Jul 2014 Volume Issue

THE EXPEDITIONER

Upcoming events

July

Annual General Meeting—17

CASC AGM 2014—26

August

Sheraton Anti-bullying Showcase—9 & 23

September

Clean Up Barbados—20

Leaders training—27

Sheraton Mall

Sargeant’s Village

Christ Church

T (246) 436-8754 F (246) 436-1630

deabarbados@caribsurf.com www.intaward.org/barbados

www.facebook.com/deabarbados

Toast to the Award in Barbados

HRH Prince Edward the Earl of Wessex led the way with a toast to the Award when he spoke at a fundraising gala dinner at Hilton Barbados during a visit to the island in February. On that visit he was accompanied by HRH Countess Sophie and they engaged in a series of activities in support of the Award. Their trip opened with a presentation of gold awards at Government House and culminated with a gala dinner at the Hilton Hotel.

The Award to Shine Bright

Quoting Barbadian pop star Rihanna, Sir Dr Trevor Carmichael, Chairman of Trustees, set the tone for the future of the Award in Barbados. He intimated that the Award would shine on like a diamond as he addressed those who attended the fundraising gala dinner which was held to climax the 50th anniversary celebrations.

Also speaking at the dinner, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart highlighted the value of volunteerism to the development of young people. He noted, “…volunteering takes a person from a self-centred approach to life to one that is based on giving and sharing one’s talents and gifts.”

Alluding to the role that the youth play in the future of the earth, Stuart lauded the fact that the sub-regional camp held in Barbados in August of last year, focused on the natural environment. He congratulated the growth in the numbers of young people doing the programme and the ability of the Award to bring together young people from all walks of life.

Cont’d Page 5

HRH the Earl of Wessex toast the Award in Barbados on reaching

50 years.

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 2

‘Dukers’ Showcase - A Morning with the Prince

There was excitement in the air as young bronze and silver award participants of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Barbados prepared to display their various talents to HRH The Earl of Wessex on Friday 28 February at a ‘Dukers’ Showcase at the Officers’ Mess of the Barbados Defence Force. Just the evening before he had presented six gold awards at Government House and now had the chance to chat and interact with some of those in the early stages of their Award. Also in attendance at the showcase was Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force Colonel Alvin Quintyne and Americas Regional Director, David Clarke.

One of the sports which has really taken the interest of young participants is archery; more than twenty participants have started the challenging sport. At the showcase, coach John Annel organized a competition for the children and Ché Alleyne of Graydon Sealy Secondary School won with the best shot at ten metres.

All eyes turned to the road tennis court when HRH decided that watching the action was not enough. He took the opportunity to try his hand at the indigenous sport and got a rally going before leaving the court. All were quite impressed with how quickly he got a handle on the sport.

There was a bit of entertainment as well, participants depicted the array of talents which they are developing through the skills section of the programme. There was dance from the students of Queen’s College and Christ Church Foundation School. Asharee Coombs of the Deighton Griffith Secondary School shared a self-penned poem that told the story of a young girl grappling with the effects of being a victim of bullying. At the DeightonGriffith Secondary School bullying has taken the group’s focus. They are developing artistic skills whilst working on anti-bullying posters.

Several groups put pictures of their activities on display for HRH to

see. The work included handmade jewellery from Codrington High

and The St. Michael School. The Prince was able to chat with the

youngsters about their work and how they are advancing towards

their bronze and silver awards. In addition to the artwork,

entertainment and sport, there was some competition for the

participants in aspects of camping which is one of the four sections

that all participants must complete. Groups competed against each

other in tent pitching and packing a backpack. In the case of packing backpacks they were provided with a typical selection of

items that would be used on a weekend camp along with other items. The test was to choose the correct pieces of equipment

and place them into the backpack faster than the others. For the tents, as with the backpacks, the challenge was to do it the right

way and be the fastest team. Groups had to give consideration to wind direction and the possibility of rain as they went about the

task.

(Above) - HRH engages with those who did the backpacking

competition. Dina Wilkinson and Raheim Sandiford escorted Prince

Edward around the showcase.

Archery is one of the most popular sports for Award participants.

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 3

Bronze & Silver Awards Ceremony

Despite the dark clouds that filled the sky, parents, guardians and well-wishers were full of smiles as 34 young participants received their awards at the Officers Mess of St. Anns Fort.

As he offered the official welcome to the evening’s proceedings, Chairman of the Award council. Lt. Col (Rtd) V Owen Springer encouraged the new award recipients to stay involved in the Award. Speaking specifically to the parents and guardians Mr. Springer expressed the hope that they had seen an improvements in their children’s behaviour since starting the programme.

To the Awardees he said, “I congratulate you the Awardees and look forward to you continuing with the programme towards the Gold Award. It may be strenuous at times but with perseverance and ‘stickability’ you can accomplish this goal.”

Leaders too were congratulated for their hard work in getting the participants through the different phases of the programme. They are a key link in the Award as they serve as guideposts for the participants who are working towards the different points of achievement.

