TORONTO, Canada:- Certified Faculty Member of the University of Phoenix, USA, Guyanese Dr Aubrey Bentham has exalted the efforts of the Guyana Ex-police Association of America (GEPAOA) on the attainment of its 49th anniversary.
Delivering the feature address at the association’s annual dinner and dance, held recently at Antun’s Banquet Center in Queens, New York, the Guyanese academic highlighted the role played by members of the then British Guiana Police Force and subsequent Guyana Police Force in the moulding of the South American nation.

Dr Bentham, who disclosed that he was the last son from a proud police family, opined that during those days, policing was a profession and not just a job and the main objective was to protect your towns and villages. He also recalled that in 1962, the British Mirror described the then British Guiana Police Force as the best manned in the Caribbean and 10 years later as among the 10 best in the hemisphere.
Dr Bentham praised members of the police force for establishing a strong social ties, citing among other things that they had the best cricket and track and field teams and the best male voice choir in the world.
While praising the sterling contributions of members of GEPAOA, Dr Bentham urged them to “never forget our dear land of Guyana.”
Apart from his attachment at the University of Phoenix, Dr Bentham was also a senior County Government Manager with 26 years of public service and a recipient of a National County Award. During his tenure with government, he was a founder-member of the County’s first Diversity Committee and received a County Executive commendation for participation on the Black History Task Force. He has held several elected positions in the County’s African American Employees Association, including president, first vice-president, corresponding secretary and executive member of the board of directors.
Dr Bentham has been instructing at the University of Phoenix for the past 15 years in course disciplines such as Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics, Communications and Management.
The eminent Guyanese scholar received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach Florida; a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from Bowie State University, Maryland; a Graduate Diploma in Policy Science from the University of Maryland and a Doctorate in Education and Sociology from Morgan State University.
Newly-elected president of GEPAOA, Leroy Charles also addressed the audience, which included members from sister organisations, urging those present about a famous Dr Martin Luther King quote, “we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools.”

According to Charles, he was deeply moved and honoured to be elevated to the position of presidency and thanked the members “for the confidence you have placed in me…”
“I am consciously aware of the task ahead and I promise to provide the leadership expected of me to the best of my abilities and to work in close cooperation with the membership as a whole. We have come a long way since our founding members formed our association 48 years ago and it is necessary that we continue to uphold our motto to work together in brotherhood and unity as we move forward in the future, “ Charles lamented.
Charles pointed out that “we cannot rest on our laurels, since we are living in an independent and rapidly changing world, a world in which information and communication technologies are constantly evolving and creating new environments, new standards, new kinds of interaction, new behaviours and new forms of competition, all of which affect non-profit organisations such as ours. It is one of my goals to react in a positive way to these changes.”
Charles replaced Leon Gibbons who served as president for almost five years and is now in the capacity of treasurer. The former president received the presidential award.
The association also used the opportunity to present awards to several of its members. Among those honoured were Oswald Gordon, Mona Griffith, Cecil Rawlins Sr, Lambert Watts, Carol Moore, Cecil Williams and James Stewart.

By Frederick Halley