About ten years ago, the graduate of Bishop Anstey High School’s Class of ’78, a manager in the finance industry, who has always been extremely shy and hesitant about being in the limelight generally, read an article in the newspaper about the international group.

The main thing that caught her eye was its interest in public speaking.

“I saw people who could get up and speak fluently. That was wonderful but I will never be able to do that,” were her thoughts. “Then I saw a familiar face, Sonia Alexis who also worked in the bank. We were both in Republic at that time, and this encouraged me even more.” Background research showed that Toastmasters International, a world leader in communication and leadership development, with more than 345,000 current members in 142 countries, began as a series of speaking clubs, organised by Ralph C. Smedley during his time working for the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Bloomington, Illinois, USA. Today Toastmasters International World headquarters is located in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

As director of Education at the YMCA, Smedley saw a need for the young men in the community to learn how to develop interpersonal skills, including how to speak, conduct meetings, plan programmes and work on committees. Smedley wanted to help them. And that was the birth of Toastmasters. The first unofficial Toastmasters meeting was held on March 24, 1905, and the first official meeting on October 22, 1924. There are now ten clubs in Trinidad and Tobago, hundreds in the Caribbean and thousands throughout the world, where many are corporate clubs operating within organisations. In Trinidad they are community clubs that are open to the public.

Millions of people worldwide have benefitted from the Toastmasters educational programme. A Toastmasters club adopts a “learnby- doing” philosophy, wherein each member learns at a pace suited to his or her developmental needs.

The Toastmasters programme is divided into two separate tracks, Communication and Leadership, with members progressing along each track by presenting speeches and taking on roles within their club, district, and Toastmasters International itself.

“Is Toastmasters Right for You? is one of the first questions to be asked,” Mangal said. “If you want to become a confident public speaker and strong leader, Toastmasters is the place for you. You’ll find a supportive learn-by-doing environment that allows you to achieve your goals at your own pace. Toastmasters has changed the lives of members. Patricia Belmar, a warm wonderful person, was president when I joined,” Mangal said. “I was encouraged to join and thought this would be a good opportunity to develop my skills in public speaking, especially through the very practical programme with lots of learning material, manuals divided into projects which you actually have to complete.” Mangal soon learned that it was not all about public speaking but moreso about leadership development.

This organisation is run as a multi national corporation, around the globe, and the programme is delivered through its clubs, structured organisations run by volunteers who annually elect an executive committee to manage the clubs from July 1 to June 30.”What it does especially for young people who aspire to management but are not yet there is to give practical experience in dealing with leadership issues, such as how to deal with people. Everybody does it at their own pace.” Mangal, who completed the Distinguished Toastmaster Programme in April and is one of a handful to have achieved this distinction in TT , described her road to the DTM.

“Forty speeches, five presentations, 11 leadership projects, mentoring several new toastmasters, served my Toastmaster club as treasurer, secretary, VP Education and president, served as district secretary and area director in District 81- Caribbean, and coached a new club.

I see it as a great learning experience for young, aspiring leaders…

Meetings are programmed by each club, and are held one or more times per month, depending on the club which exist in various areas with one in Tobago.” Mangal described it as “a practical classroom where you receive projects to complete. A manual lays out the outline of different ways on how you develop your speech.

You are assigned a mentor who will help you in the preparation of your speech and make sure you are ready to deliver, which is then evaluated and used to improve your skills which will help with the next project.

After six speaking projects you can then evaluate others so you are developing listening and thinking skills.

Arima Mayor Lisa Morris-Julian says it is a pleasure for the borough to once again laud the First Peoples by dedicating this year’s celebration to them under the theme, First Peoples First! A press release from the Arima Borough stated that the fest began yesterday and ends on August 31, which flows seamlessly into the borough’s Independence Day celebrations. Mayor Morris-Julian assured that Arima Fest promises to be spectacular with excellent additions to flavour staple events.

Celebrations kicked off yesterday with a Bird Fest at the Arima Velodrome which began 7 am. Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan is expected to join the Arima Borough Council and dozens of business men and women for breakfast at Arima Town Hall at 7.30 am today. Newly installed members of the Arima Business Association and corporate citizens shared in local cuisine including cassava bread from the First Peoples.

