EDITORIAL

Keeping The Quincentennial Spirit Alive For Years To Come

Monday, April 5, 2004

The Cayman Islands Quincentennial Celebrations came to an official end last week with its final event, the launching of the coffee table book, followed by the closing of the downtown office that was the nerve centre of the endeavour.

As a celebration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Cayman Islands by Christopher Columbus, the more than 40 Quincentennial events addressed many aspects of life here in a way that brought residents together unlike ever before.

The Quincentennial events evoked a sense of pride in many Caymanians; pride in the efforts and accomplishments of the men and women who paved the way for the success story we have become; pride in the values that define who we are; pride in our distinctive culture that attracts people from all over the world, both as visitors and residents.

The year also gave us an opportunity to socialise in ways that are all too infrequent these days. The Quincentennial events also gave us a chance to see friends we had not seen in years, to go to new places, and to learn things we did not know.

The Quincentennial events were not just for Caymanians, and some of them, like the International Festival 500, were dependant on non-Caymanian participation to make them successful, just as it should be in this uniquely multi-national country in which we live.

Many residents have commented that some of the Quincentennial events should be held annually, or biennially, because they offered so much enjoyment.

It brings up the point of what this country will do, if anything, to build on the foundation of the hard work and good ideas that made up the Quincentennial Celebrations.

Certainly, some effort should be made to keep the spirit of the Quincentennial year going into the future.

It is true that Cayman has the Cayman National Cultural Foundation events, Pirates Week and other events which provide wonderful opportunities to celebrate aspects of our culture.

However, the Quincentennial events offered a wider breadth of events, and something for just about everyone resident in this country. Some events were geared for specific interests, like the Car Show, the Cricket Celebration, and the Randy James Dance Performance. Others were geared for the family, like the Flava 500 sand-sculpting day at the beach. Yet others had general appeal, like the International Festival.

There were events that looked at Cayman’s past, like the opening of Heroes Square and the unveiling of the Mariners’ Memorial. There were events that celebrated the present, like the Magical Cayman Christmas and the New Year’s Eve party. And there were events that looked to the future, like the Technology Expo.

During it all, the Quincentennial events were not only providing residents with opportunities to do something wholesome and different, but also chances to learn about many things, including things about ourselves, and each other.

One major problem in keeping the momentum of the Quincentennial year going will be finding an entity to actually do the planning and production of events, and of course, funding the effort. Without the support of the Government and the private sector, many of last year’s events would not have been possible.

Obviously, neither the Government nor the private sector, through donations, can afford to finance such ventures on a regular basis. However, based on the popularity with the community, many of the events could be economically viable on their own, especially if Government helped out with the venues. And private sector backing is just a matter of producing a well-conceived, well-attended event that can bring commercial or public relations benefits.

The Quincentennial Celebrations are now over, but that does not mean we cannot keep the spirit it awoke in us alive indefinitely. It is hoped others will continue to repeat the celebratory themes that Angela Martins and her crew so magnificently implemented for prosperity.

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