Ms. Jackie Butcher (third from right) and her team during the presentation of a wheelchair to centenarian Gertrude Dolphin (seated). With them are Gertie’s niece Coreen (third from left) and her last surviving brother, Irad Dolphin.RELATIVES, friends and past students dedicated one week recently to honour and show appreciation for the life and work of a centenarian who turned 100 two Fridays ago.Born on April 25, 1908, Gertrude Victoria Dolphin, a well loved stalwart fondly called ‘Auntie Gertie’, had been giving her time, skills and resources all her life.She gave in various capacities, as a caring daughter, sister, aunt, organiser, social worker and a spiritual leader. But, in the greatest measure as an educator who taught and moulded the minds of numerous Guyanese for 42 years, from 1923 to 1965.With such noble qualities, having been fortunate to score 100 not out, it was now her time to receive.And so, at twilight on Friday, April 25, the curtain was raised on a well planned week of celebrations, with a grand birthday party in the Rupununi Room of Hotel Tower, Main Street.It was a birth anniversary that was eagerly awaited by the celebrant herself and so many whose lives she had touched through the years.The programme, which allowed for a flood of heart warming tributes, was complemented with flowers, ribbons, balloons and, not least, the sticking of a birthday cake.Master of Ceremonies was her nephew, Mr. Horton Dolphin, who flew in specially from his adopted homeland, Jamaica.Throughout the week, Auntie Gertie had been the recipient of gifts, which included beautiful floral arrangements, hampers and other choice tokens.On Sunday April 27, the 100-year-old woman was again guest of honour, this time at a special service in Smith’s Memorial Congregational, Brickdam, attended by executives of the Church Board and the preacher was Reverend Oslen Small.Among those paying tribute to her were former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Professor Aubrey Bishop; Mrs. Carmen Jarvis, who retired from public life as Secretary General of the Guyana National Commission on UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), Pastor Orville Stuart and Brother Edward Richards of the Salvation Army.Auntie Gertie had been a member of the Guyana Congregational Union (GCU) for 23 years and was, in February, presented with a plaque by that body, in recognition of her distinguished service to the furtherance of Congregationalism in Guyana.On Tuesday, April 29, she was honoured, once again, at an evening of elegance, at the Government Pensioners’ Association (GPA) Hall, East Street. There, she was also amongst family members, others belonging to the Cooperative Craft Development Association, the Torch Bearers Group, some of her past students and more educators who have achieved distinction in the Guyanese society.Joining in the greetings and reflections were Mr. Bishop, a past student of hers; Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Priya Manickchand; Chairperson, Ms. Joyce Sinclair, a retired Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service; retired Director of Youth and Sport, Ms. Lynette Seabra; Ms. Cecilia Imhoff, Mr. Gerald Neblett and Ms. Lucy Daniels.Then, on Friday, May 2, the curtain came down with a modest but much appreciated presentation of a wheelchair and other things to Auntie Gertie by the Plaisance Branch of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU).The handing over was done by Ms. Jackie Butcher, Chair and General Council representative of the branch in the presence of a team, at the Dolphin family home, Bourda Street.This gesture was in acknowledgement of the sterling pioneering work done by Auntie Gertie in establishing the GTU.At that function, it was stated that she, along with four more members of the Women’s Advisory Council of the GTU conducted the first fund-raiser towards building the Woolford Avenue edifice, also in Georgetown.Auntie Gertie acknowledged that the acquisition was timely, because she now has a problem with her balance and can only move around with the help of someone else.A champion by any standard, as agreed by those who praised her, Auntie Gertie conceptualised several initiatives and saw them bear fruit.Thanking God for blessing her with strength throughout her lifetime, she added that she cannot recall ever being sick and laid up in bed for any lengthy period.“I haven’t got arthritis. I haven’t got any of those things,” she boasted,“ but admitted that her feet are not currently carrying her.She confessed that her inability to see properly is another reason she stopped attending meetings of the GPA.But she declared: “This old brain is still going.”Auntie Gertie, however, is still volunteering advice to anyone in need of it.Asserting her love of independence, she remarked how happy she was that those who gave her flowers did not wait for her to die before presenting them.Turning to Minister Manickchand, she told her: “I was always longing to meet with this Minister and now the opportunity has come.”Auntie Gertie recalled the actions Minister Manickchand took to make pensioners comfortable since taking office, including giving them the largest ever increase on their pension.Ms. Dolphin said she was so impressed that she concluded Ms. Manickchand displayed such a close affinity to pensioners that she must have had a grandmother.A native of Nabaclis, Dolphin grew up in Victoria, another East Coast Demerara village, the second of six children for her parents.Her only surviving sibling is her brother, Mr. Irad Dolphin, the 90-year-old father of Horton.She attended Wilberforce Congregational School and entered the teaching profession in 1923, at the age of 15. She retired in 1965 as an Assistant Headmistress, having taught, too, at Salem, Clarkson and Smith’s, all Congregational schools.The rather vocal and assertive centenarian who claims she has always taken a “no nonsense” approach to life, was never married and has no children of her own.She had also been in Church Women United and a girl guide. Very disciplined and a stickler for excellence, she was once President of Torch Bearers Group and taught handicraft to the Salvation Army ‘Band of Love’ group.She said, though, that, no matter what position she held, she never “bossed anybody around” and is advising others not to do so.