Retired nurse teaches social graces, etiquette
Published:Saturday | June 22, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Launtia Cuff, Gleaner Writer
SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth:
IN A society where common manners and respect have lost their place, and there is seemingly no regard for general deportment, retired nurse, educator and guidance counsellor Alveda Johnson has seen the need to train children, youth and even parents, by extension, in social graces and etiquette.
"It is fully recognised that there is a growing concern for a gross deterioration of social graces and etiquette in the home, school, the church, the community and the society at large.
"We long to see our children youth and even adults go back to the days of 'good morning sir', 'yes, please', 'no thank you', 'May I?, [as these] and much more have gone through the door," she said.
Johnson, who lived overseas for a number of years, was the co-founder of a social graces programme in New York, a programme which she adapted for the St Elizabeth Technical High School where she worked after returning to Jamaica.
"The social graces programme was brought from New York, where it started in 1975. I was the co-founder in New York and when I returned to Jamaica, I decided to follow through as the founder of a social graces programme at the St Elizabeth Technical High School in 1988, with a committee which is called the Committee for the Advancement of Social Graces," Johnson told The Gleaner.
After her retirement, there was a break in the programme, which she then started at her church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Santa Cruz, and opened the programme to not only church members, but the community at large.
"It started from 1988 to 1999. There was a lapse between 2000 and 2005 due to circumstances beyond our control. The programme was revisited at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Santa Cruz in 2005 and is in progress to present. These classes help our students in a holistic way. This includes self-respect, self-image, self-worth and self-control.
Johnson holds weekly classes at which the best is expected from all her students in both dress and behaviour.
"Weekly classes are held in the recreational hall at the church on Thursdays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. to accommodate students from various schools. Outside of school uniform, appropriate attire is expected from all students, male and female. Best behaviour and attendance are imperative. We offer scholarships to help with school fees as well as other incentives."
Two-dimension programme
As a devout Christian, Johnson said her aim is not only to prepare better citizens for the world, but also to prepare persons for heaven.
"We have two dimensions of the programme, the spiritual and social. The objective is to help students and parents alike to recognise how important they are in society and to help build their character and educate them for both now and for eternity. So far we have accomplished many of the goals we have set out to achieve," Johnson said.
Each year, Johnson hosts a social graces programme called 'An Evening of Explosion of Spring Time Elegance' to showcase what the students have learned.