Honours from grateful nation

Former police commissioner Paul Rolle.

As of Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Order of The Bahamas

Hon Philip Bethel, Companion

Gail Saunders. Companion

Rev Dr Michael Symonette, Officer

Rupert Roberts Jr., Officer

George Myers, Member

Judge Joseph Strachan, Member

Hon Henry Bowen, Companion (Posthumously)

Hon Cadwell Armbrister, Companion (Posthumously)

Sir Clement Maynard, Companion (Posthumously)

Hon Carlton Francis, Companion (Posthumously)

Anthony Roberts, Companion (Posthumously)

Sir Kendal Isaacs, Companion (Posthumously)

Hon Norman Solomon, Companion (Posthumously)

Hon J Oswald Ingraham, Companion (Posthumously)

Robert Hanlon Symonette, Companion (Posthumously)

Sir Durward Knowles,Companion (Posthumously)

Emmanuel Osadebay, Officer (Posthumously)

Judge Neville Smith, Member (Posthumously)

Order of Distinction

Dr Conville Brown, Companion

George Weech, Companion

Neko Grant, Companion

Raleigh Butler II, Companion

Obie Ferguson Jr, Companion

Vylma Thompson Curling, Companion

Paul A O Rolle, Companion

Ellison Greenslade, Companion

Anthony Ferguson, Companion

Paul Farquharson, Companion

Reginald Ferguson, Companion

Michael Major, Officer

Ishmael Lightbourne, Officer

Gene Sands, Officer

Dorcena Nixon Rolle, Officer

Dr Nelson Clarke, Officer

Sybil Curtis, Officer

Celeste Lockhart, Officer

Barbara Cartwright, Officer

Kenrick O Murray, Officer

Senior Commander Amos Rolle, Companion (Posthumously)

Captain Simpson Penn, Companion (Posthumously)

Persis Rodgers, Officer (Posthumously)

Order of Merit

Pastor David Burrows, Companion

Warren Rolle, Companion

Cecil Thompson, Companion

Frankie Hinzey, Companion

Bishop Ellis Farrington, Companion

Ansel Saunders, Companion

Romeo Farrington, Companion

Gregory Burrows, Companion

Austin Knowles Sr, Companion

Paul Smith, Companion

Bishop Lawrence Rolle, Companion

Wellington Miller, Companion

Pastor Jeremiah Duncombe, Companion

Anthony Robinson, Companion

Maurice Tynes, Companion

Mario Donato, Companion

Louis Hanchell, Officer

Khandi Gibson, Officer

Alpheus “Hawk” Finlayson, Officer

Philip Burrows, Officer

Sonia Cox Hamilton, Officer

Denise Mortimer, Officer

Pearlene Cartwright, Officer

Elder Cora McPhee, Officer

Francina Horton, Officer

Gloria Ferguson, Officer

Nathe Russell, Officer

Andrea Gibson, Officer

Godfrey Eneas, Officer

Lawrence Burnside, Officer

Mark Knowles, Officer

Della Thomas, Officer

Mychal Thompson, Officer

Dr Norman Gay, Officer

Winfred Russell, Officer

Oswald Moore, Officer

Churchhill Tener-Knowles, Officer

Leo Rolle, Officer

Ali Culmer, Officer

Winton “Tappy” Davis, Officer

Andy Knowles, Officer

Rex Burnside, Officer

Allan Ingraham, Officer

Ed Smith, Officer

Phil Antonio, Officer

Florence “Flo” Rolle, Officer

Captain Ekron Pratt, Officer

Rev Dr Alonzo Hinsey, Officer

Frances Le’de’e, Officer

Yonell Justilien, Officer

Marie Ferguson, Officer

Sonja Knowles, Officer

Pericles Maillis, Officer

Vernal Sands, Officer

Cynthia Wells, Officer

Mario Simms, Officer

Bobby “Baylor” Fernander, Officer

Shelton Beneby, Officer

William Munnings, Officer

Rev Dr Charles Rolle, Officer

Angela Pratt Rolle, Officer

Tammy Ferguson Culmer, Officer

Edward Penn, Member

Anita Doherty, Member (Posthumously)

Rev Gilbert Rolle, Officer

Jason Albury, Member

Randy Ferguson, Member

Richard Manning, Member

Jenson Burrows, Member

Sean Smith, Member

Brad Thompson, Member

Ricky Martin, Member

Bishop B Wenith Davis, Companion (Posthumously)

