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BRADES, (Montserrat) August 30, 2004 (GIU): All women on Montserrat ( school leaving to 70
years and over ) are being encouraged to participate in a survey as part of the Montserrat
Cervical Cancer Prevention and Care Programme (MCCPCP).

Anjella Skerritt, Coordinator/Chairperson of the MCCPCP, told the GIU Monday that the survey will assist health care providers in their collection of information to determine the knowledge base and the practises of women on the island.

The survey, which is being organised by the Ministry of Health, will be conducted during the first
two weeks in September, she said.

Church and other community organisations are being targeted including the health care providers
(nurses).

" We want to encourage each woman on the island to do the survey," said Skerritt.

Survey forms, which will be confidential and without names, will be left at the clinics.

Skerritt said if for example if a woman participates in the survey as part of her church group,
then there won't be any need to do the survey a second time.

The Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) are
providing technical assistance for the cervical cancer prevention and care programme here, she
said.

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Full Parliamentary Committee to be involved in Constitutional Review

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 27, 2004 (GIU): The entire Montserrat Legislative Council will now be involved in the revision of the report by the Constitutional Commissioners.

This follows the resignation Thursday of parliamentarian Dr. Lowell Lewis as a member of the select committee mandated by the Council to review the Commissioners Report on a new constitution for Montserrat.

Dr Lowell, a former Government Minister, began his tenure on the select committee in February 2004 after being asked to do so by Hon. Chief Minister John Osborne.

It followed Hon. Rueben T. Meade's decision in December 2003 to resign as chairman and a member of the select committee citing concerns about how matters related to committee were being handled.

Mr. Meade serves as de facto Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council, as the present Montserrat Constitution Order (1989) does not make any specific provision for a leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

New head of the parliamentary committee Hon. Chedmond Browne has dismissed criticisms that the committee is not doing its work.

Mr. Browne said the committee can work and has done work including submitting to the House in excess of thirteen (13) suggestions.

Browne said it has been difficult to get consensus because one member of the committee lives abroad and only returns for sittings of the Legislative Council.

This, he said, puts a lot of pressure on the rest of the select committee whose members have been accused of not producing.

MP Browne said the task of the committee is not difficult and that progress is still being made.

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New Director of Lands and Survey Department has been appointed

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 27, 2004 (GIU): Montserratian Vaughn Livingstone Cassell has taken up his appointment as the new Director of the Lands and Survey Department.

Mr. Cassell has been appointed initially for two years.

He brings to the job a wealth of experience having worked in the Lands and Survey Department in Dominica for over 20 years, according to a ZJB Radio report.

Cassell holds both Bachelor and Master's degrees in the area of Lands and Survey.

The new director will be responsible for managing the day- to- day running of the Lands and Survey Department and will advice government on matters related to land settlements.

Grant Vincent was the last head of the Department. Since his departure more than one year ago, Montserratian Dawn Bramble has been acting as head of the Lands and Survey Department.

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P.S of Public Works calls for greater recognition on P.W.D workers

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 25, 2004 (GIU): Alric 'Jim' Taylor, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Works is calling for greater recognition of the persons employed by the Public Works Department.

Taylor highlighted the sterling contribution being made to the island by the workers at the Hot Mix plant in Brades and the indivuduals who work daily on maintaining the road network.

He made the comment during a radio programme here Tuesday night aimed at showcasing some of the key programmes being undertaken by the Ministry as part of the government's re-development plan.

Permanent Secretary Taylor says the Ministry is looking closely at improving the road network throughout the island but needs additional funding the execute many of the projects.

He also disclosed the the Ministry is still trying to recruit a new Director of Public Works. The last Director Trinidadian Hollis Eversley left the island last month.

Apart from the roads and other infrastructure, the Ministry also has responsible for both the sea and air ports, Water Authority and the Electricity company.

Also appearing with Taylor on the programme were Julian Daniel, Laboratory Materials Technician, Roy Greaves, Building Foreman and Courtney Peters, Engineering Technician.

Natural and storm drains, road reserves and the Belham Bridge were also tackled by the members of the panel.

Follow up radio programmes are being planned to inform the public about developments in the Ministry of Communications and Works.

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Foster says sacrifice and self discipline key ingredients in education

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 19, 2004 (GIU): Steve Foster, Superintendent with the Royal Montserrat Police Force, said here Wednesday that education is ongoing.

