The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

SENIOR high school students in Grand Bahama received a tutorial on the four Constitutional Reform Bills that are currently before Parliament at the Sir Charles Hayward library in Freeport on Friday.

Constitutional Commission Committee members – Rubie Nottage, Theresa Moxey-Ingraham and Brandace Duncanson – travelled to Freeport and told the students that the proposed amendments seek to address inequality between men and women in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas is one of the few countries in the world that still permits inequality and discrimination on the basis of sex. The Constitutional Commission has recommended that government take steps to rectify these constitutional legislative and social inequalities.

The committee explained to the 12th graders how bills are passed in Parliament and the process of the constitutional referendum.

Geneva Rutherford, executive director at the Sir Charles Hayward Library, said they were pleased to host such an important educational session at the library.

She also gave an update of the progress and improvements in the last year and a half at the library.

Mrs Rutherford said that technology had significantly improved through the donation of 21 computers, 20 Kindles and Leap Frogs. They have also installed software to digitise the card catalogue.

She said that improvements would not have been possible without contributions from corporate entities such as FOCOL, the US Embassy, the Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd, Cable Bahamas, Solomon’s and others.

The library has purchased a server and Cable Bahamas has improved its speed to about 9-15 MHz and has provided cable television service. A television was donated by Solomon’s.

Mrs Rutherford said the US Embassy has also been a major partner, assisting them in the redesign of the Children’s Library, donating a new public address system and screen, and funding for their lecture series.

Plans include establishing a training centre and internet café and the development of an amphitheatre and outdoor park on adjacent land donated by the late Sir Jack Hayward.

Peter Adderley, a consultant at FOCOL, said that the library has significantly improved through the leadership of Mrs Rutherford. “She is a living legend in the field of education and her leadership has brought the library to great heights and the future seems promising,” he said.

Stephen Adderley, general manager at FOCOL, presented Mrs Rutherford with a cheque to help with the further development of the library.

“Over the last year when she came to us she gave us an outline of what they are trying to accomplish at the library. The library has done so much for so many people – we just had to get involved,” he said.