Edison Armbrister, Officer (Posthumously)

Bertram “Cowboy” Musgrove, Officer (Posthumously)

William “Yahama Bahama” Brennan, Officer (Posthumously)

Elisha Obed, Officer (Posthumously)

Carl Minns, Officer (Posthumously)

Leon “Apache” Knowles, Officer (Posthumously)

Leonard “Boston Blackie” Miller, Officer (Posthumously)

Natasha Newbold, Officer (Posthumously)

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, Officer (Posthumously)

Sloan Farrington, Officer (Posthumously) Cecil Cooke, Officer Posthumously)

Rolle Gray, Officer (Posthumously)

Billy Lowe, Officer (Posthumously)

Sir Durward Knowles, Officer (Posthumously)

Osborne “Ank” Rahming, Officer (Posthumously)

Hezron Moxey, Officer (Posthumously)

Willard Cunningham, Officer (Posthumously)

Bishop Albert Hepburn, Member (Posthumously)

Rev Fr Addison Turnquest, Member (Posthumously)

Billy Rolle, Member(Posthumously)

Andre Rodgers, Companion (Posthumously)

Order of Lignum Vitae

Marine Seaman Edward Williams (Posthumously) Marine Seaman Austin Smith (Posthumously)

Marine Seaman David Tucker (Posthumously)

Able Seaman Fenrick Sturrup (Posthumously)

Medals for Acts of Bravery

Able Seaman Trevor Sands

Michelet Meronard

Captain Anthony Allens

Force Chief Petty Officer Denzil Clarke

Captain Whitfield Neely

Chief Petty Officer Anthony Russell

Chief Petty Officer Eugene Thompson

John Wallace

Leading Seaman Willard Saunders

Force Chief Petty Officer Peterson James

Samuel Mackey

Able Seaman Cladwell Farrington Sr.

Force Chief Petty Officer Gregory Curry

Petty Officer Leo Kirby (Posthumously)

Marine Seaman Edward Williams (Posthumously) Marine Seaman Austin Smith (Posthumously)

Marine Seaman David Tucker (Posthumously)

Able Seaman Fenrick Sturrup (Posthumously)

Chief Petty Officer Oscar Miller (Posthumously)

Sub Lieutenant Wilfred Sands (Posthumously)

Distinguished Service Medal

Deslene Cumberbatch-Lowe

Melford Clarke

Aldeka Thompson

Beverly Thomas Taylor

Winifred Murphy

Patricia Bethel

Vanderson Ferguson

Yvonne Moncur

Sharon Rose-Hutchinson

Alice Inniss

William Saunders

Olive Minnis

Debra Strachan

Jeffery Forbes

William Swain

Christine Lightbourne

Mirley Conyers

Wellington “Butch” Johnson Dr Nizamuddin Bacchus

Helen Stubbs

Diana Thompson

Joshua Culmer, Sr, JP

Cheryl Lloyd-Pinder

Fredrick Bonaby

Margarette Thompson Bain ❖ Claudine Virgil

Dr Francina Thurston

Christine Newbold Saunders

James Pinder

Inez Spence

Daphne Sawyer

Nurse Linda Stuart

Ashley Saunders

Fabian Stuart

Barbara Checkley

Mark Scott

Henry Bain

Luden Gibson

Francita Neely

Charlene Curry

Rev Irene Rolle (Posthumously)

Badge of Honour

Nyoschi Brown

Kennard Mackey

Letita Campbell Parker

Father Don Haynes

Lofton Neely

Levada Ingraham

Diane Smith

Stephen Hanna

Valdamae Rahming

Maryanne Colebrooke Marshall

Robertha Edgecombe

Pandora Evans

Vyreen Bain

Sheila Blatch

Maxwell Roberts

Mable Stubbs

Veronica Saunders (Posthumously)

Patrick Roberts Sr.

Vera Chase(Posthumously)

Jacqueline Estevez

• Further, His Excellency, the Governor-General, acting in accordance with Section 4: 5(a) of the National Honours (Amendment) Act, 2022 is pleased to recognise the following persons for long and exceptional service to the Governor-General:

Evardo Cox

Albertha Nairn

Sheila Andrews

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

BISHOP Lawrence Rolle, community activist Khandi Gibson and former police commissioner Paul Rolle say they are honoured and humbled for recognition of their service to the nation as recipients of the Bahamas’ 49th Independence Day National Honours.

