 Please remain standing for the entrance of the Prime Minister and the Governor-General. We begin our prayer in the words of St. Paul to the Philippians chapter 2 verses 13 which says that it is the Lord who accomplishes all that we have done. For God we recognize that it is your grace and generosity which has been bestowed on us that makes us acquire the desire to work and serve. And for this we give you praise. Therefore Almighty God, Creator and Source of all goodness, we thank you for the grace granted all those who have served this country past and present, but especially those to be invested today with the 2018 birthday awards of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We pray that the selfless service of the recipients will inspire others, especially the youth, to emulate the work they have done, to earn not rewards but awards of recognition of service for the good and welfare of the people of this great nation, St. Lucia. We pray for the families of the recipients who have supported them. May the example of those gathered here who have served continue to give good values spiritually, socially, culturally to further and uplift the fabric under well-being of the society. We pray for His Excellencies and Nervils, Nerville and Lady Julia Snack, and for the Prime Minister and members of Parliament, for their service in guiding the affairs of this country in pursuit of the common good. We pray for long and peaceful reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It is through her kindness that the recipients are being invested with her awards today. We make this prayer of invocation in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. Amen. Kindly take your seats, Honorable Prime Minister, members of Cabinet, members of Parliament, members of the Diplomatic Corps, recipients, family members, other distinguished ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of His Excellency, Sir Emmanuel Nerville Snack and Lady Julia Snack, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Government House to witness the investiture of the recipients of Her Majesty's, the Queen's, birthday honours for June 2018 into the order of chivalry of the most excellent order of the British Empire. The most excellent order of the British Empire is the most recent amongst the sovereign's order of chivalry. It was first instituted by King George V by letters patent dated 4th June 1917 to reward services to the war effort by the thousands of civilians and servicemen in support positions during World War I. Also associated with this order is the British Empire Medal, BEM, which was originally awarded for loyal and meritorious service by civilians and military personnel during the Great War over 100 years ago. Since its institution, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has made subsequent alterations to the status of ordinances to the order, so that awards are now given to those who make distinguished or notable contributions in their own specific areas of activity or for achievement of services to their community or country. The most excellent order of the British Empire consists of the sovereign, be it Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and a Grand Master, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as sovereign of the order, appoints all members on the advice of Her Government in St Lucia. The number of persons appointed in each class and division of the order is set out in the statutes for the most excellent order of the British Empire, which explains the quota, the quota system used to give these awards on an annual basis. St Lucia's quota for this year's Queen's Birthday Honours List was one commander of the order of the British Empire, two officers of the order of the British Empire, three members of the order of the British Empire, and three British Empire medals. Today, we shall witness the investiture of seven, should have been seven, but somebody called to say that she cannot come, but six of the nine recipients of the twenty eight in Queen's Birthday Honours. As two of the awardees have chosen to travel to the United Kingdom for the investiture, before we commence with the formal investiture of the recipients of the Queen's Birthday Honours, I would like to invite you to sit back and enjoy a rendition from the Royal St Lucia Police Band. Her Majesty the Queen has been graciously pleased and on the advice of her St Lucia Ministers to approve of the following awards in the 2018 Birthday Honours List. CBE, commander of the British Empire, Dr Herbert Marius for services to health care. OBE, to be ordinary officers of the civil division of the most excellent order of the British Empire, Mrs Augusta Eiffel for contribution to education. MBE, to be ordinary members of the civil division of the most excellent order of the British Empire. Mr Alfonso Stevens Stanislaus for services to education and community service. BEM, British Empire Medal, civil division. Mr Julius Ajuda for service to the community. Ms Christina Alcide for service to the community and Mrs Rita Catherine Dyer for contribution to education. Investiture of the commander of the British Empire, Dr Herbert Marius. Dr Herbert Marius has had a long career in the field of medicine spanning over 30 years. Dr Marius as he's affectionately known was born in the village of Derriso where he also completed his primary school education. He later migrated to castries with his parents and at the age of 11 he won the castries city scholarship to St Mary's College and later the island scholarship in 1967 to study medicine in Jamaica. He spent the first two years of his career as a junior doctor with Dr Brian Bennett at the St Jude Hospital. During the course of his career he was the consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Victoria Hospital and also was