- 3 -
'CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE GOING AROUND
PANYARDS COLLECTING SIGNATURES
TO FORM A NEW STEELBAND BODY'
-
WHY ARE people trying to malign me? George Goddard pleaded
yesterday.
Goddard, president-general of the Trinidad and Tobago
Steelbandsmen Association has said -':hat there is a plan afoot
to get him out of office, destroy the steelbandsrnen association
and form a. new body with hand-picked persons in key positions.
He said there was an active campaign
to discredit him and all his contributions
to the development of the steelbandi and
that persons were using the name of the
Prime Minister in this campaign.
No dealing
A s a result, Mr. Goddard yesterday
posted to the Prime Minister a wad of
testimonials from prominent persons on
his contribution to pan.
With the testimonials went this note:
"It has been brought to my attention
that there are certain gentlemen inyour
employ who are going around to $ h e
leaders and members of steeltiands
claiming that they were sent by' you
to get the signatures of steelbandsmen
to form a new steelbandsmen body be-
cause your government has no confidence
in me, and as a result would hav;e no
dealing with the Association of Steel -
. bandsmen of which I am the President-
General.
Leading role
"How true these reports are, Sir,
I cannot say, but in an effort to help
you (if you so desire ) in assessing
properly my ability with respect to the
steelband movement. I am sending you
attached and for your information,
photostant copies of testimonials."
Here are extracts from these testi-
monials:
FROM SENATOR DONALD PIERRE,
Minister of Public Utilities and Housingwho, as Minister of Education and Cul-
ture wrote of Goddard in 1968:
"I have known Mr. Goddard for
several years during which time I have
always found him to DC honest, hard-
working, enthusiastic, regular and punc-
tual.
"He has played a leading role in
the steelband movement in Trinidad and
Tobago, and has contributed greatly to
the success which this movement has had
locally and abroad during the last five
years.
"At one time, the steelband move-
ment was despised especially because
its members came from the lowest
class of the society.
"The birth of the mov-.nent caused
social problems in the country. Today
all this has changed.
Contribution
"The members of the movement are
drawn from all classes of tho society,
and the country itself can probablj boast
that the steelband music was born in
Trinidad and Tobago.
"This ther jfore could amply testify
tp the contribution that Mr. Goddard
iias made."
FROM MR. GEORGE CHAMBERS,
Minister of National Security who wrote
as Parliamentary Secretary in the
Ministry of Finance in 1968:
"Mr. Goddard has for many years
been one :>." Uie champions of the cause
of steelbandsnmi in this country long
before the steelband hud become the
accomplished art form that it is toslay.
In addition, Mr. Goddard has identified
himself in many fields of socialand welfare
work and in particular has been a active
and prominent member of the Carnival
Development Committee for a number of
years.
Convictions
"Mr. Goddard is personally known to
me and fr:>:n :ny own knowledge can
certify that he is reliable forthright,
trustworthy and v-ny strong in h i s
convictions.''
FIOM SIR HIGH \VOODING, who
said when he was Chief -Just; :e in 1967:
"This is to certify that Mr. Geo>ge
Goddard of this city has for many years
bcea the President of the Trinidad and
Tobago Steelbandsmen and as such did
very valuable work in the field of
social welfare by shaping what might
be described as a spontaneous and often
riotous growth into a well-ordered and
culturally attractive development.
Pioneers
"The Steelbandsmen of this country,
most of whomCand especially the pio'ioers
among them) have sprung from the
social and economic level of the com-
munity which is commonly referred
to as the under-privileged, owe their
recognition and now widely-accepted
status to the untiring efforts of Mr.
Goddard to lift them to where they
properly belong. He should be highly
commend 3d for this by both the steel-
bandsmen particularly, and by the com-
munity generally.
FROM MR. ROBERT WALLACE, for-
mer Minister of Labour:
"Mr. Goddard has made a valuable
contribution to this country in the field
of social welfare work. He was respon-
sible, to a large extent, for the organi-
sation of the steelband body and has
helped to bring about improvements in
the Carnival celebrations and calypso
singing. He has also done social work
among youths and encourage-J sporting
activities."
True friend
Mr. Goddard "us also sent an ex-
tract from a letier from the captain of
the Dixieland Steelband, Curtis Pierre,
who wrote from the United Kingdom in
1963:
"It is really at times like thjy
that one really knows who his t r u e
friends are, and let me say with all
sincerity that I have never known, from
any distance, such unselfish esteem
from anyone whom I have met or with
whom * have had the plea sure -.iT working.
"You can never imagine how ;vx>d
I felt to know that among all my friend-;
ii Trinidad, the Association, underyo :r
capable and tested leadership, was fid
ons to think of me as is said, "in the
hour 'iL need."