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| Reverend Khrystus V. K. Wallace, Founder and President of KVK ENTERPRISES - www.kvklives.com and Dare 2 Be Different International - www.daretobedifferentskn.com |
Principal Roger Woodley, The Management Team of The
Verchilds High School, Staff, Students, good morning. I am humbled on one hand,
yet quite elated on the next to have
been called by Sir William Vincent Hodge, Permanent Secretary in The Ministry
of Education to address your minds today on the topic for this year’s 34th
Anniversary of Independence in our beloved country St. Kitts - Nevis.
I
honestly think that those who were responsible for selecting this year’s theme
did a wonderful, wonderful job. The theme: Youth, Vision, Integrity: Securing
our Nation’s Prosperity.
Before I get into the meat of this presentation, I must
register thanks and praises to this my Alma Mata The Verchilds High School. It
is this secondary school along with my Primary School The Dr. William Connor
Primary School that is responsible for where I am today. It was right here at
Verchilds that one of my former Principals Mrs. Marilyn Rogers and English
Literature Teacher Mrs. Dorothy Warner pulled me from my second form class along
with Verlena Wrensford to be this school’s debating team. Since then, I became
highly interested in public speaking and since I was always heavily involved
with GOD and CHURCH WORK, I was inspired
to start preaching.
My youth leader then at The Antioch Baptist Church,
Evangelist Laurence Knight gave me my first opportunity to preach in February
2002 while I was in 5th Form preparing for CXC exams. Since then,
I’ve been preaching and have my own global gospel ministry called Dare 2 Be
Different International and I travel the world giving motivational speeches.
Before I start though, I want you to know that I have
passed through the hands of DOZENS of teachers and I have selected Mrs. Jonace
Hall-Herbert as my favorite teacher. She taught me English Literature and I
fell in LOVE with her because she was always down to earth, real, frank and
RAW. CHEERS Ms. Hall.
To help us properly understand and discuss this year’s
Independence theme, kindly permit me to define the key terms of the topic.
Youth: the period between childhood and adult age. Who
we call YOUNG PEOPLE. Different parts of
the world classify youth from different ranges. For the United Kingdom, the
average response was that you stop being young at 35, and start being old at 58. But the figures also showed that opinions differed among the
age groups. Younger people, those aged 15 to 24,
thought youth ended at just 28 and
old age began at 54
Vision is an
experience of seeing someone or something in a dream or trance, or as a
supernatural apparition.
Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong
moral principles; moral uprightness.
The Nation under review is: St. Kitts – Nevis
Prosperity is the state of being prosperous or SUCCESSFUL
As a prelude to our discussion today, let me give you a
little history of the how St. Kitts – Nevis got to where we are today according
to BRITANNICA.com
The islands of St. Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla were united by federal act in 1882 and
became an independent state in association with the United Kingdom on
February 27, 1967. The islands were granted full internal self-government, with
the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defense and foreign affairs.
After the islands had assumed the status of associated states,
Anguilla complained of domination by the Saint Kitts administration. In May
1967 the Anguillans ejected the Saint Kitts police and established their own
council. In July of the same year, they proclaimed their independence. After
unsuccessful negotiations, the Anguilla Act of July
1971 placed Anguilla directly under British control. On February 10, 1976,
Anguilla was granted a constitution, and its union with Saint Kitts and Nevis
was formally severed in 1980.
A constitutional conference
was held in London in 1982, and, in spite of disagreement over special
provisions for Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis became independent on September 19,
1983. A drop in world sugar prices hurt the nation’s economy through the
mid-1980s, and the government sought to reduce the islands’ dependence on sugar
production and to diversify the economy.
Dr. The Right Honorable Kennedy Simmonds, the
first prime minister of the independent Saint Kitts and Nevis, remained in
office until 1995, when his People’s Action Movement was defeated decisively by
the Saint Kitts–Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP). One of the early issues in the
administration of the new prime minister, SKNLP leader Dr. The Right Honorable
Denzil Douglas, was a secession movement on Nevis. A referendum was held there
in 1998 on the question of independence for the island, but it fell short of
the two-thirds majority needed to secede.
The nationalized sugar industry continued to
slump and, after years of operating it at a loss, the government closed it down
after the 2005 harvest. Tourism and the hosting of offshore financial and
service companies became the leading income producers in the country’s economy.
Dr. Douglas won reelection in 2000, 2004, and 2010 but was defeated in 2015 by
Team Unity, a coalition of opposition parties led by former foreign minister Dr.
Timothy Harris, who became the new prime minister.
With all this said, permit me now to INSPIRE you a bit.
All of you are YOUTHFUL and BRILLIANT in your own right. No matter the class
you were placed in, you can achieve great things. At this very school, I went
to 1A1 then to 2A1 then to 3A1 then to 4A1 and after promotion exams, I was
demoted to 5A2. After CXC results came back in August 2002, my School Principal
then Mr. Elvis Richardson called me PERSONALLY and told me that I had returned
the BEST RESULTS and he wanted me to
give the Valedictorian Address on Speech Day and that was the first time that
The Verchilds High School was ever represented at The Cable and Wireless
Chamber of Industry and Commerce Awards. Thus, as youths, I want you to
recognize that some of us will be academically inclined, some will be more
interested in skills like cooking, plaiting, carpentry, plumbing, computing and
more. Some people will be both academically and technically inclined.
