Alicia Roache, Staff Reporter
THE EMPHASIS was on 'Positive Vibrations' and it could be found in abundance at the launch of the 2005 Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition on Tuesday evening.
All 13 parish queens were present at the launch, held at Christar Villas, 99a Hope Road, St. Andrew, which celebrated the 'positives' of the competition and of Jamaica's culture.
There were many positive messages from the parish queens and an earnest and heart-warming performance of 'Positive Vibrations' by the staff of the Port Morant Primary and Junior High School. The all-male quartet won the gold medal in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) 2005 music competition for its entry.
They crooned, much to the delight of the full house that came to support the competition, no badda wid de sculling, no time waster/tek yuh business seriously... The song, an appeal to youths to adopt positive vibes, was well received and was referred to by the compère Michelle Wilson-Reynolds and other speakers throughout the launch.
Ambassador Madge Barrett, patron of the contest, brought greetings, while representative from sponsors Lasco, Carren Peart, and the RJR Communications Group, Rohan Wade, also pledged their support for the competition. Peart also implored the finalists to "assist in the development of the country and to be good ambassadors of the communities".
Guest speaker, Senator Deika Morrison, also charged the contestants to contribute to the development of the country, to be aware of the issues of national concern and to use the opportunity to lead by example, since they have offered themselves as role models.
One of the most relevant points of the evening was also made by Morrison. "Beauty," she said, "is not how you look, it is what you do with your life. It is what you do for people, what you do for your fellow man and what you do for your country."
Many were in agreement with this assessment.
There were also words of encouragement for sponsors to continue their support of the event, with Angella Patterson, of the JCDC, noting how much the competition has grown over the years.
Senator Morrison launched the competition by unveiling the three tiaras to be given to the queens at the coronation on July 17. The crowns, contributed by Lama Smith, director of the Jamaica's Performing Arts Olympic programme, will be kept by the queens after their reigns have ended. Contest coordinator Marjorie Scott Anderson helped to unveil the crowns.
