The Bermuda Society
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The Bermuda Society November 2002 Newsletter - Issue 3 IN THIS ISSUE H.E. Sir John Vereker KCB The Bermuda Regiment The Stock Exchange (BSX) International Business Week 2002 Society Events Masefield Collection of African Artifacts. Part 2 Message from The Chairman H.E. Sir John Vereker KCB One year on from the horrendous events of September On 11th April of this year Sir John Vereker KCB was 11th 2001 – Bermuda, which suffered as did many sworn in as – by his own count - Bermuda’s 87th destinations, is looking at rising commercial and Governor; or 63rd if you count only those appointed by financial activity, particularly in insurance and banking the Monarch, i.e. since 1685 when that responsibility and, most importantly, at a better year for the hospitality passed from the Bermuda Company. Clearly there is industry. Progress in telecommunications and scope for some definitional uncertainty here. development in e-commerce is keeping Bermuda at the forefront of competition in these areas. There is, however, no such lack of precision about the man himself. Sir John is a tall man who can carry the The Bermuda Society continues to grow and so does its cocked hat, high-collared ceremonial uniform of his new biannual Newsletter, available now on the Society’s office with an elegance not granted to many. But his website at www.bermudasociety.com. Continued support precision is not restricted to sartorial matters. from both corporate and private members is greatly appreciated. Educated at Marlborough College and Keele University, he joined the Ministry of Overseas Development in 1967. As reported elsewhere in this issue, the Society had the After a stint in the World Bank he returned to the privilege of hosting the Premier, as well as a number of Ministry in 1972 becoming Private Secretary to three Governmental dignitaries, as guests at the recent Annual successive Ministers of Overseas Development. From Dinner. 1980 to 1983 Sir John was in the Policy Unit in the Prime Minister’s Office in 10 Downing Street working on It is hoped to have a discussion during the autumn of this public sector issues such as the privatization policy in its year in Bermuda between those interested in the early stages. promotion and further development of the Society, thus ensuring that it meets the needs of today’s Bermuda and In 1983 he was promoted to Under Secretary for Asia in the people of Bermuda living in, doing business in and the then Overseas Development Administration, visiting the United Kingdom. becoming in 1986 Under Secretary for Development Policy and Principal Finance Officer. In 1988 he joined This will be followed by a conference during the spring the Department of Education and Science as Deputy of next year in London to take on board the discussions Secretary responsible for Higher Education and Science. held in Bermuda; to review and, if necessary, redefine the Most recently before his appointment to Bermuda, Sir Society’s rôle as well as to identify matters which can John was Permanent Secretary, Department for usefully be dealt with through TBS. International Development. His knowledge and experience of global issues may be of particular value to It is with great sadness that we record of the death of The Bermuda at a time of rapid globalisation in a shrinking Hon. David H. Allen, JP, MP, Minister of Tourism, on world. 26th September. We extend our sincere sympathy to his family and He has been a Board Member of the British Council, the friends. Institute of Development Studies and Voluntary Service Overseas. He is a Companion of the Institute of Management, and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, and holds an Honorary D.Litt from the University of Keele. There can be little doubt a CV like this is indicative of a man with impressive qualities, as the honours bestowed upon him corroborate. He was awarded a CB in 1992 and became a KCB in the 1999 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Bermuda’s new Governor is a close and attentive listener to everything said to him. One gains the firm impression that anything voiced in his presence is mentally filed away for future reference in whatever problems may confront him in the exercise of his duties as Her Majesty’s Representative in the Island. The Bermuda Society 2 With barely a month on the job, he commented, with some degree of surprise and bemusement, that Bermuda had proved to be a much larger island than he had thought it would be. This is partially due, he says, to its length and the time it takes to get from one end to the other; partially because there is so much variety crammed into its minute land area; and perhaps