It is difficult to recall when last we had so busy and stimulating a weekend as the one just passed.Highlights included attending the Queen's Birthday Parade on Front Street, featuring our smartly turned-out security forces; then we joined in The Bermuda Pow Wow, celebrating the reconnect of St. David's Islanders and Native Community with their ancestors brought to Bermuda from the United States Eastern coast more than300 years ago through the institution of slavery.And a most fitting climax was the National Heroes Induction Ceremony at the Botanical Gardens. Brilliant tributes in poetry, song, dance and dialogue were paid to the three new inductees, Dr. Edgar Fitzgerald Gordon or Maxumbo; Dr. Pauulu Karamakafego or Roosevelt Brown; and Sir Henry (Jack) Tucker.We thought it could not have been an easy task for the Naming and Recognition Committee on National Heroes under the chairmanship of former Premier Dame Jennifer to blend into one broth such diametrically opposite political antagonists of the likes of Mazumbo and Sir Henry and to add for seasoning none other than Dr. Pauulu.However Sunday's induction turned out to be a good, lively, interesting and acceptable trilogy, with the organisers evidently subscribing to the time tested guideline of saying “naught about the dead but good”; and leaving to the political analysts, what warts, if any, to deal with in another time and place.Hosting the event was the Minister of Youth, Families and Sports Glenn Blakeney and Dame Jennifer Smith, Derrick Burgess, Minister of Works and Deputy Premier presented mementos to family members, following the reading of biographies of the three new National Heroes.The Master of Ceremonies was Permanent Secretary Robert (Bobby) Horton. The formal welcome was extended by Michael A. Weeks, the Minister of Community Development. The new inductees now link with Dame Lois Browne Evans, the first and only other celebrated National Hero.Close family members of the new inductees, were joined at the ceremony by a host of dignitaries including Acting Governor David Arkley; Cabinet Ministers and various political, cultural and religious leaders including. Rev. Nicholas Dill, priest in charge of St. John's Anglican Church, Pembroke, who invoked the opening and Dr. Maria Seaman who offered the closing prayer.Before and after the reading of the biographies of the three inductees, some really talented youth gave their song, dance and poetry renditions, including a Troika dance by Kioshi and Kameron Burgess, John Seymour, Chyone Harris and Naason Swan; youngsters from The Menuhin Foundation provided music. CedarBridge Academy Student Crisante Bean recited from memory a choropoem written by Patricia Pogson; and Berkeley Institute teacher Vjay Steede read a poem he had written that day.A major highlight of the two-hour ceremony was the performance of a 50-strong massed choir of pre-school and senior students from various schools, singing the song Proud to be a Bermudian under direction of its composer Johnny Woolridge.Former Premier W. Alexander Scott read the biography of Dr. Gordon. Leader of the United Bermuda Party cited Sir Henry Tucker, while the biography of Dr. Pauulu was read by former Senator and radio personality Thaao Dill.