Marching Band Association to be Launched Tomorrow

The National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD) will be culminating Youth Month activities with tomorrow’s (Dec. 6) launch of the Marching Band Association of Jamaica at Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay in St. James.
The launch of the Marching Band Association of Jamaica evolved from the notion that Jamaican marching bands needed more than sporadic workshops and an annual competition and needed organisation as a unit, in order to make a lasting impact on the lives of the youth who are involved.
Speaking with JIS News, Youth Empowerment Officer in charge of Youth Leadership at NCYD, Trishan Haughton, pointed out that “the marching band movement also fosters discipline, which is something that is lacking in our society today…so this initiative will reinforce this significant value in young persons.”
She said that the launch will run from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a number of performances and presentations from leading marching bands in St. James and other parts of the island, including the Tivoli and St. Judes marching bands.
Attendees will include: Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Senator Warren Newby; and Youth Ambassador to the United Nations General Assembly, and the Prime Minister’s Youth Awardee for Leadership, Constable Odale Mulgrave, who will be the main speaker.
Another highlight of the day’s proceeding will be the unveiling of the logo, which will identify all 25 registered bands as members of the Association.
Miss Haughton also informed that a Terms of Reference will be signed between the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) and the NCYD for ensured support of the movement through multi-sectoral collaboration.
The Youth Empowerment Officer noted that the Marching Band Association “is an excellent means of targeting young people and supporting their development and through the marching band we hope to assist them in various ways whether by furthering their education, getting them into HEART programmes or having home work programmes for those already in schools.”
She invited everyone to be a part of the launch noting that “it is about supporting the forward movement of our country.”
Youth Month was observed throughout the month of November and encompassed a series of events that targeted the youth and highlighted their achievements and contribution to society.
The theme for Youth Month was “I Can, We Can, Youth Can Achieve Greatness”.