THE local chapter of Junior Chamber International, St. Lucia Jaycees, is currently being organized to serve the local communities. The St. Lucia Jaycees, as an organization, had been dormant for some thirty years.
Junior Chamber International, Jaycees, was started in the United States by Henry Giessenbier Jr. in 1915. Now in St. Lucia, the Jaycees was started by JCI Senator Peter Bergasse, now deceased, in 1960.
Now what exactly is Junior Chapter International, Jaycees? JCI is a non-profit, leadership organization of young, active citizens age 18 – 40 years who are engaged and committed to creating an impact in their communities. Active citizens are individuals invested in the future of our world, JCI gathers active citizens from all sectors of the society. Jaycees develops the skills, knowledge and understanding of active citizens, which helps them to make informed decisions and take action.
Indeed, I was very careful not to say that the Jaycees had been dormant in St. Lucia, because the numerous leaders the organization had turned out in St. Lucia had been putting the knowledge, skills and understanding which they had acquired in this wonderful leadership organization into use for several decades, and up to now.
Many of the members of Jaycees who are still around or very active in St. Lucia are Past President and JCI Senator Sir Julian Robert Hunte, Thomas Ambrose, Hubert F.G. James, Sylvestre Phillip, Lera Pascal, Hervan Henry just to name a few. Others who have gone to the great beyond are John Bristol, Zephrin Descartes, JCI Senator Romanus Lansiquot, Michael Andrews and John St. Lucy, just to name a few.
Now what is the purpose of JCI (Jaycees)? The JCI mission is to improve the safety and quality of care in the international community through the provision of education, publication, consultation, and evaluation and accreditation of services. By accreditation I mean an acknowledgment of a person’s responsibility for achievement of something. It also means that when a member has gone through “the University of Junior Chamber International” they would have acquired the potential of an effective leader in his or her community.
Indeed, JCI members seek targeted solutions to the unique problems in their communities to build a better world, creating global impact. JCI does not have any religious or political affiliation. However, many of local Jaycees, having received the leadership training which the organization provides, have become parliamentarians. Meaning that they became members of parliament.
Let me indicate that Romanus Lansiquot, Julian R. Hunte, John Bristol, Ezekiel Joseph were all parliamentarians. Ezekiel Joseph was, up to 2021, the Minister of Agriculture in St. Lucia.
Many others have played and are still playing effective leadership roles in their immediate community.
Let me take the opportunity to inform you of the young persons who are pioneering the re-organization of the Junior Chamber International (Jaycees) in St. Lucia. The Chairman is Syim Phillip, Vice Chairman Kevon Daniel, Secretary Denis George, Assistant Secretary Shernia Phillip, Treasurer Dr. Sidonia Sidonie -Volney, Assistant Treasurer Dorie Poptani, Chairman of Logistics Marcus Giraudy, Public Relations Officer Jarmac Charles and Legal Counsel K-Wani Roberts.
The team is assisted by the following former members of the St. Lucia Jaycees: Clive Hippolyte, Nigel Fulgence, Sylvestre Phillip, Joan Hippolyte and Ezekiel Joseph, among others.
In order to come into the ‘public eye’ the team has organized a Food/Hamper Drive which would be donated to the St. Lucy’s Home at Bishop’s Gap, Marchand.
The formal launching of the Local JCI team will be held in the near future.
We have been providing information on the Junior Chamber International. However, there is a regional sister organization, The West Indies Jaycees or JCI – West Indies.
West Indies Jaycees was born in 1960 with Conrad O’Brien serving as its first President. A delegation comprising members of all our territories in the region attended the JCI World Congress in Paris and it was there that the West Indies gained membership to that international organization.
St. Lucia’s representative at that congress was Senator Peter Bergasse of J.E.Bergasse & Company, now deceased. On his return, he actually started the St. Lucia Jaycees in 1960.
In 1961 Trinidad played host to the first West Indies Junior Chamber National Conference popularly known as the Jaycees Convention. Later that same year Conrad O’Brien was elected West Indies Jaycees Vice President.
There are member territories from North America to the Northern South American region. The West Indies Jaycees include Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St. Vincent, Grenada, Barbados, Guyana, to name some of the member states.
St. Lucia is now preparing to re-join her sister organizations in the West Indies.
I must point out that the re-organizing team has a high level of enthusiasm, and before too long, St. Lucia Jaycees will once again become a household name in our beautiful island.
I, myself, am confident that the young people of St. Lucia would have a leadership training organization to which they can avail themselves.