Young leaders of the Dr. J.P. Eustace Memorial Secondary School have been reminded about the importance of selflessness, diligence and teamwork as they embark on their 2017 project.
Rotarian Joseph Sheridan, who delivered the feature address at the project launch on Wednesday, emphasised this as he shared his personal experiences as a volunteer and provided valuable insights and guidance to the young leaders.
“… what I like about Rotary is that the motto is ‘service above self’. It means you think about other people before thinking about yourself. It means sacrifice. It means hard work. One person can make a difference, but one person can’t do it alone.”
The theme chosen by RBTT for this year’s project is I am we: Volunteering for impact. The JPEMSS young leaders are working under the sub-theme “iVOLUNTEER, WE IMPACT”. The expression of the sub-theme encapsulates a deliberate minimization of the individual demonstrated by the lower case (i), and emphasizes the importance of action (VOLUNTEER), collaboration (WE) and achievement of purpose (IMPACT).
President Tonya Thorne expressed the group’s enthusiasm about the project.
“Our young leaders are excited to have the opportunity for self discovery and life learning as we serve our school and community for the duration of this project and beyond. Our group plans to focus its volunteer efforts on addressing specific issues within our school and in the community of Edinboro. However, we will also be reaching out beyond the borders of the community with a wide range of activities aimed at engendering a spirit of volunteerism within the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
National Young Leaders Coordinator Muriel Fraser also addressed the launch. She reminded the students of the need to work collaboratively and to put the needs and decisions of the team above their own desires and opinions so that their efforts could have the maximum impact.
Third and fourth form students of secondary schools across the Caribbean are participating in the RBTT Young Leaders programme. The deadline for project submission is May 12.
So what are the aims and objectives? How about a computer lab where students can learn to participate in the new IT endeavors and global outlook? They can create a Website where donations and a learning process can enhance the students ability to find jobs in this new technological world. Fund raising should be on their agenda because nothing moves unless there are funds to start projects. Some years ago Sammy Hazel came up with such an idea, but it didnt get off the ground.
Id be glad to listen to this body, when I am in SVG later this year, to see if there is some way I can help.