SCDF tells prize winners
subsidy not yet received
~ Attendees at first 2008 evaluation meeting walk out ~
PHILIPSBURG--A handful of Carnival 2008 competition winners who attended a meeting convened by St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) last night walked out of the meeting after being informed that they were not likely to receive their prizes before some time next month.
Reporters were not permitted to sit in on the meeting held at Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall, but SCDF reported in a press release after the meeting that it had explained to the winners present that the foundation still had not received its annual subsidy from the Island Government and thus could not pay prize monies.
They were also given an explanation on how SCDF’s finances were broken down on an annual basis.
“We completely understand the frustration of some of the winners of Carnival 2008, but the reality of the situation is that once we get our subsidy, our winners will receive what’s due to them,” the SCDF explained.
GEBE’s Survivors Mas Camp leader Jasmine Philips said in an invited comment that she had been the first to voice her opinion and walk out of the meeting, as she had been disappointed in the call for an unfruitful meeting. She said she would have preferred the foundation to have given her a call to notify her that her group would not be receiving its cash prize last night, as she had dropped many priorities to attend the meeting.
GEBE’s Survivors Mas Camp was the Grand Parade second place winner. Philips said that in her view it was not about the money, but more the foundation’s lack of respect for the stakeholders. She also said many of the various competition winners had not attended the meeting as they had not been aware of it.
Meanwhile, according the press statement, a tentative timeframe of three weeks was mentioned as when the prizes should be paid. At that time, SCDF will organise its usual prize-giving ceremony for the Carnival winners.
SCDF stated in the press statement that as a courtesy it thought it prudent to get an evaluation directly from the people involved in Carnival, not what had been published in the media thus far. SCDF also assured those present that all of their grievances would be looked at and dealt with in the lead-up to Carnival 2009.
Philips said it had been disappointing to hear the foundation speak of plans for next year’s Carnival when it hadn’t even given out trophies for the 2007 Carnival. She said SCDF did not have the common courtesy to adequately inform Carnival stakeholders about what was going on. She said SCDF must remember that Carnival was for the people of St. Maarten and not for the foundation.
On the issue of poor attendance at last night’s meeting, SCDF said its notice about a series of meetings it planned to hold, starting with last night’s, had been sent to media houses last week Wednesday, but while it had been publicised by certain media houses last week, it had only appeared in The Daily Herald on Monday. The media, SCDF explained, are always known to announce meetings.
In addition, SCDF stated that the practice of the business community to “brush off” troupe leaders by stating they had already sponsored SCDF also had been brought up. This practice has been ongoing for years and, according to the SCDF, is almost always false. “When we publish our financials the public will see who all contributed to the SCDF.”
Last night’s meeting was just one on the schedule of meetings planned for this week to evaluate Carnival 2008 and start preparations for Carnival 2009, St. Maarten’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
A meeting for this year’s booth holders is scheduled to take place in John Larmonie Centre tonight from 7:00 to 9:00pm. All this year’s troupe and band leaders are invited to a meeting in the Government Administration Building tomorrow from 7:00 to 9:00pm, and a meeting for all Calypsonians, local artistes and performers who participated in this year’s Carnival will be held in the Government Administration Building on Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00pm.