Supt. Foster was the keynote speaker at the UWI School of Continuing Studies Certification ceremony in Salem.

The main threads of his near 20 minute address were sacrifice and self discipline.

A beneficiary of the UWI Centre's programme, Supt. Foster sees investment in time as a "down payment" on the road to higher education.

He emphasized the need for ingredients such as time, patience, practise, intelligence and sacrifice.

" Be a big dreamer and think big," Supt. Foster told the gathering which included his boss Police Commissioner John Douglas, Governor Deborah Barnes-Jones, Government Ministers and other senior government officials.

Supt. Foster credited fellow police officer and lawyer Oris Sullivan for helping him in the preparation of his address.

This was a timely reminder and example given that during his speech the senior police officer made reference to giving credit to person or persons who have helped along the way in the education and personal development.

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Student graduates from UWI Montserrat's with a Bachelor Degree

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 19, 2004 (GIU): Elveta Chalmers made history here Wednesday when she became the first student to graduate locally with a full degree in Management Studies from the University of the West Indies.

Chalmers, who is employed by the Montserrat Tourist Board, was warmly greeted when she received her certificate from Her Excellency Mrs. Deborah Barnes-Jones during the certification ceremony held at the UWI Centre in Salem.

In moving the vote of thanks, Mrs. Chalmers credited a list of persons for her achievement including family members, lecturers and fellow students.

Mrs. Esternella West, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Health, Community Services and Labour, in her role as chairperson said she is a product of the UWI School of Continuing Studies.

While she congratulated all the graduates, Mrs. West singled out Elveta Chalmers for special mention noting that she had made history.

" There are benefits to be derived from distance education," she told the packed audience at the UWI Centre in Salem.

She believes the Centre will complement the nearby Community College which is due to open shortly.

Professor Sir Howard A. Fergus, resident tutor and head of the UWI Centre said the ceremony was special for him as it would be his last at helm after 30 years.

Sir Howard also noted that the ceremony was being held on the premises of the UWI Centre for the first time in 10 years and that Montserrat had an individual who had studied and qualified for a full degree at home.

Professor Fergus was also high in his praise for the local and external tutors for the various subject areas offered at the Centre. He also commended DFID- Department for International Development for its contribution of EC $ 200,000 towards the construction of the Centre, the Montserrat government and other groups and or individuals who also provided financial assistance.

The resident tutor also disclosed that Mrs. Delena Lynch-Mason has been elevated to the new position of senior administrative assistant at the UWI Centre.

Sir Howard concluded by saying that four (4) other persons will graduate with degrees locally in 2004/5.

Hon. Idabelle Meade, Minister of Education, Health, Community Services and Labour said she was impressed with the work of the UWI School of Continuing Studies.

She said the Centre offered a fair chance to all. The Minister personally commended the performance of Elveta Chalmers and the work of all the graduates.

Minister Meade also used the opportunity to congratulated the students at the Montserrat Secondary School for their good showing in the CXC ( Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination -CAPE) programme.

Persons Receiving Certificates

(a) BSc Management Studies
Mrs. Elveta Chambers CBA

(b) Certificate In Public Administration
Mrs. Sandra Dee Brown
Ms. Dolcie Bramble

(c) Certificate In Business Administration
Ms. Jennifer Allen
Ms. Athema Daley Dip Mass Com

(d) Certificate In (Gerontology) Care of the Elderly
Mrs. Clarestine Allen
Mrs. Icilda Allen
Mrs. Hanna Barnwell
Ms. Cynthia Barzey
Ms. Bonita Charles
Ms. Nadine Cole
Mrs. Shirley David
Ms. Matilda Farrell
Ms. Edris Fenton
Ms. Violet Fenton
Ms. Eris Gerald
Ms. Janice McCleod - Dash
Ms. Elaenor Riley
Ms. Grace Sedona
Mrs. Victoria Silcott
Mrs. Laurencina Watts

(e) Certificate in Principles & Practices of Counseling
Ms. Annetta Blake
Ms. Velma Cabey
Ms. Bernadine Collins
Ms. Edith Duberry
Mrs. Salome Fenton
Mrs. Teresena Fergus
Mrs. Mary Fergus - Lynch
Mr. Jahron Harris
Mr. Joseph Kirwan
Mrs. Cherryl Phillip-Lewis
Mrs. Laura Taylor-Scotland
Mr. Solomon Samuel
Ms. Edris Wade (Stay tuned for photos related to this story)

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Montserrat's First Tunnel Opened

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 19, 2004 (GIU): The new access road and tunnel leading to the new airport (under construction) at Gerald's opened for public use here on Wednesday.

