On Tuesday 10 March history was made. For the first time in Anguilla the Commonwealth Flag was flown in a primary school – in honour of the commonwealth sports – a precursor to the very thing. Normally on Commonwealth Day the flag is raised on Government buildings but, this year, under the direction of the Anguilla Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA), the Vivien Vanterpool Primary School (VVPS) was chosen to be the first to fly the flag.
Officials at the event included the elected representative for District One, Mr Othlyn Vanterpool; a Minister of the Gospel, Bishop Evan Brooks; P S Education, Mrs Chanelle Petty Barrett; ACGA General Secretary, Mrs Althea Hodge; VVPS Critical Friend, Mr Winston Duncan; and Principal VVPS, Mrs Mavis Fleming Drakes.
Anguilla is part of the 53 nations that make up the Commonwealth of Nations and is one of the 70+ teams that participate in the Commonwealth Games which happen every 4 years. The ACGA has partnered with the Education Department in sponsoring the Inter-House Competition which generally takes place around Commonwealth Day each year. The ACGA is endeavouring to keep a finger on the pulse of athletics in Anguilla and create a desire in our youth to become part of something grand: the Commonwealth Games – to join the saga of history continuously being made, where people can shine because of their abilities.
According to Mrs Hodge, “Anguilla has been to a number of games, the most recent being in Glasgow, and the next one will be in 2018. That is going to be in the Gold Coast in Australia. In between that, we also have the Youth Commonwealth Games, and this year the games are going to be in Samoa. We hope to send a team of about 5 individuals to take part; and in 2017 it is going to be in St Lucia – so we are hoping that at that time, we can have more athletes participating.”
Just before Commonwealth Day, 2 members of the ACGA go to each school promoting the occasion and then presenting the winning House of each school with a shield. At the VVPS the winning Red House received the award with a great shout of celebration.
The students actively participated in the event by raising the Anguilla flag, and then the Commonwealth flag to the singing of the song ‘We are the World’, in what Mr Winston Duncan called a special and historic occasion.
