FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas — ‘Together, each achieves more’: that was Prime Minister Philip Davis’ acronym for the word, TEAM, and his encouragement to a room full of boys during the official opening of Champs free vocational afterschool institute on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
“When you team up with others, you don’t have to face life alone,” Prime Minister Davis told the youngsters. “You don’t have to go through the challenges of life alone. You can go to your team members to seek help. You can do the same in your classrooms; if there is something you don’t understand, go to your team members and seek help.”
Under the theme “Team Up!”, the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the new Institute was a part of the Falcon’s Boys Club 21st annual “Building Youth is Better than Mending Men” conference, held at Champs Community Centre in Freeport.
Prime Minister Davis, who was the special guest speaker at the event, has been on a mission over the past few months to speak to more boys and young men on a national level on a more frequent basis, using every opportunity to discourage them from potential gang activity.
“I tell them they can belong to a gang,” he explained, “because not every gang is bad. For instance, this Falcon’s Boys club is like a gang. It’s a gang of boys who have come together to inspire positivity. It’s a gang of boys who have come together to encourage each other to be the best they can be in life and to seek success and do what’s right.”
Reflecting on the slogan of the Falcon’s Boys Club, “building youth is better than mending men”, Mr. Davis pointed out that over the past two years research in the Bahamas among men in prison and those who skirt the law, revealed that an abused or hurting child becomes a dangerous adult.
That finding, he said, mandates adults, parents, youth clubs and the government to interrupt and prevent abused children from becoming dangerous adults. “That’s why this organization, its goals, what it stands for and what it has been doing over the past 20 years is so important to the development of this nation.”
The Prime Minister told the youngsters that at one point in his life, he sat where they were sitting as a boy growing up in The Bahamas. He told them that God had a path for his life, just like he had for their respective, individual lives. That path, he said, must be followed by faith.
“Even at a very young age, I realized that life was – and still is – all about choices,” said Mr. Davis. “You can make the choice to duck classes, or you can sit down and learn. You could choose the easy, fun things to do in the short term, or you could take on the difficult but more rewarding tasks that would lead you to greater success in the long run.
“Young men don’t let yourselves be fooled. Some things may seem attractive now, but they will not last. They will just rob you of your time and your opportunities. Each of you have been blessed with your share of talents and gifts that can enable you to succeed in life.”
But raw talent alone, he warned, would not help them reach their goals or help them to become successful in life. He said those talents must be developed, invested in, and nurtured. Using the Parable of the Talents in the Bible as an illustration, the Prime Minister pointed out that it is what we do with our talents and gifts that makes the difference.
Mr. Davis asked each boy in the room to reflect on someone they knew who they considered to be extremely talented in certain areas, whether sports, singing, creativity or academics, but who, through sheer laziness, did not develop or use those talents to succeed in life.
“But your story can be different,” added Mr. Davis. “You have the power to ensure that your story has a happy ending. It is not how you start; it’s how you finish. The good news is you’re all young and filled with potential. You also have time on your side, to give yourself the opportunity to grow.”
Prime Minister Davis named several people from Grand Bahama, who’ve had humble beginnings, but who, through determination, went on to achieve great things, not just in The Bahamas, but also on the international stage.
He said the free vocational afterschool Institute has become another opportunity for the boys in the Falcons Boys Club to reach even higher, dream bigger and achieve even more success.