We are
all made uniquely by GOD and I want you to know that each of us is a SPECIAL
and DIVINELY loved youth and be PROUD of yourself always. You are all born to
be WINNERS.
I certainly don’t intend to preach a sermon today, but as
an outside the box, down to earth, creative, real, raw and FRANK PASTOR, I must
let you know that my favorite book is the BIBLE and this Bible says in Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of
God; and all these things shall be added unto you. If you want tremendous
SUCCESS to come to your life, seek after GOD first, be disciplined, associate
with positive people of GOOD CHARACTER,
read, listen and watch positive and inspirational things. It’s all about how
you TRAIN YOUR MIND as a youth.
I was always very interested in the world of business and
entrepreneurship. At The Dr. William Connor Primary School, in Grade 5, I
started picking the gooseberries and mangoes from our tree in our yard and
taking them to school to sell. I didn’t do it because I needed money. I was
fortunate enough to come from a family who supported me well. I did it for the
fun and to keep myself positively occupied and out of trouble. Positively
occupied and out of trouble. As a child and youth, I always kept myself
POSITIVELY occupied and out of trouble.
Having won a bank account with $200
from writing a POEM entitled: National Bank – I Do My Business There for the
St. Kitts – Nevis National Bank 10th Anniversary, I was able to use
some of that money at age 13 while at this The Verchilds High School and send
it off to buy some T-shirt Transfer Paper from EBAY to start my T-shirt
Printing Business. Thus, since primary school, I have always been in the MONEY MAKING BUSINESS. At age 31, I have never, ever, ever
worked for anyone except on a CONTRACTUAL
BASIS for the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis under MY TERMS.
Today, I continue to run my businesses
KVK ENTERPRISES and Dare 2 Be Different
International businesses and keep myself always positively occupied and out of
trouble. What you choose to do with your YOUTH matters in life.
CHOICE and CONSEQUENCE.
Can I touch a little on having a Vision? Since I have
been dealing with children and youths all my life, I have come to notice that
many do not have any goals in life. Sadly many have no dreams. This isn’t the
right path at all. From a child, I was always, always DREAMING. As a little
boy, I always dreamt that I would start my own business. Guess what? I
unofficially started selling in Primary School. I started KVK ENTERPRISES at
age 13 right here at The Verchilds High School.
I registered it with The
Government of St. Kitts and Nevis at age 17 and then walked into The
Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis at 17 with a DREAM and Mr. Sam Franks,
The Manager of The Small Enterprise Development Unit was so impressed with my
vision and entrepreneurial ability that he assigned one of his staff members to
help me and I got my first business loan of $15,000 at age 17 and that surged
me heavily into the world of BUSINESS.
I decided not to travel but pursued and
continue to pursue my studies ONLINE with DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIIES as I ENJOY
BEING A NERD. You see, if you apply yourself well,
YOU CAN
ACCOMPLISH MUCH AND
REACH VERY FAR
IN LIFE.
As youths, I want us to know that you will make MISTAKES.
It’s all apart of life. We live and we learn and grow from our MISTAKES in
life. I moved a bit too fast in my life and made some financial mistakes. I
have learned from them and at 31 years of age, I am more than ready to
RISE AGAIN. I want to implore you as
youths to LISTEN to the older heads that talk to you and advise you. You don’t
know it all. Failing to heed their advice sometimes causes hurt, pain and
shame. I’ve learned my lesson the hard way.
Let me begin to come to an end as I address your minds on
this 34th Independence Theme, “Youth, Vision, Integrity: Securing
Our Nation’s Prosperity.” Youths, try your best to be honest and truthful in
life. Try your best to be always spending time doing good and right. All of us
are human, so there are times that we will make mistakes in
life. Never be afraid to humble and take talking to and correction. It will
help you in life.
None of us knows it all. A good character will cause many
people to respect you, love you, trust you and help you in life. Be youths of
GOOD INTEGRITY and when you make a
mistake, never be afraid to CONFESS your fault or mistake and say I AM
SORRY. None of us is too big to say WE
ARE SORRY. Saying sorry can heal
broken friendships and love relationships. Saying sorry can UNITE PEOPLE.
Youths and Future Leaders of St. Kitts and Nevis, this
nation belongs to us. We must choose not to let it go to the dogs. We must
choose to be proud of who we are as a nation – as a people. We must be proud
and never forget the work or our nation builders. Sir Robert Llewellyn
Bradshaw, Sir Paul Southwell, Sir Joseph Nathaniel France, Sir Simeon Daniel,
Dr. The Right Honorable Kennedy Simmonds, Dr. The Right Honourable Denzil
Douglas and many others who toiled tirelessly and feverishly to bring us to
this our 34th Independence.
This nation now lies in our hands.
Believe it or not, our leaders are dying. I watched my Daddy die on an ambulance
stretcher right in front my eyes in our house in the wee hours of Sunday, 22nd
January, 2017. That image is etched in my mind forever. Our grandparents, our
parents, our country leaders and nation builders are dying. That’s the could
truth!
Thus, we must prepare ourselves to take the mantle of leadership in this
our beloved country. How can we? Study your lessons. Listen to your teachers.
Socialize and don’t get too antisocial on whatsapp and facebook. Exercise.
Play. Attend Church and stay positively occupied.
Seek after EDUCATION – that
is the KEY TO LIFE
SUCCESS.
When we do this, we will definitely be securing our
Nation’s Prosperity. May it please you all. Happy 34th Independence.
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