Dat Satanic Altar

It is difficult to be 100 percent Vincy and not have an interest in Carnival or Vincy Mas. Ann-Marie Ballantyne wrote in a newspaper last week say she is ah Christian, 100 percent Vincy but Carnival is not her Culture. And de same newspaper quoted Pastah Young as describing de Vincy Mas promotional display at de “Arnos Vale Round About” as a Satanic Altar.{{more}}

Talking bout Pastah, ah hear bout ah church in Rich-land Pack way de members saving-up to buy de Pastah ah “bran new Lexus,” what ah lucky Pastah dat. However, wid d’s Carnival come-plain ah many, as ah Christian me-self, ah would be sitting in de same pew wid de Pastah and Ann-Marie Ballantyne, but not necessarily in de same Church; ah not wid any Choose-Ann, too many Anns, is Ann-Marie, Ann-easier and Shuffle-Ann.

Dey saying ting bout other people’s Relay-shun, and is de same way people saying de same ting bout dey Relay-shun. Lie-Za got it right, she say: “every man to his own ordah,” and wid confidence she tell me “don’t argue, dat is what St Paul say.”

Ah think de actual quotation was Jesus’ in Matthew when he said: “For de Son of Man will come with His Angels in de glory of His Father and will judge all people according to dey deeds.” However, dat is not de issue, de come-plain is dat Carnival needs to simmer down, it too Vulgary-shun and we singing from de same song sheet on dis one. So de Guv-ah-mint and CDC must tek note when de Church comments, and ley we nah fool we-self, de church is de people, dey not saying to shut down de Carnival, just “keep in clean!”

De same way de Guv-ah-mint could call-up de Radio station and tell dem don’t play de Kaiso dem dat say Guv-ah-mint lie, or de minister thief down de Bank; den dey must draw ah line when it comes to de excesses, de sex-shall under-tone in de songs, de moral conduct or miss-conduct during de street festival and so on. Clean up de Carnival man.

Lie-Za like how Pastah Young describe de Arnos Vale Round About as ah Satanic Altar. She wants to meet him to find out way he been all de time. How come he could easily reckon-eyes three De-mans as Generals ah de NME in de Carnival Postah; but ask if he did ever see de Elect-shun Postah wid fifteen De-mans of all colour, claws and race, 15 Generals ah de NME too, been dey foh months after Elect-shun, steering down pon everybody when dey drive pass, all fifteen emploted de-man-eyes-in de country.

And Pastah didn’t say ah single word. She say dat is one ah de reason why nobody does tek de Church (leaders) seriously; if yuh getting rid ah de Generals ah de NME, start wid de Guv-ah-mint fuss before going after de Carnival!

GUIDED BY DISCIPLINE, LOVE AND CARE

If ah had to name de two most powerful institution dat would have helped mould de minds ah young boys and girls in my day, ah would have to say Scouts and Guides.

Now ah not discrediting Cadets and de 4H Clubs and so on, but foh roundness of character, it would have to be Scouting and Guiding. Ah was ah Met-dis Scout, Hubert Browne and Walter Cummings were my Scout Leaders; Vin Sprott, ah stylish, local white-man was de Commissioner.

All d’s men were committed to de cause, moulding de young minds. How well ah remember my Boy Scout Promise: “On my honor, I will do my best; To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.”

Sixty years after being ah Scout ah still dey try to put my Promise into Practice.

Guiding is de female version ah Scouting, in fact both movements were started by ah husband and wife team, Lord and Lady Baden Powell, English of course, oh how ah thank de English, all yuh Aunti-British, eat all yuh hearts out!

My first son was ah Scout and my daughter and her daughter were Girl Guides, and dey were both under de care and guidance of Althea Ballantyne-Commissiong who later became Guide Commissioner up until her death. Guiding and Scouting is about voluntary service, labour of love, Love foh children, parents, country and God, and if my maths is correct, Althea would have been ah guide foh close to sixty years, almost all her life she gave to serving God, Queen and Country.

Zinzi, my grand-daughter came home from Guides Meeting all upset because Mrs. Commissiong made her sing alone after she kept her mouth shut while de others singing lustily. She had ah different tune when she was selected to attend ah Jamboree in Belgium ah few years after, ah learning experience she still cherishes.

Same way Chelsea, my last daughter who turned sixteen last month, was upset because Mrs. Commissiong made dem sleep pon de ground and use outside-toilet at ah local camp Pelagic at Diamond Estate.

Different song now, she going to ah Jamboree in de UK, de mother country, all thanks to de Guiding Administration headed by Althea.

Althea was ah disciplinarian, just de medicine de young people needed, but most of all, she loved and cared foh our daughters. From de time she turn up in Heaven dressed in her Guide uniform to meet St Peter, he will stand to attention and give her his three finger Boys Scout salute.

Enjoy Heaven Althea, you wuk faithfully and well foh it!

And wid dat, is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.