The Scout Association of Bermuda

Infobox WorldScouting
name =The Scout Association of Bermuda


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location =P.O. Box DV 193, Devonshire DVBX
country =Bermuda
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members = 392
chiefscouttitle = Chief Scout
chiefscout = Vincent John
chiefscouttitle2 = Chief Commissioner
chiefscout2 = Larry Burchall
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The Bermuda Scout Association operates as a branch of the United Kingdom Scout Association, due to Bermuda's status as a British Overseas Territory. The Bermudian Scout Oath and Law, as well as other Scouting requirements, closely follow that of the United Kingdom.

Although the program activities are taken from the British system, Bermuda Scouting is geared to the local way of life. Training for Wood Badge and leader training are conducted with the help of British and nearby affiliated Scout associations. Bermuda Scouts participate in numerous camps and events, and Bermuda fields a contingent to World Scout Jamborees. The Scout emblem incorporates elements of the coat of arms of Bermuda.

The Bermuda Scout Association is governed by a Chief Scout, a Chief Commissioner, and an executive committee. In 2003, Vincent John became the first Bermudian to be appointed Chief Scout, previously an honour bestowed on the Governor of Bermuda. The local dentist started in Scouting as a boy, later as an adult serving as a unit leader and Chief Commissioner. He was awarded the Medal of Merit by the Chief Commonwealth Scout in 1985. [cite news|author=Nancy Acton|title=Young-at-heart Dr. John is on a new Scouting mission|publisher="The Royal Gazette"|date=2003-02-05|url=http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?sectionId=80&articleId=7d3229230030012|accessdate=2008-09-26] In April 2008, Larry Burchall was named Chief Commissioner.cite news|author=Sam Strangeways|title=Scouts gather for annual parade|publisher="The Royal Gazette"|date=2008-04-21|url=http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?sectionId=60&articleId=7d84a8d30030000|accessdate=2008-09-26]

Programmes and activities

Both Cub Scout and Boy Scout programmes are offered. Bermuda Scouts in recent years have attended Scout summer camps in the United Kingdom as well as Pennsylvania and North Carolina in the United States. Visiting troops from the Boy Scouts of America have also been hosted at the Scout Association's Admiral House facility and grounds in 2002 and 2003.

A popular Association-wide annual event is a weekend camporee on Darrell's Island. Another event is the "Budding Chef" activity, when Scouts compete in cooking skills. [cite news|author=Leonard Simons|title=Budding chefs put their best to the test|publisher="The Royal Gazette"|date=2003-12-04|url=http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?sectionId=80&articleId=7d3c21230030027|accessdate=2008-09-26]

A major island-wide event each year is the observance of Saint George's Day in April, honoring the patron saint of the Scouting movement. As in the United Kingdom, troops participate in a parade on Front Street in Hamilton on the nearest Sunday to April 23 and attend a Scout service at one of Bermuda's churches, where a message from the Chief Scout is read and the Scout Hymn is sung. A "renewal of promise" then takes place where the Scouts renew the "Scout's Promise" made at joining and at all Scout meetings. The service concludes with the singing of "God Save the Queen". ["St. George's Day Programme—Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity", Bermuda Scout Association, 25 April 2004.]

History

When the Boy Scout Association was formed in Great Britain in 1910 by the grant of a charter by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Scouting began that same year in Bermuda as well, with the Governor of Bermuda serving as Chief Scout.citation|title=PDFlink| [http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/facts/pdfs/fs260014.pdf Overseas Branches of The Scout Association] |publisher=Scout Information Centre.] Robert Baden-Powell (the founder of Scouting and Guiding) and Olave Baden-Powell (influential leader of Guiding) visited Bermuda in 1930. Olave visited again in 1951 and 1954. The British contingent to the 14th World Scout Jamboree in 1975, led by Robert Baden-Powell, 3rd Baron Baden-Powell, included Scouts from Branches in Bermuda, Hong Kong and Rhodesia.

In 2004, Bermuda's Scouts participated in a grueling convert|12|mi|km|0|sing=on walk to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Ivan in the Caribbean. [cite news|title=Scouts pound pavement for Ivan relief |publisher="The Royal Gazette"|date=2004-09-20
url=http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?sectionId=60&articleId=7d49a0e3003000e|accessdate=2008-09-26] The Category 5 storm caused extensive in Grenada, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cuba. In 2006, five Bermuda Scouts travelled to Romania to work on a housing project for the impoverished people there, as part of a Bermuda Overseas Missions and Habitat for Humanity International joint effort. [cite news|author=Heather Wood|title=Budding chef Adio heads for Romania on building mission |publisher="The Royal Gazette"|date=2006-07-14|url=http://www.royalgazette.com/siftology.royalgazette/Article/article.jsp?sectionId=49&articleId=7d6770e30030050|accessdate=2008-09-26]

ee also

*Girlguiding Bermuda

References

External links

* [http://bermudascoutassociation.org/about.html Bermuda Scout Association website]