Government seeks cultural heroes

| 02/09/2013

(CNS): Nominations for the National Heroes Day awards have now opened and government is asking the public to put forward the names of local people who have helped to build local culture. The theme for the national holiday and patriotic annual observance for 2014 is ‘Cultural Heritage’ and residents can nominate people they believe have made a significant contribution to the growth and development of the Cayman Island’s cultural heritage. The health ministry, which has responsibility for culture, is partnering with the Cayman Islands National Archive, the Cayman Islands National Museum, the National Gallery and the Cayman National Cultural Foundation to help choose the awardees from the nominations.

These awards are different from the local honours, or ‘people’s awards’, introduced by former premier McKeeva Bush. The premier’s office has not yet confirmed if the PPM leader and new premier will be continuing those awards.

An organising committee led by officials from the various cultural organizations involved has been established and they will sift through nominees for the awards, which will include the categories of Early Pioneers, Pioneers, Memorial Scroll, Long Service and Emerging Pioneers.

Urging local residents to take advantage of this opportunity to express their appreciation for cultural workers, Osbourne Bodden, the minister with responsibility for culture said, “Celebrating our heroes is a way of giving thanks to those people who have changed our lives through their selfless actions. So let us return the favour, show our admiration and appreciation and make a difference in their life. A public nomination such as this help to boost national pride which in turn, elevates our country’s presence to the rest of the world.”

Heroes Day is scheduled to take place on Monday, 28 January, next  year.

The nomination formis posted below. For more information, or to submit a nomination, contact the NHD Committee at nhd@gov.ky.

Category: Local News

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Mr. Dart and Big Mac

  2. Anonymous says:

    What a joke.  Bermuda has a triangle for ships and aircraft.  In the Cayman Triangle all culture disappears without trace.

  3. anonymous says:

    Mr. William Farrington, Mr. Benson O. Ebanks, Mr. Warren Conolly, Mr. Craddock Ebanks, Mr. Garston Smith, Ms. Izzy, Mr. Prentice Powell, Ms. Isley Conolly, Teacher McField, Mr. Haig Bodden, Mr. Vassel Johnson, Mr. Tom Jefferson, Mr. Dalmaine Ebanks, Nurse Eva Evans, Nurse Icy, Ms. Beula (?) Teacher in WB, andthe list goes on and on…..I know they were very instrumental in shaping Cayman's future, not sure if they were all cultural incline.

  4. Anonymous says:

    I nominate Arvella Bodden.

  5. pmilburn says:

    The late Helen Harquail would be one of my first choices.She has done so much for these islands donating the Harquail Center and also the National Gallery where so many Caymanians show off their artistic talents.I feel this would be a fitting tribute to a great lady.There are others I am sure but this is my personal choice.

  6. Slowpoke says:

    I nominate Whodatis.

    • Whodatis says:

      LMBO!!!

      Damn it … and there I was about to nominate ma damn 'self!!

      Lol!

      🙂

      • Porky Pig says:

        People, let's get serious.  Although one may disagree with this person's points of view, as I often do, you're showing a lot immaturity, lack of humour, etc. by trolling every one of his comments (including the funny ones, the ones where he makes sense, etc.)  So for those who keep trolling him when trolling him makes little sense, get a life!  Beside, it truly loses its effectiveness after a while.

        • Whodatis says:

          My sentiments exactly, Porky Pig.

          Your last sentence sums it up perfectly.

          Nevertheless, I am sure they have their common but unspoken reasons for doing so – regardless how tacky and cowardly.

      • Slowpoke says:

        Please note, as of this writing, I have not received a single troll click!

    • Judean People's Front says:

      He is holding out for an MBE.

      • Whodatis says:

        Yep!

        Looking to rub shoulders with the likes of; Rolf Harris, Stuart Hall, Jimmy Saville (in the afterlife, of course) Denis Greenhill, Derek Walton … all upstanding members of the British empire.

        I often wonder if many of the honored members of British society is satan's shortlist for hell's deepest chamber?

      • Anonymous says:

        You need to wine and dine the governor at your house to get an MBE

  7. Anonymous says:

    Caymans culture of non accontability is not something to be proud of or celebrated.  

    • Anonymous says:

      I don't think anyone has been honoured for a culture of non-accountability.

      Sad that you took this as an opportunity to be-little the our culture.

    • Anonymous says:

      07.03, I understand what you are writing, and we should reverese the thinking here a little.

