The future of young boys in Bermuda looks hopeful as a new drive for the expansion of the Bermuda Scout Association has been launched.

There are about 130 Cubs and Scouts on the Island who are reaping the benefits of the world's largest youth organisation.

But the Bermuda Scout Association, headed by recently appointed President Jerome Dill, plans to bring the programme to more boys in Bermuda.

Recently, a press conference at Government House was hosted by the Governor Thorold Masefield, who is the Chief Scout of the Bermuda Scout Association.

He said he hoped the programme's expansion would spread the message of the fun in scouting to a wider group of young people than those who are currently involved.

Nine public primary schools and four middle schools have already accepted agreements with the association to host meetings of the Beaver colonies, Cub packs and scout troops on their grounds.

The press conference was also attended by Mr. Dill, assistant chief commissioner to the organisation Claire Lightbourne and chief commissioner Gary Dowling, who called for more adult leaders to become involved.

Mr. Dowling said: "without our adult leadership we can't get it off the ground.

"We want former leaders to come forth and lend their support.

"Also, other people that think that they might not be scouting material should know everyone has a skill and basically what we try to teach is life skills. So everyone has a part they can play in promoting the programme.

"They may only have an hour or two a week. That's sufficient to be a part of the group.'' The association has even solicited local businesses to donate time-off for their employees to participate in the programme.

Mr. Dill said: "I think we underestimate the significance of getting individuals on lease from their places of employment for short periods of time to participate in a movement as important and all encompassing as scouting in Bermuda.

"It is vitally important for our young people and it is vitally important for the future of this country as a whole. I certainly hope that the business community and others are going to be willing to assist us as they have done in the past.'' Business leaders who have been approached so far and asked to give their employees time off to meet with the scouts have responded positively.

Mr. Dill stressed that the community overall is needed to rebuild the Bermuda Scout Association to what it was in the 1950s and 60s. He said: "We have a unique opportunity to be a part of something that is going to be looked upon as a great achievement over the next ten years in Bermuda and we would like the community at large to be a part of it.

"With this ambitious plan we need the support of the community and we hope they will come out and support us and help to put some of the things that are now starting to go wrong in our community because of the neglect that has been passed on for years especially in a male orientated society where a lot of the young men have not had the opportunity to be a part of this kind of group.''