Almost four decades ago, a then 17-year-old Charmaine Stuart fell in love with the Guyana Police Force’s ‘Band Complex,’ as she not only got to be involved in music—her heart’s desire—but “the discipline” involved in it.
Today, Superintendent Charmaine Stuart has broken the so-called glass ceiling to become the first woman to head the force’s band in its 177 years of existence. And not only is she the first band mistress, she was also the first woman deputy in that department as well as the first female officer.
While she was deputy, even though she knew her predecessor would go into retirement, Superintendent Stuart never felt it was a given that she would have been elevated to the top position; so that when it happened, she was elated.
“When I joined the force I never envisioned I would be Band Mistress. I want to thank to the force’s administration for having faith in me. I have worked hard and I will continue to work hard…” the Superintendent said in a recent interview with the Sunday Stabroek.
She believes her recent elevation can serve as an inspiration to other women in the force and may also help to erase the notion by some that the force is not a good place for women.
“As a woman I can tell you that I have had no regrets joining the force and I can tell you the Guyana Police Force made me what I am today,” she proudly boasted.
Music has always held her interest, so after Stuart completed secondary school and needed a work-study opportunity, she applied to the Police Band Room and was successful. She has not looked back since.
After she completed her work-study stint, Stuart was sufficiently hooked and she applied to become a member of the force, but she was too young and could not be sworn in as a constable. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) took her on as an apprentice, until she came of age.
At present, the GPF’s Military Band has 35 members; nine of them are women, including the Superintendent, who is a clarinet player. The other sections of the Band Complex include the Steel Pan, String, Choir, Choral and Drum sections. She said the present choir is small in number – just nine members, eight of whom are women; they bring the total number of women in the Band Complex to 17.
Stuart said that previously the Band Complex was male-dominated but today more and more women are joining. When she joined, there were just four women in the Band Complex, of whom only one other, besides Stuart is still there.
She explained that barring illness once you join the force at the Band Complex it would be difficult to move to other departments in the force.
“A band has to work together and after you would have taken three or four years to train a person to get to a certain level why would you want to move that person?” she asked rhetorically.
At present, the Band Complex does its own intake, but its members still have to be sent to undergo the regular police training for the discipline aspect. In addition, new recruits who are musically inclined can also indicate if they want to become part of the Complex.
All members of the Band Complex are therefore members of the force. Retired members can also return to be part of the string section and they are sworn in as rural constables.
Stuart said all of her training was done at the Band Complex and her music exams were written through the force at the level of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, whose examiners would come to Guyana.
“This is our college, this is my college,” she said proudly.
‘Never in my wildest dreams’
“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would have ever been Band Mistress,” Stuart said. She was officially informed that she would taking over from her predecessor Cecil Bovell in April last but received her appointment letter late last month and took up her new position from August 1.
Even though she was Deputy Superintendent, Stuart said she never took anything for granted. “Being me I just wanted to be humble and wait for things to be done and when it is done the correct way I would say ‘Yes,’” she stated.
“Females rising to the top in male dominated jobs is really good because when you look back and see how females were dealt with in the past… when you reach this position you say ‘Thank the Lord’ you have achieved.”
She said it is now for her to stand up as a role model for the young women in the force and “try to guide them in the right way.”
Heading a mostly male department is not a challenge to Superintendent Stuart because she pointed out that even though the department had always been headed by a man, she came through the ranks and would have dealt with men throughout that time.
“I don’t want the men to feel that because a woman is running this section you could do what you want. So I had my own little discussion with them and I laid my cards on the table how we are going to work and so far so good,” she said.
Maybe it is because of how she dealt with them in the past as she noted that she always had an open door policy and ranks could always approach her with any issue.
Asked about the importance of the Band Complex to the force, Stuart pointed out that at present, as the force attempts to build stronger relationships with communities, music is playing an integral role. “This is one of the arms that can build that partnership,” she pointed out. One of the ways the Band interacts with the public is through its concerts which are usually held in the Botanical Gardens and on the seawalls, while the steel section can sometimes be found performing on the Merriman Mall. The complex provides all the music for the force.
“And even though we are a musical arm, whenever there is elections, these same ranks from here have to go and perform elections duties so they have to be trained too,” Stuart noted.
‘I have benefited’
Looking back at her years in the force Superintendent Stuart said while she may have had some difficulties generally, the journey has been good.
“I have benefited a lot from the police force and the police band,” she declared. She quickly debunked any suggestion that the force may not be good for women.
“No, no way. I would always encourage women to become members of the force because there are so many benefits. I would always tell people that the Guyana Police Force made me who I am. When I joined the force, I never had it that I would have achieved the rank I am at now,” she stated.
Superintendent Stuart said one has to be in the force to know what happens.
“It is all up to you as a woman, how you carry yourself and what you want. What was your aim or objective when you joined the force and what you want to achieve from the Guyana Police Force,” she said.
Asked whether she has had any unsavory experiences because of her gender Superintendent Stuart responded in the negative explaining that she has always been outspoken and would always let it be known if something was not right, while ensuring that she is not disrespectful. She believes if that approach is taken then there would be no problems.
“You have to come in and tell yourself ‘I came to achieve this’ and work towards your goals. If you come into an organisation and you don’t have a goal set you would always have difficulties,” she said.
“I don’t care what anybody says about the Guyana Police Force…I have had female senior officers in the force who were my role models.”
She went further to add that all she has achieved in life she owes to the force even as she said she must give her God praise.
While she still owns a clarinet, Stuart no longer plays it in the band; her job is to conduct the military band and she had started practicing that since she was a Corporal.
Superintendent Stuart is married to a police officer, who is now retired and the union has produced two sons, one of whom has followed his parents and is a member of the force.
