The hope continues to flourish

Its Tuesday and Im still excited about what I saw on Saturday.

I had hoped to just talk about some of the new businesses in Grand Bahama and to promote the work they are doing as a way of saying the hope of/and for  Grand Bahama is still there and getting stronger.

But, Fidelity Bank held a free Women's only seminar and almost all of the women in Grand Bahama seemed to be ready for this.

I went and was shocked at first the amount of women in vehicles travelling in the same direction I was to get there, and the jam at the gate to the hotel parking when I was almost there. So I decided to try another parking lot very near by, but that was full and I went around to the Port Lucaya parking lot and there was a security trying to stop women from parking there because it was for their clients only. So yes, I lied and said I wanted to go shopping just to park and got a nice spot and made that long walk back to stand on a long line of women to get into the conference room.

Someone said that about 800 women signed up and were at the conference.

This was the view at the conference after the women sat and were listening to the financial future of the island and the country.

We were told by President of Fidelity Bank Gregory H. Bethel that the economy will get better. He added though that it would not return to the days of 2007, but it will get better as the economy in the United States is improving.

Spencer Dean Compliance Officer at Fidelity Bank told the women that there are three types/stages of growth of men and three types of women so its important when choosing to mate to make sure you know where you are and to be careful of the stage your man is in. She also offered the invaluable advice to make sure you know the financial status of the man the single women are with ... to find out what bills they have and their spending habits.

Keynote speaker attorney  Arthur Parris Jr told the women to make sure they have a will and to make sure that they are able to stand on their own two feet when the man dies or if he leaves. He explained a lot of legal things that they would be aware of.  Although he appeared to be afraid of boring the women, they were all totally attentive and hungry for more urging him to say more about the need to know the laws that affect them and that fact that they can own property without their husbands even if they are married.

Then Janice Rolle, Sr. Financial Center Manager at Fidelity wrapped it up with a speech on the Financial Seasons of a Woman's Life.

What did we all go there for? Did we get it?

I wanted to hear about business ideas and ways of making money. Although I didn't get it, I did get an idea of how to save and products being offered by Fidelity (which is what they were hoping) as I compared the products of the other banks.

But most of all..... most of all..... I got that the women of this island want more and are ready to do something to get it. Men wanted to come as was noted, but with a theme stating "Fidelity Bank's FREE seminar for women, themed “Money, Man, and Me”, men were intimidated. One or two did show up to hear and the technicians were also male and were able to hear the same things.

I sat wondering if there would be such a conference for men, a question I have asked myself for a number of men. But then I said to myself once again that the reason women are being targeted is because in this country more than 70% of households are ran by women and they need to know how to make it all work. Also, business is expected of men, but women need to know how to financial support her, her home and her children's future.

If you missed it, I hear they are having another one next year. I also recorded the speeches. Hit me up if you want to here them.

There is a move afoot in Grand Bahama to revive the island. There are people who used to live here who return every so often or have finally returned and want to make that contribution to make this a mecca, if only those who are here would let go of the comfort of the past to hold hands and let us all move forward together.

Some say students who go off to school have nothing to return to, but that is only because we don't help them realise that what they learned outside of school while they were in another country can be implemented here.

You learn or can learn something every time you go away and that knowledge you can bring home to make home better. But you have to recognize the lessons and see how best to use them.