Monrad Metzgen - Civil Society

Civil Society

Captain Metzgen was one of the leading members of the Church of England in British Honduras and served his own church and those of other denominations in a multitude of ways. But we can hardly think of any good cause that did not enlist the support of this good and useful man.

Monrad Metzgen was one of the founders of the British Honduras Agricultural Society; producing an Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition in 1928 and 1931. In 1927, he convened an Agricultural Conference which brought together Planters from all over the Colony. Subsequent to this conference, the Governor of British Honduras appointed an Agricultural Advisory Committee with Monrad as one of its prominent members.

During World War II, he traveled the Colony making speeches on the dire need for agricultural development and become synonymous with his mantra: “grow what we eat and eat what we grow".

ROAD CAMPAIGN

Realising that the lack of roads would retard the agricultural development of the Colony, Capt. Metzgen fathered a Colony-wide propaganda for fords and is slogan was "Roads, Roads and Still More Roads". He organized and was the Chairman of the British Honduras Cyclists Association and his Cross Country Cycle Races demonstrated in a tangible manner the urgency of a road programme for the Colony. There is also no end to the number of Roads and Committees which have been served by Capt. Metzgen. It will, however, suffice to mention some of the more important ones. For three terms he was a Member of the Belize Town Board under the chairmanship of the Rev. Robert Cleghorn OBE, and for a period he was a member of the Belize Electricity Board. For several years he was Chairman of the St George's Caye Day Celebrations Committee at Belize. He served with the Honorable C. Douglas-Jones and the Honorable Willoughby Bullock on a Treasury Inquiry Committee and he was Secretary to the Colonial Lindbergh's Reception Committee and a Hotel (for Belize) Committee of which the late Honorable Sally Wolffsohn was Chairman. He also acted as Private Secretary for His Excellency Colonel Maxwell Hinds with on a special mission of investigation to El Cayo some years ago. He was the first Treasurer of the Infant Welfare League. By the way, he was also the first President of the Eureka Band and the first President of the Native Jockey Club. He gave to Stann Creek flourishing Poor Relief Organisations.

EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

The cultural and educational advancement of his countrymen always received the attention of Capt. Metzgen. He believed thoroughly in educating the people and the series of propaganda public meetings which he organised and successfully directed under the auspices of the Belize Literary and Debating Club some years ago, will be remembered. In the years when Belize had no Public Library, it grieved him very much and for many years he tried very hard to secure cooperation for the establishment of a Public Library and a Town Hall for Belize. He was Chairman of the Debating Club for 10 years.

He has made no small contribution to the literature of the Colony. The present very helpful Handbook of British Honduras was compiled by him in 1925, with the assistance of Mr. H.E.C. Cain, during the administration of Sir Eyre Hutson KCMG. He was Assistant Editor of the Archives of British Honduras, of which the late Sir John Alder Burdon was Editor, and he compiled the booklets "Blazing Trails in British Honduras", "Shoulder to Shoulder" and the Standing Rules and Orders of the Orange Walk District Board, 1924.

TRAVELS

His travels took him to Guatemala City, New Orleans, New York and London. His visit to the latter three cities was in 1925 when he studied various income tax systems through the courtesy of the Income Tax Officials of those cities. By means of illustrated lectures, he brought the great Wembley Exhibition from England to the CUs Theatres in Belize and was supported by the late Honorable Lieutenant Colonel Dr. James Cran OBE and Mr. F.R. Dragten OBE, KC.

At the Shipmates Club at Stann Creek and at the Eureka Band Concert at the Park, Capt. Metzgen addressed the people of the District he had served so faithfully since September, 1935. He thanked them sincerely for the loyal cooperation he received from them during his administration and for their prayers and attention during his recent illness. In this connection he said that one of the things that will always linger in his memory is an act three Carib women - all unknown to him - who travelled from Stann Creek to Belize just to see him in the Hospital where they knelt at his bedside and prayed for his recovery. He had hoped to inaugurate a five year plan for Stann Creek with the one determined aim of laying a sound economic foundation for that deserving District. He hoped Stann Creek would get a District Commissioner who will serve her better than he did and he promised that during his retirement he will be ready and willing to serve the District and the colony in any way he can.