Girls have been invited to join the Bermuda Scout Association for the first time in the organisation’s history.

The move comes after a new Explorers group was set up for older scouts wanting to continue with the programme, leader Brad Woodings told The Royal Gazette.

“As a member of Explorer Scouts the young people will take part in a wide range of activities to gain a variety of skills and knowledge,” he said. “Learning more about themselves by not only taking responsibility for themselves, but others as well. At the same time enjoying the experience, which will prepare them for the future.”

Mr Woodings said the Explorer programme in Britain accepted girls and now Bermuda was following suit.

He added that previous experience with guiding was not required and that there had been a lot of interest, especially from girls taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DoE).

“We would really like to see a Queen Scout from Bermuda again”, Mr Woodings added.

The Queen’s Scout Award is the highest accolade in the scouting world, requiring members to complete a host of activities to become eligible.

It has not been handed out to a Bermudian for the past three decades, Mr Woodings said.

The 24th Bermuda Explorer Group, which is accepting scouts between the ages of 14 and 18, aims to further develop the skills the scouts have already acquired.

According to Mr Woodings, the group was set up because scouts who were moving from middle school to high school and taking part in the DoE Award wanted to continue with their scouting activities but had no option to do so.

“I am quite excited,” Mr Woodings said. “I’ve been involved for a few years with the local scouts.”

“I went all the way through the programme in the United States and I am an Eagle Scout.”

He was also previously involved with the Explorer programme and a ranger at a scout camp for two years, as well as a member of the 11th Bermuda Churchill group in Somerset. The Explorer Scouts group is now looking for eager participants — they have six with another six joining soon — and volunteers who are willing to invest their time.

Mr Woodings is calling on former scouts and leaders to help run the group, but he added that anyone willing to work with students would be welcome and no previous scouting experience was required.

For more information e-mail 24thbermudaexplorers@gmail.com, call Mr Woodings on 334-2925 or Linda Tailford on 505-1948