Dinchong wants Pan Trinbago’s EO job

MICHAEL DINCHONG, manager of Shell Invaders Steel Orchestra, will be contesting the position of education officer (EO) on the central executive of Pan Trinbago in the upcoming election of officers on Sunday.

As an educator with 36 years of experience in the profession, Dinchong is currently a senior instructor at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) in the Centre for Education Programmes.

Over several years, Dinchong has been working with young children, adolescents, youths and adults. His responsibilities included designing, planning and implementing sporting and cultural programmes for education, leisure and pleasure. As manager of Invaders for the last 16 years, he has ultimate responsibility for the overall operations of both the senior and youth bands in the organisation.

Dinchong spoke to Newsday on his plans should he be successful in the elections. He said: “I intend to familiarise myself with the existing programmes and policies that fall under the purview of the EO, and it is my intention to use my experience, to modify programmes, if improvement is needed and to sustain those that are fulfilling their objectives.

“I also intend to implement education programmes, not only for the youths in the fraternity but for all members as mandated under the duties of the EO, work with the members of the executive team to ensure that information is available to both local and foreign members of the fraternity, and work with the other members of the executive to improve the operations of Pan Trinbago and the image of the organisation.”

Dinchong’s involvement in pan began at an early age, having grown up close to Belmont Fifth Dimension. He said: “Many a night I went to bed with pan music in my head. I was immersed into pan by my parents and my environment.

“After many years of being just an aficionado of pan, I started playing with Silver Stars in the 1980s and stayed there for a short while, then in 1994 I joined Invaders and have been here since, serving on management for over 20 years.”

Dinchong believes his management experience coupled with his 36 years in education is “the perfect blend” for education officer of Pan Trinbago at this time. He said: “The renaissance of Pan Trinbago requires a period of enlightenment that would not only broaden the vision of the organisation but also propel it into a state of self-sufficiency and professionalism. The recent Shell Invaders’ Meet the President forum is an example of ‘education in action’. It is an example of progressive thinking for the organisation.”

However, as much as Dinchong has stated his intentions if elected, he said he couldn’t say with any certainty what he would do immediately because he would have to work along with a leader and the other elected officials. “We would first have to have a common vision for the organisation and then plan our strategies for moving forward. Any personal intentions I may have in relation to EO would have to fit into the bigger plan. I am a team player. I will give my fullest support and commitment to integrity, honesty and democracy. I see a bright future for the new executive of Pan Trinbago once everyone is true to what they say.

“My humble intention is to assist in moving the national and international pan fraternity forward into the 21st century by developing a culture of knowledge, learning and progressive thinkers.”