Siparia Police Youth Club excels in pan

SEETA PERSAD

SO moved was Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams by the performance of the Siparia Police Youth Club panside that he has decided to learn to play the instrument himself.

Delivering the feature address at the Masquerade Ball of the youth club at Market Square, Siparia, on March 3, Williams told guests one of the most moving experience in his life was looking at the pannists of the Siparia Police Youth Club play.

“You all have inspired me to try my hand at playing the instrument,” he said, adding that he had a tenor pan sitting in his library and he thinks it’s time he tried playing it.

Leader and co-ordinator of the Siparia Police Youth Club, Sgt Roger Worrel said the club has a membership of 407 and growing each year. Worrel outlined the club’s achievements in the Prime Minister’s Best Village Competition last year, which its bele dancers entered for the first time and placed fourth in the finals. He noted that the junior pan players participated in the annual Pan for Blue Competition in Point Fortin and placed third.

Also, 42 members journeyed to Houston, Texas, with their newly-formed steel orchestra for several concerts there. “This was a successful overseas tour for which I wish to thank the Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams for his generosity in sponsoring the group,” Worrel said. He is looking forward to more overseas performances in the future with members of the club, he said.

Williams praised Worrel saying he was one of the most hard-working officers who has taken up the task of uplifting his community. “Through the discipline of volunteerism and through the medium of volunteers that Police Youth Clubs can grow from strength to strength,” Williams said, adding that it is critical for the adults to do more volunteer work in helping the youths. He urged citizens to reach out to the youths without the expectation of monetary gain. He commended the Siparia community for taking care of the club and keeping its flag flying high.