Following two postponements, the Gala Dinner to celebrate the achievement of 40 years of representation of Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE in the territory’s legislative assembly will finally take place this Saturday November 14, 2015. Photo: VINO

The person heading the organising committee for the Gala Dinner Patsy C. Lake chose not to get into what might have let to the postponement as she is still in the process of getting tickets sold for the event. Photo: VINO/File

A poster of the event in Road Town. Photo: VINO

It is to be held at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex and has been described as a night of dining, reflection and gratitude, with dinner costing $100 a plate and formal attire required for attendance.

There will be a period between 6:00pm and 6:30pm dedicated to picture taking with Honourable O’Neal following which guests are required to be seated for 6:45 pm.

Two postponements

The dinner was first postponed from June 27, 2015 and then postponed from the rescheduled date of October 17, 2015.

A press release emanating from the organising committee on June 22, 2015 said, “Friends and well-wishers are advised that the Gala Dinner in Tribute to former legislator Ralph T. O’Neal OBE that was scheduled for Saturday June 27th 2015 has been postponed to Saturday October 17th 2015 to allow for comprehensive planning in light of the recently concluded General Elections. We appreciate your patience and understanding as the organising committee work tirelessly to ensure an event befitting of the honouree.”

Speaking with this news site in June on June 22, 2015, President of the Virgin Islands Party Carvin Malone said the postponement of the June 27, 2015 planned event had nothing to do with the loss by the party at the just concluded elections.

“The Virgin Islands Party from time to time was paying tribute to a number of its stalwarts and this gala was a tribute to Hon Ralph T. O’Neal. So it was in fact a Virgin Islands Party function in tribute to Hon Ralph T. O’Neal and the committee members, included family, friends and well-wishers,” said Malone.

“Then it was postponed because one thing led to another… then it was put to July, put back to June because there was this thing that elections might go to November, might be in July… so the postponement had nothing to do with losing elections, it had to do with not getting enough time to plan it the way that is fitting for what we have planned,” Malone had told this news site.

Tickets still selling – Patsy C. Lake

However, the person heading the organising committee for the Gala Dinner Patsy C. Lake chose not to get into what might have let to the postponement as she is still in the process of getting tickets sold for the event.

According to the Virgin Islands cultural icon and entrepreneur, she has about 50 more tickets to sell to reach her target.

“Honourable O’Neal is very much deserving of this and that is why I have decided to head the committee that has decided to move forward with honouring him,” she said.

“The function was postponed twice…for whatever reason it was postponed I am not going into that. I know that there are many other functions taking place on Saturday night but that is Tortola. Ain’t going to have no weekend especially going down to the end of the year that you are going to get totally and completely free. The Premier [Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith is coming, many of the Government ministers are coming and I hope everybody else will come,” said Lake.

Efforts to get Hon O'Neal for comments were unsuccessful.