While the nation observes Emancipation Day tomorrow, the Borough Council and others will join the First Peoples at Calvary Hill for the launch of the Santa Rosa Festival with the canon blast ceremony.

It is hailed as a main cultural event during the Arima Fest period as it remains one of the distinct features of the borough.

Minister of Local Government Kazim Hosein is expected to address registrants for the Arima Volunteer Network at its launch on August 5 from 9 am at the car park of the Arima Borough Corporation (opposite First Citizens Bank, Hollis Avenue).

The launch will coincide with a Day of Care which, Councillor for Tumpuna Brennon Patterson says, will set the tone for the spirit of volunteerism which the network will foster in the borough.

Councillor Patterson adds that lawyers, dentists, doctors and many non-governmental organizations have volunteered their services for the Day of Care to ensure that persons who need care can access it.

The Church of the Holy Spirit (Malabar RC) will be the site of the Thanksgiving Service which is expected to begin at 8.30 am on August 6.

Following the service, Lieutenant Commander of the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard Kele-Ann Bourne is expected to lead the much anticipated military parade from the Arima Velodrome at 10.30 am. Inspector of the Arima Municipal Police Erica Prieto says 75 per cent of the 18 detachments in the parade will be female. She says this is a fitting tribute to Lieutenant Commander Bourne who has returned in her official capacity.

The untimely passing of entertainer Devon Matthews was an extremely great loss for the borough and plans are afoot to keep his memory alive. During last Wednesday’s Statutory Meeting, the Arima Borough Council announced that Mr. Matthews will be honoured at the Arima Borough Corporation’s Civic Reception on August 9 at Legacy Hall from 6 pm.

Other outstanding individuals in the borough have been nominated and will receive one of several awards including the Youth Award, Cultural Award, Community Service Award, Community Business Award, Community Educator Award, Community Sports Award, Public Service Award and the Lifetime of Leadership Award.

The August 10 Vintage Kaiso Fest, in conjunction with the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation, features a special show -A Tribute to Three – in which the late Calypsonian Samuel “Brigo” Abraham, cricket legend Prince Bartholomew and former National Scout Commissioner Ray Watkins will be honoured through song.

The show is carded to begin at 7.30 pm at the Arima Basketball Court.

The Fest culminates on August 12 at the parade of bands for Arima Borough Day.

This year, the route will take a different course as all bands are expected to parade around the Princess Royal Park. Registration for bands is free and it closes on August 10.

The four, two men and their wives were arrested last week at their homes following intense investigations by San Fernando CID officers. They are all set to appear before a San Fernando magistrate today charged with sacrilege.

According to the Larceny Act of Trinidad and Tobago, Chapter 11 : 12, Any person who (a) breaks and enters any place of divine worship and commits any arrestable offence therein; or (b) breaks out of any place of divine worship, having committed any arrestable offence therein, is guilty of sacrilege and liable to imprisonment of up to ten years.

According to police reports the four – a 23-year-old mechanic and his 20-year- wife and a 27-yearold man and his 23-year-old wife broke into the Divine Life Society Shiv Temple located at 107 Picton Settlement, Diamond Village sometime between June 15 and June 21 and stole five speaker boxes, five tripods, two fans and over 3,000 in cash. The doors to the temple were also damaged by the intruders.

President of the Temple Frank Deonarine, 70, said he assisted police in recovering the five speaker boxes along with the tripods and fans.

He said three of the speaker boxes, each valued $5, 000, were sold for $1500 to someone in Caparo.

Deonarine said he led police to another a house in Quinam in Siparia where another speaker box was recovered. He said cash from the donation boxes was not recovered.

Deonarine, a father of eight said he tries his best to uplift his community and was saddened that people would even consider going into a place of worship to steal.

Charges were laid by PC Andre of the San Fernando CID. Detective Cpl Khan and PC Rampersad of the San Fernando CID assisted in investigations.

The Golden Grove/Buccoo Company Ltd was formed to negotiate with Sandals.

The Board of the company met last week but, Wilson told Newsday, not much was discussed as further developments were dependent on the completion of the court matter involving shareholders and the winding up of CL Financial by Government. He reiterated this position when asked to comment on the Prime Minister’s announcement last Thursday that Government had purchased the Buccoo/Golden Grove Estate for $174M, to make it available to Sandals for its Tobago resort.

