On June 27, 1973, His Excellency The Most Honourable Florizel Glasspole was sworn in as Jamaica's third Governor-General, emphasising the importance of national unity and respect for the country's symbols. At the ceremony, attended by over 5,000 people at King's House, Prime Minister Michael Manley praised Glasspole as a symbol of unity and moral values.

Published Thursday, June 28, 1973

Prime Minister leads nation in salute to Glasspole at swearing-in ceremony

New G-G calls for national unity

Urges more respect for anthem, flag

HIS EXCELLENCY THE MOST HONOURABLE Florizel Glasspole, O.N., C.D. took office as the third Governor-General of Jamaica on Wednesday, June 27, with a call for rededication to the national motto “Out of Many One People.”

More than 5,000 watched the hour-long installation ceremony in evening shadows on the lawns of King's House as the former trade unionist and parliamentarian took the Oaths of Allegiance and of Office.

“I shall regard it as my duty and my responsibility to be in the vanguard of any fight to preserve that motto, and I call upon our people of all racial origins who accept Jamaica as their homeland to rededicate themselves tonight to the cause of our motto and to be uncompromising in their words and deeds in support of that motto,” the new Governor-General said in his inaugural address to the nation.

He spoke of the motto in the context of an exhortation to set our faces strongly against any attempt to disrupt the unity among our people.”

Prime Minister the Hon. Michael Manley, in his own speech congratulating the Most Honourable Glasspole, spoke of his new office as a symbol of that unity.

“It is this symbolism which is of most value to the country because it is the symbol of unity which bridges the divisiveness that might be inherent in class, in party or religion or age. It is the symbol of the positive moral values which guide the conscience of the society. It is the living symbol of what is best and finest in the country which every citizen can look up to and say with pride 'That is of Jamaica and for Jamaica'. That is what this post signifies."

CONFIDENCE

“In Florizel Augustus Glasspole we have the confidence that you will be all these things for all of us," the Prime Minister said. The ceremony started at 6 p.m. with a formal procession down the steps from King's House to a platform on the lawn with the Prime Minister and Mrs. Manley; the Chief of Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force, Brigadier Dunstan Robinson, O.B.E., E.D.; and the Commissioner of Police, Mr. J. R. Middleton, M.B.E.

Then to a fanfare of trumpets, Acting Governor-General Sir Herbert Duffus and Lady Duffus, the Most Honourable Glasspole and Mrs. Glasspole, accompanied by his Aide de Corps proceeded to the platform.

At the request of Sir Herbert, prayers were said by the Rt Rev. Cyril Swaby, C.B.E., Anglican Bishop of Jamaica, and the Most Rev. Samuel Carter, C.D., S.J., Roman Catholic Archbishop.

The Royal Commission appointing the new Governor-General was read by Mr. Neville Smith, N.V.O., the Governor-General's Secretary.

The Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office were then administered by Sir Herbert, and as the audience of officialdom, diplomats, and ordinary citizens applauded, the personal standard of the new Governor-General was hoisted on a flagpole commanding a view of the ceremony.

Simultaneously, the personal standard of Sir Herbert was lowered from the pole at the front of the building.

DISTINGUISHED CAREER

Sir Herbert then offered his own congratulations: “As outgoing representative of Her Majesty the Queen, may I offer you sincere and warm congratulations. My wife joins me in wishing you a happy and successful term of office, an office which you so richly deserve, crowning a life of service to the people of Jamaica. May God's richest blessings go with both of you and your charming daughter.”

The Prime Minister then made his congratulatory speech:

“Today, Jamaica pays tribute to Florizel Augustus Glasspole, who has crowned his distinguished career in the service of his country by assuming the high office of Governor-General.”

Mr. Manley, “on behalf of all Jamaica”, also paid tribute to Sir Herbert for having served as Acting Governor-General and to Sir Clifford and Lady Campbell, who sat in the audience to watch the installation of the man who succeeds him as Governor-General.

