XN000022-1978-09-28 — Page 2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1978

GOVERNOR OPENS NEW SCOUT READQUARTERS

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TODAY PRAISED THE SCOUT ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG FOR ITS PLANS TO PROVIDE MORE LOCAL BUILDINGS AND CENTRES FOR ITS MEMBERS SO THAT IT CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICES TO YOUNG PEOPLE.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW SCOUT HEADQUARTERS IN WAN CHAI, SIR MURRAY SAID THE PROVISION OF MORE LOCAL BUILDINGS FOR SCOUT IS A +BOLD AND AMBITIOUS+ CONCEPT OF THE ASSOCIATION, AND INITIAL STEPS HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TO PROVIDE A BUILDING IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE NEW HEADQUARTERS IS NAMED THE TANG SHIU.KIN BUILDING IN RECOGNITION OF SIR SHIU-KIN'S $1 MILLION DONATION TOWARDS ITS CONSTRUCTION COST.

IT WILL SERVE AS A REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR THE 6,000 SCOUTS ON THE ISLAND AND AN ALTERNATIVE FOCAL POINT FOR THE . MOVEMENT'S MAJOR EVENTS.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR:

+TODAY WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF ASSEMBLING IN THIS NEWLY CONSTRUCTED SCOUT HEADQUARTERS, NAMED THE TANG SHIU KIN BUILDING. SIR SHIU-KIN WAS THE PERSON BEHIND THE SCENE IN THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, AND HIS MAGNIFICENT DONATION OF $1 MILLION WAS THE CATALYST REQUIRED TO TURN. THE ASSOCIATION'S PLANS FOR THIS BUILDING INTO A REALITY. THIS BUILDING WILL SERVE AS A REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR THE 6,000 SCOUTS ON THE ISLAND AND AN ALTERNATIVE FOCAL POINT FOR THE MOVEMENT'S MAJOR EVENTS. A COMMITTEE, ABLY LED BY MR. LEO LEE AND HIS TWO VICE-CHAIRMEN, FOUND THE BALANCE OF THE SUBSTANTIAL SUM REQUIRED TO CONSTRUCT AND FURNISH THE BUILDING, AND THEY DESERVE EVERY PRAISE FOR: JOB WELL DONE.

+THIS BUILDING IS SYMBOLIC OF THE ERDITE OF

MOVEMENT. THE OLD HEADQUARTERS AT COR'S ROAD WAS BUILT- IN 1954 FOR A MOVEMENT ABOUT 4,000 STRONG. TEN YEARS AGO THE ASSOCIATION DECIDED TO DECENTRALISE, AND CREATED A. NUMBER OF AUTONOMOUS SCOUT REGIONS. THIS WAS SUCCESSFUL AND RESULTED IN A MASSIVE INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP. IN MARCH THIS YEAR, THE FIGURE STOOD AT NEARLY 34,000.

+THE COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT IS THEREFORE THE FIRST PHASE IN THE ASSOCIATION'S LONG-TERM PLAN TO PRODUCE MORE LOCAL BUILDINGS AND CENTRES FOR ITS WIDE-SPREAD AND STILL GROWING MEMBERSHIP. THIS IS A BOLD AND AMBITIOUS CONCEPT BUT VERY NECESSARY IF SCOUTING IS TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICES TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, AND INITIAL STEPS HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TO PROVIDE A BUILDING IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

/+THE CHIEF.....