The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH the Registrar General’s Office has required that the “World Famous Valley Boys” drop the Valley Boys name from its title, Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) chairman Dion Miller said the group will not have to change its name to participate in the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades.

The Valley Boys has broken into two factions. Trevor Davis, interim chairman of one faction, registered his group as a non-profit organisation. Brian Adderley, the leader of the original group, registered his group as an NPO later. The Tribune understands the Office of the Registrar General has sent his group a letter demanding that it drop the Valley Boys name from its title.

Mr Miller emphasised yesterday that the JCNP has never required documentation from the Registrar General’s Office for parade registrations.

“The matter before the Registrar General’s Office between the Valley Boys and the Valley Boys has nothing to do with the registration as it pertains to the JCNP for the upcoming parades,” he said. “No document from the Registrar General’s Office has ever been needed, nor required to register groups for the participation of Junkanoo parades in the Bahamas. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever.

“Mr Adderley registered the Valley Boys to participate in the upcoming Junkanoo parades just as the Valley Boys have done for the past 20 years, using the same documents and methods.”

“Unfortunately, one group is registered for the upcoming parade, while the other is not. Therefore, one will compete for a prize, and the other will appear merely as a fun group.”

Mr Miller noted that the JCNP allows groups to amend their names up to 30 days before the parade.

John Williams, communications officer for Mr Adderley’s group, said the group is registered in the A-Division and is preparing to soon receive seed funding from the government.

He said Mr Adderley “has not stepped down; he has not been fired, he has not been removed. He remains our chairman and our executive team is unchanged”.