head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from 1997 to 2012. In 1998 he was elevated to the fellow of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists. Dr Marius held clinics for at-risk parents at the old Denry Hospital, St Jude Hospital and the Souffre Hospital on a weekly basis. He volunteered to work for the St Lucia Family Planning Association and was the district gynaecologist. He continues to work with the police in rape cases until this day. Despite his busy schedule Dr Marius also runs a private practice in castries and continues to make women's health his passion. For long and meritorious work in the field of medicine Dr Herbert Marius is being conferred with the award of Commander of the British Empire. Investiture of the officers of the British Empire. Mrs Augusta Eiffel for outstanding contribution to education. Mrs Augusta Eiffel began her teaching career and served for 23 years at the St Joseph's Convent from 1973 as a teacher of math and science. During that time she acquired her Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences and Mathematics from the University of the West Indies and continued to sharpen her skills by pursuing a Diploma in Education in 1982 with an emphasis in the teaching of physics. She later attained an Executive Diploma in School Administration and a Masters in Educational Administration. She left St Joseph's Convent in 1996 to become the Principal of the Entry Post Secondary School, a post she held for five years before moving to the Ministry of Education as the Registrar of Examinations. She was then promoted to Chief Education Officer until her retirement in 2011. Although retired, Mrs Eiffel continues to provide tuition to secondary school students in the areas of Math, Physics and Chemistry. She provides assistance to schools when called upon and assists teachers in their administrative administering of CXC Science and Math programs. Augusta is the proud mother of two sons and a grandmother of one, but is mother to numerous students who love and appreciate her many years of service. For 38 years of exemplary and dedicated service to education, Mrs Augusta Eiffel is being awarded the Officer of the British Empire Medal. Investiture of the ordinary members of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Mr Alfonso Stanislaus for outstanding contribution to education and community service. Mr Alfonso Stanislaus entered the Teaching Service in 1974 as a pupil teacher at the Lazy Tang Combined School. He transitioned from E-Tang to the Sufret Junior Secondary School as a science and agricultural teacher in 1970. He was later awarded a scholarship to study for a diploma in Science Education at the South Hampton University. Thereafter, Mr Stanislaus completed several other courses including an Executive Diploma in Management with the University of the West Indies. Mr Stanislaus served as the Vice Principal of the Sufret Comprehensive Secondary School from 2000 to 2002 becoming the Principal in 2002 until his retirement in 2006. He remained an avid community leader establishing and serving on several organizations the Sufret Fisherman's Cooperative, the Ravino Mothers and Fathers Group, the Bellevue Farmers Cooperative and the Sufret Regional Development Foundation. For 32 years of committed and outstanding service to education and community, Mr Alfonso Stanislaus is being awarded the Member of the British Empire Medal, Investiture of the British Empire Medal, Mr Julius Ajuda. Mr Julius Ajuda, more affectionately known as Porto, was born and raised in the community of January. He was loved by all for his dedication, diligence, commitment, enthusiasm, caring and creative abilities as he provided support to the marginalized and deprived individuals in the community. Perhaps Mr Ajuda is best known for his ambitious business exploits that he undertook. He experimented with auto mechanics, fishing, farming and bus driving. He kept a hardware and grocery store, a restaurant and a club disco employing several people from the community and he paid special attention to their welfare. He often put up his premises to guarantee loans for community members and allowed several persons to squat on his lands without notice. For his philanthropic, passionate and caring attitude, Mr Julius Ajuda is being awarded the British Empire Medal, Rita Dyer for her contribution in the field of education and her commitment to women's development. Mrs Rita Catherine Dyer began her career in the teaching profession as a family and consumer science teacher at the Entrepost Secondary School. Thereafter, she took up the position of senior lecturer at the Division of Teacher Education and Educational Administration of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Mrs Dyer has served as the Assistant Chief Examiner for CXC examinations and as a moderator for the CSEC examinations in Food and Nutrition from 2009 to 2015. In 2016, she served as the Assessor for the Technical and Vocational Educational Training Unit, TVET, at the Ministry of Education. Internal and External Verifier Training and as an Assessor with the TVET Competency at the Dominica, Goodwill Secondary and Grammar Schools. Mrs Dyer's contribution has not been limited to education. She has given selfless service to the court diversion programs for youth at risk where she served as administrator, as a nutritionist and life skills education for troubled youth at risk, as a consultant for JPEC USAID Youth Entrepreneurship Program, and as a volunteer teacher with the Center for Adolescent Rehabilitation and Education Care. Currently, Mrs Dyer is a consultant with the St Lucia Social Development Fund and the Roving Caregivers for income generation agro-processing activities with vulnerable women in canneries and viewport. For long and meritorious contribution to