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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1975
HK REACHES MILESTONE IN SOCIAL WELFARE WORK
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HONG KONG MARKS A MILESTONE IN THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL WELFARE WORK WITH THE GRADUATION OF THE FIRST CLASS OF STUDENTS TRAINED AT THE INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL WORK TRAINING FOR FRONT LINE SOCIAL SERVICES, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE SAID TODAY.
SIR MURRAY WAS SPEAKING AT THE INSTITUTE'S GRADUATION CEREMONY AT THE CITY HALL THEATRE AT WHICH 49 STUDENTS RECEIVED THEIR CERTIFICATES IN SOCIAL WORK AFTER COMPLETING THE TWO-YEAR COURSE.
HE SAID HONG KONG'S SOCIAL SERVICES HAD ALWAYS BEEN FOUNDED ON A CLOSE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, AND IT WAS FITTING THAT SUCH A PARTNERSHIP WAS ALSO APPARENT IN THE INSTITUTE.
BOTH SECTORS, HE SAID, HAD AGREED ON THE NEED FOR PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED FRONT LINE SOCIAL WORKERS.
HE RECALLED HAVING EXPRESSED THE HOPE IN OCTOBER 1973 SHORTLY AFTER THE OPENING OF THE INSTITUTE THAT IT WOULD BE +DYNAMIC+ AND WOULD BECOME A FORCING FORUM FOR THE ANALYSIS AND EXCHANGE OF PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE.+
MUCH OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACHIEVING THESE IMPORTANT AIMS, HE TOLD THE GRADUATING CLASS, RESTED WITH THEM.
+YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO WORK IN A CITY WHERE SOCIAL PROBLEMS ABOUND BUT IT IS A GREAT CITY WITH A GREAT PEOPLE IT IS A COMMUNITY WORTH SERVING. THERE CAN BE NO CITY IN THE WORLD WHERE WILLINGNESS TO WORK OR GIVE TO ALLEVIATE THE LOT OF THE LESS FORTUNATE IS SO WIDESPREAD, OR WHERE MISFORTUNE IS BORNE WITH SUCH PATIENCE, COURAGE AND REALISM,+ SIR MURRAY SAID.
+THOUGH YOUR WORK WILL OFTEN BE HARD. IT WILL EQUALLY OFTEN BE REWARDING, AND IF IT EVER SEEMS TO YOU TO BE HARDER THAN IT IS REVARDING REMEMBER THAT YOU CARRY WITH YOU THE GOODWILL AND SUPPORT OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.+
IN HIS INTRODUCTORY REMARKS, THE PRINCIPAL OF THE INSTITUTE, MR. L.B. MACQUARRIE, TOLD THE STUDENTS THAT MANY PEOPLE HAD GIVEN GENEROUS ASSISTANCE AND WORKED HARD TO BRING THEM TO THE POINT OF GRADUATION.
HE HOPED THAT AS THEY WERE NOW EMPLOYED IN SOCIAL WORK IN THE COMMUNITY THEY WOULD START TO BENEFIT IN TERMS OF INTERESTING AND REVALDING JOBS HELPING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
DURING THE CEREMONY, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CHIU CHOW ASSOCIATION THE CHIU CHOW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE YOUTH ORGANISATION FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEDCED AND THE LIONS CLUBS OF · HAPPY VALLEY, TAI PING SHAN, THE PEAK, VICTORIA AND PENINSULA, ALSO PRESENTED 43 SCHOLARSHIPS WORTH TOTAL OF $5,500 SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE CURRENT YEAR STUDENTS.
/IN ThaLKING