The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE World Famous Valley Boys Junkanoo group has been officially deregistered as a non-profit organisation in The Bahamas, according to a notice from the Registrar General’s Department.

The notice, published in the Gazette earlier this month and signed by Registrar General Camille Gomez-Jones, said the group was struck off for failing to comply with directives issued in August 2024.

The deregistration followed a Supreme Court ruling that dismissed the World Famous Valley Boys’ application for judicial review, finding that the group had no realistic chance of success. Justice Darron Ellis upheld the Registrar General’s decision to remove the group from the register of non-profit organisations, ruling that its name too closely resembled that of the Valley Boys Junkanoo Group and could mislead the public. The court found that the group failed to pursue an available appeal under the Non-Profit Organisations Act and rejected claims of procedural unfairness, noting the Registrar General had given the group multiple opportunities to respond before making a final decision.

The Valley Boys’ turmoil became public last year, when two rival factions — The World Famous group led by Brian Adderley and The Way Forward Valley Boys led by Mr Davis — each claimed the right to the Valley Boys name, sparking national debate and media coverage.

The Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP), which oversees the country’s premier cultural event, ruled that only Mr Adderley’s group could compete in the A category of the 2024/25 Junkanoo parades. Mr Davis’s faction was relegated to a non-competitive “fun group” category — allowed to perform but ineligible for prizes.

The JCNP explained that the decision was based on registration dates: Mr Adderley registered his group in February 2024, while Mr Davis did not register until June, after the deadline. 

After Justice Ellis’ ruling against the World Famous faction earlier this year, JCNP officials suggested this did not impact the group’s registration and name for the JCNP’s purposes.

Meanwhile, in a recent video, the Way Forward faction announced the results of the “first-ever Valley Boys elections,” in which all executive board positions were uncontested except for the trustees.

A total of 222 members reportedly voted, electing Trevor Davis as chairman, cementing his leadership. The new executive also includes Jeff Moncur as deputy chairman, Alika Colbrooke as assistant deputy chairman, Shane Albury as treasurer, Kiana Thompson as assistant treasurer, Anastasia Brown as secretary, and Tasha Sands as assistant secretary. The elected trustees are Mark Bastian, Vincent King, and Barry McKinney.