By SEAN INNISS
Guardian Staff Reporter
The Committee for a Better Bahamas will on Wednesday honour 15 outstanding persons in its first awards ceremony for the social contributions made to the people of the country. The ceremony will be held at Government House and it is expected that the event will become annual. The Committee will also select five persons from among the honourees who will be inducted into a Nation Builders Hall of Fame.
The 2002 honourees are Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia Pratt, Rev. Glen Nottage, Ms Phyllis Aldridge, Ms Willamae Miller, Ms Sandra Dean-Patterson, Rev. Frederick Arnet, Bishop Cephas Ferguson, Dr John Carey, Reginald Eldon, Hubert Wong, Roy Davis, Ms Yvonne Christofilis, Deacon Leviticus Adderley and Pastor H A Roach.
The Better Bahamas Award committee presents the National Award is presented in recognition of individuals who have exhibited of integrity, and are good role models, and have made significant contributions to the welfare of The Bahamas.
The Committee for a Better Bahamas was formed in October 1998 by Pastor Jeremiah Duncombe and is a non-governmental, non-denominational, non-political organisation established to promote and advance the spiritual moral and social welfare of The Bahamas.
Over the past four years the Better Bahamas Committee has initiated school and community programmes targeted at the nation's youth.
The committee's most ambitious programme todate has been the establishment of The Bahamas Dream Academy, which is an after school computer based programme aimed at tutoring and mentoring at risk youths.
"We desperately need to pay greater attention to this vulnerable group of individuals before it is too late. We seem slow to learn that prevention is better that cure. The Committee for a Better Bahamas, plans to target this group of at risk individuals, as a matter of urgency because we are completely convinced about the enormous benefits of prevention," said Pastor Duncombe.
Pastor Duncombe said alcoholic and abusive parents tend to produce children who often adopt their traits and unless the vicious cycle is interrupted, there will be endless abusive parents and alcoholics.
Committee Members include Joseph Strachan, retired Supreme Court Justice; Mrs Marva Farquharson-Moore, Public Hospitals Authority, Dr Olga Clarke, Ministry of Education; Mrs. Pansy Hamilton-Brown, educator; Dr Leon Higgs, president, College of The Bahamas; George Mackey, former MP; Anthony Capron, editor, The Nassau Guardian; Dr Joseph Evans; Mrs Nora McCalla; Sir Clement Maynard, former MP and Deputy Prime Minister; Marlon Johnson, Safe Bahamas executive director.
