THE HISTORY OF MT. ROYAL PROGRESSIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT
Mt. Royal Progressive Youth Movement “M R P Y M” is a
non-profitable,
non-governmental, community-based youth organisation. This organisation
consists of dedicated young people who unselfishly are committed to the
development of the community and to serve the less-fortunate ones in
our
society.
For far too long, Carriacou has been with out an effective
organisation
with serious minded people to serve and develop the community. M R P Y
M is a consistent organisation with the capacity of keeping the
community
spirit alive through out Carriacou and Petit Martinique.
The Mt. Royal Progressive Youth Movement was formed on the after
noon
of March 12th 1974, on the roadside in the village of La Resource (Mt.
Royal). This was an idea conceived in the brains of Mr. Bentley Thomas,
the re-noun founder of both the Mt. Royal Progressive Youth Movement
and
the Carriacou Parang Festival Committee.
On that afternoon, a few young men from the village of La
Resource,
now commonly called Mt. Royal, came together, to form the organisation
that was originally called Mt. Royal Cricket Club.
The main objective of the club was to develop the village and so
it
was felt that such an organisation could help to improve the game of
cricket,
resulting in a stronger and better-organised cricket team in the
village.
The organisation however was involved not only in the
development of
the game of cricket in the village of Mt. Royal but also it became
involved
in the voluntary development of sports through out the island of
Carriacou.
Therefore, a suggestion was made for the name of the
organisation to
be changed to reflect the work that it was now doing. Consequently, the
name was changed from Mt. Royal Cricket Club to Mt. Royal Sports Club
(M
R S C).
Under its new name (M R S C), within a few months the
organisation was
able to revive many if not all of the sporting events in Carriacou.
These
include: the annual cricket (inter-village), football, netball, and
athletic
competitions.
Before long Mt. Royal Sports Club was involved in not only
sports but
also it became involved in community development and under took many
community
projects.
Later the organisation again became involved beyond its
objectives,
and so a suggestion was made to have its name be changed to better
indicate
the true work that it was now undertaking.
After long discussions and careful considerations, it was agreed
that,
the name should be changed to Mt. Royal Progressive Youth Movement (M R
P Y M) and that is what it is today.
The name M R P Y M has now become a household name through out
Grenada,
Carriacou, and Petit Martinique and even through the world. For it has
been involved in the organising of cultural activities, initiating
voluntary
community development projects and offering assistance to the
underprivileged
ones, the homeless, and the young and talented ones in the community.
For more information regarding the organisational structure,
please
click one the following:
Read
the Mt. Royal Progressive Youth Movement Constitution
Mt. Royal Progressive Youth Movement obtains all of its finances
through
fund raising events that are held through out the year, also by the
support
that it receives from individuals, Organisations and Co-operate
Businesses
both at home and abroad.
Over the years, Mt. Royal Progressive Youth Movement have had many
memorable achievements; these include the revival of many sporting
events
through out Carriacou, the constant mobilising of the entire community
to carry out voluntary community development projects. For example,
under
the government “school repair programme” (P R G) all the schools
through
out Carriacou were repaired through voluntary labour.
Traffic signs (“School Ahead Drive Slowly”) were erected close
to all
the primary schools in an effort to protect the lives of the young
ones.
Thousands of dollars in exercise books and pencils have been
distributed
for many years to the less fortunate ones in the schools through out
Carriacou
and Petit Martinique.
Contributions both in cash and labour have been made several
times to
the General Hospital here in Carriacou. In conjunction with the staff
of
the Hillsborough Health Centre, M R P Y M had under taken the fencing
of
the compound of the Health Centre, a project financed by Agency for
Rural
Transformation (A R T). This is to protect the compound and the
building
from both stray animals and vandalism.
M R P Y M saw the need for a Postal Station to serve the people
of Mt.
Royal and Top Hill; therefore, it made a request to the People’s
Revolutionary
Government (P R G). When the request was granted M R P Y M provided
half
of the labour voluntary and funded two thirds (?) of the financial cost
of repairing the building.
M R P Y M contributed to the building of the Point Salines
International
Airport by purchasing Bonds, the sale of these Bonds was a way of
raising
finances to meet the cost of the Airport.
In 1995 M R P Y M assisted in fencing the “Top Hill Home for
Senior
Citizens”. Also M R P Y M assisted in building the Carriacou Community
Library. Contributions were also made to 4-H Kite Flying competition. M
R P Y M assisted in the repainting of Bishop’s College.
When it was realised that the Community Centre had become to
small for
the staging of major festivals, M R P Y M submitted a proposal to the
Agency
for Rural Transformation (A. R. T) for assistance to fence the
Hillsborough
Tennis Court. Under the leadership of Mr. Byron Campbell, the request
was
granted, and the venue was barricaded and became known as Galvanise
City,
a home for all major activities.
Further, in 1996 M R P Y M again initiated the renovating of the
Hillsborough
Tennis Court, this time a proposal was submitted to Grenada National
Lottery
Authority (LOTTO) and with full backing from the Hon. Adrian “Space
Man”
Mitchell, the sum of fifty thousands dollars ($50 000.00) was granted.
With the provision of labour and additional financing, the Hillsborough
Tennis Court was brought to its present state.
In May of 1991, M R P Y M organised the first annual Walk-A-Ton
of the
Disabled around Carriacou lead by Mr. Joseph “Joe” Bird. This is to
raise
funds for the Grenada National Council of the Disabled (G N C D) to
assist
the disabled brothers and sisters through out Carriacou and Petit
Martinique.
In 1998, over eleven hundred feet (1100 ft) of concrete road was
constructed
in the village of Mt. Royal (Ravine Road). This was done through
voluntary
labour, with financial assistance from M R P Y M, villagers, and the
government
of Grenada through the Hon. Elvin G Nimrod, Minister of Carriacou &
Petit Martinique Affairs. This project cost in the region of forty
thousand
dollars ($40 000).
In 1995 M R P Y M introduced a programme aimed at acknowledging
the
efforts of the successful candidates in the Common Entrance
Examinations.
To this effect “A One Year Scholarship” of books and uniforms was given
to the child that came first for Carriacou & Petit Martinique in
the
Common Entrance Examination.
