XN000022-1976-12-28 — Page 2

NEW CHAIRMAN FOR

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1976

DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S AWARD

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THE GOVERNOR HAS APPOINTED THE HON. ALEX WU TO BE THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S AWARD FOR TWO YEARS AS FROM JANUARY 1, 1977.

MR. WU SUCCEEDS MR. PETER P.K. NG, WHO HAS BEEN CHAIRMAN SINCE 1974. BOTH OF THEM HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE SCHEME FOR MANY YEARS, AND MR. WU HAS BEEN AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE AWARD COMMITTEE BETWEEN 1965 AND 1975.

THE SCHEME WAS INITIATED BY THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH IN 1956 AS A MEANS BY WHICH YOUNG PEOPLE CAN TEST THEIR ABILITY AND SHOW THE IR SKILL IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS.

IT ENCOURAGES YOUNG PEOPLE TO ACQUIRE MORE KNOWLEDGE, TO DEVELOP THEIR CONFIDENCE AND PERSISTENCE, TO MAKE GOOD USE OF LEISURE TIME AND TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.

THE SCHEME FOR BOYS WAS INTRODUCED TO HONG KONG IN MARCH 1961 AND THAT FOR GIRLS IN AUGUST 1963. FIVE YEARS LATER, THE TWO WERE MERGED TO FORM A JOINT SCHEME.

IN HONG KONG, AN AWARD COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR ADMINISTERS THE SCHEME AND IS CONCERNED BASICALLY WITH POLICY- MAKING, FINANCING AND STAFFING. IT ALSO LICENSES OPERATING AUTHORITIES OF WHICH THERE ARE 17, WITH OVER 16,000 PARTICIPANTS.

BESIDES THE CHAIRMAN, THERE ARE 12 MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEE. THEY ARE: MR. MICHAEL S.H. CHAN, MR. H.C. MA, MRS. L.W. GORDON, MR. LI KWAN-HUNG, MR. EDMUND YAN-SHUN CHEUNG, MR. STEPHEN YOW MOK-SHING, MRS. J.B. GIBSON, MRS. D. B. LEITCH AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES, HONG KONG, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR AND THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE.

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