Work ethics will surpass talent: Sheen

THEGeneral Employees Cooperative Credit Union (GECCU) has a way of keeping its family together.

When it held its 21st Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony, Thursday, July 13, the now fixed feature, A Motivational Speech, was delivered by Sunil Sheen a GECCU scholar of 1992.

Sheen is putting his GECCU foundation to good use, and when called upon, he was keen on imparting the benefit of his experience to those in the position he sat in previously.

Sheen is a lecturer, facilitator who has a range of regional and international experience.

Sheen outlined to the students the importance of having a winning mentality. He alluded to the lion which he concedes is an example of having to hunt to survive. For Sheen “mentality will always trump talent.”

He added: “work ethics will always surpass talent.”

Sheen urges youngster to have the “courage to dream.” And he wants them to “do it as if your life depended on it.”

He advises, however, that “dreams without goals lead to disappointment.” For that reason, goals must be achievable and must be approached step by step.

That includes hard work and Sheen assures that “with hard work it materializes.”

He accepts that the road along life’s path is not going to be easy, but he wants students to “enjoy the problem of getting up and trying.”

He knows that there will be failures, but let those not daunt you, Sheen suggests.

“If you fail ten times, get up. The 11th (trial) could be the success,” the former GECCU scholar stated. He invites students to “soar.”

Sheen adopts some spiritual approaches and assures that once one treads the high road to upward mobility, “someone out there will give you strength.”

Sheen reminded his audience to “have faith,” and “trust in the Lord.”

29th for Boys and 57th overall, and Xavier Charles, Canouan Government School, was also a scholarship recipient.

Sayers reminded the recipients that it took a lot of hard work to reach that stage. He insisted that nothing stays the same, and reminded the listeners that “your best is not fixed.

The more you work at something, the better you become.”

He admitted that sending a child to school “is not cheap.” He noted that the GECCU assistance “is not going to solve everything,” but that it is a “help.”

Geccu’s CEO Maxine Johnney reflected on the GECCU’s thrust to assist student which began in 1981.

This year’s scholarship package increased from 12 to 15. Some $30,000 has been allocated to cater for 176 students who received a $175 voucher. She urged the bursary recipients not to be “discouraged,” and alerted them to other avenues of support that GECCU can provide as they progress on their academic journey. Stories by: (WKA)

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Abuse of power

ONCE AGAIN,the extent to which the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government will extend its reach to have its own way has been brought into focus.

The matter of a declared ULP candidate for the next general elections (2025) continuing to serve in a sensitive civil service position of Hospital Administrator aside, the latest example of the ULP having no regard for protocol, precedence or what is simply the descent thing to do, has to do with the position of Clerk of the House.

We understand that the Clerk of the House is the advisor to the Speaker of the House, not least on matters as they relate to interpreting the Rules of the House.

The office is also expected to ensure that new members are properly oriented to the protocols of the House.

In a broad sense, the Clerk is effectively the Secretary to the House, responsible for, among other things, keeping the Minutes, preparing the agenda (Order Paper), dispatching all notice and documents (7 days in advance).

Tradition has it that the Clerk of the House is proven to be above repute; of strong character to include being trustworthy; proven to be impartial and cordial in his/her relations with not only members of the House but the general public.

That is why, even before independence and moreso since independence, the Clerk of the House has been a tried and tested civil servant, dedicated to upholding the values of public service.

Among those persons who have served without malice and with fair play has been Mr. Clement Noel (1975 — 1988), Mrs. Theresa Jack-Adams (1989 — 2002) and Ms. Nicole Herbert (2004 to 2023).

Now, with the power vested in it, or so they would want to say, the ULP has moved to have one of its own, Deborah Charles, fill that office. Not just a lowly member of its party but a former Government Senator, a twice-times losing candidate for the party and still a leading member of the party.

One could hardly get more attached than that and it creates a sense of hesitation to accept the appointee as trustworthy in the sense of her being able to separate the lemons from the oranges; what serves or is in the interest of the general good and what advances or gives advantage to her party.

Now, this is not an attack on the former lady senator nor is it a question about her ability.

