Boy Scouts revive national camp after decade-long hiatus

The Barbados Boy Scouts Association has reignited a cherished tradition by hosting its first national camp in over a decade, uniting 400 scouts for a week-long event to underscore the 112-year-old organisation’s resilience.

The camp, the first in 13 years, brought together scouts from various sections at Blackman and Gollop Primary School for a seven-day gathering.  

Chief Commissioner Trevor Jones said the camp tradition had been interrupted due to various challenges, including the pandemic.  

Jones emphasised the importance of the event and highlighted the urgent need for more trained adult leaders to support scouting activities going forward.  

“This is our first national camp since 2012, and it’s the first time we are all camping together. Normally, the sections camp separately, but we thought it was important to have a camp, especially after COVID, to bring everybody together to show we are still active,” he said.  

Despite high interest among participants, a shortage of trained adult leaders meant not all youth could be accommodated, the chief scout said. This lack of supervision was a key issue preventing more boys from attending.  

“Especially the young ones, aged four to 11 years old, there’s a maximum number of boys per leader. So when leaders are unable to attend, we are unable to take some of the boys because they need supervision. We have issues with leaders not being able to get time off work or other commitments,” Jones explained.  

He stressed the need for more volunteers and underscored the importance of proper training for those supervising scouts during camp activities.  

“To be able to supervise boys, you must complete minimum training with us because they have to know how we handle our boys and what our protocols require. If they are not trained as scout leaders, they cannot be responsible for them in that sense—especially for insurance purposes,” he added.  

Jones also addressed financial challenges faced by families, particularly regarding the cost of uniforms for Scout members.  

“The uniform is not cheap. I’m not going to tell any lies,” he said. “We just received a grant earlier this year, and from this month, we will be offering uniform support to every member—for that first uniform—not free, but with significant support. Everybody does not want to come forward and say they can’t afford a uniform, but we are looking at ways of getting around that.”  

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Educational Transformation Senator Chad Blackman commended the association, founded here in 1912, for hosting the camp.  

“You play a critical role in the country, and particularly now more than ever, where we see many challenges sometimes facing our young people—particularly young boys. You play a pivotal role in trying to help the country keep them nurtured and grounded—not just in civics but working together, conflict resolution, solving problems—and I want to commend you strongly for what you’re doing and long may this continue,” he said.  

The minister also highlighted the role organisations like the Scouts play in preparing young people for future challenges.  

“The world continues to change at a very rapid pace, but it is civic organisations like this and associations that must play a pivotal role in ensuring that our young people have a bright future underscored by leadership and working together harmoniously. So I also want to take the opportunity to encourage other associations around the country to continue playing your role in nurturing our young people,” he said. (LG)