XN000022-1978-06-29 — Page 6

THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1978

1978

5.

MENTALLY RETARDED BOYS TO BECOME SCOUTS

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A GROUP OF 11 MODERATELY MENTALLY RETARDED BOYS NOW UNDER TRAINING AT THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S KAI CHI CHILDREN CENTRE IN ABERDEEN WILL OFFICIALLY BECOME MEMBERS OF HONG KONG'S 170 SCOUT GROUP TOMORROW.

THE BOYS, AGED BETWEEN EIGHT AND 12, HAVE JOINED THE LOCAL SCOUT MOVEMENT AND FORMED THE FIRST EXTENSION SCOUT GROUP OF ITS KIND IN THE CENTRE - THE 6TH IN THE DEPARTMENT'S INSTITUTIONS FOR THE DISABLED.

TO MARK THE INAUGURATION OF THEIR GROUP, THE BOYS WILL BE SMARTLY DRESSED IN SCOUT UNIFORMS AND GIVE THEIR TRADITIONAL +GRAND HOWL+ AT A CEREMONY TOMORROW, PLEDGING TO DO THEIR BEST IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCOUT SPIRIT,

OFFICIATING AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY TO BE HELD AT THE CENTRE AT 3 P.M. WILL BE THE HEAD OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S REHABILITATION DIVISION, MRS. ROSE GOODSTADT.

MRS. GOODSTADT WILL INSPECT A PARADE OF THE NEW SCOUTS, TOGETHER WITH OFFICIALS FROM THE SCOUTS ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG.

THE GROUP'S ADVISOR, MRS. KU NG YEE-HUNG, WHO IS ALSO THE CENTRE'S ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, SAID TODAY IT WOULD BE A PROUD MOMENT FOR THE BOYS AS PREPARATION TO FORM THE SCOUT GROUP BEGAN LAST OCTOBER.

MRS. KU SAID THE BOYS HAD ATTENDED A SERIES OF ORIENTATION COURSES WHICH ENABLED THEM TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SCOUT SPIRIT AND TRAINED THEM IN THE BASIC SKILLS OF A SCOUT.

THE PURPOSE OF FORMING THE GROUP IS TO PROVIDE THE BOYS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN COOPERATION AND DISCIPLINES THROUGH GROUP ACTIVITIES, AND TO PROMOTE THEIR SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY THEY LIVE IN, SHE SAID.

+WE FEEL THIS IS A MEANINGFUL THING FOR THE DISABLED AS THEY CAN MIX WITH THEIR FELLOW SCOUTS WHO ARE NORMAL CHILDREN IN SCOUT ACTIVITIES SUCH AS CAMPING AND PICNICKING.

+WE ALREADY HAVE FIVE OTHER EXTENSION SCOUT GROUPS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, FORMED BY PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED OR DEAF CHILDREN, SHE SAID,

NOTE TO EDITORS:

YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE SCOUT GROUP FORMED BY MODERATELY MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN AT THE KAI CHI CHILDREN CENTRE, THE CEREMONY WILL START AT 3 P.M. TOMORROW (FRIDAY) AT THE CENTRE AT WELFARE ROAD, WONG CHUK HANG, ABERDEEN.

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