Nominations open for people’s gongs

| 05/10/2012

COMMANDER.jpg(CNS): The public is being invited to submit nominations or the 2013 Order of the Cayman Islands awards and honours, which will be presented on National Heroes Day in January. Names put forward for the awards, which were created by the premier, will be considered by the National Honours and Awards Committee and anyone can make a nomination for a resident of the Cayman Islands, alive or dead, for one of three sets of awards. McKeeva Bush stated that the awards are part of his  nation-building initiative and were about giving “credit where it is due for the contributions of our people.” He said that his office continues to promote such recognition.

“We have long maintained that the greatest asset in the Cayman Islands is our people,” said McKeeva Bush as he announced the nominations. “So what better way is there to celebrate our people than by honouring the most deserving in the community? 

“Living among us are everyday heroes who deserve recognition for their work and contributions to the development, success and general well-being of our people and our Islands. Their selfless actions positively impact the lives of many others besides the immediate beneficiaries and such action is definitely worthy of emulation and appreciation,” he added.

Nominations close at 5pm on Wednesday, 31 October, and the committee secretary Patricia Ulett said nominations were being called for in the following medal categories:

  • The Medal of Honour, under three categories: Commander, Officer and Member;
  • The Medal of Merit, under two categories: Gold and Silver; and
  • The Long Service Award.

Criteria, nomination forms and guidelines will be available online for printing at uit.gov.ky/pls/portal/url/page/mtehome or as printed copies at the Government Administration Building main lobby and all district public libraries.

Completed forms should be submitted to Secretary, National Honours and Awards Committee, PO Box 106, Ministry of Finance, Tourism & Development, Grand Cayman KY1-9000. If selected, candidates will be sent a letter asking them whether they are willing to accept the honour, she added.

For further information, email Patricia.Ulett@gov.ky or call 244-2152/244-2453 or mail the Secretary at the above address.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Heroe's are created in Iraq and Afghanistan, not in the Cayman Islands!

  2. Anonymous says:

    I think there should be an award for the person with the most awards.

  3. Load of Fail says:

    I nominate the fine people behind CNS, Wendy and Nicky specifically, for continuously ventilating the Loads of Fail that his Dishonour keeps ordering up for Cayman, and for allowing us to ventilate outrage at his dishounour with some degree of safety.  That and I nominate tham for crawling up His Dishonour's nose and yanking out the hairs on a fairly regular basis.  I really love that part.  You can see him twitch and that's as good as it gets around here (which is a sorry state of affairs all in all).

  4. Anonymous says:

    What about the man that went to prison last week? I nominate that man. No job but can eat, sleep, smoke, no rent to pay and enjoy life at my expense.  

  5. Anonymous says:

    I think we the public are all heroes for putting up with all of Mac's excrement for the last few years, and for having (against our will) to financially subsidize his inordinate spending and crazy ideas for so long.  I hope we can all see some financial prudence and some tax cuts once he is out of the picture.

  6. Anonymous says:

    I would like to nominate Mary Lawrence. If anyone is wondering why I nominated her, then ask yourself "Why is she Speaker of the House"?

    • Anonymous says:

      You got me 12:12! tell us why she should get any more awards than the one Bush already gave her. I'm still recovering from the foolishness that went along with that award from the Queen.

    • Old Timer says:

      No idea who she is but I will nominate my dad who sent me here as I have made an absolute fortune. Thanks everyone.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Jennifer Dilbert and Alistair Swarbrick all the way boy.  They are the peoples heros.

    Oh and lets not forget Dan Duguay.

  8. Anonymous says:

    nick pittman

  9. Anonymous says:

    I nominate Arvella Bodden of East End.

  10. Pistol Pete says:

    I nominate the man who makes all the statues.  We should make a statue of the man making a statue.

    • Anonymous says:

      What about the Nominating Committee? Surely they can't be left out. Isn't that how Steve got his?

  11. Anonymous says:

    McKeeva cannot possibly be looking for more rewards. Come on cracker Mac, you got your reward when you knighted yourself the eternally honorable premier, remember? We feel SO bad you didn't have enough faith in us to do the right thing and let us do that for you.

