Port awards Clarence Keizer Scholarships

For the past 17 consecutive years, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority has awarded two scholarships to students entering secondary school. Commencing this year (2007) the Port Council has taken a decision to name the scholarships “The Clarence L. Keizer Award”, in honour of former longstanding Council Member, Clarence Keizer.{{more}}

Clarence Lloyd Keizer grew up in Kingstown, and spent many happy hours as a child and young man playing at the seashore and swimming along the coastline from Bottom Town to Flat Rock at the other end of Bay Street. This may have been one of the reasons why as an adult, he gravitated to a career that would involve the sea, shipping and port operations.

Keizer took up employment with United Traders in November 1947 following which he joined Geest Industries on February 15, 1958 as Shipping Clerk. He worked his way up through the ranks at Geest from Shipping Supervisor in 1960, then Assistant Manager, Deputy Manager to Manager in 1973.

He was a Council Member of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority, representing Geest Industries Ltd. until his retirement in 1993, after which he continued on the Port Authority Council, this time as the representative of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Shipping Association of which he was the Executive Director.

Keizer developed a good rapport with all who held the position of Port Manager over the years, from Messrs Lisle Fraser, Vincent Yorke, Dougald Byron-Cox to Paul L. Kirby.

His skill at negotiating union agreements was responsible for the good industrial relations which prevailed at the waterfront in those years. Although he took a keen interest in his company’s welfare, he was always prepared to compromise in order that the employees also would benefit. Hence, the Port naming the scholarships in his honour, since they form part of the Port Authority’s Union Agreement.

This year, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Port Authority (SVGPA) awarded two secondary school scholarships to Alayana Lotmore and Consolo Adams on behalf of two of its employees, Messrs Arlington Lotmore and Elthrado Adams for the academic year, which commenced on September 10, 2007.

A total of 15 students are currently registered on the award scheme. There are 13 students at secondary schools and two (2) at the A’ level College, of which three graduated this year from secondary school and one (1) from A’ Level College. The SVGPA is proud to announce that out of these awards three students are currently pursuing university studies in Law, Physiology and General Biology.