SUNDAY, MAI 17, 198ɔ
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SECURITY SECRETARY PRAISES VOLUNTEER ORGANISATIONS
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THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR DAVID JEAFFRESON, TODAY (SUNDAY) PRAISED HONG KONG'S VOLUNTEER ORGANISATIONS FOR PROVIDING VALUABLE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
HE SAID THAT HE WAS PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED BY THE CAPABILITY AND ENTHUSIASM OF THESE ORGANISATIONS OF 19 000 MEN AND WOMEN +WHO ARE PREPARED TO SPEND A LARGE PART OF THEIR SPARE TIME
THESE ORGANISATIONS PROVIDING SERVICES OF GREAT IMPORTANCE+. INCLUDE THE AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICES, THE AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE, THE CIVIL AID SERVICES, THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE AND THE ROYAL HONG KONG REGIMENT.
MR JEAFFRESON SPOKE IN PRAISE OF THE VOLUNTEERS WHEN HE INSPECTED A PASSING-OUT PARADE OF NEW RECRUITS OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG REGIMENT (THE VOLUNTEERS), AT THE GRANDSTAND OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB IN HAPPY VALLEY.
TAKING PART IN TODAY'S PARADE WERE 125 NEW RECRUITS WHO FORMED THE LARGEST SINGLE CADRE OF THE REGIMENT SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1854. THEY JOINED THE REGIMENT LAST NOVEMBER AND JUST COMPLETED SIX MONTHS' BASIC MILITARY TRAINING.
+ IN PRACTICE, MR JEAFFRESON SAID, THERE ARE EVEN MORE PEOPLE ENTHUSIASTIC TO JOIN THESE ORGANISATIONS.+
HE CITED THE REGIMENT AS A TYPICAL EXAMPLE. YOUR CADRE OF 125, THERE WERE 1 300 APPLICANTS.+
HE SAID: +FOR
MR JE AFFRESON SAID THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNISE THIS ENTHUSIASM BY EXPANDING THE SIZE OF THE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS.
+FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, THIS IS NOT PROVING EASY. REGIMENT HAS HAD SOME SUCCESS, HE SAID.
BUT THE
HE TOLD THE RECRUITS ON PARADE THAT THE REASON WHY THEY FORMED THE LARGEST CADRE THE REGIMENT HAD EVER TRAINED WAS THAT THE REGIMENT HAD BEEN RECRUITING FOR A NEW FOURTH TROOP IN EACH SABRE SQUADRON.
HE ADVISED THEM TO MAINTAIN THE HIGH STANDARDS THEY HAD DEVELOPED DURING THEIR TRAINING AND TO WORK TOWARDS BEING AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER THAN THE FULL-TIME SOLDIERS OF THE GURKHA FIELD FORCE WITH WHOM THEY WOULD BE WORKING IN THE FUTURE.
AT THE CEREMONY, MR JEAFFRESON PRESENTED EFFICIENCY MEDALS TO NINE VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE REGIMENT FOR MORE THAN 12 YEARS.
RECEIVING THE FIRST CLASP TO THE EFFICIENCY MEDAL WERE WARRANT OFFICER | WAN SHUN-SHING, STAFF SERGEANT YUEN KWOK-KWAN, SERGEANT B. BABIDA, SERGEANT CHAN KING-CHEUNG, SERGEANT LEUNG KWOK-HUNG AND SERGEANT YOUNG CHUNG.
EFFICIENCY MEDALS WERE AWARDED TO STAFF SERGEANT WONG SHIU-WAH, SERGEANT CHAN CHEUNG-FAI AND SERGEANT L.F. ROSARIO.
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