have brightened Bermuda without an organisation that is 40 years old this year.

An exhibition to celebrate the ruby anniversary of the Bermuda Junior Chamber is presently being held in the City Hall in Hamilton.

It chronicles some of the good works of the Chamber which is open to people aged 18-40.

Mrs. Tina Daniels has compiled an excellent history of the "Jaycees.'' She tells how it all started in 1952.

Mrs. Daniels said: "The late Phil Pugsley, founder of the Junior Chamber International Senate and a past JCI president, was a friend of Ford Baxter, a shorthand reporter for The Royal Gazette .

"Phil Pugsley interrupted a heavy schedule to visit his friend in Bermuda.

Whilst here, at the invitation of Mr. Baxter and the then chairman of Commerce Sir John Plowman, he addressed a meeting at the Masonic Hall.

"It was felt that the Junior Chamber organisation would be a good idea for Bermuda, which resulted in 90 young men founding the Bermuda Junior Chamber.'' The first project was the Bermuda Lily Bride competition, which later became the Bermuda Lily Queen for the Island's Easter Pageant. In the last few years of the floral pageants Bermuda Junior Chamber actually took over the complete running of the event.

Mrs. Daniels said: "The Bermuda Junior Chamber furthered the idea of lighting the main streets of Hamilton and White's Island at Christmas time.

"They were the first to string lights across the road and put Christmas trees on the light poles.

"During the mid-60s this project eventually became too big for members to tackle alone and so the Corporation of Hamilton took on the annual task.'' In March, 1956, the Junior Chamber was approached to set up a clean-up campaign which eventually blossomed into Keep Bermuda Beautiful as it is known today.

The Jaycees' work with young people includes setting up Bermuda's Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and setting up a children's group.

Mrs. Daniels said: "We are open to any person between 18-40 regardless of race, creed or colour. We have approximately 110 members at the moment.''