SUNDAY CHRONICLE April 13, 2014
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Inner Wheel Club to host Hat Show on April 26 in Promenade Gardens By Alex Wayne FOR OVER twenty years, the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown has been hosting hat shows that have become a major annual event in Guyana, attracting hundreds of visitors each year at the Promenade Gardens. This year’s Annual Hat Show and Garden Party is slated for Saturday, April 26, 2014; and the main attraction, as the name suggests, is a hat competition for children and adults in the three categories of elegant, topical, and original. In the past, the colourful and elegant designs have stood out in particular, but the original and topical hats make a lasting impression, according to the organisers. The organizers say hats were displayed in the past to raise awareness about topics such as inadequate housing by volunteers of Habitat for Humanity, and one regular contestant, when she was in her 80s, had depicted the deplorable state of Georgetown, which has been induced by ‘garbage overflow’. Registration for the competition is done on the day of the show, and contestants are required to attend early to be registered by 14:30 hrs. Organisers noted at a small press conference yesterday that male contestants are still in the minority, and they think this category of participant may need a special invitation and encouragement to participate. Visitors can also look forward to having delicious tea served at the ‘Tea Stall’. As usual, there will be various other booths, including a Book Stall; while games and a “sweet and savoury” stall will be available. Music for the event will, as is customary, be provided by the Guyana Police Force Band, who will be installed in the Promenade Gardens Band Stand as the Hat Competition progresses. HISTORY The Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown is a charitable organisation that raises funds in order to make an impact in the lives of the less fortunate. Through scholarships for young adults seeking training in the fields of education and medicine, and by participating in community development activities that benefit children and the elderly, as well as by spreading cheer on festive occasions, the club goes about fulfilling its mission. The Annual Hat Show and Garden Party held at the Promenade Gardens on Easter Saturday is the club’s largest fund-raising event. Entrance fee has been set at $200, while children under eight years old will be admitted free of charge. Tea will be made available for a contribution of $1500, which includes the entrance fee. Today, the International Inner Wheel Club has over 100,000 members located in 3,895 clubs in more than 100 countries worldwide. The work of this club started in 1924 when the wives of Rotarians sought to assist their husbands in fund-raising efforts towards Rotary projects. The Inner Wheel International Club was formed in 1967, and while Inner Wheel Clubs continue to support Rotary, they also have their own projects. The Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown, chartered on March 16, 1985, recently celebrated twenty-nine years of service, and still has active members like Charter President Maylene Davis, who has served from inception of the club. To mark this year’s anniversary, and in keeping with its theme, “We for Women”, current President Aretha Campbell made a presentation on behalf of the organisation to assist Help and Shelter. On March 28, 2014, representatives from eleven special schools located in Linden, New Amsterdam, Grove and Georgetown gathered at the National Park where they received gifts from the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown. The National Park Playground is one of the organisation’s more visible projects.
Representatives of the Inner Wheel Club of Georgetown pose with pieces of their Easter Hat Collection.
Republic Bank conducts career ... (FROM PAGE 9) ment Services at Republic Bank, Ms. Denise Hobbs, said the Career Coaching initiative was launched in response to a national need for better prepared and informed applicants. “We believe that Republic Bank Career Coaching offers the workshop participants the power to succeed in preparing their applications, facing job interviews, and integrating into their work environment of choice,” she explained. Hobbs stressed that critical to national development and the advancement of Guyanese is a capable and efficient workforce, hence she noted that Republic Bank has an obligation to ensure such development by equipping the participants with the requisite level of awareness, knowledge and skills to propel their careers. Friday was the first day of this two-day event, and it ushered in the interactive participation of members of the Board of Directors: Mrs. Yolande Foo; Ms. Joyce Sinclair, Management and Training Consultant; Ms. Bonita Hunter and Mrs. Coreen Jacobs, UG lecturers; Dr. Ken Hunte, retired University of Guyana lecturer and educator; and Mrs. Jannis London, who heads Republic Bank’s Training and Development Centre.
Participants at the Career Coaching session at UG
To date, over 300 final-year UG students have participated in these workshops, and over 100 students have registered this year. Ms Hobbs has affirmed that Republic Bank holds fast to the commitment of being stewards of our nation’s prosperity, and with the vision of fostering dedication, professionalism and integrity, the Bank can pave the way for engendering the culture of excellence to which the country aspires. Only last month, the Bank granted awards to two graduating students at UG for outstanding performances in their fields of academics. The awards went to Best Graduating Student in the Social Sciences, Eileen Marray, who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree; and Vikesh Persaud, who graduated with a Diploma in Banking and Finance. The awards and the career coaching are components of the Republic Bank’s ‘Power to Make a Difference’ social investment initiative, and are a part of an ongoing multifaceted partnership with the University of Guyana, as the Bank seeks to instill in students the power to learn and succeed. Other aspects include scholarships and the provision of business journals to the library of the University of Guyana.