Feb. 27, 2002 – Every year at this time, we pause and look at ourselves and our community to see a fitting person to honor as Man of the Year. We have shocked this community with the choices; we have turned the club upside down in wonderment as we hold our breath waiting for the moment when the name will be announced.
This tightly held secret has worked for many years, and we owe this magic to one person in particular. Man of the Year is the brainchild of this club. We believe we have not disappointed this community, as we have been able to select men and women of the highest caliber for this high honor
Every year we invite past honorees, for them to witness the announcement of the new person or persons who will join them in this high honor. We provide the statuette of Don Quixote, the symbol of one who has been relentless in his struggles for the ultimate triumphs of life.
Today is no different. The distinguished chair of this Man of the Year Award has done a remarkable job in making sure that past honorees, friends and well-wishers come to relish the moment of another outstanding citizen.
On behalf of the District Governor, Richard Grant, I welcome each of you. As club members, we sit and we wait with bated breath for the moment of truth, and I can assure you that some of my colleagues may be wondering why I am taking so much time away from the man of the hour, but sometimes in life we switch roles, we make changes, we sometimes take a step back and look at home, and we find the diamonds right in our backyards.
As the assistant governor for St. Thomas-St. John, I asked for this moment to share with you, my colleagues and friends, what I believe is a special moment in the life of our club.
Almost one year ago, the Rotary Organization and the community, lost a mighty man of vision.
He was a past president of his club, he was a Paul Harris Fellow, and he was a long-range planner for his club, his school and his community.
The young people of St. Thomas lost an educator, the club lost a friend, and the community lost a leader and builder. He might not have built with mortar and brick, but he built minds with his love and his care.
Today we pause again in thanksgiving for the contributions the headmaster of Antilles School has made to this territory.
Let us pause for 15 seconds
When one leaves this Earth, others must carry on the task started. Sometimes the person who must spearhead the effort of replacing the deceased individual is saddled with other responsibilities, but nevertheless, he or she steps up to the plate and says, yes I will, I will carry the torch.
The torch bearer in this case is a person who came to these islands at the age of 9, attended Antilles School, left for Savannah, Georgia, and graduated from Savannah Country Day School. The torchbearer then attended Howard University Law School and graduated in 1978 with a juris doctorate, with honors in domestic relations.
The torchbearer returned to St. Thomas, filling several jobs in the legal profession, including law clerk for Judge Verne Hodge.
The torchbearer worked for the then Department of Law.
He is a:
– Member of the Virgin Islands Bar Association
– Member of the American Bar Association
– President of the Board of Trustees of Antilles School
– PTA President
– Member of the Long Range Planning Committee
– Member of the Virgin Islands Resource Center for the Disabled.
The torchbearer is a Rotarian, a past president, a Paul Harris Fellow, and attends to all legal matters of the club.
The torchbearer is married for over 25 years, has three children, one at Brown University and two at Antilles School.
About five years ago, the torchbearer was diagnosed with kidney cancer and successfully battled the disease with chemotherapy treatments for about one year. The torchbearer follows a strict diet and exercise program and recently participated in two national marathons.
Finally, the torchbearer was recently named solicitor general of the Virgin Islands.
In addition, he is our Man of the Year — Elliott Mclver Davis.
