they competed on the track.

Teams competed in the Women’s and men’s 4x100m, and the women’s men’s and mixed 4x400m.  A total of 14 teams at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 automatically qualified  for places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.   Both days of competition were important, as day two offered another chance for qualifications for those teams unsuccessful on day one.

In fact, The Bahamas was able to take advantage of the second day of competition.

Bahamians were made proud as the country set a new national record during the mixed 4x400m relays thanks to the efforts of 16-year-old Shania Adderley, a student of Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

The team came first in their heat on Sunday evening after not being able to gain a spot for the Paris Olympics on the first day of competition.

Other sprinters on the team included Alonzo Russell, as well as Olympic champions Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

(BIS Photos/Kemuel Stubbs)

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PM at World Relays 2024 Opening: ‘Tonight, the eyes are on The Bahamas’

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NASSAU, The Bahamas – During his remarks at the Opening Ceremony for the World Athletics Relays 2024, on May 4, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis welcomed the special guests, athletes,  officials, and “all lovers of athletics from around the world” to the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium here in the “vibrant heart” of Nassau, Bahamas.

“This weekend, the world’s finest athletes gather on our shores to embark on a journey that is not only about speed and strength but also about dreams and determination,” Prime Minister Davis said.  “From the serene beauty of our islands to the historic grandeur of Paris, this event marks a crucial path to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.”

He added: “Here in The Bahamas, we are no strangers to world-class athletics or the warmth and exuberance that such international gatherings bring. It is a distinct honor to once again welcome the World Athletics Relays back to our islands. This event holds a special place in our hearts, symbolizing a bridge between nations brought together by the universal language of sport.”

Prime Minister Davis noted that that year’s theme, “Paradise to Paris,” captured the essence of that journey.

“It is here, amidst the splendor of our sun-kissed beaches and the rhythmic sway of our palms that the chase towards Olympic glory begins anew,” he stated.  “We are thrilled to offer a backdrop of unparalleled beauty, where every sprint, every baton pass, and every victory lap is set against the picture-perfect canvas of our islands.”

 

He added: “To our athletes, I say this: as you stand on the precipice of your dreams, ready to catapult yourself into the annals of history, know that you are part of a legacy of excellence and determination. This weekend, you are not only competitors but also ambassadors of your countries and the spirit of sport. We are especially proud of Team Bahamas, who carry the weight of their performance and the hopes and pride of our nation. You embody the spirit of The Bahamian people, and we are behind you every step of the way.”

Prime Minister said that to the international visitors, he extended “the warmest Bahamian welcome”.

 

“Over the next few days, as you revel in the thrill of competition, take a moment to bask in the beauty of our island,” he stated.  “Discover why we proudly say, “It’s Better in The Bahamas.” Whether it’s the hospitality of our people, the tranquility of our waters, or the rhythm of our culture, you are in for an experience that captures the heart and rejuvenates the soul.”

“Let us celebrate the unity and friendship that sports foster, cheering every athlete and savoring the spectacle of human potential at its best,” Prime Minister Davis added.  “I hope the races are swift, the results are inspiring, and the memories are lasting.

“Welcome to The Bahamas, the paradise where champions chase their dreams to Paris.  As your host, it is my immense pleasure to declare the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 2024 officially open.  Let the games begin.”

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