Hon. Claude Hogan, Airport Project Manager speaking during a brief ceremony at the entrance to the tunnel said " this is not the flamboyant opening you are accustomed to..full commissioning of the road and other facilities will come later..it is really putting it (road) to use by the public."

Hogan, standing alongside Hon. John Wilson, Minister of Communications and Works, said a more elaborate opening is being planned to coincide with the completion of the new airport at Gerald's.

Pastor Melroy Meade of the Church of God of Prophecy (St John's) invoked God's blessings on the new road.

" We will no longer use the byways but a highway for the wider Montserrat community," Pastor Meade said.

Government Minister Wilson moved a symbolic red and white traffic cone to officially open the road at 3.20 p.m.

The Minister then headed a small convoy of vehicles on the road through the tunnel. The old road leading into the Gerald's area will no longer be used, according to officials.

Last week, Ministers of Government and other senior government officials were taken on a tour of the new road and tunnel.

(Stay tuned for photos related to this story)

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Montserrat's first Toy Library Launch

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 18, 2004 (GIU): Montserrat's first toy library has been officially launched.

The launching was held Wednesday morning during a short ceremony at the Montserrat Public Library in Brades.

Pastor Ruth Allen of the Beulah Wesleyan Holiness Church, recently retired chief librarian and chairperson of the ceremony, noted that the role of the library on the island is changing.

She said the new toy library will provide much joy and pleasure to the children on the island. Pastor Allen has volunteered to serve as the librarian for the toy library, which will be open from 11 a.m. on Saturdays at the Public Library.

Bob Senior and Penny Webster, the sponsors of the toy library, have also welcomed its formal launch after dialoguing with local officials for several months.

"As parents we discovered how expensive it was to buy good toys and we all discovered that children go after them very quickly," said Penny Webster in her brief opening remarks at the launch.

She said that toy libraries are very popular in the United Kingdom. " There are thousands of them in existence and each toy library is aimed at different communities and different age groups."

Webster explained that at toy libraries children and the parents/guardians/carers visit once a week; play with the toys and then chose a few to take home to play with.

" Here in Montserrat the toy library has a wide range of toys for both boys and girls up to age seven...there are action toys, puzzles, toys to feed their imagination and they are a mixture of fun and educational toys," according to Webster.

Funding for the toy library was raised by in Britain by Bacon and Woodrow, a partnership of actuaries in the UK.

Lady Eudora Fergus, president of the Montserrat Early Childhood Association (MECA) , formally declared the toy library open.

" The MECA will diligently facilitate the project," she said, adding that the venture will be laying a good foundation for the children of Montserrat.

Latoya Reid, head librarian at the Montserrat Public Library, moved the vote of thanks.

She noted that the children on the island are grateful to the sponsors and will make good use of the toys. Several parents and children in the community also attended the launch.

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CM to attend leaders meeting in Cayman Islands

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 13, 2004 (GIU): Hon. John Osborne, Chief Minister of Montserrat will join his counterparts from the other British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean and Bermuda at a two-day conference in the Cayman Islands on August 19-20.

Chief Minister Osborne will present a paper on the Overseas Territories ' Origin and Future' during his visit to the Caymans.

He will be accompanied by Hon. Margaret Annie Dyer-Howe, Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment.

Mrs. Dyer-Howe has been invited to present a paper on the Environment and Climate Change.

In addition to Montserrat, the other British Overseas Territories in the region are Anguilla, British Virgin Islands (Tortola), Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

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Historic first for MNI - student graduates locally with Bachelor's Degree

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 12, 2004 (GIU): The University of the West Indies (UWI) School of Continuing Studies holds its Certification Ceremony at the UWI Centre in Salem on Wednesday, August 18.

Professor Sir Howard Fergus, Resident Tutor and Head of the UWI School of Continuing Studies here said in an invitation note to the GIU that the ceremony would be historic; as for the first time a student will graduate locally with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management.

Certificates will also be presented for Public Administration, Business Administration, Principles and Practice of Counselling and Care of the Elderly.

Police Superintendant Steve Foster is listed to deliver a short feature address.

The ceremony will begin at 5:00 p.m.