most significant of all, because Bermuda has three world class assets crammed into its diminutive area. He specifically mentioned St. George, Commissioner’s House and the pink sand beaches. And he hadn’t yet even bought his boat – a 25 foot Sea Ray, appropriately named “Knight Errant” by Lady Vereker. Neither H.E. nor his wife, Lady Vereker, are likely to enter lightly into patronage of any and all charitable or worthy organisations purely as a matter of form. Rather, each in their own way will want to be assured that any entity seeking their patronage is well run and truly engaged in matters with whose aims they empathise. Lady Vereker’s passions are the arts and the theatre, Margaret, who subsequently became the Regiment’s especially insofar as the latter can involve the young. Colonel-in-Chief. Bermuda can surely look forward to a cultural shot in the arm from this quarter. The Regiment has been embodied on a number of occasions to help deal with civil unrest, labour strikes By the same token we can be very proud and grateful that and hurricanes. Following an official review of Bermuda’s new Governor and Commander-in-Chief has Bermuda’s defence capability, the Gilbert Report of 1978 graciously agreed to become Patron of The Bermuda led to the expansion of the Regiment to an established Society. strength of 711 all ranks, up from its original 370. We are equally certain that all Bermuda will, in the This strength is derived from volunteers supplemented fullness of time, be glad of and record for posterity Sir by conscription. The latter serve for three years and two John’s term of office. We already have a Pitts Bay; a months on the basis of an initial boot camp followed by Reid Street; and an Ord Road commemorating some of weekly drill parades coupled with an annual two week his predecessors : maybe in some time yet to come we training camp in either Jamaica or the United States. shall stroll down a Vereker Way. The Regiment has been embodied on many other The Bermuda Regiment occasions to assist both in times of unrest and in times of national difficulty. They can be called out to assist in the Bermuda’s military endeavours may not have been the event of an aircraft crash; a shipwreck; an oil spill; search most extensive in the world but the men who served in and rescue; a major power failure; drug interdiction; or either the Bermuda Militia Artillery or the Bermuda most particularly in the case of a hurricane strike. Who Volunteer Rifle Corps have a service record of which can forget, or fail to be everlastingly grateful for, the they and their descendants can be proud. Both the BMA Regiment’s Herculean efforts in the clear-up after and the BVRC sent Bermudians abroad to fight in both hurricane Emily in 1987? It is not only in Bermuda that the Great War of 1914-18 and World War II. Indeed, it is the Regiment has lent assistance in this way. Contingents believed that the BVRC contingent was, on its arrival in of the Regiment were deployed to provide help to July 1915, the first colonial volunteer force to reach Montserrat after hurricanes there in 1986, and similarly French soil in the earlier of those conflicts. During the to Jamaica in 1988 and the BVI in 1989. Second World War a total of 100 of all ranks of the BVRC served with the Lincolnshire Regiment in In November last year, in recognition of its close northwest Europe and Burma. The Bermuda Regiment, affiliation with the British Army, the Corps Warrant was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of these two proud presented to the Regiment by General Sir Michael forbears, has maintained the traditions of its predecessors Walker, the Chief of the General Staff. A further 2001 with spirit and colour. highlight was the development of a close association with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment which resulted in It was in November 1965, under the command of exchanges of personnel between the two regiments Lieutenant Colonel Brownlow Tucker, that the regiment during military exercises. received its Colours at the hands of H.R.H. Princess The Bermuda Society 3 Perhaps to an outsider the Regiment is best known for its position of Chief Executive Officer at the Exchange for Band and Corps of Drums which performs with such six-and-a-half years, stepped down and Bermudian, Greg smart precision at so many events on the Island, ranging Wojciechowski, assumed the role of President and Chief from the Peppercorn Ceremony in St. George, the Executive Officer on 2 January 2002. Opening of Parliament and many charitable events to the Under new leadership, the Exchange continues to summertime weekly Beating Retreat ceremonies on develop its sound business model, enhanced by strong Front Street.