      Every Caymanian who did not vote for Mac at some point should be given an honour for putting up with and listening to his drivel for 4 years, for suffering the embarrassement of being associated with Cayman during his tenure, and for silently cheering when he was arrested and had to resign following his own parties actions. So much suffering should be honoured for sure.

      • SSM345 says:

        Mac's drivel for 4 years?

        I am 32 and have been listening to his BS my entire life.

  8. Anonymous says:

    A public nomination such as this help to boost national pride which in turn, elevates our country’s presence to the rest of the world.”  As more and more businesses close and more expats leave word of your "presence" is already "spread" to the rest of the world.  

    • Anonymous says:

      Do you think the rest of the world cares about how many basket weavers there are in the Cayman Islands? By world standards, there has never been a hero from the Cayman Islands.

      • SSM345 says:

        18:29, The Cayman Islands Rugby Club may beg to differ, Hero goes by another alias, Robbie Cribb.

  9. Anonymous says:

    it would be nice if they recognised the contributions of expats to cayman……the place could not exist without them…….

    • Anonymous says:

      When hard working caymanians were building the strong foundation for you to come and stand on, where were you and all the critics, who have washed up on our shores and are now claiming that foundation?   We existed without outside help, dictation, or handouts..  Now that you have acquired a work permit and allowed to step on that foundation you are saying we should be the indentured slaves?   

      We appreciate the contribution expats have made while allowed to stay here and take top jobs and malign caymanians. Should we lie down and play dead.  I won't.

      • Indentured slave says:

        Because the offshore industry was built entirely by Born Caymanians. 

      • Anonymous says:

        09.18…everyone that came here has been "washed up on these shores". Firstly the Brits (oh yes, how you like to forget that) and then the unfortunate souls who were slaves and whose descendants now call themselves Caymanian.

        So maybe there should be a posthumous award for the Brits that bought your ancestors here first that now allows you to call this beautiful nation home?

        Not sure why, but not expecting many thumbs up for this one.

    • Anonymous says:

      Many former expats have been recognised. However, most expats do what they do for their benefit and advancement not for the benefit of these Islands. 

  10. Anonymous says:

    i ave never known a nation to have such an inflated notion of selfworth……….

  11. T. Turner says:

    We don't need another hero. 

  12. Anonymous says:

    Can you nominate those that have passed on as well?Such as those good ole musicians in the Brac.We had people such as Mr Jakes Mc Laughlin, Glendell Dilbert, Valda Watson, Septimore Scott, Hafford Dilbert , Eddie Scott and the list goes on. They were all good musicians, also there are many many more who has now been deceased not to mention those living such as Mr Arlen Tatum Raymond Scott, Burmon Scott Malsee Walton the Martin brothers and sons,and our one and only Quincy Brown. There are many more too much to mention in the Brac. Cayman Brac warrants a special ceremony as there are more musicians in the Brac.

    • SSM345 says:

      Nominating musicians as national heroes?

      Is that you JuJu?

      • SSM345 says:

        I can't believe nobody has nominated Jesus as a National Hero since we like to tell the world we are such a Christian Nation, with Christian heritage, who want to build a Christian Heritage Park, blah blah blah…..I keep wondering if anyone actually looks around to see what's going on in Cayman as the Christian this and that is a complete slap in the face to Jesus. Right Mac?

    • Anonymous says:

      Musicians….NOT Heores!

    • Anonymous says:

      Why? Have we run out of living that have not had trinkets and accolades bestowed upon them so now we have to start on the dead?

      Jeez … even the Catboat got one so what do we do next year?

      Start knighting inanimate objects or just pick random cruise ship passengers and force them to have 'the Cayman Meritorious platinum cross of selfworth (platinum)?

  13. Anonymous says:

    This should only be done every 10 years. We simply do not have enough people doing extraordinary things to justify these awards every year. It truly takes away from the few people who truly deserve recognition.

    • Anonymous says:

      c'mon…. its caymanian backslapping season….it only lasts 12 months every year……..

      • self-serving politicians says:

        Just like the recently appointed Boards.  These are favors for friends and the truly dedicated will not be recognized. 

        Politics has made a shambles of these awards.  So it is the PPM turn after Mac's rule, big deal and a total waste of our money and time.  I will not attend. 

  14. Anonymous says:

    Good luck.  They are also looking for nominations for Best Unicorn Trainer.

  15. Community Service says:

    And we know the PPM like to throw a PARTAYYYYY! Last one they did cost us $700,000!