Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 10, 2015 Sports
RHTY&SC, A success story 25 years and counting…
Guyana’s leading youth and sport organization, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports
Club (RHTY&SC) with an unmatched record when it comes to organised activities and achievements is this year celebrating its Golden Jubilee.
This exemplary institution was formed by the three-time Guyana and Commonwealth Youth Service Awardee, the St. Francis Community Developers in 1990 and was the brainchild of its current Secretary/CEO, Mr. Hilbert Foster.
The four main objectives of the RHTY&SC are:
(1) To offer sports, culture and education as an alternative to a life of drugs and crime for youth;
(2) To bring youths closer to the God they believe in;
(3) To improve facilities for youths;
(4) To make a positive difference in the lives of the elderly, youth and less fortunate.
Foster, in May 1990 resigned as Public Relations Officer of the St. Francis Youth Club with the mandate to form the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club. On May 16, Foster along with 16 other equally committed persons met at the then Port Mourant Community High School building and started the process of forming a cricket club.
Among those present were his elder brother Keith, Linden Ross, Moses Ramchanden, Leon Wiggins, Leonard Lashley,
Peter Trim, Desmond Paddy, Errol and Alston Hendrax, Ken Mc Kay and Ravindranauth Kissoonlall.
Elections were held following three months of planning and Keith Foster was elected President, Errol Hendrax (Vice President), Moses Ramchanden (Secretary), Leon Wiggins (Treasurer) and Hilbert Foster (Public Relations Officer).
Leonard Lashley, who was almost 40 years-old, was elected as Captain of the cricket team with Moses Ramchanden as his deputy. Foster stated that the cricket team lost their first 17 matches by huge margins but they eventually found a winning formula when they defeated Fyrish by two runs in November/June 1991.
In January 1992, the Club was approached by Mr. Carl Moore of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) to play under their umbrella and the club made its BCB debut on January 21, 1992, defeating Letter Kenny by an innings and 26 runs in an Under-19 fixture.
Later that year, the Club created history when it won its first Berbice trophy, getting past Paradise by 3 wickets to lift the Sydney Sabsook Second Division Trophy. The club then sought and was granted First Division status in September, 1992, two years after its formation.
The team won its first 1st division match creating a major upset to defeat the heavily favoured Police team which had included the likes of Hubern Evans, Maynard Wilson, Lawrence Bahadur and others. The margin of victory was three wickets and the venue was the Area ‘H’ ground.
Foster, who has served as Secretary/CEO of the Club since 2000 informed that the first five years of the club were very difficult but they were able to survive due to visionary leadership and a determination
to succeed against the odds.
The RHTY&SC went on to win the Berbice Second Division title in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, Neil Williams created history when he became the first club member to represent Guyana at any level after being selected to the Guyana Under-19 Team.
Esuan Crandon in 2000, became the first club member to play for the senior team while Assad Fudadin in the same year, represented the West Indies Under-15 with great success.
The club since then has produced six national senior players, 29 junior national players and a combined 95 for Berbice at all levels. Assad Fudadin – Test, Royston Crandon – ODI, Esuan Crandon – Sixes, Erva Giddings and Shemaine Campbelle – Females have all represented the West Indies while the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club also won the national cricket championship in 2004 and 2005. Its female team won the national championship in 2010.
The various teams of this role model club have won a combined 36 titles, and four Guyana Cricket Board, Club of the Year titles which were achieved in 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010.
Among the members that have donned national colours are Rajiv Ivan, Delbert Hicks, Abdel Fudadin, Shawn Pereira, Askay Homraj, Shailendra Shameer, Plaffiana Millington, Shwan Grant, Khemraj Mahadeo, Murphy La Rose, Dominique Rikhi, Naresh Mahadeo, Melanie Henry and Erica Lashley.
