Seniors have a role to play in ‘redignifying’ Jamaica, says Wilson
Published:Tuesday | August 5, 2025 | 12:09 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
In a heartfelt tribute to community elders, 30 senior citizens from Jericho and surrounding areas in Hanover were honoured by the 2025 Jericho Reunion Planning Committee (JRPC) during a grand awards dinner at Sky Beach Restaurant in Hopewell on Sunday.
The event, themed ‘Seniors – Building the Community, Inspiring Generations’, was one of the highlights of the 2025 Jericho Reunion Weekend, which brought together Jerichonians of all ages, including many from overseas. The 12 women and 18 men honoured ranged in age from 75 to 96 and were serenaded, pampered, feted, and presented with awards in recognition of their lifelong contributions.
The weekend celebrations included a Mini Miss Jericho competition for children ages 6–11, two concerts in the district square, a 5K walk-a-thon, a river party at Georgia River, a church service, and the distribution of care packages to shut-ins and the indigent.
Delivering the keynote address at the dinner, Deputy Superintendent of Police Courtney Wilson hailed the honorees as pillars of society and vital keepers of community history.
“Senior citizens have a wealth of wisdom and experience. They hold the institutional memory of our towns and our various communities across the country,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Courtney Wilson. He noted that they carry irreplaceable experiences – “From teaching us traditional skills to sharing historical insights, you provide a crucial link to our past.”
He emphasised that their contributions to nation-building cannot be measured, and that their ongoing community involvement has helped make Jericho and its surrounding areas among the safest in Hanover.
“You don’t stop contributing because you have become seniors; you become seniors when you stop contributing. Your contribution in Jericho has resulted in that and its surrounding communities becoming some of the safest communities within the parish,” he said, as he praised them for their continued involvement in the life of Jericho, describing them as the backbone of the community.
INTER-GENERATIONAL EXCHANGE
In highlighting the nurturing that the senior citizens have been offering to the community, Wilson said that by their active participation, they are creating an opportunity for inter-generational exchange, ensuring that valuable lessons and strong values are passed down.
In a passionate call to action, Wilson addressed some of the negative cultural shifts among today’s youth, urging the elders to play a more active role in reversing these trends.
“When our young ladies refer to themselves as ‘Gen-Z Jezebel’; and our young men refer to themselves as ‘Daddy Devil’. When ‘fully dunce’ is a badge that children wear to school as if it is something honourable. When the first meal of the day resembles something like gasolene; and our young people – both male and female – are undignified in their dressing, I say that you the seniors, and all like you across the parish of Hanover, the county of Cornwall, and by extension Jamaica, have a responsibility to redignify our young people,” said Wilson.
He warned that the nation risks losing a generation, and argued that respect must be restored within families for national healing to take place.
“If anyone can redirect the thought pattern of the young people, it must be the seniors. There needs to be the restoration of respect within families nationally, which will ultimately result in a better nation,” Wilson said, in stressing the important role that seniors need to play.