Rather, it is an issue that places her or what we know her to be in a position that has been the purview of persons without any political allegiance.

What her appointment boils down to is an abuse of power by the ruling regime, i.e. ‘the misuse of a position of power to take unjust advantage of individuals, organizations, or governments’.

Abuse of power is often predicated on a need to control, a desire to dominate. It can also be driven by a fear of losing control. What is the ULP fearful of losing?

The question must be: what does the ULP hope to control by this partisan act? Does it want to have a presence in the highest lawmaking body of the land that speaks to it further having its own way, over and above its majority in the House?

Surely this abuse of power can’t be about manipulation, coercion or intimidation?

Yes, we just might have allowed a sense of entitlement to give ‘the freedom’ to abuse one’s power.

A government that feels it is entitled because of a majority in the House of Assembly will be prone to bestowing privileges on itself in the face of precedence that says otherwise, and traditions that have withstood the test of time.

And lest we forget or don’t realise it, abuse of power is a damaging phenomenon that can have serious consequences for society and the order of society. Laws and rules and precedence are wont to be disregarded, setting the scene for a possible tsunami of abuses.

I AM GOING TO WRITE about the Carnival. Ok, just a little.

Like so many people my age, I am reasonably disconnected from the nightclub, bars, and music scene. Deafening music I find somewhat annoying. Therefore, I am just asking what the difference is between Soca and Ragga Soca. Isn’t Ragga Soca just a natural evolution, uniquely Vincentian, out of Soca? My nephew tried to explain it to me a few years ago, but I still did not get it. I am sure someone will try again someday, and I promise to keep an open mind. I am asking this question because of questions about the prize money issue expressed by some performers, and the CDC’s decision to split these shows this year was confusing at best. Don’t try the length of the show argument as the reason for the split. They could have fixed that relatively easily, just starting the show on time.

I must say, I was disappointed when “early” in the season a seasoned calypsonian chose to regurgitate some old unproven allegations. I had to ask myself why some calypsonians keep spending their limited time in the spotlight, repeating social issues already tried in the schools of public opinion. Allow me to say, I fully support the decision of the tent managers… way to take a stand, Ipa.

Like every other year, I had a few different guys in the final lineup, but the Calypso finals did not disappoint. Congratulations.

Oh no, I will not get into the Mas Band feather and swimsuit conversation other than to say things are changing, and we have the power to guide the change.

This year’s most significant lesson was the reminder that no person is more powerful or important than our Carnival. We have room for improvement, and I encourage those in leadership positions not to take this year’s success as an indication that all is well.

So much for me not having anything to say about Carnival. By the way, could someone explain why so many Steel

Orchestras are still playing songs from Winston Soso at Panorama? Could it be that our calypsonians no longer write songs with this third element of Carnival in mind?

I really wanted to talk about the war between Russia and Ukraine this week and how it is baffling and concerning me. Dare I say it should also be of some concern to the Prime Minister and the ULP, maybe for different reasons. With the war extended now beyond 500 days and no clear end in sight, and some signs of divisions among the Russian fighting forces, we can expect the unexpected. Last week the US president unilaterally declared the war was over, and Russia lost. This was while he was sending cluster bonds to the Ukrainians, and the United Nations was beginning to renegotiate the sensitive and fragile arrangement to allow grain and other food items to be exported out of Ukraine.

Why is this important? With elections on the horizon (2024) in the USA and SVG in 2025, another dramatic rise in basic food prices over the next year could spell disaster for anyone in office seeking reelection. So, President Biden and PM Gonsalves, now is the time to get your house in order. We must guard against hyperinflation in the coming months; if the UN cannot complete an extension of the current agreement to allow these food items to continue to reach the market. Not only will food prices increase, but incumbent governments will have difficulty in upcoming elections.

I am, however, more genuinely concerned that the Minister of Agriculture’s bold statement about decreasing our food import bill by 25% is still only a pipe dream. I have not seen or heard anything that gives me confidence that this goal is attainable. The fact that we are producing more dasheen for export and exporting some fish do not translate into us eating more callaloo soup or fried fish and breadfruit. Thus, reducing our food import bill is becoming more unreachable. Horatio.