Caribbean-led Order of Mechanics holds annual Family Day picnic in New York

NEW ROCHELLE, United States. The Brooklyn-headquartered Independent United Order of Mechanics, Friendly Society, Western Hemisphere (IUOM) held its annual Family Day Picnic at Glen Island State Park in New Rochelle on Saturday 8 August.

The host was Herald Saunders Sr, the Jamaican-born District Grand Master of Composite District Grand Lodge #2. “We want you to enjoy the day, the food, the music, (and) meet and greet the brothers and sisters and their families,” he said.

Members from all five District Grand Jurisdictions in New York City attended, including District Grand Masters Sylvester Gibson, born in Jamaica, Federico Beaumont, born in Panama, and Myrthland Ince, born in Guyana. Grenadian-born Eddie Radix chaired the planning committee.

Leaders speak

Jamaican-born Errol Collins, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Order, said it had “always been a pleasure to take time out to fellowship with fraternal brothers and sisters”.

He said it was the last family day for the current Executive Committee of Grand Council and urged members to plan for the next triennial international convention, to be held in Belize in October.

Grand Deputy Master Glenver Jones, also Jamaican-born, said the gathering appeared bigger than last year, with three buses coming from Brooklyn.

Food and games

Caribbean dishes including roast breadfruit and saltfish, jerk chicken, rice and peas and souse were served. Activities included sack races, dominoes and a “Big Belly Man” contest.

Community liaison officer Hyacinth Robinson-Goldson, who is Jamaican-born, called the day “the Order’s way of giving back to our community”.

The IUOM is a 269-year-old fraternal organisation with branches in 28 countries, including Jamaica, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Belize and the Cayman Islands.