Lettsome, Pickering saluted as BVI Heroes

at Second Annual Service of Recognition

Vernon Pickering receiving BVI Hero Award, looking on is Bishop John Cline

On Sunday, 19 February, the New Life Baptist Church (NLBC) at Duff’s Bottom, Tortola, was filled to capacity as Bishop John I. Cline presided at a well co-ordinated Service of Recognition honouring BVI heroes.

Under the banner of Black History Month and inspired by the exhortation “render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due...and honour to whom honour is due,” (Romans 13:7) the congregation warmly greeted honourees Dr. Quincy Lettsome and Mr. Vernon W. Pickering.

Both Pickering and Lettsome are well known throughout the Territory and it was no surprise that the televised Service attracted an additional crowd  made up of family members, friends and well-wishers from Tortola and sister islands. In attendance were also former Chief Minister Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal and members of the business community and non governmental organisations. The entire NLBC Ministerial Staff and the Church’s Boys Brigade cheered guests and honourees.

Brother Mitchell Blaize welcomed the guests and Bishop Cline introduced the honourees. The festive mood was greatly enhanced by the brilliant and inspired renditions of the NLBC Choir, the solo by Rochelle Smith, the poem reading by Damion Grange and the beautifully choreographed dance by Cherubim of Praise.

Equally impressive were the interludes of drama and speech choir inspired by the Virgin Verse by Quincy Lettsome and the tragic piece based on  Bellevue’s 60 murders and the well-known dramatic episode of Arthur Hodge and his slave Prosper — an anti-slavery milestone thoroughly chronicled in Pickering’s “Early History of the BVI—From Columbus to Emancipation”.

Bishop Cline said that the Service was an effort to show the people’s appreciation for the honourees’ outstanding courage and character, as well as their sterling contributions to the people and history of the British Virgin Island.

 “The Service provided an opportunity for us as a Church, and the BVI community to recognize the honourees as role models and to give honour to whom honour is due,” the Bishop told The Island Sun.

Mrs. Celia Georges gracefully delivered the tributes. Before listening to a biographical profile of Vernon Pickering the congregation was treated to a recorded bi-lingual rendition of “Without You” (“Sin Ti”) sang by the honouree himself.

Vernon W. Pickering's  accomplishments are indeed manifold; they include dance, films, musical theater, television and recordings. He is an author, an educator, a historian, and publisher.

His career began with studies at the Robert Joffrey Ballet in New York City, and on the wings of a highly motivated spirit, Vernon then moved into musical theatre. It was there that he began to find true happiness as he was able to attain much greater artistic expression.

Vernon has always enjoyed singing and sang a lot as a youngster, so for him it was no surprise when he found himself in a recording studio. Since that day his records have been produced by Philips, Fonit-Cetra International and Polydor-Polygram.

Vernon has made several appearances on television shows both in Europe and the USA, as well as in four major films, including one that starred the French actress Brigitte Bardot.

He performed on Broadway and London's West End stages  in a number of major productions including "Show Boat", "Hair" and "Jesus Christ Superstar". Also he has given concerts in Milan, Italy at both the Lirico and Gerolamo theatres. His numerous television appearances have included shows broadcast by RAI and Canale 5 TV in Italy, and Montecarlo TV in Monaco. Also he appeared in screenings of “Catch my Soul” (Othello Rock) by the BBC and ITV in England. There were also appearances on Swiss as well as Dutch TV, and Capodistria in Croatia.

He has received honours too from the Press Club of Milan, as well as the British Virgin Islands Ministry of Education, and the Department of Education and Culture. At the performing arts festival held on the Island of Ischia (near Capri, Italy) he was presented with the prestigious Prince De Curtis Award as Vocalist of the Year.

Pickering was the first to introduce classical dance in the British Virgin Islands where he held ballet classes in the 1960s and mid 1980s. 

In addition to his many attainments in the world of art and entertainment, Vernon has made his considerable mark as an author too, and has had two important history books published: "Early History of the British Virgin Islands - from Columbus to Emancipation", (published first in 1983, followed by two new editions in 1997 and 2000) and the companion volume, "Concise History of the British Virgin Islands - from the Amerindians to 1986". He is at the present time engaged in researching and writing his third book on BVI history. In 1994, the Lions Club honoured Vernon with the Citizen of the Year Award.