The RHTY&SC is also widely known across Guyana for its work off the field of play and each year undertakes over 200 activities/programmes under the sub-headings of sports, education, culture, anti-drugs, charity, community development, youth development, awards/honour ceremonies, anti-suicide, counseling, personal development and religious among others.
The Club in 1992 following the advice of its late Patron, then President of Guyana, Mr. Hugh Desmond Hoyte expanded its activities to make positive differences in the lives of others. The Club’s other patrons over the last twenty five years have been businessman Peter Ramsaroop, Farfan & Mendes former CEO Ms June Mendes and current Patron Ms Beverley Harper, CEO of Ansa McAl.
Among the main Club achievements over the years have been, spearheading the transformation of the Area ‘H’ ground from swamp land into a modern sports venue, restoration of the Rose Hall Town Kiddies corner, putting up of signs for every street in Rose Hall Town, restoration of the Lower Corentyne Secondary School in 1991/1992, assisting numerous schools and churches with community projects and raising $1M to construct an all weather court in 1998.
The Club’s Charity programme on an annual basis distributes over $5M worth of items to less fortunate families and also assists hundreds of students to remain in school to obtain an educational background. The Club also has its own Television programme, publishes an annual review magazine, Hall of Fame, publish regular educational leaflets, booklets and posters on topics of importance to youths as well as produce television commercials on the importance of education and the Say No to Drugs message.
Each year over $1M worth of school bags are also shared out to less fortunate students. Among the numerous activities hosted by the Club are the Ansa McAl Award of Excellence, Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Award, weekly feeding of the poor, Tribute to Heroes, Patricia Benn Educational Award Scheme, Tribute to Head Teachers, Tribute to Retired Teachers, Republic Bank Summer Camp, TCL Cricket Academy, Mother of the Year, Father of the Year, Republic Bank Scrabble Tournament, monthly hampers for families, Busta Champion of Champions Tournament, GBTI Inter-Secondary School Cricket Tournament, Western Union Junior Ambassador Programme, Basil Butcher Junior Cricketer Programme, Teacher of the Term, Annual Awards Ceremony, Senior Citizens Luncheon, Lower Corentyne Outstanding Students Awards and Club Trust Fund.
The success of the club, according to Foster has been due to hard work, discipline, a strong faith in God, visionary leadership and a strong belief in serving others. Over the past 15 years, the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club has made it a policy to come up with a new idea every month and working to make it reality.
The support of countless sponsors and donors has also played a major role in the club’s success story and while they are too many to mention, they have singled out Courts, GT&T, Farfan & Mendes Ltd, Demerara Distillers Limited, Gizmos & Gadgets, Ansa McAl, Busta, John Fernandes Ltd, Bakewell, Beharry’s, Sterling Products, NAMILCO, New GPC, Banks DIH Ltd, Sentinel Security, A. Ally & Sons, GTM, Hand-in-Hand, TCL, Republic Bank, GBTI, DTV-8, Scotia Bank, Metro and Food-for-the-Poor for special mention.
Minister of Public Service Ms Jennifer Westford will serve as Patron of the Club’s Silver Jubilee Anniversary Celebration while Ms Beverley Harper continues in her capacity as the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club Honorary Patron.
The yearlong celebrations to commemorate this achievement were officially unveiled with a religious service at the St. Joseph Anglican Church and a multi-million Christmas Charity Programme.
Among some of the special activities planned for the Silver Jubilee celebration are a Silver Jubilee Dinner and Awards Presentation Ceremony, a special 25th Anniversary Magazine, construction of anti-suicide billboards across Berbice, Tribute to Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Clubs Heroes, an 80 team second division tournament, Berbice essay competition, spelling bee and debating competitions, educational scholarships to less fortunate students, a medical outreach programme, musical evening and the hosting of inter-secondary school competitions in cricket, basketball, volleyball, scrabble and chess.
Former Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club members are invited to be part of the Silver Jubilee and can call the club office on Telephone Number 337 4562 or email: [email protected] for more information.
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