Monday 6 March Is Lavity Stoutt Public Holiday

For the first time in BVI history a public holiday honouring a native British Virgin Islander will be observed on Monday 6 March 2000. On February 1st this year, the Legislative Council passed a resolution abolishing the public holiday commemorating the birthday of the Heir to the Throne and instituting a new public holiday in honour of the late Chief Minister H. Lavity Stoutt. The holiday is to be observed in early March each year. In the meantime the office of the Attorney General has been working on the necessary amendments to the Public Holidays Act to accommodate the recommendations of the LegCo resolution number 1 of 2000. The Honourable Chief Minister, Ralph T. O’Neal told journalists on Monday that while the work on the amendments is underway, the Attorney General has been advised by the Executive Council to make an order declaring Monday 6 March 2000 a public holiday. Hamilton Lavity Stoutt was born on 7th March 1929. He was first elected to the Legislative Council in 1957 and was re-elected every succeeding election until his death in May 1995, thus serving for a period of 38 years. H. L. Stoutt died in office and was the longest serving Chief Minister in BVI history. The BVI Community College is named in his honour. On Saturday 4 March the Virgin Island Party will hold their 29th Anniversary celebrations with a recognition dinner at Long Bay Beach Resort. The event will honour several VIP founding members and will pay tribute to the late Hon. H. Lavity Stoutt. The Dean of the West Indies Prime Ministers Hon. Sir James Mitchell will be the guest speaker.