XN000022-1980-10-11 — Page 7

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1980

WORK OF SALVATION ARMY PRAISED

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DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR AUGUSTINE CHUI KAM, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) THE PEOPLE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES OWED A SPECIAL DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE SALVATION ARMY.

MR CHUI WAS SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY MARKING THE COMMENCEMENT OF SALVATION ARMY WORK IN TUEN MUN.

+ GOVERNMENT PLANS AIM AT MEETING BASIC NEEDS IN TERMS OF FACILITIES AND SERVICES SUCH AS WATER, ELECTRICITY, ROADS, SCHOOLS, PLAYGROUNDS AND OPEN SPACES, HE SAID.

+IT ALSO AIMS TO BUILD UP A SENSE OF BELONGING WITHIN EACH COMMUNITY SO THAT IN TIME PEOPLE WILL FEEL PROUD TO LIVE, WORK, PLAY IN AND BE PART OF THAT COMMUNITY.

→IN THIS CONNECTION, WE ARE PARTICULARLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK DONE THROUGH SALVATION ARMY CENTRES IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES SUCH AS KWAI CHUNG, LAI KING, TAI WO HAU AND NOW IN TUEN MUN,+

MR CHUI SAID, NOT ONLY DID THE SALVATION ARMY RENDER USEFUL COMMUNITY SERVICES IN HELPING THE AGED, THE YOUNG, THE POOR AS WELL AS THE HANDICAPPED, IT ALSO PROVIDED SPIRITUAL SOLACE AND CARE TO THOSE IN NEED.

HE SAID THE NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE, AND WILL BE, RECEIVING NEW RESIDENTS EVERYDAY: ADULTS WHO NEED TO ADJUST THEMSELVES TO A NEW ENVIRONMENT, MIX WITH NEW NEIGHBOURS, SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO NEW SCHOOLS AND TRAVEL A NEW ROUTE IN GETTING TO WORK- AND CHILDREN WHO MUST GET USED TO NEW FRIENDS, NEW TEACHERS, NEW TOYS AND PLAYGROUNDS.

+THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN ALL THE HELP AVAILABLE TO ENABLE THEM TO DO SO HAPPILY, HE SAID.

+NOT LONG AGO, I LEARNED OF THE VARIOUS PROJECTS PLANNED BY THE SALVATION ARMY THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES.

*THE FACT THAT THESE HAVE MATERIALISED SO QUICKLY IN THE NEW TOWN OF TUEN MUN, WITH A PRIMARY SCHOOL, A NURSERY AND A WORSHIP CENTRE, ATTESTS TO THE DEDICATION OF THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS IN HONG KONG AND THE ABLE LEADERSHIP OF THOSE IN COMMAND.

+1 AM SURE THAT IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE WE WILL SEE MORE PROJECTS UNDER THE BLOOD AND FIRES' EMBLEM.+

TODAY'S CEREMONY IN WHICH THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR K.W.J. TOPLEY, AND THE SALVATION ARMY'S INTERNATIONAL LEADER, GENERAL ARNOLD BROWN, TOOK PART, WAS HELD AT LAW NG YING PRIMARY SCHOOL, TUEN MUN.

THE SALVATION ARMY IS ALSO CELEBRATING THIS YEAR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF ITS WORK IN HONG KONG.

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