The Perth Union Burial Society 

By Michel Outridge

THE Perth Union Burial Society is making a worthwhile contribution to its community. Recently, following a few deaths, the entity donated monies garnered for funeral services and it has also caused others to join, having seen the benefits.

The collector is Terrey Blue-Lovell for the Strath Campbell branch, who gave a brief history of its establishment many decades ago.

The wooden building that houses Perth Union Burial Society is said to also be one of the largest dancehalls in Region Five and is located at Perth Village, along Branch Road, Mahaicony.

“According to what I heard some years ago, they had a dead in the community and they couldn’t come up with the money to bury the dead and so the idea of the burial society was birthed,” Blue-Lovell said.

She related that after that the residents came together and established the Perth Union Burial Society after pooling their money under the stewardship of the late Stanley Griffith, the founding member.

Blue-Lovell added that residents can join, but a mother and child will get special privileges, especially if she is pregnant, because membership is from the womb to death.

To join one has to pay a fee of $2,500 and after that, they can pay a monthly fee of up to $1,000 and a card is given to record their contributions, which will be totalled at their death.

She explained that half of that total will be handed over to the two beneficiaries and when the death certificate is produced, the balance will be given.

“Everything is done by the book and it is similar to that of penny banking and every contribution of members are recorded in the card that is given and the monies are kept until that member has passed away,” she said.

Blue-Lovell related that in the villages of Hamlet-Chance where she resides, there are a lot of elderly folk and they know of the benefits of the burial society and are making use of it.

She stated that every member has to appoint two beneficiaries to look after their interest when they pass on and annually, that is, the first Sunday in August they have a long-standing awards ceremony.

Blue-Lovell noted that some time ago, some members exited the burial society and after realising its benefits they re-joined and the organisation, which is managed by a board, is going strong and they have branches from Mahaica to Rosignol.

“Is my parents put me in this burial society and to date, I am still in it as the collector and I have been doing this for many years,” she said.

When asked about the Perth Dancehall, Blue-Lovell said that the place is controlled by the Perth Union Burial Society and it is rented to host activities such as weddings, parties, and dances.

She related that years ago they used to host the Farmers Dance there and the name left on the place as ‘dancehall;’ and often when events are held there, one has to pay a fee before entry.

“I came here and meet the building and name, but from what I heard the place got its name from the events that takes place there; a lot of dances like weddings and concerts and almost everyone used to go there,” she said.

The Adventists usually host their church services there; the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) office is housed on the lower flat and the Ministry of Social Services would utilise the place to hand out new pension books, from time to time.

Blue-Lovell added that the Perth Nursery was once housed in the building, but after a new edifice
was constructed opposite they relocated.

“I am a pensioner depending on my pension to support myself; I retired at age 60 and I will be 74 years old in December this year and still waiting to get my National Insurance Pension (NIS),” she said.

Blue-Lovell before retirement worked at the health centre as an attendant for almost 19 years.