73. At the beginning of 1949 the Social Welfare Office decided to try to encourage nearby residents to take a personal interest in the work being done at the Welfare Centres, and in the people who attended them. If this succeeded, the next step was to build up a still wider local interest in all problems affect- ing the neighbourhood. Some kind of neighbourhood association might then be encouraged to play an active part in local social affairs. Although it was difficult to forecast the type of organi- zation which would best suit the conditions of modern urban Hong Kong, there could be no question of blindly copying foreign Community Associations. Against this there was the common assumption that most of the Colony's residents had come here solely to make a living for themselves, to seek asylum, or to take advantage of Hong Kong's social services. Their hearts would be with their families' homes elsewhere. Alternatively, if local interest could be awakened, there were very real dangers of exploitation by triad societies or undercover political agents.
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74. In January 1949 the first attempt was made to arouse the interest of families and small shopkeepers living near the Social Welfare Office Welfare Centre in the Shamshuipo District of Kowloon. The attempt failed. A second approach was made, this time to include certain locally prominent Chinese from all parts of Shamshuipo, which had a population of about 200,000. Some interest was kindled, and the first informal meeting was held in the Welfare Centre. It was then that the local Shamshuipo representatives suggested reviving the old term "Kaifong" as a part of a new association's name.
Throughout the spring and summer long evening meet- ings were held at which new plans, draft constitutions, and other practical details, were discussed over and over again. The Social Welfare Officer never took the chair after the first meeting. From the start, the rôle of the Social Welfare Office was to encourage a healthy independance in this embryo Kaifong Welfare Association.
75. In October 1949 the Shamshuipo Kaifong Welfare Ad- vancement Association celebrated its inauguration. Its founders believed that the old Kaifong and their traditions of public
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