THE FEMALE ELEMENT IN SAINT LUCIA ELECTIONS 2011

THE FEMALE ELEMENT IN SAINT LUCIA ELECTIONS 2011

As someone who had been approached years ago to become a candidate but was unable to accede, I have the greatest respect for all the ladies who have offered themselves as candidates for the upcoming elections. Certainly, a record number for Elections 2011. Way to go ladies - we have a voice let us use it.
The reasons why I was unable to offer myself at the time was that my children were young and I felt that it would have been unfair to them to have to compete for my time with my constituents. Also at the time I felt that I needed to be financially independent to take on such a responsibility. As women who are inclined to be perfectionist, we can always find a hundred and one reasons/excuses why we should not respond to such a call.
So again, hats off to all the ladies who have responded to the call to serve country above self. Emma Hippolyte; Alvina Reynolds; Lilia Haracksingh; Austina Fanus; Jeanine Compton; Dr. Gail Rigobert; Nancy Charles; Veronica Guard-Weeks; Felicia Browne and Melanie Fraites.
I will continue to make my contribution to country in my chosen field, business consultancy, workshop and retreat facilitation, motivational/inspirational speaking where I will share my knowledge and skill with persons/organisations seeking my service. My new excuse for still not responding to the call is that it is now too late for me to do so. I figure time to defer to a younger generation of able leaders.
A favourite quote by Peter Marshall is apt here, “If you do not stand for something you will fall for anything”. So I have decided to add my words of endorsement to one of the candidates who I have considered a friend and colleague for a very long time. I cannot speak with regards to the other candidates as I do not have personal knowledge of them on the level that I know Emma. I am certain there are readers amongst you that can attest to the abilities and character of the impressive line up of other female candidates for Elections 2011.
I first meet Emma when we were amongst the founding members of one of Saint Lucia’s most successful professional organisations, The National Secretaries Association of Saint Lucia. At that time she was employed with the accounting firm of Peat Marwick, Michel & Co as a Secretary when through share dint of hard work and a strong desire to succeed she undertook professional studies to attain her CGA. Later as colleagues we supported and relied on each other as the only two female members on the Board of Directors of the National Commercial Bank which later became Bank of Saint Lucia, where she still serves. From my experience, If Emma has a strong conviction on anything; you can rely on her to drive home her point and to stand by what she believes in. In her capacity as a long standing member of the board of the bank she has provided meaningful and effective representation on behalf of the minority share holders that she represents. As a professional woman it took a great deal of courage on her part to have offered herself for elective politics with the full knowledge that her past private life would be open to public scrutiny. Forgiveness of self and being forgiven by others is a powerful vehicle for letting go, and moving on.
Over the years I have had reason to admire her resolve, passion for good governance and principled leadership in her roles as Director of Audit of Saint Lucia and later as Executive Director of the National Insurance Corporation. A no nonsense, decisive, analytical, yet compassionate leader. In more recent time, my opportunity to observe Emma came last year November following the passage of Hurricane Thomas when we were fellow pilgrims on a “Sacred Journey” to the Holy Land. The level of patience, care and attention she demonstrated whilst attending to a fellow pilgrim that was not very able was remarkable. Her attitude and demeanour on that pilgrimage further enhanced my opinion of her as a committed individual and dedicated friend. I should not have been surprised though, as I am also aware that she had adopted a differently able child who has shared her life for over twenty five years. Her high level of discipline in the practice of her spiritual life is unquestionable. It is for the above reasons that I add my endorsement to her candidacy as a fit and proper person to adequately represent us all. I find her able and more than capable.
I leave you with this quote by one of my favourite authors; Steve Covey from his book: The 8th Habit – From Effectiveness to Greatness.
“Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs.” End of quote.
As women we can make a difference in the process of governance of our fair Helen, we have something to bring to the table, a different mindset and different tool sets – let us not waste this opportunity.
Thecla C. Deterville

Contact:
Michael Aubertin – Executive Committee
Do Something World - Saint Lucia
+ 1 758 485-6330
Email: Michael_Aubertin@yahoo.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DO SOMETHING WORLD SAINT LUCIA ANNOUNCES FIRST HIGH IMPACT SERVICE DAY PROJECT
CASTRIES, Saint Lucia (March 30, 2011) –To kick off the first High Impact Service Day project of the Do Something World Saint Lucia campaign, launched last month by former NFL player Miles McPherson, all Saint Lucians are invited to the biggest KOUDMEN ever held on the island.

