pool their financial resources to make higher education a reality for the Island's young people.

And a brand new award -- the Degrees of Excellence Scholarship Fund -- will attempt to raise more than $1 million to make this happen.

That was the thrust of Rev. Emily Gail Dill's passionate address to the more than 100 people who attended the Progressive Labour Party's first summertime rally at the PHC Stadium.

Rev. Gail Dill said her goal was to find a concrete solution to the scores of young Bermudians whose dreams of further education are extinguished because they lack the money to go overseas.

Consequently, she said she hoped that the launch of this new scholarship would serve as a catalyst to others to attempt similar projects.

Initially, the goal is to raise $100,000 for the 1997/98 school year through donations and pledges during a telethon that will be held on VSB-TV in August.

Following that, she said the intent was to reach a loftier goal of $1 million which will be earmarked to assist Bermuda's young persons.

Rev. Gail Dill said that there were other fund raising plans planned such as a gala banquet as well as convincing overseas universities and colleges to match funds with those provided locally.

"This will be an ongoing process of empowerment and proactivity in the benefit of our people,'' she said.

And she urged her listeners to see the benefit of pooling resources to make the dream come true.

"We need to sweep our young brilliant minds into institutions of higher education so that they can be re-tooled, requalified and reinvigorated so we can take our country back.'' Meanwhile, Shadow Youth Development, Sport and Recreation Minister Nelson Bascome called on parents to adopt "God and the church'' back into their families as they seek to heal their own dysfunction.

Moreover, he pointed out that sport was another vehicle through which young people can develop their potential more fully.

SCHOLARSHIP AWD