  12. Polly Tricks says:

    The link in the Government webpage is not working.  What a surprise.  So now we can't nominate, I assume the Committee just picks a few party members of its own motion.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Will there be a gong for the most Eternally Honerable politician with the most police investigations ever?

  14. Anonymous says:

    My only prayer is that the successful recipients will not be gullible enough to reward McKeeva by giving him their votes.

  15. Anonymous says:

    I would like to nominte Dan "Cowbay" Duagay.

    Not only does he deserve it but he added bonus of McKeeva having to present it makes it well worth it.

    Lets fill out thoseforms and nominate Dan

     

  16. Anonymous says:

    I would like to nominate Mr. Mckeeva Bush for the gong for the biggest disgrace in the history of the Cayman Islands. 

  17. Anonymous says:

    Isn’t everyone a National Hero yet? I thought people got them for being good at fishing.

    • Old Timer says:

      National heroes have become a bit of a joke. We are a population of 60,000. In 1968 there were 8,000.
      just how many heroes do u think there are around? If you investigate many of the awards in depth you will come across some very large skeletons indeed, particularly politicians including one in the square.
      Conversely those residents that have contributed the most are quite happy not to be recognized. They are the true heroes in the Cayman Islands. I know, I have had the pleasure of meeting many of them. Names and addresses withheld

    • Anonymous says:

      No, some people are just YCLA award or Golden apple award holders.

      Not everyone is a National Hero yet, but it is being worked on.

       

    • sunshine variety bus rider says:

      No, there is a guy in East End who hasn't collected his yet, so not everyone.

       

    • Anonymous says:

      Let's give the Catboat another one.

    • Anonymous says:

      When everyone beocome's a 'National Hero', does that mean that 'Super Heroes' have to be created?

      If so, where can I apply as I think I may have some special powers of use to humanity.

       

  18. Dennis says:

    How about the constant negative CNS posters for keeping us entertained. Not one positive comment all year.  Now that's a feat!!!

  19. anonymous says:

    I nominate Austin & Gilbert from Crosstalk for their continued daily commitment and service to the Cayman community. But I suppose since they expose the wolves who try to appear as sheepish MLA's, then this recommendation will likely find its way to File 13….

  20. Anonymous says:

    If McKeeva nominates himself for these 'gongs' will his nomination overrule everyone else's? I mean, after all, not only does he rule tings but he IS the most deserving Eternally Honerable, Premier, right?

  21. Anonymous says:

    We should all boycott this unnecessary crappy idea of McKeevas – unless there's a gong for the biggest idiot ever… then we could nominate McKeeva himself.

  22. Anonymous says:

    Gold award to Mac for most miles traveled. Silver to JuJu for second in the same category.

  23. Anonymous says:

    Where did this term 'gong' come from?  Does it mean an award or recognition.  If so why is it not called that?

  24. Anonymous says:

    i nominate all expats for:

    for funding the local economy

    doing jobs local won't

    providing expertise

     

    • Anonymous says:

      They will get their rewards when they return home with their bags full of money for their familys.

    • Anonymous says:

      Expertise like the requirement to speak indian for a job at a pirated dvd store.  The systems broken and needs fixing

    • Anonymous says:

      You don't nominate someone for doing something which was done to benefit only themselves (regardless of side-benefits others may enjoy).  

    • Whodatis says:

      That nomination could apply for expats in every country … including yours.

    • Anonymous says:

      well said…can you imagine cayman without expats?

      • Anonymous says:

        I can REMEMBER Cayman without expats. That was when there was fish in the sea, and Caymanians could afford a house, and all Caymanians had jobs . Still there are those who swear we owe our 'prosperity' to expats.

        • Anonymous says:

          Then, 12:53, it is obvious you do NOT remember Cayman in those days. Either that or your memory is really playing some nasty tricks on you. I remember Cayman in those days too and it was not as rosy as you paint it. And I am not a lover of all expats either, but I recognise that a lot of them (not all by any means) have done much for Cayman.