Following the devastation seen after Hurricane Tomas, the Do Something World Saint Lucia Executive Team has announced an environmentally-focused service project. This project will involve cleaning up the riverbank and helping to clean up and beautify the primary school in Bexon.

The Committee is seeking volunteers to donate time between 7:00 am and 2:00 pm on Saturday, April 2, 2011 to start the project. The Department of Forestry will be providing chainsaws and operators, and waste removal trucks will be on hand to assist with the effort. Volunteers are asked to bring tools such as weed wackers, rakes, cutlasses, shovels, picks, wheelbarrows, buckets, gardening tools, and gloves and boots for their own use. Volunteers can meet at the Bexon Primary School between 7:00 am and 2:00 pm for information and work assignments.

Please visit www.dswstlucia.com for more information. Join hundreds of other volunteers and help bring back the Saint Lucian KOUDMEN spirit!

Annou fè an bagay! (Let’s do something!)

About Miles McPherson
Whether sharing the stage with a former U.S. president or producing an Emmy Award-winning documentary, Miles McPherson stands at the forefront of ministry mobilization. McPherson, a former NFL player, is the President of Miles Ahead, an outreach ministry focused on sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with teens and adults all over the world, and Senior Pastor of the Rock Church in San Diego, California. He recently authored Do Something! Make Your Life Count, which has garnered international acclaim for its global volunteerism philosophy and is the foundation for the Do Something World movement. He has appeared on many national television shows, including Larry King Live, Good Morning America, The O'Reilly Factor, and Fox & Friends.

About Do Something World
Do Something World is a place where individuals, groups or churches join with thousands of others who have stepped up to change the world around them - and show how ordinary people can do extraordinary things with God’s transforming power. The Do Something World movement was founded by Pastor/Evangelist Miles McPherson, president of Miles Ahead and Senior Pastor of the Rock Church in San Diego, one of the fastest growing churches in the United States. With its more than 100 volunteer-led ministries, and a commitment to serve San Diego with 228,000 volunteer hours in 2010, the Rock Church is a Do Something World training center.

For more information about the campaign and how to get involved, visit dswstlucia.com.

ENDS

PRESS RELEASE
“CELESTIAL GEMS # 2 ”
A COLLECTION OF FIVE
MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES ON DVD
BY
THECLA C. DETERVILLE