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Gertel Thom appointed acting AG in Montserrat for one month

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 11, 2004 (GIU): Gertel Thom has been appointed acting Attorney General here in Montserrat until August 30.

Mrs. Thom, a Guyanese national, told the GIU Wednesday that she is deputizing for Montserrat's substantive Attorney General Mrs. Esco Henry-Greer who is on vacation. Her temporary appointment took effect from July 29.

She served as the Attorney General in Montserrat from 1992 to January 1998. Mrs. Thom later moved to Antigua and Barbuda where she was appointed deputy Solicitor General until 2001.

She served as Attorney General of Antigua and Barbuda in the administration headed by the former Government Leader Lester B. Bird until March 2004 when the Antigua Labor Party (ALP) lost in the general elections to the United Progressive Party (UPP) spearheaded by the Honourable Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer.

Mrs. Esco Henry-Greer will be back in Chambers from August 31.

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Hospitality Association formed on Montserrat

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 9, 2004 (GIU): A Montserrat Hospitality Association has been formed on the island.

Carol Osborne, spokesperson for the fledgling association noted in a media release made available to the GIU Monday that the group was inaugurated recently to " promote tourism and to provide an effective private sector forum to discuss and dialogue with Government regarding issues pertinent to tourism in Montserrat."

She said the MHA would soon be able to welcome applications for membership from all sectors of the tourism industry in Montserrat.

Osborne, manager of the Vue Pointe Hotel in Old Towne, said the objective is to be truly representative of all operators, large and small, of the private tourism sector in Montserrat.

It plans to work closely with the Government and the Montserrat Tourist Board in developing and implementing the new Montserrat Tourism Strategy.

Osborne also said that the MHA plans to become an active member of the Montserrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and will, in due course become a member of the prestigious Caribbean Hotel Association.

The Montserrat Hospitality Association is a non-profit organization, which will be funded by its members.

Osborne said the MHA should be ready to receive applications in November following the formalization of the Articles of Association.

(For more information - contact Carol Osborne at vuepointe@candw.ag)

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UWI stages symposium to honor Robert W. Griffith - trade union pioneer

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 6, 2004 (GIU): The University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies -Montserrat today (Friday) staged a three-and-a- half hour symposium in honor of the late Robert William Griffith - the father of the trade union movement on the island and a champion of the working class.

The symposium included presentations from the Hon. John Osborne, Chief Minister of Montserrat, Hylroy Bramble, General Secretary of the Montserrat Allied Workers Union (MAWU) and Professor J.A. George Irish, Director - Caribbean Research Center, Medgar Evans College -City University, New York.

Two students from the Lookout Primary School recited poems; while Randy Greenaway featured one of his musical selections entitled 'National Hero' - in honor of Robert W. Griffith.

Deloris Mullings (nee Griffith), the youngest daughter of the late trade union leader and legislator, responded on behalf of the family and provided some useful insights about her father as a family man.

Hon. Idabelle Meade (nee Griffith), Minister of Education, Health and Community Services, followed in her father's footsteps into politics.

A cross section of the Montserrat community attended the symposium which was held at the Police conference room at Brades.

The event was chaired by Professor Sir Howard A. Fergus, resident tutor at the UWI School of Continuing Studies on Montserrat.

An open forum on the 'Robert Griffith Legacy' followed the three main presentations.

Miss Delores Mullings daughter Dr. George Irish gave the Two students of the Lookout

of R.W.Griffith gave remarks feature address Primary School rendered a poem

on behalf of the family

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Ricky Skerritt to be Guest Speaker at Annual Jim Allen Lecture

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 6, 2004 (GIU): Richard 'Ricky' Skerritt, former manager of the West Indies Cricket team, will be the keynote speaker during the annual Jim Allen Lecture series organised by the Office of the Chief Minister
and the UWI School of Continuing Studies, Montserrat.

Professor Sir Howard Fergus, speaking at the symposium Friday to honor Robert W.Griffith - father of the Labor Union movement on the island, said Mr Skerritt will deliver his address here on August 25.

Professor Fergus indicated that the likely venue for the lecture will be the Brades Pentecostal church.

Mr Skerritt is a Rhodes scholar from neighbouring St Kitts and has been actively involved in business, commerce and sporting activities.

Charles James 'Jim' Allen is Montserrat's best known sporting hero - having dominated regional cricket as one of the finest batsmen produced in the West Indies. But he never made it to the West Indies team.

