FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1985
LIFE GUARDS PRAISED FOR GOOD WORK
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THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE ROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY HAD MADE A VERY VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO RECREATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN HONG KONG SINCE ITS FORMATION IN 1960+, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TONIGHT.
IT HAD SAVED OVER 17 600 LIVES AND HAD GRANTED 147 000 LIFE-SAVING AWARDS IN THAT TIME, SIR EDWARD SAID.
HE WAS SPEAKING AT A DINNER CELEBRATING THE SILVER JUBILEE OF THE BRANCH.
+ THE IMPRESSIVE EXPANSION IN THE SCOPE OF YOUR ACTIVITIES AND INCREASE IN YOUR MEMBERSHIP HAVE COINCIDED WITH A BOOM IN RECREATION AND SPORT IN HONG KONG, THE RESULT OF INCREASED LEISURE AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STANDARD OF LIVING, SIR EDWARD SAID.
+SWIMMING IS THE MOST POPULAR FORM OF ACTIVE RECREATION IN HONG KONG, BUT IT CAN HOLD DANGERS FOR THE INEXPERIENCED AND THE THOUGHTLESS. THIS IS WHERE YOUR BRANCH HAS DONE SUCH VALUABLE WORK.+
SIR EDWARD SAID THE GOVERNMENT, TOO, ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE ENGAGING IN SPORT AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, IN PARTICULAR WATER SPORTS.
+LAST YEAR, OVER 20 000 PEOPLE OF ALL AGES LEARNED HOW TO SWIM THROUGH CLASSES ORGANISED BY THE RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE, HE SAID.
HE WAS VERY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THE COMMONWEALTH COUNCIL OF THE ROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY HAD AWARDED THE WILLIAM HENRY MEMORIAL TROPHY TO THE HONG KONG BRANCH, AND THE KING EDWARD VII CUP TO THE HONG KONG LIFE GUARD CLUB FOR ATTAINING THE GREATEST INCREASE IN SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES FOR THE SOCIETY'S LIFE-SAVING AND RESUSCITATION AWARDS.
+ BOTH AWARDS REPRESENT SIGNAL HONOURS FOR HONG KONG AND ARE WELL-DESERVED TRIBUTES TO THE DEDICATION OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE WORK OF THE BRANCH AND THE CLUB, SIR EDWARD SAID.
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