Three miss awards ceremony

Noticeably absent from the event, one of the highlights of yesterday’s Independence celebrations, were former national soccer coach Bertille St Clair, who was awarded Chaconia Silver for community service; Yolande Gooding, a retired Permanent Secretary, who was awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) and Daisy Maria James Mc Clean, a shopkeeper and social worker who was awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit (Silver).

The presentation ceremony of National Awards, started promptly at 6pm with the first recipient, Edwin Wilberforce Carrington, general secretary of Caricom, being honoured with the highest award, the Trinity Cross. He was the only recipient of the Trinity Cross.

Just before the start of the programme, Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma and Mrs Sharma, were escorted to their seats on the ballroom stage, followed by Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Mrs Hazel Manning. Heralded by a fanfare trumpeters of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, President Richards and First Lady Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards were escorted to the stage.

This year, three organisations received awards; Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra’s (TASPO) Humming Bird Gold was received by founding member, Anthony Williams; Moms for Literacy (Caribbean) Public Service Medal of Merit Gold was received by its president, A Gonzales while Mother’s Union Children’s Home Public Service Medal of Merit Gold was received by its manager, Elsa Crawford.

After the presentation of awards there was a musical interlude which included a national song performed by Eddie Cumberbatch and the Lydians and an East Indian classical dance by Sat Balkaransingh.

The awards aspect of the ceremony took about 45 minutes. The celebrations ended with cocktails and entertainment by the Police Band.