Roadtown, Tortola - Sixty-five former long serving civil servants were honoured at an appreciation dinner held on Friday, culminating activities in observance of Public Service Week.
His Excellency the Governor David Pearey in his welcoming remarks congratulated the retirees. “You have maintained a standard of excellence throughout your careers. I am quite sure that in this phase of your life you will continue to keep those standards up and maintain the excellence that has been a part of your existence in the public service.”
“I wish you well in whatever you choose to do in the coming years and thank you for your contribution to the public service,” the Governor added.
In her keynote address Mrs. Josephine Callwood, former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour and a recent retiree expressed her congratulations to the retirees and assured them that there is life after retirement.
“There is life after retirement. Look at the recent retirees and the ones who are retiring tonight. They are energetic, mentally sharp and physically fit,” she said.
Mrs. Callwood added, “There are things to do to make retirement fun, purposeful and rewarding. Pick up a hobby and sharpen the talents you have; volunteer; reconnect with old friends; travel; become a consultant in your area of expertise; make time for yourself and your interests and develop and maintain a relationship with God.”
Deputy Governor Mrs. V. Inez Archibald in her remarks also expressed congratulations to the retirees. “We thank you, we congratulate you, we hope that we remain worthy of your hard work. We (The Public Service) promise to emulate the good, to look at what may not have been so good to change that and to make you proud of us.”
Mrs. Cecily Malone, an educator for 40 years, responded on behalf of the retirees.
Director of Human Resources Mr. David Archer in his brief remarks described the retirees as kings and queens of the public service. “You are the kings and queens who laid the foundation for this great palace and this great village that we call the public service.”
Mrs. Cecily Malone responding on behalf of the retirees said, “It is always good to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of persons. It nourishes the spirit, cultivates emotions and social acuity, which in turn increases productivity.”
Mrs. Malone expressed her appreciation on behalf of the retirees to the various Governments under whom they have served and the persons they came into contact with daily for allowing them to provide service to the community.
“Thank you to our families for putting up with us even when they were sacrificed for our careers. There is no greater purpose on earth than to serve your fellow men.” Mrs. Malone added.
Chief Information Officer Mrs. Geraldine Ritter Freeman chaired the event.
Public Service Week was observed in the Territory from June 21-26 under the theme, “Working Towards a ‘World Class’ Public Service through Continuous Change.” The week is observed annually to highlight the contribution of public servants to the Territory’s development and give members of the public an opportunity to gain a better appreciation and understanding of the work of the service.
British Virgin Islands News