They were among a long list of Bahamians that were recognised in Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith’s announcement of this year’s National Honours on July 10.

Mr Rolle, who stepped down last week after taking up the position in 2020, was awarded the Order of Distinction. While the former commissioner said that he is grateful for the award, he never expected to be rewarded for his work.

“I’m honoured to be recognised and be considered for the recognition and all thanks goes to almighty God for allowing the authorities to recognise me for such an honour,” Mr Rolle said. “I’m privileged. Personally it demonstrates the appreciation for when we serve in these offices. You don’t look for (a) reward but I’ll say I’m honoured to be considered for the award of it.”

Mr Rolle also told other Bahamians who are doing good that someone will recognise the value of the service they’re giving to the country.

“It’s public service, you know. All of us ought to give some kind of service back to our community and I would encourage everybody just in the interest of community to do their part. When I decided to be a policeman I never considered anything like this, but you know when you get into service and you enjoy service and your life becomes about service and you know at some point people recognise you for the service that you’ve given to the country. And I think for me personally it affirms that in doing good someone will recognise the value and the worth of what it is that you do.”

FOAM founder and chairperson Khandi Gibson said that she was deeply humbled when she got the call saying that she’d been awarded the Order of Merit for her years advocating for the families of murder victims.

She said: “I am just teary eyed, I am just so grateful, grateful, grateful, grateful. Truly I feel honoured. I feel blessed because on Saturday I was just so down and so depressed. I said ‘God I am only human and I’m just tired of being overlooked’. And I’m tired of just going unnoticed for the hard-work, not that you’re doing it for recognition, but my God you know you’re out here doing it from the goodness of your heart you know? And I was just thinking Khandi maybe you too open. People don’t like you because you speak too much for the people.”

Ms Gibson went on to say that it was after being encouraged to continue her work by someone that day that she got the call saying she had been given the Order of Merit. The FOAM founder expressed her sincere gratitude to the Bahamian government and its people for finally acknowledging all she has done for the community.

“God allowed the phone to ring and it was the lady calling and letting me know the honour of merit (is what I was) getting. I just want to thank the Bahamas government, I just want to thank persons who would have been in a committee who would’ve seen and put my name forward, the person who put my name forward to recommend for the honour of merit award I want to thank them so much.” Ms Gibson said.

“And I want to give all the praises to God because God allowed tragedy, strife and trials to bring triumph in my life. In 2015 I was humiliated in all levels and in 2022 this is truly a new day, this is truly God. And I just want to thank everyone and I want to thank the Bahamian people for believing in me and supporting me thus far and I do believe god has more in store. I couldn’t understand the murder of my two brothers, I couldn’t understand cause I was hurting. I couldn’t understand Bowe getting killed and me having to go to Canada couldn’t understand it. But all of that God already had planned from when I was in my mothers womb so I am truly honoured.”

The Singing Bishop Lawrence Rolle said in view of his Order of Merit award he does not continue his food and social outreach programs for praise. The Bishop went on to say that while he appreciates the honour he still considers himself to be the least among us and a humble servant of the people.

He said: “To be honest with you, in all my days I was working helping people from about 9 years old. I am a Cat Island man. never really worked to be honoured. I won’t come down because I know one of these days my God is going to pay me. I appreciate everything, mind you but at the same time I know that my god is going to reward me but I appreciate the consideration of my country, I appreciate everything that the Lord would use. I believe that the Lord wired me to be or to help be this nation builder. I direct people. I show them the right not only in words but also In actions helping them . If I can help pay their bills I help, if I can help send them to college I help.

“When people would open up their eyes on a such a person like me when I am the least among them I say to god be the glory. And I want to thank God for those who are considerable, who say ‘Rolle is a hardworker’ . I appreciate the very thought. So, it’s a great honour. It’s a great privilege for the people to recognise me from the least among them, I’m the least among them and I appreciate it. But I give it my best shot. I want to see the better of people, all my days I put people in front of me.”

“So, to those the board or whoever took it upon themselves to consider somebody like me, let them know that I am the least among them far from being worthy. I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve to be honoured but I’m working for heaven, I’m going to work while it’s day because the night is coming when no man will see the work.”