representative of the huge amount of work which is volunteered every day for the benefit of Bermuda by themselves and many, many others like them.

Most of these people simply get on with volunteering, working hard and being satisfied that the jobs they do are worthwhile and give something to Bermuda.

Volunteerism can be found throughout Bermudian society. Many volunteers are Bermudians but many are not. Very few of them have any interest in promoting themselves and prefer to go unsung. Those the magazine spoke with had an attitude of, "Why me? There are plenty of people out there who do more than I do.'' Their general attitude to the contribution they make to Bermuda seems to be stated best by Janine Lines who, when questioned by magazine writer Robin Zuill, replied, "I'm not very good at this sort of thing, you know. I'd much rather be doing what I love to do than talking about myself.'' But these six people represent something more than volunteer work. They represent the people who get on with their lives in a constructive way and give back to Bermuda some of the favours Bermuda bestows on people. The quiet, law-abiding, contributing, silent majority seldom makes the headlines, in Bermuda or anywhere else. Because they are self-effacing they are too often forgotten.

As the introduction to the articles in RG Magazine said, "You don't read about these people on the front page too often but then they are not generally publicity-seeking types. They're the people behind the scenes who simply get on with the job and are always willing to lend a helping hand. We're sure you know people like them in your neighbourhood, club or organisation.'' These, of course, are the people on whom a successful and productive society is built. They are the workers, the contributors and the law-abiders, the backbone of our society. Many are all the more laudable because they have succeeded against the odds. They did not cry "I'm a victim.'' They know that in the end success rests in self.

Not all the news in Bermuda these days is bad. For every gunman or drug dealer there are scores of decent people who give their time to help Bermuda in a productive way and to help those less fortunate than themselves. There has never been a better time to sing their praises.