to develop in virile fashion, because its potential value can hardly be exaggerated; the mushroom growth of industrial city life can so easily undermine the moral defences of high-spirited youngsters, and youth groups can do much positive and preventive work with the ‘junior citizens' of Hong Kong.
20. The co-ordination and promotion of all youth welfare activities has for several years now been the function of the Hong Kong Conference of Youth Organizations, which was legally incorporated in April by ordinance. It is a consultative body made up of twenty-two voluntary youth agencies and three Government Departments (Education, Prisons and Social Welfare). It also runs one youth camp itself.
21. The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme has now beyond question proved its appeal to the young people of Hong Kong. Its value lies in its challenge to their willingness to devote their own time to discovering the practical bounds of their own initiative, fitness and skill. These bounds are much wider than many originally thought. About 800 boys are already taking part in the scheme, from 43 different schools or groups based in- formally on an existing institution or class. The Operating Committee for Hong Kong is now planning to attract young workers and others from a still wider field. A pilot scheme has started for sixty girls and once it has been completed the scheme will be open to any girl who wants to join. A grant from the Sir Robert Black Trust Fund made it possible this year for the assistant secretary of the boys' scheme to spend five months in Great Britain, studying the scheme there at first hand. A young English volunteer under the auspices of Voluntary Service Overseas is giving sterling help to the Secretary and the Operating Committee.
22. With the assistance of the Education Department and the Federa- tion of Youth Groups, the Department has set up a youth training and recreation centre at the old survey camp at Tsuen Wan. It can accom- modate fifty boys and girls at a time and over two thousand young people have used the Camp during the year for training purposes, as a base for expeditions, and so on. Trekking and hiking in the New Territories have been encouraged by arranging for a small group of village schools to accommodate up to ten young people a night, on youth hostel lines. Canoeing has been a great success, in waters well suited for it. Many boys have taken to this sport and eighteen have gained the British Canoe Union Proficiency Certificate, the first Chinese boys in Hong Kong
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