The Prime Minister spoke of his own personal debt to the new Governor-General who, he said, had guided his early steps as a trade unionist, as a fledgling MP, and who as “the dean of Parliamentarians” had guided his first steps as Leader of the Opposition and as Prime Minister.

He spoke of the Most Honourable Glasspole's service as a trade unionist for 18 years, his work in the organisation of the People's National Party, his holding of a seat in the House of Representatives for 29 years, and his unbroken record of 39 years of marriage. He cited him also as “author of the modern revolutions in Jamaican education”.

As to what was now being asked of the new Governor-General, the Prime Minister said it could best be described by pointing to the last incumbent of the post: Sir Clifford Campbell.

Before Sir Clifford became Governor-General, there were many who were unsure of what the post would mean in Independent Jamaica, Sir Clifford showed what being Governor-General was all about.

"What we learned to appreciate and to honour is the symbol significance of the post, where the holder of this post embodies within him the hopes and the ideals of the nation and carries within him the respect and affection of all the people regardless of political affiliation or economic status. It is this symbolism which is of most value to the country," the Prime Minister said.

He paid tribute to Mrs. Glasspole for having shared so much for so many years with her husband, and he asked their daughter, Sara Lou, to continue to be the loving daughter that she was.

“For all three Glasspole’s we pray God's blessing as you continue to do His work for this country of ours.

“Your Excellency, trade unionist, parliamentarian, Minister of Government, statesman, and now Governor-General of Independent Jamaica, we of Jamaica salute you," the Prime Minister said.

In his inaugural address, the new Governor-General, at the outset, took full responsibility for the decision to hold the ceremony at King's House instead of at the National Stadium as some had wished. He said he thought it important that certain traditions be established.

“I believe that King's House being the main centre from which the Governor-General operates, there could be no better choice for the venue for swearing-in a new Governor-General than King's House itself.”

He raised another thought: that it may be somewhat of an anachronism for the residence of the Jamaican Head of State to be known as King's House.

Declaring that “my constituency has ceased to be East Kingston and Port Royal; my constituency is now all Jamaica”, the Governor-General went on to examine his new role as he saw it in terms of his responsibilities under the Constitution as Head of State and his other general responsibilities in helping to give national leadership by deed and word. It was the latter area, he said, that was the major testing ground.

“The spoken word, the actions of his leadership, what the Governor-General typifies, all combine to create his image. That image must be deep-rooted in the tradition of impartiality. It must help to motivate our people by such examples and precepts that will redound to the nation's benefit and advancement ....”

He went on to speak of “the disregard for the unity of all the people of our society” and questioned whether the meaning of the national motto as originally framed still held good today.

The interpretation of the motto as he knew it was that “any person regardless of racial origin who is a Jamaican by birth and nationality or adoption who accepts his responsibility to our society and to our Constitution who is loyal to Jamaica as their homeland, who regards himself or herself as part of a united people working together for this country's common  good is part of the "One People”... .”

“All of us Jamaicans must remember that the progress made in our land is the result of all our people - regardless of class, racial origin, or religious persuasion - working together over many years. We must resolve to set our faces strongly against any attempt to disrupt the unity among our people. For myself, I declare tonight once more my total acceptance of the meaning of our motto "Out of Many One People”.

The new Governor-General called for more respect for the National Flag and the National Anthem.

“All our people must at all times seek to cherish and preserve the democratic institutions that we have worked so hard to build. May we continue to be a shining light of what a little country filled with aspirations and determination, led by dedicated leaders, can achieve, and may we never forget that the best way to earn the respect of the world is to show respect for ourselves. God bless our people. God bless our leaders. God bless Jamaica.”

The benediction was then pronounced by the Rev. Caleb Cousins, first vice-president of the Jamaica Council of Churches, before the playing of the National Anthem by the massed JDF and Military Band ended the ceremony. The new Governor-General wore a dark-blue business suit signifying a change from the tradition of ceremonial uniform topped by a  plumed helmet.

The new honour, Order of the Nation, created exclusively for the office and gazetted on Tuesday, was another indication of a change from the past.

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