That was the message Chamber of Commerce President David Roundtree yesterday brought to the Hamilton Lions Club weekly get-together.

"If Bermuda Inc. is to compete into the next millennium we are only going to be as strong as our weakest link. No drop-outs are allowed,'' he told the luncheon group in a wide-ranging speech.

Programmes such as the Chamber of Commerce's $12,000 grant for adult retraining and the International Companies Educational Assistance plan were role models worth following, he said.

The Chamber's role he said, was to build on education to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit that has been a fundamental feature of Bermuda's success.

The recent controversy over fast-food franchises was one example of how the Island must navigate the waters of the new world order.

"While some fast-food franchises are probably inevitable we must bear in mind that to date Bermuda has been a success for what it is not, as opposed to what it is,'' he said.

And a well-educated Bermuda is key to safeguarding the Island's cultural tourism industry. Tourism he indicated, is one of the pillars of the Island economy.

"There are some who say Bermudians don't like change; but that's a negative way of saying Bermudians prefer stability.'' But while Bermuda's share of the economic pie is getting larger not all are sharing in the prosperity, he said.

"Apathy, low self-esteem, and crime are all economically based. We must work together in a structured environment, involve all leaders from business, politics, and religion, because Bermuda's future rests on everyone,'' he concluded.