1st National Bank Does It Again
By Rebecca Miller

Someone once said, “Money is like manure; it’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around encouraging young things to grow.”
Thanks to the 1st National Bank, the first indigenous bank on the island, the opening of Nobel Laureate week got a special boost having been supported amply with a tidy sum of $5000.00. That donation went towards the performing arts and served well in the production of the Masquerade Master, performed by the students’ Musical Theatre at the National Cultural Centre on Barnard Hill. And a fine performance it was!
The Master Masquerade script was conceived and directed by a former student of the UWI, Drenia Frederick, former Artistic Director of St Lucia Arts Festival Company and Jen-S designs, and produced by Petronilla Deterville on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The play, which has its roots in the early folk dramas of the brothers Derek and Roderick Walcott was performed again on the Derek Walcott Square on Wednesday January 22, 2008 by students drawn form a number of secondary schools across the island.
But according to the Bank’s Manager of Projects and Services Robert Fevrier, $5000.00 was just a small token donated to Nobel Laureate week from his institution. The presence of the Bank’s Chorale would spice up the flavour of the celebrations. After all, the bank supports all things cultural and makes it its business to take active part in such festivities.

He reiterated that the bank financially supports the arts and will continue its tangible encouragement of the tradition of excellence which has been well-established by our Laureates and several other St Lucians.
On Wednesday January 22, 2008, the staff of the 1st National Bank in the form of their Chorale, donned their local dress and converged on the Derek Walcott Square to celebrate and to entertain the people of St. Lucia in remembrance of the Birthday of Sir Derek Walcott and Sir Arthur Lewis, both St. Lucian Nobel Laureates. The activities were organized by Dahlia Francois and overseen by John Robert Lee.
The audience on the square was enthralled by the very talented 1st National Bank singers who delivered their jingle “Here for you,” with much fervour in English and Creole, and also mesmerized the crowd with a traditional folk medley of “Mamay la dire Wy,” “Aileen,” “Saiwa,” and “Ti Ma May.”
Suffice to say, the staff of 1st National Bank, intends to be here for St Lucians and to continue giving back at every opportunity which may arise.
Edwin Markham wrote: “There is a destiny that makes men brothers; none goes his way alone; all that we send into the lives of others come back into our own.”
The staff and management of 1st National Bank have established a relationship with the St Lucian community and make it a point of sending cheer into the lives of locals.