The Registrar's Office Insider 02 February 2026
REGISTRAR’S OFFICE INSIDER
A bi-weekly office insider brought to you by the Registrar’s Office
VOL. 3, ISS. 1 | FEBRUARY 2.2.2026
Top stories
Dear General Public,
Welcome to the Registrar's Office Insider, your window into the work of the Island Council as we begin 2026. This publication forms part of our ongoing commitment to open governance, clear communication, and accountability to the people of Sint Eustatius.
Within these pages, you'll find updates on Council decisions, key discussions, and initiatives shaping our island's future. Take a moment to explore what's happening, what's coming next, and how you can stay engaged.
Here's to a year of steady progress and shared success for our community.
Island Council Mail (January 2026)
Incoming Documents
- CFT Reaction & Advice 3rd Budget Amendment 2025 Sint Eustatius
- Vervolg herzieningswet WolBES-FinBES n.a.v. bestuurlijk
- Status update and request for direction - Dialysis Center Motion
- De juridische basis op orde voor een gelijkwaardig Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
- Status report Q4 2025 Region Deal
- Adviesaanvraag Sint Eustatius: Wet modernisering vervanging en verlof van politieke ambtsdragers
- Informatievoorziening financieel- en begrotingsbeheer Caribish Nederland 2022-2024
- Final List of Decisions week 49 Op Stuk (December 4th, 2025)
- Post-Academic Course on Kingdom Affairs
Island Council Letters
- Approval 3rd Budget Amendment 2025 Sint Eustatius
- Summary of 2025
- Season Greetings
Island Council Invitations
- Symposium 'Landscape and Heritage of Sint Eustatius and Saba'
February 19th, 2026 ● Sint Eustatius - Bethel Chapel '182nd Anniversary Celebration'
January 25th, 2026 ● Sint Eustatius - Sint Eustatius Utility Company 'Gala 2026'
January 2026 ● Sint Eustatius - Seventh Day Adventist 'Installation Service Pastor M. Guy'
January 31st, 2026 ● Sint Eustatius - VIP Opening 'First Salute'
April 2026 ● Philadelphia, USA
Soon on the Island Council agenda
- Documents Establishment of Foundation
- Documents Island Ordinance Childcare Sint Eustatius
Upcoming Meetings & Events (02 - 13 Feb)
- Primary School Students Tourism Logo Voting
02 February 2026 ● 9:45 AM ● Bethel M. School - Island Council meeting 001-26 (Public meeting)
05 February 2026 ● 9:30 AM ● EOC building - Presentation Crime Statistics 2025 (Closed-Door CC Meeting)
09 February 2026 ● 9:30 AM ● EOC building - Presidium 002-26 (Closed-Door Meeting)
11 February 2026 ● 2:00 PM ● Governor's Administrative Building - Projects Tour
12 February 2026 ● 1:30 PM
Black History Month 2026
Legacy of Leadership
February, recognised globally as Black History Month, offers a timely moment to reflect on the foundations that continue to shape life on Sint Eustatius. Ours is a story of resilience, enterprise, and deep-rooted sense of community. These qualities are not confined to history books; they are visible in how we live, collaborate, and create opportunity across the island today.
Looking through a Statia-first lens, we recognise that our heritage does more than define where we come from. It actively influences how we govern, how we serve, and how we plan for the future.
Island Council at a Glance
For generations, Statian men and women have stepped from everyday community life into public leadership through the Island Council. Their service represents more than civic participation. It reflects a continuing legacy of Black leadership, accountability, and advocacy rooted in lived experience and commitment to island progress.
- First installed:1951, marking the start of formal local legislative representation on Statia.
- Service legacy: 36 Island Council members have served between 1951 and 2026, reflecting decades of community-led governance and public service.
- Role: The Council provides legislative oversight and ensures that community priorities are represented in public decision-making.
- Today: The current Council continues this long-standing tradition of leadership rooted in local experience and accountability.
Statian Voices, Lasting Impact, Black History Month 2026
Lolita Euson, A voice that travelled beyond Shores
Born on Sint Eustatius in 1914, Lolita Euson carried the spirit of Statia with her when she relocated to Aruba in 1936. Through her widely read newspaper columns and her poetry collection Sweet Praises, she gave expression to faith, history, and everyday Caribbean life in a way that resonated far beyond the island.
Her literary work earned international recognition, including a Golden Poet Award from the World of Poetry in Sacramento, California. She was later honoured as a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau. Streets in both Sint Eustatius and Aruba bear her name, and in 1996 she was memorialized on an Arubian commemorative stamp bearing her likeness.
Euson's journey is a reminder that Statian voices, grounded in small-island roots, can leave a lasting imprint across the region and beyond.
Registrar Office Notice
Civic Education in Action
In December 2025, Year 1 and Year 2 students of Gwendoline van Putten school took part in Part A of the civic education programme designed to introduce young people to the foundations of governance, citizenship, and public responsibility on Sint Eustatius.
Building on this introduction, the same classes will participate in Part B during the week of 9-13 February 2026. This follow-up session deepens students' understanding of how the government function, how decisions are made, and how residents can actively engage in the democratic process.
This initiative is delivered by the Registrar's Office in collaboration with the Social Support Department, on behalf of the responsible portfolio holder, Island Governor A. Francis.
Birthday Spotlight
Today, Monday 2 February, we celebrate Ms Marjani Humphreys, Deputy Island Registrar and Island Council Advisor.
We thank her for her continued dedication and support to the Registrar’s Office and the Island Council. Happy birthday, Marjani!
Tourism Logo, Youth Participation in Action
Today, members of the Island Council visited Bethel M. Primary School, where students had the opportunity to take part in voting on the island’s new tourism logo.
Planned by the Commissioner of Tourism, Ms. Rechellline Leerdam, the exercise allowed students to experience the act of voting firsthand while participating in a decision connected to the island’s identity.
Activities like these introduce young people to the value of participation and shared decision-making within the community.
Photo of the Week
Tourism Logo Voting, Bethel M. School
Quote of the week:
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek” — Barack Obama
Next edition: February 16th, 2026
