Those who have been expressing concern of late about the future of this country can take heart. Of late I too have become concerned about the younger members of society. Recent experiences with some of the under-30s who exhibited so much greed, selfishness and disloyalty, left me drained and worried for Jamaica.
The on Sunday, October 23, I was invited to St. Mary by members of Kiwanis Club. Accompanied by a friend I journeyed to Boscobel in the cool mid-morning.
The fine Couples property was being given a facelift and workmen were stripping paint and getting their job done despite the fact that it was a Sunday.
Enter young Joey Issa, manager of the hotel. High-energy, courteous, dynamic and cocksure. The 27-year-old had taken on the task of general manger with gusto, he had turned things around and was making piles of money for his family in very short time. His latest challenge is to make the venerable Sans Souci property into a successful venture. It has been a revenue-losing venture for 20 years; young Joe aims to reverse that position in the shortest possible time.
As he took us on a whirlwind tour of the property he was bubbling with excitement about the many changes he had in mind. I was impressed.
Civic pride
Shortly after 1:00 o’clock we were assembled for the 23rd anniversary awards and installation luncheon of the Kiwanis Club of St. Mary. The group included several young men, many I estimate to be shy of 30. These were serious men. They were talking development and civic pride.
One element that is always present in successful communities is strong business leadership. In St. Mary, that leadership is determined to spike a boom.
Noted more for its fine-quality nutmegs and bananas, St. Mary is not overrun by natural resources; but the parish is teeming with young, vibrant professionals who frequently talk about big goals.
For 1992/93, past president Michael Wilson reported that the Club’s activities ran the gamut of building an indigents’ home, finding a home for an orphan boy, spearheading clean-up of the Paggee Beach and giving medical supplies to the Port Maria Hospital Children’s Ward.
The St. Mary police traffic department was even given tyres!
For the first time, the club was making a presentation of the L.B. Creary Memorial award in memory of a founding member of the club, Luneville Creary.
His sons, Don and Richard, and his widow though that Joey Issa deserved the award for having done the most during the past year to assist the club in its attempt to help the less fortunate in the parish.
Don Creary, brawny and talented, had earned the respect of his colleagues for raising some $75,000 and was judged Kiwanian of the Year.
The incoming president of the club, Winston Richardson, will continue to have the support of the Crearys, young men like Robert Montague, Paul Lindo and Michael Wilson.
And the Chamber of Commerce had better watch out for this group of determined young men are set on forming a coalition between business and civic leaders for the development of their community, parish and ultimately their country.
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Joseph Issa does Jamaica Proud! 