Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen has issued a call for Justices of the Peace (JPs) to promote, recognize and affirm youth within the parish of St. Catherine in an effort to continue the legacy of the Hon. Sophia Azan, former Custos.
Speaking at an appreciation function at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club on April 30, put on by the JPs to honour the retired Custos, Sir Patrick Allen stated that, “our young people are making a significant change. It is not business as usual with them. We are at a moment in time when we overlook them to their detriment.”
He said that despite reports of unacceptable behaviour by young people in some areas of society, many do have a social conscience which has a greater chance of being renewed and improved when they are engaged in wholesome activities. He urged JPs and Jamaicans in general to “care for our young people and model the right behaviour for them to follow.”
In her response, Reverend Azan restated her call for Jamaican youth to have at least one year of etiquette training upon leaving high school, so that they may, “feel become.” Reflecting on her tenure as Custos, Reverend Azan said it was her distinct pleasure to have served her country in an office that allowed her to “minister to people in different ways.”
Other speakers paying tribute at the event which was organized by the Lay Magistrates’ Association of St. Catherine included the Hon. Delroy Chuck, Minster of Justice; the Hon. Mrs. Justice Zaila McCalla, Chief Justice and Councillor Norman Scott, Mayor of Spanish Town. A series of cultural items by students from schools within the parish completed the evening’s programme.