Awards were presented to participants from several groups; these were: Queen’s College, The Lodge School, Coleridge and

Parry cadets, Providence Secondary School, the Codrington School, Harrison College, Alexandra School, Graydon Sealy

Secondary School.

Dawn Medford accepts here leaders certificate from Chairman of the Barbados

Expedition & Assessors Panel.

Bronze and silver awardess with members of the award council, group leaders and other supporters of the programme.

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 4

Williams Industries wins Royalist Regatta for second time

Fierce competition ensued on the high seas when the Royalist Regatta Barbados 2014 set off from the inner basin on the careenage in Bridge-town on Saturday 1st March. There were ten teams aboard J-24 vessels all eager to get onto the water and claim the winner’s trophy. The competitors included HRH The Earl of Wessex who sailed with a crew that comprised both youth and experience. In the end, he and his crew had to be satisfied with a seventh place finish behind the Williams Industries sponsored Hawkeye. Williams Industries also took the first place trophy in 2011 when the race was last staged. Special mention must be made of young ‘duker’, Alec Drayton who was part of the win-ning Hawkeye crew.

Speaking at the presentation later that afternoon HRH commended all for their participation in the fundraising event. National J24 team member Leisl Brewster was a member of the Prince’s crew. Here’s what she had to say about the experience.

“The wind was very high so we were not able to fly the spinnakers until the last race, as it is usually done when you are sailing J24…., the atmosphere was relaxed and we all had a great day's racing. However, at the begin-ning of the day we had a bit of a hairy moment gybing and putting up the spinnaker where the boat tipped to a large degree.”

In addition to the large boat races there was also a Jun-ior Dinghy competition which featured some of Award participants who have taken part in the learn to sail programme organized by the Award. Leisl who has been sailing for nine years gave the sport high praise saying, “I think that the Lrn2Sail programme run by Isaac and Marianne Brown is a fun and great way for young people to develop new skills such as teamwork and discipline. I would definitely encourage someone to join the programme because it broadens your horizons and it is a great way to meet friends.”

For the juniors, there were two distinct competitions divided by the class of vessel. In the Topaz competition the eventual win-ner was the team of Adam Armstrong and Charlie Gill of the Providence Secondary School. In the larger boats, Echo class, twin brothers Anish and Ishan Persaud, got ahead of Sarah Drayton and Dominic Hewitt to be declared the winners.

Over the last three years more than 20 award participants have completed basic sailing training through the Award. It is ex-pected that even more young participants will take up sailing as part of their efforts to complete their awards en route to com-pleting their Awards.

Cont’d Page 5

Alec Drayton of Queen’s College was a member of the winning team from Williams

Industries..

Pictured here is Liesl Brewster who sailed with HRH Price Edward in the

Royalist Regatta Barbados 2014.

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 5

Continued from Page 1

The Prime Minister also highlighted the absolute importance of those who help participants through the various sections of the programme. He said, “As I praise the young people of Barbados who take part in this programme, I must also praise those who provide oversight and mentoring, and who assist in instilling the values and discipline of which this programme is a standard bearer.”

Sir Dr Trevor took the time to salute the many long-lasting partnerships which have aided in keeping the Programme alive over the last 50 years. Toronto Dominion Bank is one such sponsor, company representative Mr. Murray Fischer, made some remarks. He spoke briefly to the great value of the Award as he made reference to a quote from a young Award holder who told how the Award helped him with goal-setting. He noted, “helping our youth develop skills and beliefs like these is important work indeed.”

As did Mr. Fischer, HRH quoted the feedback of someone who has benefitted from the Award. His was an example of a young lady who through her experience in the Programme came to describe herself as a ‘somebody’. The Prince stated, “And I think that hopefully is what …every parent, teacher every youth leader wants to try and get out of a young person, that they could make that transition…and that’s what we try to do with the Award; it’s just a means to be able to help them do that.”

Entertainment for the evening was a varied as the Award. Performances included the jazzy renditions of Rosemary Phillips accompanied by steel pan, RPB and Fingall, Dancin’ Africa and the incomparable Royal Barbados Police Force band.

Continued from page 4

Results of the Junior Dinghy Races

Topaz Class

Charlie Gill & Adam Armstrong – Providence Secondary School

Ché Alleyne & Kiel King - Graydon Sealy Secondary & Combermere School

Justin Elcock & Romel Nichols – Combermere School

Echo Class

Anish Persaud & Ishan Persaud – Combermere School

Dominic Hewitt & Sarah Drayton – The St, Michael School

Sophie Stratford & Melissa Boland – St.

Winifred’s School

Here the Earl chats with some of the participants who performed during the

showcase event.

Some of the young sailors had the chance to compare notes with Prince Edward on the day’s sailing

conditions after the races.

