XN000022-1977-04-05 — Page 1

十七 香港政府

GIS 新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 1977

50-ACRE CAMP SITE FOR C.A.S. CADET CORPS

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WHEN THE GOVERNOR OPENS THE 50-ACRE CAMP SITE FOR THE CIVIL AID SERVICES (C.A.S.) CADET CORPS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ON APRIL 11, HE WILL BE OPENING NOT MERELY THE GATE TO A LONG-CHERISHED CAMP AREA FOR THE 2,000 CADETS, BUT ALSO A NEW ERA IN THE HISTORY OF THE CORPS.

FOR ONE THING, THE OPENING OF THE SITE BRINGS TO FRUITION A LONG-TIME DREAM OF THE C.A.S. CADETS FOR AN IDEAL PERMANENT CAMPING BASE, AWAY FROM THE 'CONCRETE JUNGLES' IN WHICH THEY LIVE.

FOR ANOTHER IT MARKS A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN THE GROWTH OF THE CADET CORPS, ESTABLISHED IN 1968.

THE CAMP SITE, LOCATED ON A PLATEAU NEAR A DESERTED VILLAGE IN YUEN TUN SOME 750 FEET ABOVE TSING LUNG TAU, OVERLOOKS THE SCENIC LANDSCAPE OF NORTH LANTAU, MA WAN AND TSING YI ISLAND.

IT COMES INTO BEING LARGELY OUT OF AN EXUBERANT SELF-HELP SPIRIT, WITH CADETS AND ADULT MEMBERS OF THE C.A.S. CARRYING OUT SUCH DO-IT-YOURSELF WORK AS SITE CLEARANCE, HOUSE RENOVATION, GRASS CUTTING AND TREE PLANTING SINCE 1974.

+ THE IDEA BEHIND THIS SELF-HELP DRIVE IS TO INSTIL INTO THE MINDS OF THE CADETS A SENSE OF BELONGING AND PRIDE AND WE WILL SEEK TO KEEP THIS SELF-HELP PROCESS AN ONGOING ONE AT THE SITE,+ SAID MR. JOHN FORTUNE, CHIEF STAFF OFFICER OF THE CIVIL AID SERVICES.

IN CONSONANCE WITH THE SELF-HELP PRINCIPLE, THE CAMP SITE IS PROVIDED WITH ONLY SKELETON FACILITIES, WITHOUT ANY CONCRETE-COVERED ACCOMMODATION FOR THE CADETS. THIS MEANS THAT CADETS WILL HAVE TO STAY IN TENTS IN THE OPEN AIR,

PROVIDED IN THE VAST EXPANSE OF THE SITE ARE A SMALL ADMINISTRATION CENTRE, A SWIMMING POOL, A BASKETBALL COURT, AN INCINERATOR AND TOILET FACILITIES AS WELL AS A LECTURE CENTRE CONVERTED FROM A RENOVATED HOUSE IN THE DESERTED VILLAGE,

THE ADMINISTRATION CENTRE, WHICH WILL SERVE AS PLACES OF INDOOR INSTRUCTION, WAS BUILT WITH A $250,000 DONATION FROM THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB WHILE A PRIVATE DONOR GAVE $150,000 TO COVER THE ENTIRE EXPENSE OF THE SWIMMING POOL.

/ACCORDING TO

Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-233191

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