Bevis Sylvester, regional manager of Delta Petroleum, was chosen as keynote speaker for the Elmore Stoutt High School graduation last Thursday.
But certain government officials deemed him an unsuitable choice, according to Delia Jon Baptiste, president of the BVI High School Class of 1992. And it’s not entirely clear why, Ms. Jon Baptiste said.
Marking its 20-year reunion, the Class of 1992 — of which Mr. Sylvester is a member — began to organise activities for the graduation, as is customary. Class members, according to Ms. Baptiste, were responsible for choosing a chairperson, a keynote speaker and other roles for the ceremony.
“The names of these persons were forwarded to the school’s administration as directed, five weeks before the commencement date,” according to a press release sent out by the organising class. “The administration received these suggestions with favour, without hesitation and without any indication that the names submitted were inappropriate or undesirable.”
Nevertheless, on June 23 — five days before the graduation — school officials indicated that Mr. Sylvester would be unsuitable to fill the role of keynote speaker, the press release said.
In an interview Tuesday, Ms. Baptiste said she spoke to the Education and Culture Minister Myron Walwyn and Premier Dr. Orlando Smith during a “brief” meeting about the matter. “They basically stated that we should rethink our position,” she said.
See the July 5, 2012 edition for full coverage.
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