By Rayon Dyer, Gleaner WriterBRUCE GOLDING, chairman of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) said that the spirit of voluntarism is very much alive in Jamaica and community organisations such as the Rotary Club among others have been playing a significant role in positive nation building.
"The Rotary Club came into Jamaica not to fill a gap but to extend the work of helping the needy. That includes at times helping those who are sick, paying the school fees of some students and helping the elderly", said Mr. Golding. He said that a significant demand had been placed on the voluntary spirit of the country.
HONOUREES
He was addressing the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz's 24th anniversary and vocational awards dinner at the Chariots Hotel in Leeds, St. Elizabeth on Saturday night. Three persons were honoured for their work in the community. The awardees were Beris Suburan for his contribution to the field of agriculture; Mrs. Mella Hayle for her sterling contribution to the field of business and Mrs. Ruby McLeggan for her contribution to the field of health care.
"If we are going to shift responsibility to the citizens then the citizens themselves must help to define those responsibilities...," Golding said.
ECONOMIC MATTERS
Turning to economic matters Mr. Golding said that the Jamaican economy had remained stagnant for the last 10 years with a growth rate of 3.3 per cent while the country's population had grown by eight per cent over the same period. He also noted that while other countries in the region had been doing well, Jamaica continues to lag behind.
Among the guests at the function were Dr. Horace Chang, deputy leader in charge of the JLP Area Council Four and attorney-at-law Jermey Palmer and Councillors Stallin Brown and Donald Simpson.