Jim Allen, however, represented the Caribbean side with distinction during the World Series Kerry Packer Series in Australia 1979/80).

The Montserratian batting star has the distinction of being the only individual to have played in the highly competitive Kerry Packer series who was not a test player. Apart from representing his island, Allen was a key member of the Leewards and Combined Islands teams in regional cricket tournament. He also dominated the Lancashire cricket leagues in the United Kingdom with his hard hitting stroke play.

The idea to launch the Jim Allen lecture series came from Montserratian Communication Specialist Salas Hamilton while he worked as Chief of Staff in the office of the former Montserrat Chief Minister David Brandt in the late
1990's.

The previous lecturers for the Jim Allen series were Tony Cozier, Professor Hilary Beckles, Leonard 'Tim' Hector (deceased), Colin Riley and Mike Findlay, former Combined Islands and West Indies wicketkeeper.

Findlay, who captained the Combined Islands team, later went on to serve as Chairman of the West

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Montserrat Host Exhibition in Honour of National Hero "Marse Bob"

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 6, 2004 (GIU): A public exhibition organized by the Montserrat National Trust (MNT) dubbed 'Remembering a Hero -Robert W. Griffith' opened at the Trust's headquarters in Salem Thursday evening.

Lady Eudora Fergus, Executive Director of the National Trust said she was happy and heartened to be involved with the exhibition to honor the life and times of the man Montserratians simply refer to as "Marse Bob".

R.W. Griffith, who was born in 1904 and died on March 17, 1996, was the father of the Trade Union movement in Montserrat. Had he been alive he would have been 100 years old on August 6.

He established the Montserrat Trades and Labour Union in 1946. The venerable trade union leader was among the first blacks to be elected to the Montserrat Legislative Council in 1943.

In the late 1940's, Griffith condemned share-cropping and tenant eviction by the merchant and planter class on the island. He led a major strike in 1950 with activities leading to the arrival of a British war ship.

Griffith was decorated with the OBE -Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace in 1991.

Lady Eudora, in her short presentation, said Robert W. Griffith was a man who dared to challenge the status quo. " Marse Bob contributed to our progress as a people," she said.

The National Trust official underscored the need for Montserratians to preserve and present the history of "our people."

Members of the public were later treated to a 50 minute video 'enrichment documentary' on the life and times of Robert William Griffith by Randy Greenaway of 'Z Enrichment Centre'. Well known Montserrat broadcaster Rose Willock was the chairperson for the event.

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Another Montserration prepares to celebrate his 100th Birthday

BRADES, (Montserrat) Aug 6, 2004 (GIU): Another name will be added to the list of Montserratian centenarians on Sunday August 8, 2004.

He's George Patrick Allen of Cudjoe Head, the husband of Mrs. Ellen E. Allen (nee) Gerald also of Cudjoe Head.

' Marse George' as most people refer to him was born August 8, 1904 at Cavalla Hill.

He's the father of seven children - two boys and five girls; six of whom are still alive. They are Charles Silcott (Barbados), Mary Irish ( Montserrat and U.K.), Abraham Allen ( U.K.), Rose Daley (U.K.), Macy Springette (Tortola) and Eliza 'Teacher Liz' O'Garro ( Montserrat).

Michael 'Junior' O'Garro, a former customs officer and Inland Revenue employee, is one of Marse George's 17 grandchildren. Blondell O'Garro is also a grandchild. His list of great grandchildren totals 22, according to family members.

Teacher Liz told the GIU Thursday during a visit to her parents home in Cudjoe Head with its panoramic view of Port Little Bay and its environs that her parents have been married for 57 years although the union actually started 10 years earlier.

Marse George spent a lot of time in the fields of carpentry and tailoring. In his earlier years, Teacher Liz O'Garro noted that her father was a "jack of all trades" but was exceptionally skilled in tailoring.

" I am not ashamed to say that he made my first bra in those days," his wife Sister Ellen commented as she sat in a chair close by.

Marse George worked for many years with a top seamstress at Cavalla Hill among a batch of female apprentices. But he said he was the one who always ended doing the finishing touches to the clothes.

He still proudly shows off his old Singer sewing machine - neatly covered in a corner behind his chair in the living room of his house in Cudjoe Head.

Marse George regularly attended the Cavalla Hill Methodist church - the same church both his wife and daughter Eliza indicated he worked on after suffering major structural damages following the passage of a major hurricane in the early 1920's. He worked as carpenter with Joe Edgecombe. Marse George was a lover of his garden and kept animals - cattle, sheep and goats.

