COSAGO recognises three Vincy stalwarts

Three Vincentians, who have distinguished themselves at various levels, were recognized by the Council of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Organisation USA, Inc. (COSAGO) at the its Independence luncheon,{{more}} which took place at the Tropical Inn Ballroom in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, October 30.

The three, who were in the spotlight at the organisation’s function to celebrate this country’s 32nd year of independence, were Deputy Consul General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in New York, Cyril Thomas, Simeon Simmons and Ynolde Walkin.

Thomas was honoured for his all-round contribution in public life, sports and culture.

Thomas, who left St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1969 for the USA, served in the US army from 1969 to 1971 and fought in the Vietnam War for a ten-month period.

Born in Sion Hill, Thomas distinguished himself academically, attaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at Brooklyn College in 1975 and a Master of Arts in Urban Administration in 1981.

He gained an Advanced Certificate in Education Administration and Support in 1980 and a Master of Philosophy in Organisational Management and Diplomacy from Ignatius University in 2005.

Thomas worked as Postal Clerk from 1971 to 1982, and was a high school Social Studies teacher from 1985 to 2001.

Thomas, who straddles other lanes, was a national youth goalkeeper from 1966 to 1968, and a member of the national Volleyball team in 1967. He served as Deputy Consul General from 2001 to 2011.

An accomplished soca artiste with his crafty overtones, Thomas, who goes by the sobriquet “Scorcher”, is a previous winner of the then All Stars Show, which featured overseas-based calypsonians, mainly from North America.

The All Stars Show has since been replaced by the Soca Monarch Show.

Also sharing the spotlight with Thomas was Simeon “Rocker” Simmons, who excelled in the field of carpentry.

Simmons left the land of his birth for the USA in 1959 and established himself against the odds with his craftsmanship.

He opened his own business named Simeon Simmons Home Improvement Inc. in 1975.

Simmons has also served on several Vincentians organizations in New York.

He thrives on the adage: “Be a leader, not a follower.”

The other honouree, Ynolde Lavern Felicita Craigg Walkin left these shores in 1968 for the USA.

She spent twenty years working at the Happy Child Day Care Centre.

At present, Walkin is an Executive Board Member of the Caribbean American Sports and Cultural Youth Movement (CASYM) and is the Treasurer of Mas Production, a Vincentian mas band, which participates in the annual West Indian parade on Labour Day.

Apart from the trio, Nelson King, Don Bobb, Erline Williams-King, Colin Liverpool, Fern Dopwell, and Leslie Richards were presented with certificates of appreciation for their contribution to Vincentian life in the Diaspora.(RT)