Poor planning mars awards ceremony

(As part of observances for its 30th anniversary, Stabroek News will be reproducing snippets from its earlier years on page four of each day’s newspaper.) “MY TASK has ended...I am functus officio.” With these words, former Chancellor Victor Emanuel Crane, concluded his assignment as Chairman of the Awards Assessment Committee during the presentation ceremony of the President’s Awards to Private Sector Industry last Saturday night. The venue was the National Cultural Centre.

Mr. Crane did not appear to have been fully briefed in his role as announcer of the prize winners.

His announcement that some of the applicants for awards had not complied faithfully with the conditions set out by his committee left the audience wondering why the committee had not written them for more information in the time available.

Mr. Crane did not have the names of some of the persons who were to appear on stage to collect awards or information on some companies, which had won prizes. This suggested a breakdown in communication and cast a shadow on an otherwise impressive ceremony.

The climax came when Mr. Crane, in stentorian tones, told one of the young men, whose name he did not have, as he arrived on stage to receive the prize for his company to turn to the audience and give his name. This was done, somewhat hesitantly, by the bemused young man.

There were two other aspects of the evening’s ceremony which aroused some comment. Why, people asked, were the usheresses, charming young women wearing white gloves?

It was also asked whether it is against protocol to place the President’s chair close enough to the FOUR Industry giants with their Presidential trophies. From left are rice farmer, miller and exporter Kayman Sankar, Lorace Massay of East Coast engineers and fabricators Industrial Engineering Limited (IEL) , Bruce Vieira from the shrimping firm BEV Industries who specialises in the export of Sea Bobs and George Jardim, a director of IEL.

persons on stage, so that he would have someone to talk to during a lull in proceedings or to make an observation.

At the awards ceremony on Saturday night, the President’s chair was about four feet away from Mr. McIntyre on his right and

Mr. Crane on his left.

The President to all appearances, was left isolated and displayed a special brand of tolerance

throughout the evenings proceedings as he looked repeatedly at the programme as if to break the monotony.