education and commitment to women and youth development, Mrs Rita Kacarindaya is being awarded the British Empire Medal. Ms Christina Alcide for outstanding service to community. Ms Christina Alcide hails from the community of Babonu. She entered the teaching service in 1957 at the Babonu Infant and Primary Schools. She retired from the teaching service in 1991 and went on to serve at the Babonu Library until 2001. She has a distinguished record of service in the community having founded the Babonu Catholic Church Choir and for many years been a catechist and preparing parents and godparents for infant baptism. Ms Alcide is a past member of the parish pastoral council and a member of the St Lucia Couples for Christ ministry, a lector and canter in the church. She also spends her time organizing Lenten retreats in the parish and remains to this day an animator in the church. Ms Alcide views this as her life's mission and is loved and admired by many. For dedicated service to the community, Ms Christina Alcide is being conferred with the award of the British Empire Medal. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a resounding round of applause to all the recipients of the twenty-eight inquiries of the owners. I invite us all to listen to another rendition from the Royal St Lucia Police Band. The Prime Minister of St Lucia to deliver the closing remarks. Your Excellency, Sir Emmanuel Neville Snack and Lady Snack, cabinet colleagues, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, good morning or in the spirit of the Creole Heritage Month. It is my privilege to be in such a esteemed company today as our citizens are being recognized and honored for their various contributions as part of Her Majesty's birthday honors. The honor system recognizes those individuals who have made impactful contributions in public life, committed themselves to serving and helping their community or done outstanding work throughout their life that they now stand out as an example for us all. I look around this morning and I see devoted educators who have helped shape the minds of generations, a doctor who brought so many lives into this world and other dedicated community servants who have impacted our nation. We are truly humbled to share this day with you and remain in awe of your achievements. Of course we don't believe any one of you being honored today went about your daily work conscious of being recognized in this way. You did what you had to for your family, for your community, and more importantly for your nation. If we are to consider ourselves as a caring and strong community we must take a moment always to say thank you to those who have contributed and continue to contribute to nation building. Sukarno, a leader of the Indonesian independence movement and Indonesia's first president once said and I quote, a great nation is a nation that respects the services of the heroes. You all qualify as heroes in the history book of St Lucia. Hence although you are here because you travel that extra mile and we wish to thank you this is not only this is not our only reason for this honor. We may also we also do so knowing that your life story will serve as an inspiration to others. Yes in a sense we want to show you off to St Lucia especially to our young solutions trying to make their own way. You see we are fast approaching a very significant milestone in St Lucia. Our island will mark 40 years of independence in 2019. Knowing who we are as people and where we want to go is more important now than ever before. So as we prepare for our 40th independence anniversary celebrations we must highlight and see more faces of those solutions who contribute most times quietly but they have a huge impact on people's everyday lives. I'm talking about the lady who makes breakfast for the sick and shut in every day. The young person who invent invents or innovates product. The man who volunteers to coach football after school so our kids stay off the streets. Our heroes are everywhere. So at this time I wish to invite solutions to participate in a nomination of outstanding citizens for national awards for this coming February. Hence persons such as yourselves can serve as an example for others as we strive to build a stronger nation. Let me take this opportunity on behalf of the government of St Lucia to once again congratulate all of you and thank you for your outstanding service. I also wish to thank your families for their support in your achievements and for sharing with you all that is at this time because you don't get to where you are without that support system without their sacrifice. I'm sure that your families and friends and colleagues are immensely proud of you. Dr. Hubert Maris, Mr. Gustaf Eiffel, Mr. Calyx Lyon, Ms. Melzar Bruce, Ms. Felicity Lucia, Mr. Alfonius Stanislaus, Mr. Julius Ajuda, Ms. Cristina Alcide and Ms. Rita Catherine Dyer. I thank each one of you for your service to our country and for your contributions to our national development. May God continue to bless you and our island. Thank you very much Prime Minister for those inspiring words. Prime Minister, members of parliament, I almost said colleague ministers, perhaps it's a sign of things to come in the future. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, His Excellency Sir Emmanuel Neville Snack is very appreciative of your taking time to celebrate with us the investiture of the recipients into the most excellent order of the British Empire and invites you to partake of the refreshments which we will be serving out on the Piazo that is after the national anthem has been played. The recipients are kindly asked to remain here for a short while with the Prime Minister and his Excellency for group photo or for group photographs and ladies and gentlemen please stand for the national anthem of signature.