Brin resigns as Miss BVI co-chair

Less than two months before the Aug. 6 Miss BVI Pageant, Janette Brin resigned from her position as co-chair of the event’s organising committee, and Alicia Hamm was named as her replacement.

The announcement comes after a May merger between Miss BVI, which Ms. Brin had chaired for more than two years, and the Miss World BVI franchise, which was headed by Damion Grange.

After the merger, Ms. Brin, a Virgin Islander, was to share leadership of the Miss BVI committee with Mr. Grange, a Jamaican.

But in a press released issued Friday, Ms. Brin announced that she was stepping down and called for the committee to be led by a Virgin Islander.
“The pageant is our pride, heritage and part of the fabric of BVI culture; one of our most prestigious events that must at all times be preserved as it is our legacy,” Ms. Brin said in the press release.

According to Ms. Brin, former Education and Culture Minister Eileene Parsons also shares this view.

“Unfortunately, these views weren’t fully shared or supported, and hence I’ve decided to resign from the VI Festivals and Fairs Committee,” she said.

However, Ms. Brin didn’t state who differed with her opinions.

“I speak for the sorority in saying that the continued advancement of the Miss British Virgin Islands Pageant should be led by a Virgin Islander,” she said. “This is not to refuse any inclusion of persons who call our territory home, but it ensures that Virgin Islands pride is upheld and the overall integrity of the pageant is not compromised.”

Attempts to reach Ms. Brin and Mr. Grange were unsuccessful, as were attempts to reach Trefor Grant, the chairman of the VI Festivals and Fairs Committee.

{fcomment}