XN000022-1978-11-18 — Page 9

8

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1978

SNT URGES SCOUTS TO EXPLORE MOUNTAINS ******

THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, TODAY (SATURDAY) URGED SCOUTS TO EXPLORE HONG KONG'S NUMEROUS MOUNTAINS AND ISLANDS FOR THE IR OWN BENEFITS.

SPEAKING AT THE HONG KONG SCOUTS ASSOCIATION'S ISLANDS DISTRICT COUNCIL SILVER JUBILEE CEREMONY, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID +HONG KONG IS A PLACE OF MANY MOUNTAINS AND ISLANDS. USE THE TIME WHILE YOU ARE YOUNG TO CLIMB THEM AND VISIT THEM.

+YOUR IMAGINATION WILL GROW, YOUR MINDS WILL BE REFRESHED AND YOUR BODY WILL BE STRENGTHENED.+

MR. AKERS-JONES RECALLED THAT SCOUT ACTIVITIES IN THE ISLANDS DISTRICT STARTED WITH ONE GROUP BEFORE THE WAR. THE CHEUNG CHAU SCOUT HEADQUARTERS WAS SET UP IN 1957 TO MEET THE NEED OF INCREASING SCOUT ACTIVITIES. IN 1960, IT WAS RE-TITLED THE SCOUTS ASSOCIATION - ISLANDS DISTRICT COUNCIL.

SINCE THEN, THE ISLANDS SCOUTS HAVE GROWN TO 10 GROUPS WITH 15 TROOPS, TOTALLING ABOUT 500 SCOUTS INCLUDING 30 SEA SCOUTS FROM THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED EIGHTH NEW TERRITORIES SEA SCOUTS (OPEN GROUP).

THE COUNCIL MOVED TO ITS HEADQUARTERS NEAR THE PEAK PLAYGROUND IN 1977. +I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PREMISES HAVE BEEN FULLY UTILISED AND HAVE BEEN FOUND A SUITABLE PLACE FOR SCOUT GATHERING AND TRAINING.

+1 AM ALSO GLAD TO LEARN THAT THERE WOULD BE TWO MAJOR SCOUT ACTIVITIES A CAMPING EXERCISE FOR THE EIGHTH NEW TERRITORIES SEA SCOUTS (OPEN GROUP) AT PENG CHAU AT THE END OF NOVEMBER AND A CAMPING EXERCISE FOR ALL THE ISLANDS SCOUTS AT SOUTH LANTAU DURING CHRISTMAS.+

HE SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE EFFORT OF THE ISLANDS SCOUT LEADERS IN THE PROMOTION OF SCOUT ACTIVITIES.

+I AM CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY THEIR ACTIVE PART IN THE FURTHERANCE OF THIS MEANINGFUL ACTIVITY, SAID MR. AKERS-JONES.

AT THE CEREMONY MR. AKERS-JONES ALSO PRESENTED LONG-SERVICE MEDALS TO MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WITH 25 YEARS OF SERVICE.

19