Over the years Thecla C. Deterville has delivered many motivational speeches to various groups and organizations to mark special occasions. Some of these speeches have been delivered to Schools, Women’s Groups, Sporting Organizations, Charitable Organizations, Public and Private Sector entities. Celestial Gems was released in 2008 and the second DVD in the series Celestial Gems 2 is now ready for release.
This DVD is a compilation of five such speeches. The first was delivered to the Management and Staff of the Ministry of Communication, Works, Transport & Public Utilities on July 24th, 2008 at the National Cultural Centre to mark the official opening of a Strategic Planning Meeting. The title of that presentation was “Me Incorporated” and sought to motivate staff to see themselves as Entrepreneurs and not succumb to the stereotyping associated with members of the Public Service.
The second speech was delivered in April 2009 at the National Stadium in Vieux Fort at the opening ceremony of the Southern National Career Show Case, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education & Culture. The title of that presentation was “Careers in Focus – Broadening Opportunities.” The intention was to expose students to the challenges and opportunities associated with choosing a career.
The third speech on this DVD was delivered at the Graduation Ceremony of the St. Joseph’s Convent in October 2009. The Theme: “Unleashing the Extraordinary”. The event was held at the St. Joseph’s Convent Auditorium. This was a clarion call to the graduates to dig within and explore the possibilities that lay ahead of them, and the need to endeavour to develop their full potential.
The presenter was invited to deliver a motivational talk to the Carnival Contestants for 2009. This presentation was delivered at the Sandals Regency Golf Resort & Spa, La Toc on 12th June, 2009. The theme for this speech was, “Beauty, Education and Talent”. This event was held under the auspices of the Cultural Development Foundation. The contestants were invited to allow their inner beauty to radiate through their outer beauty and to use the opportunity afforded them as Carnival Queen Contestants as a foundation to aspire to a brighter future for themselves, their families and their country.
The fifth and final speech in this series was delivered at Coco Palm Resort, Rodney Bay on May 14th, 2010 at the opening ceremony of the District 81 Caribbean Toastmasters May Conference 2010. The Theme for the Conference was “Caribbean Leadership through Communication.” And the title of the speech was “Where does Leadership Reside?” District 81 comprises Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Haiti, Martinique, Netherlands Antilles, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
The DVD is now available for Sale at Celestial Self Development Centre, 99 Chaussee Road, Castries, and at leading book stores on Island. It will also be made available for sale as a download on www.celestialsdc.com. In this instance individual speeches can be purchased. We can also be contacted by Mail at, P.O. Box 835, Castries, Saint Lucia or call us at 758-453-1924 or e-mail us at celestial@candw.lc to secure your copy.

It's all about Change...

THE CHANGE EXPERIENCE!

The recent experience of moving offices from Sans Souci to Chaussee Road has proven to be quite an eye opener. From about October we meet and put together a detailed action plan, everyone knew what was expected of them. We had not anticipated what was possible when one had to depend on others for implementation. And there was the additional challenges brought about by the passage of Hurricane Tomas and the subsequent rainy days that had a negative impact on overall productivity. On top of this came flooding from a pipe left open during the water shortage, after someone upstairs realised that there was no water in the tap. Did we make the right decision? Questions and more Questions? Then there was the carpenter who worked on evenings only; and the painter that had his own schedule despite what the Supervisor of works wanted. And talk about our service providers Tomas had made it impossible for them to entertain any other service request. A bit of travel in between and December was well on its way before the Chaussee Road premises began to take shape. Talk about disappointment, we really thought that we would have settled before the Christmas Season was upon us and we would have been able to utilise our road front facilities to the max particularly from the Vows Plus perspective, but this was not to be. By then the despondency began to set it, it looked like we all needed a dose of our own medicine. Space looked limited; the chemistry seemed not to be there; activities took longer to be concluded than they should. The familiar was no longer familiar every thing had to find a new home; new habits had to be cultivated. Parking became an issue. We had to get permission from DCA before we could erect our sign; this too seems to be a slow process. In the meantime we have adapted, laminated signs are stuck on our glass door. The new premises have taken shape, everything has found a place; there are a few we are still in search of, hastily put away to get there as fast as we possibly could, and now paying the price for that haste. We have now settled, getting used to our new environment with its pluses and minuses. Only time will tell whether the pluses outweigh the minuses or vice versa. Peace of mind is returning; the frowns have disappeared; the smiles have returned our scented candles are burning and our inspirational music is playing. We continue to welcome our visitors old and new, we look forward to seeing you soon at our new location. To make your special purchases; to loan books from our well stocked library; to attend our motivational movie evenings; to discuss your training or self development needs etc. Managing Change is never easy, but where there is a will there is always a way. 

I leave you with this quote. Inner Peace “Do you want an impenetrable sense of inner peace? Take a deep breath let go of anxiety … Ask God to lift the clouds of doubt and fear from your vision. Believe that peace is your natural state"Christopher H Jackson We took a strong dose of our own medicine and it really worked for us.