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     The V.I.Party Fundraiser
     
     The V.I Party's two hundred and fifty dollars per plate fundraiser,
     held at the Moorings-Mariner Inn last Saturday evening was a dazzling affair.
     Party faithful and not-so-faithful shone in their formal attire.
     First lady O'Neal, charmingly �coutured �in carmine, led the prayer and the parade..
     
     It was a rallying call to �war' as the master of ceremonies Mark Vanterpool declared. or �full-scale-war',as the Chief Minister said.
     
     After Party President Carvin Malone welcomed his guests,the party presented it's full slate of candidates for the upcoming election.
     
      First district: Andrew Fahie �the incumbent'
     
      second district: Kevin �Gushie' Thomas
     
     Third district: Julian Fraser, the third Deputy Chief Minister of the present administration.
     
     Fourth district: Mark Vanterpool �the man with the action plan' Formerly of the N.D.P. who crossed the floor in the present legislature.
     
     Fifth district: Ethlyn Smith formerly of C.C.M who in a coalition with the Governing V.I.P became Minister of Health when the Chief Minister dismissed his Deputy chief the Hon. Eileen Parsons
     
     Sixth district: Omar Hodge one time C.C.M member.
     
     Seventh district: Dr. Clinton George, newcomer.
     
     Eight district: Ray George vice President of the V.I.P, newcomer
     
     Ninth district: chief minister the Hon. Ralph T. O'Neal
     
     At Large Candidates(4 finalists to be chosen):
     Irene Penn O'Neal
     Roy'Picko'Pickering
     Reeial George
     Keith Flax, former Speaker of the Legislature
     Ishmael Brathwaite
     
     The guests were served a scrumptious choice of entree.
     
     After entertainment with Reggie Georges and his Steel Pans it was time for the Chairman of the party, Hon. Ralph T. O'Neal.
     
     He thanked Party president Carvin Malone for the effort he had put into continuing to build the party
     
     He also praised the Visioneers, a cadre of youth with a predilection for the party. He marveled at their representation at the party's function that evening and said he felt the country's future would rest in secure hands..
     
      He recalled the early years as he knew them in the B.V.I.
     The years when wearing a pair of canvas shoes was a luxury and going barefooted was the order of the day.
     
      The days when traveling from Virgin Gorda to Road Town to attend the B.V.I. High School used to cost the impossible sum of ten dollars, which so many people could not afford.
     
     He then commented on the growth and prosperity that the V.I.P Government had brought to the B.V.I. He spoke about the change in the B.V.I. from an agrarian society to a leading financial and tourism center, and the contribution the V.I.P party had made to this growth and change
     
     He finally gave the crowd a choice of songs, two of which he composed,as the rallying songs for the party, they finally chose �Marching along'.
     
     As the Chief Minister sang lustily, the crowd echoed.
     
     'Marching along, we are marching along
     Put on your whole armour and be marching along.
     Ralph Telford our leader is gallant and strong.
     For party and country we are marching along.'
     
     It was indeed a Ralph Telford moment, as a certain euphoria in the room emitted that sweet smell of 2003.
     
     There were many light hearted moments. The crowd enjoyed the rendition by Dalern Vanterpool on his saxophone.
     
     Then there was Mark Vanterpool's view of the N.D.P's Walwyn Brewly's criticism of him as a �grasshopper', for having �jumped the fence' from the N.D.P to the V.I.P.
     
      Walwyn Brewley was forgetting that at the moment of his criticism he was also jumping and was also a grasshopper.