“I still need to speak with the Prime Minister…he would know more than I would because he would have an idea as to what the plans are in respect of the lands. I need to speak with him to find out where we are because I don’t have a good grasp at this point,” Wilson said. He reiterated that the court matter with Clico’s land assets was hindering discussions in that it had a bearing on location for the Sandals resort.

Rowley, speaking at the weekly post Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s last Thursday, announced that Government had purchased the land at market value and it will be offered to Sandals’ chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart for the construction of two hotel resorts comprising 750 rooms. He said the resort will not be built on No Man’s Land but on Buccoo Estate.

He said the land on which the hotel is to be built was owned by two companies and the Government, “quite properly, through the relevant authority in all of this, set off the monies owed for the value of those lands.” Rowley said people opposed to the Sandals project had been alleging that Government took land from this very wealthy company below value and probably broke the law.

He said this was not true. The Prime Minister said the law required the disposal of any assets held under the Central Bank to be done at fair market value and, “that is exactly what the Government did.” Asked about reports that the long dormant Buccoo Reef Trust is to be revived to help with negotiations in the setting up of the Sandals resort, Director of the Trust Gerry MacFarlane said he had, “no information on that.”

However, while scheduled to begin at 10 am, challenges in transport and a brief power outage delayed activities until midday. This did not dampen spirits as vendors showed their skill preparing some favourite local dishes such as bake and shark, buljol and fried chicken, as well as authentic African cuisine such as Goat water, a broth prepared from seasoned goat meat and vegetables and Joffol rice, a seasoned tomato rice dish from Nigeria.

In addition to delicacies, patrons also had a wide variety of clothing and cosmetics booths available as patrons including several tourists could be seen milling around, observing some of the traditional African wear and sampling the local cuisine.

In the late afternoon, patrons were also treated to the sounds of various steel bands as they did their shopping.

Newsday spoke to several vendors who said that while this year’s Food fair may have gotten off to a late start, they were pleased with the response from public.

Dala Obika owner and proprietor of ‘D’s Menu’ and first time entrant said that she was overwhelmed from the support received from the patrons and other vendors and said that she would be returning next year.

(See Page 16A)

Moore, who joined Marvin Gordon’s side in the pre-season, opened the scoring and completed the rout while teammates Dylon King – another summer signing – and Kellon Serrette each had a goal against Connection for only the Army/Coast Guard combination’s second win from seven outings to move two spots up into sixth.

Connection’s Couva rivals and three-time defending Pro League champions, Central FC, in the second game, were held to a late 1-1 draw by Club Sando and remain winless in three consecutive games ahead their roundof- 16 first-leg clash against Panama’s Deportivo Árabe Unido from 8 pm at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Thursday in the Scotiabank CONCACAF League, which also involves San Juan Jabloteh.

Kaydion Gabriel fired Central ahead in the 66th minute when he pounced on a rebound after goalkeeper Kelvin Henry kept out the initial shot by Jason Marcano, only to see the ball off the upright and into the path of the Sharks’ left-back.

Sando coach Angus Eve reacted with a double-change, replacing Keyon Edwards, who skied an attempt overbar in the first half and saw his second-half attempt cleared at the goal mouth, and Tyrone Charles with Jared London and Adan Noel respectively.

It proved a masterstroke when Noel’s cross in the final minute of regulation time was driven into the back of the Central net by Akim Armstrong to stretch Sando’s undefeated run to five games. Sando improved their third position to 11 points, one more than Jabloteh, who have a game in hand, and two less than second-placed Connection (13 points).

North East Stars (16 points) who took the lead for the first time this season on Friday night with a 3-2 win over Police, stretched their unbeaten run to six games from as many this season.

Connection, in an attempt to regain the top spot were without regular defenders Triston Hodge, Maurice Ford and Alvin Jones, who were part of Trinidad and Tobago’s 3-1 international friendly loss to Ecuador in Guayaquil last Wednesday, while first choice goalkeeper Julani Archibald was rested.

Grenada international Jason Belfon made his Connection debut in goal and it was a baptism of fire for the ex-Sando ‘keeper.

