It is not the police but members of the Scout Association of Guyana who have been managing the car park at Pro-vidence, East Bank Demerara for the Super Eight matches.
On their first outing on March 28, the 100-member troupe drawn from several scout clubs around the country learnt quickly to direct traffic in the park despite the mud on the first day and the hot, humid conditions.
The Scout Association of Guyana was awarded the contract from the Guyana Local Organising Committee to manage the loam car park situated between the Buddy’s International Hotel and the Guyana National Stadium at Providence on match days.
According to President of the Scout Association Ron Robinson, “On Wednesday gone, even the youngest was well prepared for the day’s event, which began before the break of day. They stood their ground and braved the rain and even after that they took the full blast of the sun.”
Fortunately the mud lasted only for one morning. By mid-afternoon the situation had improved as the sun shone down with all its force. There is a shed at the site where the scouts take turns sheltering from the sun during the slow periods.
By Friday afternoon, the young people, aged between 13 and 17, along with their leaders had arrived at conclusions about some of their clients and how best to deal with them. Courtesy, they declared, was the best way. Their biggest challenges proved to be some of the mini-bus and hire car drivers.
On the first morning they had to coax some vehicle owners to use the park, and they promised clients they were going to have a good time in the stadium. One such client was US-based broadcaster Bobby Vieira who had to admit that the scouts soothed his temper after he did not want to park in the “mud and slush.”
Some of the scouts were taken aback when certain patrons indicated that they thought the scouts were responsible for the preparation of the car park and were unaware that they were only directing traffic there.
Among those sharing their experiences on Wednesday were Alfad Vander Hyden of St Stanislaus College, who has been a scout for the past five to six years and told the Stabroek News that the outing had given him the opportunity to visit the stadium. While he did not mind the rain, he said, “the bad part was the very hot sun.”
Dharmpaul Ramnauth of the Central Mackenzie Scout Group is one of ten scouts from Linden who declared himself to be excited to be assisting at this historical moment. Apart from making a contribution, Ramnauth, like Vander Hyden, said that had he remained in Linden at this period when school is closed he would not have had anything much to do.
Valencia Baily Of Queen’s College, who is having her first outing with the scouts having only joined the resuscitated QC group two months ago said that she has had a chance to mingle with others.
The Scout Groups taking part in the exercise are from Ascension Community High, Brickdam Secondary, Central Mackenzie, Marian Academy, North Georgetown Primary, Queen’s College, St Gabriel’s Primary, St Margaret’s Pri-mary, St Stanislaus Primary and South Ruimveldt Primary.
The scouts spend the night before they go on duty at the Scout headquarters on Woolford Avenue. By 21:00 hours it is ‘lights out’ and they all have to take to bed so they will be alert for the next day’s task. The Linden scouts are based there for the duration of the Super Eight matches.
The Scout Association is the oldest youth movement in Guyana. The group was formed in 1909 and was the first in the Caribbean and second only to Chile in South America.
According to Robinson, the Guyana Scout Association would be hosting the Caribbean Scouts’ Jamboree in 2009 which would coincide with the local association’s 100th anniversary. (Miranda La Rose)
