[2] "Prime Minister Burnham authorized the formation of the Guyana National Service in 1974 as a 1,500-person paramilitary force.
Some people argued that it was a thinly veiled military arm directly under the president, with the leadership of the organization coming from Guyana's police and defense forces.
[2] The organization reduced the numbers of The Scout Association of Guyana, which it competed with for the recruitment of youth.
In bringing together Guyanese from all backgrounds, it served to create unity among the stratified society.
[4] A notable member was researcher Karen de Souza, who began working as a volunteer in the Guyana National Service in 1975, learning electrical skills and giving reading courses to illiterates.