A youth forum on National Service last night found most people agree with the concept but not the way it is planned.

Questions were raised over how it will be funded, the appropriateness of the 24-30 age group, and whether it will attract the young men 'on the wall'.

Three men and four women attended the open meeting an outreach by the Opposition to hear the views of young people in the community on the subject.

Among the opinions expressed were that a younger catchment was needed than the current 24-30 proposed age range.

Those attending suggested getting schoolchildren involved in volunteering as young as 14, although some questioned how the scheme would be enforced.

People also said the new Department for National Service should come under the Ministry for Culture and Social Rehabilitation rather than Labour, Home Affairs and Housing.

Some also said expecting volunteers to commit to 16 hours a month was "ridiculous", and that eight hours would be more reasonable.

When it came to talk of how National Service would fit in with the Bermuda Regiment, most were of the opinion that the Regiment needed change but that the two programmes should not be combined.

Government is currently proposing that men conscripted into the Regiment who serve 12 months or more, can then request a transfer to the National Service Programme.

The scheme was first announced in last year's Throne Speech. Earlier this month Premier Ewart Brown then unveiled more details, saying it would be voluntary rather than mandatory and cover Bermudians aged 24 to 30.

The proposed time commitment is expected to be 16 hours a month for two years.

Dr. Brown said Bermudians would be encouraged to mentor schoolchildren in such areas as education subjects, civil rights or money management, or sport. The volunteering will also involve assisting youth and senior organisations, and charities.

Incentives may also be offered, such as low interest bank loans, free public transportation, credits for Further Education awards; discount cards for local retailers; and lower TCD licensing fees.

Following last night's discussion, those in attendance were asked to give their views on National Service.

Lyndsay Terceira, 25, said: "As a voluntary thing I think it's really good. Volunteering is an amazing thing so I support it a hundred percent, but I just don't know how you're going to work the kinks out so you get the wall-sitters and the people you really want to bring out into it.

"I would be interested to go into the high schools and see what they have to say."

Robyn Swan, 29, said: "I don't think it's going to have longevity. I think it will lose a lot of money in trying to make things work.

"If you took the costs of what it would cost to run this and put it into the programmes we have already (ie. Mirrors), then I think that would work better."

Clinton Paynter, 33, added: "I think it's just repeating a lot of programmes which are already in place. We are reinventing the wheel here, but I don't think it's going to get the people you want."

Victoria Clipper, 28, said: "Sixteen hours a month isn't National Service compared to some other countries, but I like the idea. However, I don't think it's going to where it really needs to go."

A 19-year-old man, who did not wish to be named, said: "I don't think it will work. Mandatory or voluntary, I don't think they will be able to enforce it."

Meredith Pugh, 20, added: "If you can't enforce the Regiment right now, how are you going to enforce both this and the Regiment?"

Robert Davies, 23, said: "If this (National Service) becomes an alternative it may cancel out other volunteer organisations like YouthNet, because of its incentives.

"So, we will need to get funding to those organisations so they don't fizzle out and die."

He added: "Government doesn't have the money or resources right now to give everybody these incentives. We're in debt.

"I think you should take some of that money and put it into a trade school."

A UBP spokesman told The Royal Gazette: "Tonight's meeting came about as a result of a Government invitation to submit views on the proposed National Service plan.

"Charlie Swan, our Shadow Minister for Youth and National Training, thought it best to hear the views of young people. Some, but not all, of the participants were from Young United, the party's youth wing.

"It was a productive discussion, with the participants quite critical in their thinking. Notes were taken and a position paper will be submitted to the Government shortly."