Editors note -  It was in 1970 that the Bermuda Police first became involved with Outward Bound when two yojng police officers, Tony Diggins and Lynn Hall joined forces in setting up an Outward Bund programme here in Bermuda woith the support of then Commissioner George Duckett, Minister kf Youth and Sport, The Hon Lancelot "Lenny" Swan.  

As Lynn Hall later said abojt the Outward Blund proramme, ""The aims of Outward Bound are simple and yet fundamental, Outward Bound exists to provide young men and women with the opportunity to achieve personal growth, self awareness and self confidence; to become aware of the qualities and needs of others; to create a really effective, active and purposeful community, and to engender a love and respect for the wild places and natural beauty of the countryside."

Lynn Hall ran the Outward Boujd programme from its incpetion in 1970 until his retirement from the Police in1983 by which time Bermuda had a n excellent facility for running local OBN programmes on PPaget Island, and was also sending yojng people overseas to Outward Bound Camps in the UK.  On his retirement Lynn was ighly praised  by HRH Prince Philip, the Duck of Edinburgh and by this time Lynnhad earned the sobriquet of "Mr. Outward Bound" in Bermuda.

The OB continued to operate after Lynn retirement but in 1982, anothert young police officer filled the vlikd left by Lynn, and took our OB programme from strength t strength. That young officer was P.C. Mark Norman and the folloowing article provides a unmique insight intl the work of Mark Norman is elevating

 ojr Police OB programme to a new level sduring the ext 20 years during which Mark displayed remarkable talent and skills in running the Ouward Bound programme, and in doing so he has inherited the title first given to Lynn Hall, as Mr. Outward Bound, Bermuda"

Mark Norman joined the Bermuda Police on 23rd February 1981 after serving in the Suffolk Constabulary from 1976-1981 as a Cadet and then as Constable.

Mark was initially posted to  Central Division (Hamilton) and then to Western Division (Somerset) for the first couple of years in Bermuda, and was seconded to ‘F‘ Department as an Outward Bound instructor during the summer programme in 1982. This was his first taste of Outward Bound!

Mark was transferred to Operations (Traffic) after that first summer, and he became a Driving School Instructor, but Mark returned to Outward Bound the following year and proved to be such a talented, natural and popular Outward Bound instructor that he was transferred to “F” Department where he worked on the OB programme during the summer, and on the Road Safety Bus during the rest of the year.

I remember writing an Assessment for Mark when I was OIC “F” Department about his ability as a first-class Outward Bound instructor. Mark also did an excellent job on the Police Road Safety Bus visiting schools Islandwide teaching road safety to every class in the schools, and he had volunteered to be an instructor for the Police Super Cyclist Scheme teaching youngsters how to ride their bikes safely.

There are some people who might question whether police officers should be devoting their time and energies to activities such as Outward Bound and teaching Road Safety, but one of the biggest criticisms of the Police at that time was the lack of positive contact with children and young people. That was exactly the purpose of programmes such as Outward Bound, the Road Safety Programme and the annual Pedal Cycle Gymkhana   -  bridging the gap between the Police and Bermuda's young people - and Mark was the ideal man for the job.

Mark became the co-ordinator of Outward Bound Bermuda in 1989 and later became Executive Director when the OBB became a registered charity.

During Mark's time as the Officer in Charge of Outward Bound the programme was expanded to include not only the annual overseas courses in the U.K. and the U.S.A., but also weekly courses on Paget Island during the summer, and additional one-day and weekend courses aimed to appeal to young people from less advantaged families.

Throughout the school year, OBB was attended by almost every Middle school student in Bermuda. On the weekends PC Norman would use OBB to host other youth programmes which benefit from a challenging experience. He would ensure that each school or group received the best facilitation the school could provide including designing programmes for physically and mentally limited participants. A highlight was establishing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for wheelchair users to abseil. 

During the summer months, OBB conducted 5 day residential courses for 12 – 15 year olds (the only adventure programme in Bermuda to do so). Mark would reside at the school during the working week living detached from his family. As the daily activities would run from 6am until 10.00pm he far exceeded any police officer’s duty hours. He received no additional pay (overtime or otherwise) and no additional vacation. 

Since the late 1970s, OBB annually sent up to 20 students (15 – 17 years old) to UK Outward Bound Centres. Since the early 1990s Mark would be the primary chaperone for these students while they conducted their 21 day course. The expedition is physically demanding for most students, and is routinely an emotional challenge for those students who have never left their family or travelled overseas. Mark would act as their mentor, advisor, friend, confidant, and parent as they conducted their journey of self-discovery 

Mark’s contribution to the success of OBB has been vast, and has been inextricably linked to all facets of the organisation. One of two PCs assigned to the Unit for many years, he became the sole full-time member of the Unit from 2008 – 2016. During this time he oversaw Outward Bound‘s finances and was responsible for operating the entire budget, conducting the accounts receivable and payable, payment of bills, and submission of the files to the accounting firm for auditing. 

He was also responsible for overseeing the inspection of all the equipment used by the school and ensuring it was serviceable. He would also be required to prepare the facility and equipment for annual and biannual inspections by the Outward Bound International Safety Review Team. 

