One hundred and thirty-five St John family members gathered at the St John family ancestral spot in Long Bay to celebrate their fifth family reunion from 4-12 August on the theme, ‘A rich heritage anchored in love’.
.Family members travelled from France, Holland, Ireland, St Kitts, the USA, the Virgin Islands, St Maarten, and St Martin to be part of the reunion.
The highlights of the week of activities were
1. A Unity March from the ancestral premises to the Shimei Tabernacle, led by Jireh Tabernacle Pathfinders Drum Corps and the St John family Pathfinders and Master Guides.
2. The unfurling of the St John Family flag during the march. The symbols of the flag are the St John family tree, a map of Anguilla with the local thatch broom placed on Long Bay where the family originated, and a ball of twine that was used to attach the thatch to the broom stick. The twine was made from sisal (called fibre) and was referred to as ‘woollen’.
3. Worship at the Jireh Tabernacle on 5th August, in honour of the St John family ancestors who were charter members of the SDA Church at Long Bay. The services were conducted by family members.
4. The honouring of the family patriarch, Mr Alban St John, in one of the services.
5. Worship at the Immanuel Methodist Church on 6 August, in honour of the St John family ancestors who held positions of leadership in the Methodist Church at West End. Family members participated in the service.
6. A Fellowship Lunch with the Methodist congregation at the end of the service.
7. An August Monday brunch at Malliouhana Hotel.
8. The four-hour exclusive use of the Aqua P ark.
9. The Awards Dinner Gala at Paradise Cove Resort- the culminating event of the family reunion. Presentations of certificates, gifts and plaques were made to many family members, and to three community members – Mrs Daphne Connor, Mr Calvert Fleming (Junie) and Mrs Ilean Richardson – for their contribution to the St John family.
10. The presentation of The Ann Elizabeth St John US$500 School Book/Equipment Fund to Trinity Harrigan of Long Bay, a graduate of the Alwyn Allison Primary School, who will enter Campus B in September this year. The Ann Elizabeth St John School Book /Equipment Fund was created at the second St John family reunion in 2002 to help a hardworking, well behaved child of the Long Bay /West End community who has been a student of the Alwyn Allison Primary School for at least four consecutive years, to obtain a secondary school education. If the student is a high achiever that would be a plus, but the emphasis is on hard work and good behaviour. The Fund was created in honour of the St John family matriarch, Mrs Ann Elizabeth St John.
The fifth St John family reunion has injected over US$40, 000 into the Anguilla economy.
With a deep sense of gratitude, the St John family takes this opportunity to acknowledge the following contributors to their fifth family reunion:
• Mr Hubert Hughes, former Chief Minister of Anguilla and a long-standing friend of the family, for giving us free accommodation in five of his apartments in Lower South Hill;
• Pastor Trent Berg, the Seventh-day Adventist minister, and the Shimei Tabernacle Church Board, for allowing us to conduct the Sabbath morning services on 5 August;
• Mr Calvert Fleming (Junie), Pathfinder Area Coordinator; Mr Fabrice Stevens, Pathfinder Deputy Director; and the Jireh Tabernacle Drum Corps, for providing large Anguilla and Pathfinder flags and drum accompaniment, and marching in solidarity with the St John family Pathfinders and Master Guides and the rest of the family on the Sabbath morning of 5 August;
• The Reverend Dr Wycherley Gumbs and the Immanuel Methodist Church, for allowing our participation in the church service on Sunday 6 August, accepting our invitation to join us in a Fellowship Lunch after service, and for allowing us the use of the church hall and its furniture to host the event;
• Mr Alexandre Usseglio, Director of Operations, Malliouhana Auberge Resort & Spa; Mr Carlton Hughes, Assistant Director, Food and Beverage; and the kitchen staff, for including us in the Resort’s Community Outreach Programme by reserving the dining hall for our August Monday brunch, privatizing the hall at no cost to us, making the necessary arrangements to accommodate our numbers, and providing quality service on the occasion;
• Mrs Sherille Hughes of Paradise Cove Resort for coordinating and hosting our Dinner Awards Gala;
• Mr Lawrence Stott for being our photographer, free of cost;
• The ever-willing Mrs Lynette Romney for catering and hosting our Sabbath lunch at Nette’s Place on 5th August, providing some of the dishes at her expense, and charging us nothing for her services or the use of her Place;
• Mrs Dorothy Fleming, for preparing, at no cost to the family for her time, labour or gas, her specialty pumpkin soup that was served at our Reception and Fellowship Dinner at the beginning of our reunion on 4 August;
• Mr Convert Carty (Dave) and Mrs Maureen Carty for catering the lunch at the Methodist Church Hall on 6 August;
• Mr Convert Carty (Dave) and Mr Bondee Bryan for helping to clean up the ancestral spot;
• Mrs Rhonda Connor, Chief Education Officer; and Mrs Tracelyn Hamilton, Principal, Adrian T Hazel Primary School, for loaning us 100 chairs, and Mr Calvert Fleming for loaning 8 large tables for the duration of the family reunion;
• Mr Keith Carty (Chiniks), Mr Christopher Carty, Mr Vivian Alexander and Mr Candon Richardson for loading, transporting and off loading the chairs and tables used in the family reunion; and
• Ms Ruth Wilson, for her technical expertise in the production of the Awards Dinner Booklet; Miss Lina Pascal, for typing all the certificates distributed at the Awards Dinner, and assisting with the typing of other material for this reunion; and Mrs Mauretta Hazell, for baking several cakes for the reunion for free, including ingredients, time, labour and fuel.
– Contributed
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