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 6

Award family Celebrates with Gold Awardees

It was an evening of camaraderie when six new awardees were presented with the coveted gold award certificates at Government House. Zakiya Worrell, Nya Greenidge, Jamar Odwin, Chloe Walker, Fabian Norville and Kimberley Benjamin graciously accepted their certificates from HRH The Earl of Wessex Prince Edward in a short ceremony witnessed by HE Sir Elliott Belgrave, HRH Princess Sophie The Countess of Wessex, Chairman of Trustees Dr. Sir Trevor Camichael and Award supporters.

As he offered congratulations to the young awardees HRH lauded the fact that there has been growth in the number of young people undertaking the Award here in Barbados. Members of the Barbados Expedition Panel, National Council and trustees joined the celebrations. The new awardees were encouraged to become full members of the Barbados Gold Award Association and continue to be involved whilst helping others to reach the pinnacle of the gold award.

The gold award ceremony was the first in a series of events which were held to climax the golden anniversary of the Award in

Barbados.

Here are a few moments from that royal visit.

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 7

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 8

CASC 2014 – Prepping for the Vincy Spa adventure

Again this year Barbados will be represented at the annual

Caribbean Award Sub-regional Council Adventurous Journey

camp to be held in St. Vincent. Despite the small size of the

contingent work has been varied in terms of getting the group

ready. Preparations have been moving ahead apace in much the

same way as the FIFA world cup in Brazil. The participants

interested in attending were invited to a briefing meeting in

February where they were able to have questions answered and

learn a little about what to expect in St. Vincent.

With exams over it was on then to more intense training in

June, the group started with a mapwork exercise. Taking the

scenic route to Cherry tree hill and Morgan Lewis Mill the

group practised bearings and finding locations using grid

references. From there it was a test of physical ability as they

joined the Barbados Museum and Historical Society’s hike

through Lascelles Gully. Special thanks to gold award holder

Fabian Norville who conducted a session on fire lighting and

outdoor cooking.

Others also made a major contribution, they came out to assist

with the three major fundraising events. Our gold award

holders deserve special mention as they worked along with the

office staff to raise in excess of $400.00 at the monthly flea

market held at the Plantation Garden Theatre. Then it was on to the car wash with all hands on deck from the participants, the car

park at Sheraton Mall was a hive of activity. End of term

brought the summer holidays and beach barbecue.

Participants, leaders and members of the public were

abound as more money was raised to aid this year’s

contingent.

The group is looking forward to an exciting trip that will

include a day on the very popular Bequia and hiking up La

Soufriere. We wish them the best of luck and look

forward to many pictures from neighbouring St. Vincent.

(Above right)— Some map work practice before a training

exercise.

(Above) - Here the group has a quick briefing about the

preparation work

(left) - Special thanks to Fabian Norville who led a refresher

in outdoor cooking.

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 9

Annual church service at St. Davids

The Reverend Canon Noel Burke offered words of encourage to the Award when representatives attended the weekly service at the St. Davids Anglican Church on Sunday 16 March. He talked about the fact that community work, such as what is done as part of the Award, is a manifestation of God’s Love.

Speaking briefly about the Award, Carla Alleyne, Operations Manager

highlighted plans to extend the reach of the Award beyond secondary schools

and into the wider community . She also encouraged the sea scouts to include

the Award in their programme. Members of the First Barbados Sea Scouts were

also in attendance at the Sunday morning service.

Leaders training weekend in January

It was Saturday classes for group leaders in January,

as ten leaders were exposed to the fundamentals of

the Adventurous Journey section. They completed

training in Some opted to have the full camp

experience and spent the night in a tent.

In addition to learning new skills the group also

enjoyed a number of team building exercises, which

included an impromptu game of ultimate Frisbee.

There were squeals of laughter and spills as some hit

the ground trying to stop the other side from scoring.

Operations Manager, Carla Alleyne, made a

presentation to the church on behalf of the Award.

(left) Susan Renée (Deighton Griffith Secondary School) and

Georgina Trew (UWI) get familiar with basics in mapwork.

(Above) Kerron Hamblin chats with some of the new leaders.

On the Trails

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 10

Friends of Dukers event – Bathsheba circuit

Over the last half century the Award has had a great impact on the lives of many and whilst not all have completed the awards themselves, they are still part of the Award family. Dedicated volunteer Mrs. Sheila Hoad has to be commended for the yeoman’s service she has given to the award, first as a leader and as a member of the Council. Her latest award project is the ‘Friends of Dukers’ group. The fledgling organization is open to all interested in supporting the award’s development including those parents and former dukers. The group held its first official event on Saturday June 21st which was a circuit hike starting at the Bathsheba community centre. The small group of attendees took in fantastic views of the island from atop the well-know Hackleton’s Cliff. The path there offered the chance to see wide variety of plant life that dots the island’s landscape.

Though at times challenging the route was a well worth the effort and an excellent reminder of one of greatest joys of

the programme.

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 11

A few pics from the many expeditions which took place over the first 6 months of the year.

THE EXPEDITIONER Page 12

Congratulations to all those

who received their awards in

these last months. Stay driven

to take the Award to the next

level.