Mr. Allen or Papa as he's often called by his children is a lover of music and singing in particular. He sang with the Methodist church choir at Cavalla Hill until the age of 74 and received kudos for his splendid tenor voice. Marse George also regularly sang (duet) with his wife in church. He was also involved with his school choir. The only musical instrument he played competently was the good old mouth organ.

He went to Curacao as a young man in 1945 and worked in the mining industry. His wife proudly displayed his Curacao union book and his photograph. Mr. Allen returned periodically to see his family but came home for good in 1955.

" He has always been a good family...a people person," said Eliza O'Garro, one of this daughters. In his later years, Papa did a lot of work with the senior (older) citizens in the Cudjoe Head community assisting with cutting their toe nails and helping out in other areas.

Both Mr and Mrs Allen played dominoes in their spare time and the husband still has a pack of the 'old time' dominoes on a shelf in the corner of their home.

Eliza O'Garro said her father would be best remembered for serenading with Ben Piper in Cavalla Hill at Christmas time. " People in the village would wait up until late just to hear Papa and Ben Piper," said Mrs. O'Garro, a former head teacher at the Brades Primary school.

She said that her father worked very hard, smoked cigarettes in his early life ( but not excessively) and ate well.

" All I have I owe to Jesus He is the One who has me up to this stage," commented Marse George, his voice still surprisingly clear and strong.

His wife Ellen insists she loves good food and that she ensured that her husband also ate well. Most of the food came from their garden. She concluded that her husband does not suffer from any pains in his legs and that all his senses are in good shape.

Sister Ellen said Marse George listens to his radio, spends most of him time indoors and eats his food when he feels like it.

On January 17, 2004 in the United States Sister Ellen's aunt Johanna Eliza O'Garro celebrated her 100th birthday. She attended St. Peter's Government school. After graduation she became a seamstress and housewife.

To many she is Aunt Joanie, some Nanny, others Nana or Mama. She is the only survivor of eleven (11) siblings.

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100th Anniversary of the Birth of Robert W. Griffith.

SALEM, (Montserrat) August 3, 2004 (GIU): Residents of Montserrat are preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the island's national heroes -Robert W. Griffith.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) School of Continuing Studies is spearheading a week of activities to celebrate the life and times of Griffith, an early trade union leader and legislator.

On Thursday August 5 the people of Montserrat will get a chance to view a Randall Greenaway video production on the life of Robert W. Griffith at the headquarters of the Montserrat National Trust in Salem.

The organization will also be staging an exhibition.

Robert 'Marse Bob" Griffith was born on August 6, 1904. He died here in 1995.

A symposium will be held at the police conference room in Brades on Friday to recognize his early pioneering contributions to Montserrat's development.

The speakers at the event will include Montserrat's Chief Minister John Osborne, Professor George Irish (founding member of the Montserrat Allied Workers Union-MAWU), MAWU's General Secretary Hylroy Bramble and a member of the Griffith family.

Professor Sir Howard Fergus, head of the UWI School of Continuing Studies here, will release a new book to coincide with activities at the Montserrat National Trust on August 8.

Professor Fergus' book is entitled "Volcano Verses." Another book "Beneath the Bananas" to mark the centenary of the birth of Griffith will be also be released.

A public lecture is scheduled for August 13 featuring a prominent Caribbean figure. The organizers did not release the name of the lecturer.

A lay Methodist preacher Robert Griffith was the son of a manager on Weekes estate. Professor Fergus, in his book 'Montserrat: History of a Caribbean colony' noted that Griffith was " middle-class, with material means and social influence."

He also gained respect as a champion of the working class. Griffith won a place in the Montserrat Legislative Council in 1943. Three years later,he founded the Montserrat Trades and Labor Union in 1946.

The employers had formed a Producers' Association in 1943 to protect their interest and also to relate to the Federal Labor Officer, according to Professor Fergus in his publication. In 1950, the Montserrat Trades and Labor Union had 434 members.

Noting that it was Griffith who laid the foundations of the MTLU, Fergus suggested in his book that he should be "regarded as the father of the working class movement in Montserrat."

Although he never achieved high office, he was one of the first black Montserratians to be elected to parliament.

One of his daughters - Idabelle Griffith-Meade - is currently the Minister of Education, Health and Community Services in the administration of Chief Minister Osborne.

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