The attendance for all courses (school year, summer, and overseas) were solely managed by Mark. He would advertise for vacancies, receive applications, process medical forms, and conduct all the correspondence with the student’s parents or the organisation. For overseas courses, PC Norman would book the courses at the UK Centre, book flights, arrange the UK coach (or for smaller groups he would drive), and arrange accommodation during layovers. He would also take sole responsibility for the students’ welfare and - despite the allure of major cities such as London or Birmingham - he never had a negative incident. 

The Outward Bound facility covers several acres on Paget Island and has many assets such as several buildings, 4 small power boats, 25 canoes and kayaks, climbing equipment, high and low ropes courses, and abseil cliffs. During his tenure as the head of Outward Bound Bermuda,  Mark was  roundly regarded and widely revered as indefatigable and his ability to ensure all resources remained serviceable - well into his fifties - is highly laudable. Further, he demonstrated the highest levels of humility and never shied away from the most laborious of tasks such as the routine cutting of grass, scraping and painting boat hulls, relicensing watercraft, painting the buildings, and repairing mechanical or electrical equipment. These additional duties required him to work far outside of normal hours and during his days off, and he would cheerfully do so for the good of OBB. 

During the summer months, Outward Bound would hire seasonal staff who were often ex-students on break from tertiary education. Before the commencement of the residential phase, Mark would conduct the staff hiring and training so the instructors were competent in the technical and soft skills needed to undertake their duties. In addition to his other financial responsibilities he would handle their pay. The high retention of seasonal staff was a reflection of his admirable leadership and competency. 

Outside of a Mark’s salary as a police officer, OBB operated almost exclusively on charitable donations. Mark would engage with corporate and private sponsors ensuring that financial targets were met and students would not be liable for course fees (or at minimum cost). Additionally, he would ensure that students would write to their sponsors after their course to share their experience and express their gratitude. 

Mark was also involved with organizing one-day courses for staff of major businesses designed to encourage staff cooperation while also helping to raise funds for the Outward Bound Programme.

Mark dedicated his professional career and personal life to ensuring the success of OBB. His singular determination and ubiquitous commitment resulted in the success of the school for decades. He literally put the experiences of Bermuda’s youth before his own gain, sacrificing potential advancement, extra pay, personal time, and annually enduring long periods away from his family. He conducted these tasks without recognition or award. 

One of the first articles we published on our ExPo website was the lifestory of Sergeant Lynn Hall who helped to create the first Outward Bound programme in Bermuda along with Tony Diggins. Lynn was in charge of the Outward Bound programme for many years and he became known as “Mr. Outward Bound”.

Mark Norman  carried on this tradition in every sense of the word. During his tenure in Outward Bound it grew in leaps and bounds due to his dedication and hard work - no doubt at the expense of progressing through the ranks in other departments.

Mark positively influenced the lives of many hundreds of young Bermudians to whom he will always be known as “Mr. Outward Bound” a title he richly deserves to have inherited from the legendary Lynn Hall. You can view Lynn Hall's  “Then and Now” article at http://expobermuda.com/index.php/tan/33-lhall 

We were delighted to see that P.C. Mark Norman was recognized with an MBE in the 2018 New Years’ Honours List for his many years of dedication to the Police Outward Bound programme. (See Royal Gazette at http://www.royalgazette.com/news/article/20181228/six-bermudians-honoured-by-queen

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Mark could be credited with being directly responsible for positively influencing more of Bermuda’s youth than anyone else in that period. His impact has never been fully calculated until recently, and it has been estimated that during this time he  engaged with approximately 20,000 Middle and High School Students. During his tenure, Bermuda was consistently recognised by Outward Bound International as the school to have the highest per capita national influence. Until 2007 there were 2 full time staff, and after 2007 PC Norman was the sole full-time member of staff. 

It was deeply disappointing to read in this morning’s Royal Gazette that there will be no Outward Bound camps this summer.

The Royal Gazette reads as follows:-  

"Outward Bound Bermuda does not have sufficient instructors and so is not expected to run its popular annual camps for teenagers on Paget Island in the summer.

All its other activities, including fundraising, are also understood to be on hold.

The programme had two full-time instructors: an officer from the Bermuda Police Service and a soldier from the Royal Bermuda Regiment.

However, The Royal Gazette understands that the police officer is no longer assigned to the Outward Bound unit.

A source described the programme as having been “mothballed” owing to “personnel issues”.

Commissioner of Police Darrin Simons said this week: “The OBB programme will be in abeyance until staffing and training requirements are met.

“This decision was not taken lightly and came about due to unfortunate circumstances.

“I deeply appreciate the significant role the Outward Bound Bermuda programme has played over the past five decades in youth development across our island.

“The programme has unquestionably made a positive impact on thousands of young Bermudians, providing valuable life skills and experiences that have helped shape their development.”

He added: “The Ministry of National Security, the Royal Bermuda Regiment and the Bermuda Police Service are working collaboratively to put a solution in place that is sustainable and builds on the rich history of OBB.

