Posted by News Team on May 10, 2001 at 08:50:06:
THE ELEUTHERA ADVOCATE INTERVIEWS THE WINNER OF
THE NATION’S HIGHEST TOURISM HONOR, MRS. NORMA JOHNSON
Mrs. Norma Johnson winner of the prestigeous
Cacique Award and proprietress of Norma’s Gift
Shop.
Mrs. Norma Johnson, proprietress of “Norma’s Gift
Shop” in Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera has been a
business women in Eleuthera for some thirty-five
years. She is a successful entrepreneur who credits
her success on providing quality service, courtesy
and hard work.
‘Norma’ as she is best known, notes that currently
Eleuthera is experiencing “its slowest period that it has experienced.” She notes that the hurricane
devastation of Club Med and its subsequent closure eliminated the reason for American tourists to
visit central and south Eleuthera. She feels that Eleuthera needs a major hotel like Club Med to come
to Eleuthera and attract visitors there. “As long as they are here they will spend” she says.
Mrs. Johnson, the mother of four living children and nine grandchildren, prides herself on the fact that
her children and now her grandchildren are being educated. She notes that education requires sacrifices
from families, but it is the only way to prepare children for real life. Presently her grandchildren are
being educated around the globe. One of her young grandsons that we had an opportunity to meet is a
fine example of what education can achieve. Confident, well-spoken and thoughtful, this young
Eleutheran will go far.
We asked Mrs. Johnson why she sacrificed and gave education such a high priority? She stated that
Education is the key to advancing yourself. “No matter how poor you are, if you have a good
education, it will take you places. “
We asked Norma what other things were important for Eleutherans? Without hesitation she
responded, “Savings need to be encouraged especially with the young people.” She set a ‘rule of
thumb’ that for each dollar raised a young adult should be taught to save 50 cents.”
When asked what else concerned Mrs. Johnson, she mentioned that she was concerned about family
life in Eleuthera. She described a number of families within which the man had to leave Eleuthera to
seek employment on other islands or abroad. She indicated that in her view this was not good for
Eleuthera.
We discussed the future with Mrs. Johnson and she expressed her view that Eleutherans must prepare
for the future and invest in good manners, being polite and to do a thorough job at whatever they do.
She continued,”that will attract people to our islands .”
In our discussion we raised the concern expressed by others of the persistence of some Eleutherans in
crime. Mrs. Johnson opined that the attitudes to crime and criminal activity start in the home.
“Parents need to train their children to respect other people and their property. Remind them of the
Police and their responsibilities to maintain law and order.”
Mrs. Johnson’s stories of how it used to be in Eleuthera bore out her wisdom as she discussed how
children used to be taught and what lessons they learned. Norma’s training rules were simple, straight
forward and easily understood.
Mrs. Norma Johnson is a well traveled lady who willingly shares her experiences and wants only the
best for Eleuthera and her people. This winner of the Cacique Award for Excellence awarded by the
Ministry of Tourism’s Cacique Committee is a lady worthy of praise.