Governor-General’s Youth Award
Bahamas Award Scheme Expedition (BASE‘08)
Rock Sound, Eleuthera

Group shot of the BASE 08 participants.

Ninety-nine participants received their Bronze and Silver Awards. Of these eighty were Bronze recipients and nineteen received the Silver Award. The presenter was Mr. Rick Hayward (son of Mr. Jack Hayward)

Picture Silver recipients pictured with Mr. Rick Hayward (center),
presenter and guest speaker. He is the son of Sir Jack Hayward and a donor
to the Jack Hayward High School unit and other Freeport chairties.

Sunland Baptist Academy Bronze recipients with Mr. Rick
Hayward

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History doesn't get any better than this!!!

Crooked Island High School GGYA unit members with
Mr. Forbes (green t-shirt)

Students of the Crooked Island High School, the first High School in the family islands of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, made their historical GGYA hike through the trails and bushes of Crooked Island. It is also an historical fact, that because of the vast amount of Cascarilla bark found on the island, Christopher Columbus, during his walk through Crooked Island, called it the land of fragrance because he had never smelt a place so sweet and enticing.

Participants are pictured here at the campsite.

On April 26th 2008, a group of 16 students, the only students qualified age- wise, to be a part of GGYA, out of a school of only 40 students, courageously showed up at 6:30am ready to go on their adventurous journey.

They brought food, water, pots, and pans and they were ready to go. The journey started in the Church Grove Settlement. The students then climbed the high mountainous hill of Colonel Hill and proceeded to the coast. They walked along the Coast as far as the airport. They then proceeded through the Major's Cay settlement, and camped out on Winding bay.

Day two proved to be the most challenging of all. According to most of the participants, it was the most challenging thing they have ever done in their lives. Assisted by Ms. Denise Mortimer, GGYA National Executive Director, participants trekked along the northern tip of the island.

Where to go?

It was there that they saw an historical lighthouse on McKays Bluff that was probably around from the pirate days. The participants then traveled, sometimes in torrential rain, through mangroves and dirt roads observing the natural wonders of Crooked Island.

According to Carnesha Burnside, Bronze participant, this was her first time going northern side of the island. What stood out to her was a large oar. She says that this proved to her that many years ago large ships, that didn't have engines, once traveled to Crooked Island.

Andrew Gibson also said that he is thankful to GGYA because he might have never had an opportunity to see these places that existed on Crooked Island even though he has spent his whole life here. He also added that he was able to get to know his school mates better and was able to work as a team.

Participants are pictured here during the hike
along the coastline.

GGYA is indeed an historical program for Crooked Island. When history is written about Crooked Island, there will be essays about the slave plantation that still exists on this island. They will also talk about the first post office and first high school in the family islands and that it is still standing. They will also add that since Long Cay was once the capital of The Bahamas, and it is our next door neighbor, Crooked Island deserves to be counted. One of the oldest lighthouses still stands along with the many residents who are beyond the 90 year old mark.

History will indeed never get any better than this!!! The Governor General's Youth Award, Crooked Island High School Unit, is indeed making sure that it is counted.

Making history is fun!