And in 1987 Vernon Pickering presented to the Anegada Lands Commissioner, Justice Barrymore Renwick, several hundred folios of documents that he had researched in English archives, relating to the issue of land ownership in the northernmost island of the Virgin Islands. His invaluable contribution to the solution of a 120 year old dispute, was duly acknowledged by Justice Renwick during the final public hearing at the Court Chambers. Pickering was also instrumental in managing to retrieve a copy of the historic 1834 Proclamation of Emancipation in the Virgin Islands, and a public presentation of this  document was made to His Excellency the Governor J. Mark Herdman, during a special Sunday Service at St George's Church in Road Town. This was followed by a similar presentation to the then Chief Minister of the islands, the Honourable H. Lavity Stoutt during a meeting of the BVI Legislative Council. Copies of this Emancipation Proclamation, are now proudly displayed in the Legislative Chambers, and the Methodist Church in Road Town, and St George's Anglican Church. Since 1985 Pickering is the editor of the oldest-running BVI  newspaper, The Island Sun. Vernon has very recently  recorded a new album titled “The Eyes of Love” which is being marketed by Warner Bros/Chappell.

Left to right: BVI Heroes Dr. Quincy Lettsome and Vernon Pickering

A native of Long Look, Tortola, Dr. Quincy Lettsome joined the teaching profession while he was still a teenager. He was first appointed at the Post Primary Department and the then Road Town School. He received training at the Lewward Islands Teachers Training College in Antigua and on completion he was appointed Principal of the Cane Garden Bay School and the Road Town Primary School. While serving at these institutions, Dr Lettsome brought about several innovations which included celebration of the Road Town School’s Silver Jubilee (1947-1972), introduction of a Ladybird Reading Scheme, and the House System and recreational equipment.

This educator taught at the BVI High School for some 12 years and pursued graduate  and post graduate studies. He served in various capacities such as Year Head, Head of the Geography Department and Deputy Principal. Dr. Lettsome completed undergraduate studies at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum Development at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. While serving as Principal of the Cane Garden Bay School in 1966, he discovered a relatively new concept, which he termed Micro Curricular Studies, or Micro Curriculum Development. When he completed his Ph.D. at the Hull University in the UK in 1991, this marked 25 years of research along the Micro Curricular Trail.

Dr Lettsome served at the Department of Education and Culture for 17 years, in various capacities such as Deputy Chief Education Officer and Ag. Chief Education Officer. He also served as President of the BVI Teachers Union for some 18 years at different intervals.  He undoubtedly was one of the driving forces that kept the union in existence and was instrumental in bringing about many positive changes

 He brought about several innovations with the assistance of the Committees and members, such as Education Week, the Inter Primary School General Knowledge Quiz, the Right to Study Leave, the Teaching Service Commission, the Hull University Programme and was instrumental  in staging the first ever Inter Primary School Athletic Championships in 1971. While attending a Teachers Assembly in 1982 in Switzerland he proposed the idea which has evolved to be World Teachers Day, which is now celebrated all over the world.  In 1999 he distinguished himself at an international level when he received honourable mention from the Comnenius Medal  Committee under the aegis of the International Bureau of Education.

Unesco’s  “Educational Innovation and Information” monthly had the following to say about him: ”Quincy Lettsome’s entire life has been devoted to education, both to learning and teaching, and could be graphically presented as two parallels of self- improvement. As a learner, he has come a long way from the Methodist elementary school in his native community of Tortola to earning a Ph.D. degree from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. As a teacher, he moved from his first job of an assistant teacher at the Road Town elementary school, to his current position of Deputy Chief Education Officer with responsibility for curriculum development at the Department of Education and Culture. Curriculum development has always been the focus of his attention, in particular the relevance of the curriculum to the students’ particular needs and the milieu in which they live”.

Dr. Lettsome has published three anthologies of poetry under the name “Virgin Verse”.  His latest book, “Virgin Islands August Monday and Festivals” has been well received.

He is a member of the Virgin Islands Legacy Committee, and in observance of the 170th anniversary of Emancipation and the 50th Anniversary of Festival he has produced a heritage collection of souvenir items. After 43 years in the Public service, he retired  in 2003