Good evening Friends,
Tonight feels special.
You can sense it from the moment you walk through the doors. There is energy in this room, the kind that only comes when young people gather with purpose.
What we are celebrating tonight is the birth of a movement that belongs to you.
When I look across this audience, I see hope. I see the faces of young Bahamians who have decided to lead.
You are not waiting for someone to tell you that you matter. You are showing it.
When I was your age, I learned something that stayed with me. Leadership rarely starts with a title or an office.
It starts when you decide to care. When you take responsibility for something bigger than yourself. When you choose to make things better, even in small ways.
That is what this night represents. A group of young Bahamians choosing to lead, to serve, and to work together for their community.
The Golden Gates Youth Association and Council is a home for people who want to do more than talk about change. It is a place for those who are ready to make it happen. You have a clear mission: to empower young people through leadership, education, and community service.
That is a strong beginning.
Your Member of Parliament, Minister Pia Glover-Rolle, saw the potential in you. She believed that if young people in Golden Gates were given a chance, they would rise to it.
This Council is proof of that belief. It shows what happens when a community invests in its youth and gives them the tools to succeed.
Golden Gates has always been known for its spirit of togetherness.
Families here help each other.
Churches open their doors to those in need. Neighbours lend a hand before being asked.
That same spirit is alive tonight. It is now being carried forward by you, the next generation.
You have built a solid foundation. You have a plan that covers leadership training, entrepreneurship, cultural development, environmental awareness, and community outreach. That plan will give you direction and discipline.
But what will truly make this work succeed is the heart you put into it.
Over the next year, you will organize bootcamps, workshops, outreach drives, and clean-ups.
You will mentor children, visit schools, and run programs that bring people together.
You will learn what it means to lead. Not by talking about it, but by doing it.
Leadership will test you. There will be moments when you are tired, when people doubt you, when progress feels slow.
Those are the times that reveal character. True leaders keep going when the spotlight fades. They do not serve for applause. They serve because they care.
When you wear that Council pin tonight, understand what it means. It is not decoration. It is a sign that others trust you to protect something important.
They are trusting you to bring hope.
They are trusting you to be responsible, to be fair, and to be kind.
Some of you will lead committees on education, enterprise, technology, or culture. Others will focus on the environment, safety, or community development.
Every role matters.
Whether you are chairperson or volunteer, you will have a part to play in shaping Golden Gates into a stronger, safer, and more unified community.
You will make mistakes. You will face days when you wonder if anyone is paying attention.
But keep going. Leadership is a long road. Each experience, good or bad, will teach you something valuable.
I have seen the power of persistence. Many years ago, I started out in small ways, helping neighbours, assisting at church, standing up for people who could not speak for themselves. I did not know where it would lead. But every act of service prepared me for the next.
That is how leadership grows.
This Association is giving you that same chance to begin. It will allow you to learn, to experiment, and to grow through service. That is how nations are built.
Progress in this country does not come only from government offices. It comes from people in communities who decide that they will take responsibility for where they live. It comes from groups like this one. From young men and women who choose action over apathy.
You are now part of that tradition. You are continuing the work of those before you who gave their time and energy to build this area from the ground up. You are proving that the spirit of Golden Gates is alive and strong.
You are also setting an example for the rest of the nation. Other communities will look at what you are doing and realize that young people can organize themselves, govern responsibly, and create opportunities. You are showing what is possible when vision meets courage.
To the parents, teachers, pastors, and mentors who are here tonight, I say thank you.
These young people are standing on your shoulders. They are the result of your care and your guidance.
Continue to support them.
Encourage them when they stumble.
Remind them that service is not always easy, but it is always worth it.
To the members of the new Council, I say this. Dream big, but work harder. Believe in your ideas, but also learn from those who have walked before you. Ask questions. Be humble enough to listen.
The best leaders are always learning.
As you go forward, remember that leadership without compassion is empty. You will be judged not by how loud you speak, but by how many lives you improve. Be the kind of leader who lifts people up. Be the kind who listens before making decisions. Be the kind who never forgets where they came from.
I want you to imagine what this Association can become in the years ahead. Picture more young people trained in leadership. Picture small businesses created from your enterprise programs. Picture clean parks, thriving schools, and families working together. That is the kind of future this Council can help create.
And when that future arrives, remember where it began. It began here, tonight, with you deciding to take the first step.
You are entering into service at a time when The Bahamas needs leaders who are steady, thoughtful, and ready to act. The world is changing quickly, but our values must remain strong. Courage, honesty, hard work, and faith in God will carry you through.
There will be distractions. There will be times when you are tempted to give up. But leadership is about standing firm when the easy choice is to walk away. It is about holding on to what is right.
You have been given an opportunity that many only dream about. Do not waste it. Use it to build others. Use it to create opportunities for people who feel forgotten. Use it to make your community proud.
Every small action matters. Every clean-up, every mentorship, every outreach visit leaves a mark. The story of Golden Gates will be written by what you do from this moment on.
So, as you take your oath tonight, take it seriously. Promise yourselves that you will serve with integrity, that you will lead with courage, and that you will never stop believing in the potential of your generation.
Wear your pin with pride, but keep your heart humble. The title will fade, but the impact you make will last.
To all of you gathered here, remember this: progress begins when ordinary people decide to care in extraordinary ways. You are those people.
Congratulations to the new Golden Gates Youth Association and Council. May your hands build, may your hearts serve, and may your example inspire others to follow.
Thank you, and may God bless you all.