Where are NDSS Original Scouts Now?
Our Scout House
By
Mr. Lynley Lutchmedial
Phase I:To build a 20 x 15 room, estimated cost for marterials was $5000.00 TTD. The group had no money in the bank account and financing was another story.I met with the Parent Committee headed by Mr. Bailey and which included Mrs. Ferdinand, Mr.s Taylor, Mrs. Callendar, Mrs. J. Alleyne, Mrs. Hanson Taylor, Mrs. G. Shand, Ms. Phillips, Mrs. Singh, Mrs. Z. Narcis, Mrs. Ballwah, Mrs. Khan, Mrs. Imambaksh, and others to discuss how to raise finaces for the start up. The shorter version was to obtain a personal loan of $6000.00 from the bank and each month the group would pay the installment until it was repaid. This was to be done from the weekly sale of refreshments and other fund raising efforts, howerver that failed. Free labour would come from the parent committee and scout membership.
Construction : We (leaders) got the parent committee divided into their area s of skills. Mr. Ferdinand welded both the front and back steel gates free of charge. The steel pipes were donated through Phillip Lewis (past scout) and Anthony Dyer (past leader) for the roof and steel gates. Transportation was handled by Phillip Lewis who had to move the pipes from Santa Flora to the Scout House. The steel roof welding completed by Mr. Bernard Landeau while the nailing of galvanize by yours truly.
The laying of bricks was done my Mr. Petrovanie, the ventures led by Dave Byer, Orvid Reeves, Leon John and almost each scout of that times had the opportunity to do a little mixing of gravel and cement. Painting and scrubbing was completed by the scouts as each section was working in p[arallel. At the end of ten weeks, the building was ready for use and our first function was our prise giving ceremony in December 1988. The re-payment story failed after a few months and I donated the balance of over $3,000.00 as my personal gift to the project.
Phase II : A year later, the group had out grown Phase I and the next Phase came on quickly and unexpected. To construct a 35 x 15 building adjoining the first room. Estimated material cost was $7,000.00. Once again, I took a second personal loan from another bank to start Phase II. This was not the original plan to start so quickly, but due to the fact that the San Fernando District were to receive two boats in one month's time, the District Commissioner asked if NDSS can store the boats and provide a secure facility - we accepted. The reason being, that if the boats were stored at NDSS, we would have the opportunity to use them regularly.
Once again, Anthony Dyer donated all of the two inch pipes that were required for the roof, and Phillip Lewis handled transportation from Santa Flora to the Scout House. This time, we paid a small fee for welding tje roof together. We decided to put electricity into our new headquarters and Smauel Griffith (past scout) gave his time freely to complete all the electrical work. The roof was completed by Leon John abd myself. All maual work came from the Scouts and the Ventures.
The paving of the driveway and the yard was completed by scouts and ventures, as each scout had his part to play; either in the mixing or carrying of concrete and sometimes we borrowed gravel from WASA to ensure it's completion. Glen Richardson (past scout) donated a complete basketball ring made from steel. Transport for all the materials including bricks, cement, gravel and galvanize, the ever faithful Gallant PAN 839 stood firm. At the end of the day's a work that faithful car took everyone home, sometimes ten or twelve at a time. Our new scouts did not get away from their share of the work - Allan and Arte Cupid, Fitzroy Gittens, Jerome Parris, Marlon Stewart, Brian Taylor, Edison Alleyne, Kurt Bailey, Wendell Moreau, Rawlins Marvin, and Kevin Leben, St. Louis, Lyndon Lambert, Ronnie Joseph, Guiseppi, Jovan Jules, are some of the scouts who went beyond the call of duty. Many others had assisted in between, too numerous to mentioned. To all of you, we thank you . Those guys mentioned were the ones I would just show up at their homes to start to do anything without any hesitation.
We had completed a job and most scouts now know what is meant by "the sweat of thy brows..."
Only forty percent (40%) of the loan was repaid and the balance was again given as my contribution to NDSS Building Project. I can say proudly that Notre Dame did more for me in making me the person I am today.
Continue to read about Phases III & IV Construction of our Scout House
th person to visit this page since October 2001