Christmas Fete 2005
PP George Beckford
December 2005
The Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town
hosted a Christmas Fete on December 18, 2005 for the wards of the Rio Cobre
Juvenile Correctional Centre for boys. This was held on the grounds of the
centre in Tredegar Park, Spanish Town, St. Catherine. The centre is operated as
a home of safety and its occupants are wards of the State. These are teenage
boys who are classified into one of the following categories: orphans;
delinquents or criminal offenders. The inmate population number 125 with the
greater portion being detained on correctional orders by the courts. The tenure
of these wards is usually 31/2 years. There is a staff complement of 72
including a Centre Manager Supt. Martin Dryden.
The fete took the form of
singing of Christmas carols, religious songs and songs from the popular music
genre – Reggae. The Kiwanis Party led by President Abdon Campbell including 12
Kiwanians, 3 Qualifying Kiwanians and 2 Key Clubbers from the St. Catherine High
School, socialized and interfaced with the boys after whom they were treated to
a variety of foods, which included curried goat, fried chicken, bread, rice,
mixed vegetable, fruit cake, Xmas pudding, fruit punch and other condiments.
The Wards were immensely happy
and grateful not only for the “goodies” the Kiwanis brought but more so because
they felt that people still cared about them especially at a time when it
mattered most – at Christmas!
We made notes of some of the
comments expressed by both the wards and their caregivers.
Michael, 18 years old ward “It
is nice to know that someone cares, that some people remember that we are here.
There is need to promote more activity like this. In addition we would like you
people to promote computer training and skills training, also we need you people
to help worth some counselling – because me and the fellow boys have a lot of
issues that need to be resolved.”
Supt. Martin Dryden, Centre
Manager. “This will certainly help to motivate the boys, especially at this time
of year. It gives them a feeling of belonging – letting them know that people
still care about them. The Kiwanians presence here today, really makes a
difference, and your mingling and interfacing substitutes for the absence of the
father figure in their lives”.
Mr. Donald Foster, Staff
Officer. “This definitely is a positive move. A group of men is most needed in
order to enhance our mentoring programme. The support groups which align with
the centre currently comprised mostly of women. It is God-sent that the
Kiwanians have come because these boys can identify with the male more easily.
Sir, the bonding and friendship fostered and promoted today, will certainly make
a difference”.
Attendees
Kiwanians:
President Abdon Campbell,
IPP Errol Josephs, V.P. Huit Johnson, D.P Don Bennett, D.P. Roosevelt
Gillett-Chambers, P.P. George Beckford, P.V.P. Rudolph Jacobs, Directors Clive
Gardener and Vendryes Brimm, Treasurer Michael Parker, Chairman Maxwell Pike, Kiwanian Ewan Simpson, Qualifying Kiwanians Warren Perez and Garnett.
Key Clubbers
from St. Catherine High School: President Taneisha Irwin, and Director Raquel
Dixon
For More Information Contact:
Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town
P.O. Box 507, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica, W.I,
Email:
kiwanisspanishtown@hotmail.com
Kiwanis Club of Spanish Town 
