THE Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC) have appointed 18-year-old Devon Beckles as the Junior Mayor of the town. Beckles is a fourth form student of one of Linden’s private secondary institutions; MC’ Educational Institute. Beckles has the special privilege of shadowing Mayor of Linden Waneka Arindell and being the representatives of the younger population in Linden as well as his community in the Council.

He meets with the Mayor twice a week, attend the Council’s monthly statutory meeting as well as social committee meetings in which he is able to raise concerns and make representation. Beckles is currently working along with Arindell to create a student government package which entails the framing of a student government body manual which will be presented to the Ministry of Education.

He will be accompanying Arindell to the United States Embassy on the August 9 where he is expected to meet with Ambassador Perry Holloway on topics such as constituency literacy and student leadership amongst other topics pertinent to youth develop in local governance. He was also appointed as a member of the Fourth Youth Parliament. Beckles also receives a monthly stipend from the Council.

He told this publication that being appointed as Linden’s junior mayor was one of the greatest things that happened to him since it was strengthening his drive for volunteerism and youth development. “I always love to offer voluntary service that is needed to help drive development in Linden and Region 10. I am able to sit in and raise concerns and that makes me feel good,” Beckles said.

He related that his community, Christianburg was experiencing garbage collection issues and he was able to raise it at the social committee meeting and that issue has since been resolved. The young achiever boasted of being a part of the YMCA Young Challengers Youth Club and is also the head prefect for his school. “Every single activity the school has, I take part in it and the school door is always opened to the general public to come in an air you views.” Beckles is hoping to sit six subjects at CSEC next year.

LMTC embarked on the junior mayor programme and it saw a group of students from the various secondary schools in Linden vying for the post. The programme is geared towards equipping youths with the requisite skills and knowledge needed in the local government arena.

One of the challenges the present councillors face, Arindell says, is the lack of knowledge relating to local governance, since most of them have never functioned in a political capacity before.

“The main aim of the programme,” the mayor says, “is having continuity in leadership at the local level. It was birthed out of the struggles the councillors faced following Local Government Election, entering without any prior training.”

The students, all fourth formers, were each furnished with a booklet on local governance which they had to study and were tasked with completing an essay which were judged by councillors. The other students that competed have been titled junior councilors and meet at the Council every week to discuss issues. MC’ Educational Institute will also receive $500, 000 from LMTC to embark on a project to better the lives of the students.