Moore, a former North East Stars winger, put Defence Force ahead on 27 minutes.

The lanky attacker turn his marker brilliantly on a Jerwyn Balthazar pass before entering the area and firing past Belfon with confidence.

King made it 2-0 in the 64th minute with a brilliant solo goal—his first for Army – as Connection’s troubles tripled.

Connection hardman Briel Thomas had brought down substitute Hashim Arcia inside the Defence Force half, but King, a former Morvant Caledonia and Rangers attacker, continued the play with a gallop from his own half down the left and into the Savonetta Boys’ box before curling a low strike past Belfon and into the far corner.

Thomas, the 22-year-old Dominica international, who earlier received a yellow card for dragging down Arcia outside the box, wasn’t spared by referee Rashby Mc Phie, who returned to the point of the second foul and gave the Connection midfielder his marching orders.

Serrette then put the match further out of Connection’s reach with a 3-0 lead in the 76th minute, redeeming himself with a neat chip over Belfon from above the area following a miss at the goal mouth two minutes earlier.

King and Moore then combined two minutes from time with the latter picked out free in the left of the area and rounded a hapless Belfon before hitting into an open net.

Connection forward Marcus Joseph, however, improved his personal tally to four goals with his new club after seven outings with a consolation item in stoppage- time and joins teammate Neil Benjamin at the top of this season’s scorers’ list.

Speaking at a service to commemorate Emancipation Day at the Holy Trinity Church in Portof- Spain, Dr Douglas said, “We have a legacy of slavery, colonialism and post-colonialism, and all of these ideas and things have not left within the minds of Trinidadians. A philosophy of dependency, of begging, of waiting of anticipating of hoping and not taking the initiative to transform their lives or to make a major change.” He continued, “That is one of the things our leaders have not properly addressed or have not addressed the culture of the people. How long are we going to depend on oil or gas? Those are finite commodities. What we have to do is build-up our people, have a creative education system that teaches our people to make things or products, how to live and create a place that is really meaningful.” Douglas told the congregation that leadership is not what you can do for yourself or what you can get for yourself, but to move in the progression of freedom which goes from salary to independence to inter-dependence.

“Inter-dependence is when we reach the place beyond independence that says we all need each other. We need to work with each other in order for all of us to be totally free and that is not a value that have inculcated that we have bread in the whole of society.” Douglas said leaders have to demonstrate to the people that they have to go beyond just fighting for money, wealth and fame. He said leaders have to build a society that deals with respect, recognising each other, acceptance and learning.

“Being able to learn and grow with help our people so that we could produce creative things that we can sell to the rest of the world. These are the kind of things that we have not been thought so people are resorting to a kind of scramble to the end. That is a nature of an enslaved society…

each man for himself, and who can kiss up to the master to get the best for himself.” Douglas said freedom is a choice, but as individuals, people have to make a choice to be free.

“It is not a given, but it is a choice. Even after the slaves were set free, a lot of them remained on the plantation and they did not know what to do as to how to liberate their lives. The process of educating yourself I and also becoming skilful is a process to live in community, that is how you empower yourself to live in a free world.”

The warning came from Snr Supt Joanne Archie who applauded a suggestion from a resident speaking at a police town meeting at the Glen Road Community Centre last week, that landlords should seek information from police.

“There are a lot of people coming from Trinidad to Tobago to hideaway and are on outstanding warrants, people who are committing robberies and as soon as they come to rent your place and they settle they start to do criminal activities.

You need to ask for an ID and ask a police officer to do a background check. We are willing to do that check for you before you rent anybody your place,” Archie told residents.

The suggestion that persons renting apartments should visit the police station to get a background check on prospective tenants came from Annette Broucher, who said that landlords needs such information so they would know whether that person has a criminal record or was suspected of any felony.

Residents also spoke about larceny, delinquency, parking restrictions and towing of vehicles as well as lack of street lighting as issues affecting them.

Michael Collins of Rockly Vale complained about young persons who he said were a nuisance to the community, that they were walking around the community with cutlasses on their hips making threats.

Collins claimed some of these men were from Trinidad and warned that residents could take the law into their own hands if the police do nothing. In response, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Tobago Division, Garfield Moore, gave the assurance that officers would address with the issues, urging residents to not take the law into their own hands.

