Dr Cecil Cyrus’ Medley of Thoughts as we reflect on 43 years of Independence

When many of us reflect on our 43 years of ‘Independence’ we point to a number of material things; more cars and mini vans on the roads, better houses, an international airport and we go on and on.

I have pointed before to the fact that some of our sister islands that are still under colonial rule could boast as much or even more. So where does that leave us?

We are left with a divided society, with a relatively large murder rate, with a lot of young people who appear lost despite the tremendous achievement of some, a breakdown in discipline, lack of self- control and a great deal of ill-discipline.

It is easy to say that these are new times, but it is a fact that there are certain fundamental values that are necessary for us to move along as a society and not just be worshippers of material things.

I was looking at two small manuscripts by Dr Cecil Cyrus based on two presentations he had made; one in 1971 entitled a MEDLEY OF THOUGHTS that was delivered to a Youth Seminar at the Peace Memorial Hall on April 14 and the other in 1981 following along the same pattern but presented at the Annual Speech Evening and Prize Giving Ceremony of the St. Vincent Grammar School.

Well, how times have changed! A Youth Seminar! What is that? Young people getting together at a seminar to listen to a presentation! It used to happen, but today we are more likely to hear young people congregating at Massy at Stoney Ground or Arnos Vale, liming!

At that Youth Seminar the well known and respected Surgeon shared his thoughts with his young audience on matters such as Integrity, Discipline, Self-Control, Self-Analysis, The quest for Knowledge, Friendship, Forgiveness, Living Together, Achievement, Prejudice, The Will to Do, On Doing Good and Living Together.

The Grammar School presentation involved some of those topics but also included- Respect the Property and Persons of Others, Choose Your Career for its Own Value, Not for its Prestige Value, Your Duty to Your Parents and You Are All Ambassadors.

Are these topics/Issues being discussed by our Young People or by the society as a whole? In concluding Dr Cyrus brings it all together: “And why have I harangued you with this seemingly confused, disjointed mass of thoughts and ideas? I have done so because you are youth avid for knowledge, guidance; youth impressionable and at times gullible; but most important, because you are youth on the exciting threshold of responsibility and authority, of achievement and recognition. But equally so, you are on the threshold of personal frustration, disappointment, and misfortune in your pursuit of a career . . .”

Then he continues, “Youth needs to be reminded of those qualities that are of abiding value, what are these topics that I have discoursed on but facets of our daily life. Many of these attributes are too readily pushed in the background by our mercenary, mechanistic age.”

Those concluding excerpts are perhaps more appropriate today than they were then. Is there an understanding in the broader society of the meaning of Integrity or is it a case of accepting whatever goes?

Forgiveness and Living Together are issues that must be brought to the forefront in our society where anger prevails, where forgiveness is a sign of weakness and self-control is not a part of our thinking.

On the subject of Prejudice, the author writes, “It is one of those paradoxes, almost perversities of human conduct, that our judicial system is based rigidly on the evidence of both sides of a story or problem; and we cannot conceive of justice without this; yet in our individual lives, we are not only prepared to, but usually negate this foundation of justice, by judging on only one side of a story . . .”

I have thought it appropriate to touch on this issue today as we prepare ourselves to celebrate another anniversary of independence. But how do we do that? We dress in the colours of the flag and sing lustily the National Anthem but pay little attention to talk about or discuss some glaring deficiencies in our society as we move down the slippery slope.

We blame our young people for many of the problems but what exposure have they been given to a number of the issues touched on by Dr Cyrus? Are there debating societies in our schools? Are these issues untouchables because some persons might be offended?

Forty-three years of Independence! Let us try to find the Nation’s Soul!

Dr Cyrus’ A MEDLEY OF THOUGHTS and his presentation to the 1981 Grammar School Speech Evening have been reprinted and are available.

Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian