By the granting of Honours and Awards each year, our society acknowledges the contribution of citizens to the process of nation building, a process which reaches its highest form of expression when persons from all walks of life are inspired to give freely of their time and talents, for the advancement of community and country.

In that spirit, National Honours and Awards are not to be taken lightly. Their value must be unquestioned. The integrity of the award process must be above reproach. The system should come to be quantified not by the number of awards made each year, but the unquestionable quality of service in the public interest which the recipients demonstrate. This is especially commendable when that service comes through volunteerism.

While there is nothing wrong with service which receives remuneration, there is a nobility in volunteerism, giving of self without counting the cost or seeking reward. This was the foundation of development in the early years of our progress through the various stages of governance. Service above self should be, therefore, the strongest rationale for our annual National Honours and Awards.

There is no question that, over the years, there have been many individuals who have demonstrated that quality of selflessness. Interestingly, they are more often to be found on the Honours List under the heading of Badges of Honour for Long Service and Meritorious Service.

There one finds the teachers, nurses, farmers, social workers and other citizens who contribute to almost every phase of community development, freely and often at personal sacrifice. It is against that background that we admit to some disappointment that this year's National Honours and Awards list appears top-heavy, with an unusual high number of the 'bigger heads' to use popular parlance and less of the Long Service and Meritorious which brings to the fore the so-called 'small men and women' who are the backbone of community.

We cast no aspersions on the character of those who appear in the top echelons of the list of 107 awardees. Many are more than worthy of being honoured. Yet, we have to wonder why there are all of seven awardings of the Order of Jamaica, possibly the largest number ever given in this category at any one time. Why the profligacy? Likewise, the division of Order of Distinction (Commander Class - C.D.) is also notable in that all of 40 awards are being made, several of them upgrades with the field of Sports predominating. Again, why so many at one time?

By contrast, there are only 11 of the Badges of Honour for Meritorious Service and seven for Long and Faithful Service, effectively diminishing the profile of the community service contribution. It should be interesting to know how the choices were determined this year, but since the progress of selection is never made public, it leaves room for speculation. The process might well be redeemed by the seven awards of the Badge of Honour for Gallantry, among them an eight-year-old boy who saved his friend from drowning.

Overall, the National Honours and Awards list this year appears bloated and excessive, perhaps because the new administration added to the already large number announced at Indepen-dence. The way to Hell, they say, is paved with good intentions. However well-meaning the intention may be in making these awards, care should be taken to avoid them being thrown around like confetti. Nothing should be done to diminish the value of the awards or cast the shadow of unfair and unfounded patronage over the recipients, through a surfeit of official generosity.