Another villager, April Huey, said she would like to see more activities available for young people, especially during the vacation periods while another person, Miss Eastman, said she hopes the police would deal with family conflicts in a more serious way.

Eastman said she lodged a complaint with the police about her son who was causing trouble at home.

For the year, eight murders have been committed in Tobago with the most recent being a murder/suicide in which Romelda Joseph-King was chopped to death in bushes at Congo Hill in Moriah last Wednesday by her husband Hilton Gordon King shortly after she gave him divorce letters.

King then killed himself by ingesting a toxic substance.

It was reported that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley was consulted in relation to the decision to shift the ceremony from Independence Day to Republic Day, but we are none the wiser as to the Cabinet’s view. Though the President is Chancellor of the Distinguished Society of the Order, let us not forget the role played by the Prime Minister in the National Awards process.

The Prime Minister has the power to veto any name put forward by the National Awards Committee. He or she may accept, reject or add to the Committee’s recommendations. It is the Prime Minister who then advises the President to bestow the final list of awards. Furthermore, the President has a status of Chancellor of the Order but does not determine categories of the awards.

It was the Cabinet that decided on December 21, 1967 that there should be seven categories and 14 classes of National Awards. The Cabinet subsequently amended these numbers to four categories and ten classes.

The spirit of the role of the President – who must generally act on the advice of Cabinet – suggests a change as important as shifting the date of the ceremony is no mere administrative trifle. By his own terms, the shift is profound given its envisioned impact on Republic Day observances. Such a profound, nationally symbolic matter should be determined by the people or at least their elected representatives.

So, in truth the President’s role is limited. But even if this were not the case, the very nature of these awards dictates far more from the Office of the President. It is important that the ceremonial Head of State do nothing to in any way tarnish the awards. This means the post-holder should be circumspect in seeking to bring about any change that might engender controversy.

In this instance, Carmona has risked the creation of a pall over all of this year’s recipients through the perceived lack of widespread consultation.

Whom did the President consult? And was this consultation good enough? All of this is separate and apart from the merits of a move.

Clearly there are benefits.

Firstly, the Independence Day routine is crowded with a range of activities and functions for the public and the various protective services. So much so that various public officials over the years have fainted or pulled out of events.

Still, it is ironic that the President seeks to remind the population of the significance of our becoming a republic when in fact, the actual date we became a republic was August 1, 1976.

September 24 was the date the first Parliament met.

The deeper issue is the lack of transparency over the awards, not just their date but also the reasons for awardees being honoured. The traditional citations used are far too brief. So, though we welcome the shift, we call for clarity on the question of consultation in relation to this matter. The National Awards should not be a roving event and we deserve far better.

“We have to create a church culture in which everybody who is Christian believes that every moment of my life I am called by God and that every moment of my life the Spirit of God is stirring me up to do his work,” he said. “Unless we do that, we going to get a whole set of people wanting to be priests and nuns as part of a hierarchy. The days of that type of hierarchy I suspect are dying.” Harvey who on the weekend took up an appointment in Grenada as Bishop of the Diocese of St Georges, responded to appeals, over the years, for young men and women to become priests and nuns to supplement the dwindling stock of clergymen.

Archbishop Joseph Harris renewed the call during the ordination of Fr Simon Peter Ango at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port of Spain, on July 15, saying the church was blessed to welcome a new labourer in the vineyard.

Ango said in a subsequent interview that while he believed the church was doing enough to encourage vocations to the priesthood, parents and relatives also had to do their part to encourage the process. Harvey said previous Popes, including Benedict and John Paul 11, have called repeatedly for a hierarchy of service as opposed to one of office.

“Therefore, what we have to do is from Baptism, the child must learn how to listen to the voice of the Lord.

Is not how much money I could make from this. It is what is God calling me to do.” Harvey said the culture of both the church and society “is one of the best jobs.” “It is a question of allowing God to recreate a people who will be listening to his voice every step of the way,” he said.

“If we do that some of our young people and some of our older people will want to lead in that church as a call to service. And then we will get the priests and nuns we need. “But if we are simply calling young people is to lead a church that is not being true to the gospel in many ways, we are going to run into trouble.”