Great Bay:--- "I pledge that I will not use violence to settle disputes; I will not carry nor use any weapons or drugs. I will respect others and live a life of peace, dignity and hope. I will do my best to change my life positively and be an asset to my family, my community and St. Martin."That was the pledge participants in the "Get off the Block, Get on the Bus, Get Busy" or "GB3" youth project recited after Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Ms. Rhoda Arrindell, at the end of the "Appreciation Ceremony" held Le Charolais restaurant in the Maho Village, on Thursday, April 21.
"We don't want to lose any one of you; we don't want to meet again at another funeral for a young St. Martiner; this thing has to stop now," Minister Arrindell appealed to the participants passionately.
The gathering was organized to say "Thank You" to everyone who has made a significant contribution to the program so far, especially the participants, the mentors and sponsors in this public-private partnership program.
The mentors also made the following pledge:
"I pledge to commit my time, energy and expertise to assist my mentee in achieving the goals set forth in the "Get off the Block, Get on the Bus, Get Busy" (GB3) youth project. I will be a friend, a big brother/sister, a confidante and facilitator to my mentee at all times to enhance his/her self-esteem, pride and dignity and make him/her a productive, physically, mentally and spiritually balanced member of society."
However, it was not all about pledges; there was also lots of food and fun to make the evening a relaxing and enjoyable get-together. Following the welcome by Project Manager, Mrs. Shermina Powell-Richardson, Minister Arrindell set the stage by outlining why it was important to come together again.The Minister had earlier indicated the need to "finalize certain aspects of the registration, particularly with regards to vital information that we need to design a tailor-made care program for each participant." She also added that it was important for the mentors and their respective mentees to "bond together".
After the excellent buffet dinner, spiced up by three beautiful dancers, there was a karaoke competition for the participants with cash prizes for the winners, while major sponsors such as the St. Maarten Timeshare Association, Budget Marine, Port de Plaisance, etc. were recognized. Two of the mentors were also given prizes for their exceptional commitment to the program.
The evening was sponsored by Orco Bank, B & C Beverages, and Le Grand Marche.
