BOY SCOUTS HEADQUARTERS
Architect: Mr. G. D. Su
IIIIL
General view of the new headquarters.
All photographs by Mr. Roy Tsang,
The Boy Scout movement was movement and easily persuaded ago to try and erect a suitable founded in England in 1908. It is Brother Adrian to try it at the Col- building.
difficult to trace the beginnings of lege. The response was quite en- The Association was fortunate at the movement in Hong Kong before couraging
and soon a very large that time in having as its President, December 1941. when the Japanese troop of keen boys was functioning. Sir Arthur Morse, then Chief Mana- invaded the Colony, as all the files
The last annual report of the local ger of the Hongkong and Shanghai and records were lost or destroyed Boy Scouts Association showed a Banking Corporation, whose
Scout Headquarters total of
great during the war.
2.983 all ranks, compared keenness in the Scouting movement in Lower Albert Road were complete with 2,323 last year-an increase of helped to expand its activities in the ly looted as were the group head-
660 or 28.4 per cent. The unit in- Colony. quarters then functioning.
creases were:-Packs 11: Boy Scout Troops 14; Troops 9: Senior Scout
The total number of groups in the Colony is now 78, com- pared with 65 last year. This reflects a healthy rapid growth,
was
started
and Crew 1.
Sir Arthur was one of the prime It is believed that Scouting in Hong Kong
movers in the matter of a headquar- at St.
ters. and mainly through his good Joseph's College in Kennedy Road
offices. the Hong Kong Jockey Club as early as 1913, when Rev. Brother
provided the entire funds for the Adrian was Director of the College,
erection of a suitable building. The Brother Adrian was struck from the
To keep pace with this expansion generosity of the Jockey Club in first by the astonishing success which and to provide Hong Kong Boy making this possible will be amply the Boy Scout movement was enjoy Scouts with a headquarters worthy repaid in the advancement of char- Ing in England, and had come
to both of the movement and the acter. physical and moral develop- the conclusion that this success Colony, it was decided some time ment, and happiness of the Colony's could be attributed to the very strong appeal the movement made to а powerful instinct in human life-that of loyalty and the spirit of service.
Lt. Col. Bowen, the great Catholic actionist in Hong Kong, saw at once what help he could derive from the
GOVT! QUARTERS
BOY
SCOUTS
H.Q
JORDAN
ROAD
GOX'&- -ROAD
(Above) Black plan.
(Right) Detail of entrance.
57