advisory. In the early days contact with the Kaifong Associa- tions was maintained by the officers at the various S.W.O. relief centres, but nowadays this important work is in the hands of specialist officers of the Community Development Section, whose purpose it is to assist the Kaifong in every possible way to develop their organization and effectiveness.
134. The Kaifong Welfare Associations in Hong Kong and Kowloon are the modern descendants of traditional neighbour- hood associations which have a very long history of public service in South China, and have provided free schools and medical clinics for the poor, among a wide variety of community services. (See Appendix XVI).
135. The modern Kaifong Welfare Associations, which have a membership of 327,000, carry on these traditional services, but they do much more besides. Their normal welfare activities fall broadly into three categories-educational, medical, and recreational. They are all very keen on the development of healthy leisure time activities for the poorer people in their districts, and they sponsor free ball games, equip children's playgrounds, and stage simple theatrical performances with educational themes. They are particularly active in the field of medical welfare, and also sponsor several divisions of the St. John's Ambulance Brigade.
136. There are many women members in the Kaifong associations, and they have done valuable work in providing free maternity aid in their own maternity homes, which are registered with the Medical Department and in setting up domestic training and sewing classes for poor girls in their neighbourhood.
137. The Community Development Officers also keep in close touch with the more recently established Women's Welfare Clubs (which are a kind of entirely feminine version of the Kaifong movement) with the Clansmen's and Fellow Country- men's Associations, and with the other Chinese charitable and welfare organizations which are so numerous in the Colony.
138. During the year much good work in various welfare fields has been carried out, thanks to the co-operative spirit and
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