“Our shared goal is to preserve the valuable legacy of this programme while ensuring it meets all necessary requirements for safe and effective operation.

“We remain committed to youth development and community safety initiatives across Bermuda.

“Programmes like OBB align with our strategic priorities of reducing serious crime, working in partnership with community organisations and building public confidence in policing services.”

Mr Simons added that updates would be provided "as the collaborative work progresses towards restoring this valuable programme“.

CLICK HERE to read the full RG article 

Brief History of Outward Bound Bermuda

It was in 1970 that the Police first became involved with Outward Bound with the active support of then Minister of Youth and Sport, The Hon. Lancelot "Lenny" Swan, the Director of Youth and Sport, Reggie Ming, Johnnie Johnson from Outward Bound in London (former P.C. Dick Johnson's father), and the then Commissioner of Police, George Duckett. In his reminiscnces about being a police officer Lynn Hall described how he got involved with Outward Bound with P.C. Tony Diggins who was, at that time working in Special Branch. Then Premier Sir E.T. Richards was also a strong supporter of introducing Outward Bound to young Bermudians. Tony Diggins was friends with Chay Blyth, the international sailor and Outward Bound leader, and when Tony asked Lynn if he would be interested in helping to set up the programme Lynn jumped at the chance.

The two of them flew to London after being invited to attend a meeting with the Lord Mayors Financing Group and in October 1970 the first ever group of young Bermudians attended O.B. Devon. The following year Mr. Swan handed over the running of Outward Bound in Bermuda to the Police.

Lynn, who attended a course at the Moray Sea School in Scotland, regularly took groups of young Bermudians on the overseas Outward Bound courses, and in 1974, after extensive negotiations, the Police took over the former Junior Training School at Paget Island and began to operate local courses in addition to annual overseas courses which were kindly sponsored by a group of dedicated local businesses. The facilities at that time were very rough and run down, but they were gradually transformed into an exceptional OB facility that has, over the years, seen literally thousands of young Bermudians testing their skills and perseverance.

There is no question that Outward Bound has been a major success in helping young Bermudians to recognize their potential, and its success in Bermuda is due in large part to the efforts of Lynn and Tony as co-Coordinators during the programmes early years, and to Lynn's continued efforts as the sole Coordinator after Tony Diggins' departure from the Island.

As Lynn said in the OB 5th Anniversary magazine, "The aims of Outward Bound are simple and yet fundamental, Outward Bound exists to provide young men and women with the opportunity to achieve personal growth, self awareness and self confidence; to become aware of the qualities and needs of others; to create a really effective, active and purposeful community, and to engender a love and respect for the wild places and natural beauty of the countryside."

Perhaps nothing could better exemplify the high regard with which Lynn was held than the personal letter he received from H.R.H. Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on his retirement from the Police in 1983. Prince Phillip praised Lynn for his service in the Police, and also for his substantial contribution to Outward Bound Bermuda from its inception in 1970.  As a result of his commitment to the programme Lynn became known as "Mr. Outward Bound."

Outward Bound continued to survive and thrive after Lynn’s retirement, and never more so than when P.C. Mark Norman was seconded to ‘F‘ Department as an Outward Bound instructor during the summer programme in 1982. This was his first taste of Outward Bound!

Mark was transferred to Operations (Traffic) after that first summer, and he became a Driving School Instructor, but Mark returned to Outward Bound the following year and proved to be such a talented, natural and popular Outward Bound instructor that he was transferred to “F” Department where he worked on the OB programme during the summer, and on the Road Safety Bus during the rest of the year.

I remember writing an Assessment for Mark when I was OIC “F” Department about his ability as a first-class Outward Bound instructor. Mark also did an excellent job on the Police Road Safety Bus along with P.C. Bernie Pitman visiting schools Islandwide teaching road safety to every class in the schools, and Mark had volunteered to be an instructor for the Police Super Cyclist Scheme teaching youngsters how to ride their bikes safely.

There are some people who might question whether police officers should be devoting their time and energies to activities such as Outward Bound and teaching Road Safety, but one of the biggest criticisms of the Police at that time was the lack of positive contact with children and young people. That was exactly the purpose of programmes such as Outward Bound, the Road Safety Programme and the annual Pedal Cycle Gymkhana   -  bridging the gap between the Police and Bermuda's young people - and Mark was the ideal man for the job.

Mark became the co-ordinator of Outward Bound Bermuda in 1989 and later became Executive Director when the OBB became a registered charity.

There is no question that Mark Norman inherited the title of "Mr. Outward Bound".  You can read more about Mark’s involvement in Outward Bound in our article  at 

Commissioner Simons has clearly outlined his commitment to youth developmemt and to Outward Bound and has indicated that  updates (will) be provided "as the collaborative work progresses towards restoring this valuable programme."

As a person who was directly involved in managing the Outward Bound programme during my time serving in “F’ Department, I know first-hand what an incredible programme OB has been in establishing and maintaining a positive and much closer relationship between the police and the youth of our community.  It would be a major boost to both the police and the Islands young people if the Outward Bound programme can be re-instated as soon as possible.