The National Bank of Anguilla (NBA) has broadened its financial assistance to the annual Anguilla Summer Festival to include contributions to the Junior Calypso Show and the Senior Calypso Monarch Competition that will, this year, feature a new segment. A long time contributor to the activity, NBA will donate 20,000 EC dollars to the Summer Festival Committee.

Chief Executive Officer of NBA Mr. Valentine Banks remarked that his organization was “extremely proud to continue its involvement in the Summer Festival." He was proud of the bank's record of its contestants placing in the top three positions, including first place, for the majority of the years that it sponsored a contestant in the Miss Anguilla Pageant. He pointed out that the photographs of the contestants the bank fielded over the years are displayed in the NBA’s lobby.

Mr. Banks said this year NBA took a look at its sponsorship of aspect at the Festival and decided that its role could be further enhanced by spreading its interest in terms of the more social aspects of the calypso competitions. He noted that there were a number of social issues impacting Anguilla and there was a need for persons to consider them seriously. Banks cited education, acceptable behavior and positive role models for young people as some of the issues that concern the bank.
The CEO commented that the queen contestant contribution was good for NBA but he was convinced that “we could contribute better if we contributed…also toward calypso which is a very intergral part of the psyche and the life of people in the Caribbean."

Banks revealed that NBA’s interest was in the delivery of public commentary in the calypso field and public speaking in the queen show. The bank will award a prize of 5000 EC dollars for the new segment of the Senior Calypso Monarch Competition, Social Commentary. He said the segment would be judged on identification of current social issues that affect Anguilla and recommendations in the calypso for the resolution for those issues. He added that the song should also highlight lessons that people can learn from the experiences of the social issues and it should have a positive message. Judges will also consider audience impact.

Mr. Banks defended NBA’s involvement in the Social Commentary segment. He said as a corporate citizen, it was a part of the community and recognized there were “a lot of trends that are developing that are not positive."

The head banker stated that, in the case of the Junior Show, young people have the opportunity to exhibit their talents and skills and he hoped that all their songs were positive. The bank awarded another 5000 EC dollars towards prizes in that competition.

NBA continued its prominence in the Queen Pageant with the pledge of prizes for the best interview and the best introductory speech. Mr. Banks thought it was important that the pageant emphasized “things that are socially redeeming, things that provide a positive message and indicate that people in the pageant are of a certain level of understanding, knowledge, awareness and poise…” NBA had sponsored contents in the popular pageant for the last 18 years.

Market Research and Business Development Officer and West End Branch Manager Ms. Marissa Gumbs, suggested that the added sponsorship, especially in the areas of social commentary, could continue in years to come.

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