A.W. SangsterI ATTENDED three functions recently which had a common thread running through them. That common thread was the element of service that the individuals had given and the legacies they had left behind. There was nostalgia, laughter, and happy reflections as the audience on each occasion paid tribute to the memory and memories of those who had served well. The functions in chronological order were:
The Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) Golden Torch Award Ceremony on June 29.
The Buxton Past students reunion and awards ceremony on August 5 .
The unveiling of plaques at the Maxwell Memorial Church in St Elizabeth on August 6.
The JTA Golden Torch Awards ceremony:
At this annual function the JTA recognises teachers who have served for over 35 years or more in the classroom. At this function 111 teachers the majority women from all 14 parishes were recognised for their service to education and the nation.
In bald statistics we might say that they have collectively served for some 4,000 years. But that service is a lot more than a statistic. It is really about lives that have been touched and moulded, inspiration given, challenges offered, careers started and lives channelled in the right paths. Only eternity will reveal the impact and influence that those who were recognised that day and the countless others who have gone before and will come after.
Ted Dwyer, one of the awardees in his vote of thanks, spoke of the role of the teacher in making the school an oasis in a time of great social challenge and he also reflected on those who have served in back-waters but who have left their footprints.
Specially honoured on the occasion was Ms. Vilma McLennon who received the Henry Lowe Blue Cross Award for excellence in Science Teaching.
The Buxton Past Students Awards Function:
Buxton High School was founded by Mr. Ferdinand Adolphus Buxton-Thompson in 1937 with five students who he entered for the School Certificate Examinations. Four of them passed, setting the stage for future successes in the years to come. The school ceased to exist with the passing of Mr. Thompson, but countless Jamaican children many who hold influential positions both here and abroad will reflect with thankfulness at the vision of Mr. Thompson in founding the school.
The reunion was an occasion of nostalgia as past students from here and abroad reflected on the memory of Mr. T, as he was fondly known. But the group was not there merely to reminisce. In keeping the memory of the school alive and in seeking to further his vision for education, the alumni have established the Buxton Past Students Foundation.
The first scholarship the F. A. Buxton-Thompson Scholarship, funded by the Foundation, was awarded to Kelly Lawrence who will be going to Alpha. She is a student of Elleston Primary School which is located in the area where Buxton High School had existed. It is a small start but with exciting possibilities. Alumnae abroad and near contributed to the memory of the man whose vision was to make education available to those who did not have the opportunities at the time. So his memory lives on.
The Maxwell Memorial Reunion:
Sunday the 6th of August was a special reunion day as family members came from all parts of the island to unveil plaques in the church to the memory of family members who had been part of that Presbyterian (now United Church) congregation. The event, the brainchild of the Rev. Mrs. Icylyn Parkinson, was a wonderful occasion of warmth and nostalgia as children, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews unveiled plaques in memory of loved ones who had served and passed on. There was also a plaque in memory of the Ministers who served in the church.
But the memories are much more than the plaques on the wall. What is it that those loved ones have left behind? As Dr. James Dobson remarks in his book, Life on the Edge, "Your most precious memories will focus on those you loved, those who loved you and what you did together in the service of the Lord. Those are the basics. Nothing else will survive the scrutiny of eternity". Such are the important memories that we need to leave behind.
A.W. Sangster is former president of the University of Technology.