          • Anonymous says:

            Cayman has most certainly grown in the sense that there is much more materiality here than years ago, my friend. Unfortunately the love and inordinate craving for that very same materiality is the very reason we prefer to run our fellow man over in the streets in our fancy Mercedes than slow down enough to allow him to cross the road. It is the same reason both parents work full time in most households and we have completely lost our traditional sense of family and love for our neighbor as we love ourselves. It is the same reason we really don't even love ourselves any more. We much prefer to love that fancy house and that shiny BMW. It is the reason so very many Caymanians have had their throats cut in their country. It is the reason crime is on the rampant in our beautiful country. It is the reason corruption is devouring us from the very highest echelons of our society to the lowest. It is the reason there is no gleam of hope in so many of our young peoples eyes. This is the reason we worship our wonderful expats for the "growth" and "prosperity" that they have bestowed upon us. And i say we are grossly deluded by ALL of it, my friend. Cayman has "grown", that is a certainty, while Caymanians continue languish spiritually and to sell their souls to be like the joneses. This is what we are calling prosperity, my friend. This is what we never knew about when there was fish in the sea and we could afford to buy a piece of land and build a house in our country, and before we had to fight expats for a job in our country. We have hardly prospered, my friend. I pray to God that my people will wake up enough to see and understand that.       

            • Anonymous says:

              There is a fair amount of truth in your post, 7:54, but at the same time you are doing what people in ALL countries that "move forward" do; you are lamenting the "good old days" and looking at them through rosier tinted glasses than you should do. There were indeed some wonderful things that we have lost with "development" -and by the way, never forget we Caymanians were happy to sell our land to other Caymanians who then sold it on to foreigners and made themselves and the foreigners rich and even got a statue made in one case. But it was a hard life too without all the material things you put down – especially for the women folk.

              • Anonymous says:

                Thank you for your fair and  sensible comment. I believe my message is that, putting material things aside, we need to take a long, hard, serious, honest to goodness look at whether we are really that much better off than we were in the "hard" days of our history.

                • Anonymous says:

                  I totally agree that it is worth doing that 10:58. My own very personal view is that I enjoy the modern day amenities (including TV which I confess I previously happily lived without) and I am glad my wife has it easier by a long way than her mother and can work in a rewarding (in every way) job and my family have more opportunities and have had a good education right here in Cayman. BUT, I very much miss the sort of things you mention as having been lost, such as thesense of family (not gone altogether, though) and good neighbourliness, the tranquillity and the lack of the expat versus Caymanian thing for which I blame BOTH sides.

        • Da Bone says:

          how did the uninhabited Cayman islands ever become populated if there were no expats?

          Please state the date you rememberthere being no expats.

          I certainly remember my father talking about the 50's and there being few jobs and all the men having to leave to find work on boats, and my mother being only able to eat beef once a year at christmas and only seeing my father once a year.

          All his friends and family had little money, so we were definitely not prosperous, we did have community spirit though. He certainly got not afford to build a brick house, and my father had to use most of his money as he worked building his parents house.

          Which Cayman were you living in?

          • Anonymous says:

            I am living in the same Cayman that once had fish in the sea, my friend, and it's people could afford to buy a small piece of their island and build a house on it in the same lifetime, and where because people had to find work on boats did not mean they didn't have a job.   

            • Da Bone says:

              yes they had a job, just not in Cayman, so they were expats to somewhere else. As for the fish and turtles, we over fished them and killed the turltes as the nested just like we killed off al the Kaimans 100 years previously. I have yet to see an expat banker pulling 200 conch out of a protected zone.

               

            • Anonymous says:

              And then sell the land to foreign investors……..

        • Anonymous says:

          Yes, I remember, the days when Unicorns roamed unharmed and the whole island was surrounded by a huge rainbow.

  25. B. Onneste says:

    I hope that website for nominations is working soon.  I have someone I'd like to nominate.

  26. Anonymous says:

    Can I propose that no one gets this junk and we save some money?