The Valley, Anguilla, 11 July 2017 – As Anguilla celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution, three young Junior Optimists journeyed to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on 29 June 2017, intent on creating another Anguillian celebration. The youngsters were registered delegates at the Junior Optimist International (JOI) Convention where Lieutenant Governor, Tiandra Carty, a member of the ‘Progressive Youth Octagon Club’, was vying for a seat on the Junior Optimist International Board of Directors.
Accompanying her were JOI members Abigail Proctor, Secretary of the ‘Kids for the Future Junior Optimist Club’, and Darian Carty, President of the ‘Superstars Junior Optimist Club’. They were chaperoned by President Amethyst Davis, Immediate Past President; Avon Carty and JOI Committee Chairperson Emma Ferguson of the ‘Optimist Club of Anguilla’.
In a tightly contested election held on the final day of the convention, LtG Tiandra was elected as one of four (4) Directors from a slate of seven (7) candidates to serve on the Junior Optimist International Board, for the year 2017 – 2018. LtG Tiandra is one of only three JOI members from the Caribbean District to serve on the International Board, following in the footsteps of Past Director Cordane Richardson from Anguilla, and Past President Javani Waugh from Jamaica. The 2017 – 2018 board was sworn in at the President’s Banquet held on the last evening of convention.
At the banquet, awards were given to outstanding Junior Optimists from across the organisation – and ten members from Anguilla’s Junior Optimist Clubs received PGI (Personal Growth and Involvement) medallions. Darian Carty, Naiva Hodge, Yohalis Mercedes, Steven Connor, Jarnesha Hughes and Orianna Poison from the ‘Superstars JOI Club’, Abigail Proctor and Meekia Harrigan from the ‘Kids For The Future JOI Club’ and Maldron Carty and Tyiesha Emmanuel from the ‘Progressive Youth Octagon Club’ were awarded bronze medallions, and Denecia Connor and Tiandra Carty also from ‘Progressive Youth Octagon Club’ were awarded silver medallions.
The Optimist Club of Anguilla as well as the Junior Optimist Clubs, thank everyone who assisted in making their attendance to the 2017 International Convention possible. The Clubs also congratulate International Director-Elect Tiandra Carty on her sterling campaign which won her a seat on the International JOI Board.
– Contributed
