When Prime Minster Mitchell requested I take over as Chairman of the Bequia Tourist Committee I did so with an element of apprehension. Mr. Mitchell felt I was able to see the Island through the eyes of a foreigner, yet had enough local knowledge to understand the problems facing Bequia in the tourism sector. I was uneasy about becoming Chairman, feeling that particular honour should go to someone born on Bequia, but Mac as well as Son pressured me into accepting the appointment.
Up until I became chairman the tourism meetings had been held in the stuffy room over the old revenue offices; with the Prime Minister’s agreement I chose a different location and conducted all my meetings at the Pizzeria. This way (although on meeting days I had to skip my afternoon nap) I could remain in my place of business and the committee would have a much nicer view. We could sit on cushioned chairs and have access to cold drinks, which was a huge improvement over the old meeting locale!
I hand-picked several people involved in tourism-related businesses to sit on the committee, and the Inspector of police, the head of customs and the man in charge of Bequia’s public works were the Civil Service members. Althea Gregg, the secretary, was in charge of taking notes at the meetings, which she would type and send to the Ministry of Tourism on the mainland. Mrs. Gregg also started each meeting with the reading of the minutes, making any amendments needed.
On meeting days I usually made a snack to serve to the committee such as tiny quiches or finger sandwiches. If I had been too busy during the lunch hour to make something myself I had the staff bring out small pizzas or conch fritters. All members were given beverages of their choice, and the combination of a change in locale as well as snacks and beverages ensured that I always had a quorum for the meetings. Call it bribery if you will but it worked!
My committee had a lot to discuss, there were so many ways in which tourism on Bequia could be improved. However, we were only an advisory committee and I wasn’t sure how much we would be able to accomplish. There were passionate discussions that often veered from the topic at hand and I often had to nudge certain members back on track. Poor Mrs. Gregg scribbled furiously to keep up with the ideas and suggestions being thrown out by the committee, and as a result it was sometimes hard for her to condense her copious notes. Once I noticed the state of Althea’s typewriter I offered to take over the task of typing up the minutes on my own portable machine. This was long before the days of computers, my typewriter wasn’t even electric, but it was in much better shape than the old clunker at the tourism office.
Many ideas were born at those meetings. The taxi drivers needed an association to deal with the transportation confusion on cruise ship days. Water taxis needed to form an association as well, at that point in time there was little or no control over what was happening on the water. Over the years we accomplished quite a bit with no budget to speak of and no access to modern technology, and although leading the committee added to my workload I welcomed the challenge.
Prime Minister Mitchell had given me an additional challenge, and it was one that I would be tackling on my own under the umbrella as Chairman of the Tourist Committee. He asked me to conduct research for a year, then submit a paper to the Government on the pros and cons of the cruise ship industry on Bequia. I started work on that project as soon as my appointment was confirmed, and a year later my paper was ready to be shared with the Ministry of Tourism.