XN000022-1980-11-16 — Page 6

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1980

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+ IT IS REASSURING TO KNOW THAT THE BRIGADE IS SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDING ITS ACTIVITIES INTO THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THAT PLANS FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE BRIGADE THROUGHOUT HONG KONG ARE BEING PREPARED, HE POINTED OUT.

SIR JACK ALSO NOTED THAT NEW EQUIPMENT WAS DONATED DURING THE YEAR AND MORE REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT HAD BEEN ORDERED.

ALL THESE, HE SAID, TOGETHER WITH THE REGULAR TRAINING WHICH THE BRIGÁDE CARRIED OUT ANNUALLY WOULD THEREFORE ENSURE THAT

IT WAS WELL EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE FIRST-AID TO ALL WHO NEEDED IT.

AS HONG KONG CONTINUED TO GROW AND DEVELOP AND ESPECIALLY AS OUR PEOPLE HAD MORE TIME TO SPEND ON LEISURE AND RECREATIONAL PURSUITS, SIR JACK SAID, THE SERVICES WHICH THE BRIGADE PROVIDED SO ABLY AND WILLINGLY TO THE PUBLIC WERE ALSO BOUND TO INCREASE.

+ I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE BRIGADE WILL ALWAYS HAVE A MUCH SOUGHT-AFTER ROLE TO PLAY IN CONTINUING TO PROVIDE, ON A REGULAR BASIS, THE SERVICES WHICH ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVER YONE AND TRUE TO THE SPIRIT OF ST JOHN, HE ADDED.

SUPPORT FOR NT SCOUT DEVELOPMENT URGED

*****

ORGANISED ACTIVITY FOR THE YOUNG IS NOT ONLY DESIRABLE IN ITSELF, BUT IS PART OF OUR DEFENCE AGAINST THE EVILS THAT BESET ANY SOCIETY - CRIME, CORRUPTION, DISORDER OF ALL KINDS.

THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID THIS TODAY (SUNDAY) AT THE NEW TERRITORIES SCOUT RALLY HELD AT YUEN LONG STADIUM.

MR AKERS-JONES WAS ADDRESSING 2 000 CUBS AND SCOUTS FROM 11 NEW TERRITORIES DISTRICTS IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE NEW TERRITORIES REGIONAL SCOUT COUNCIL.

HE SAID AS THE POPULATION OF THE NEW TERRITORIES GREW, SO TOO DID THE NEED AND THE DEMAND FOR LEISURE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

A FIVE-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR SCOUTING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES HAD BEEN DRAWN UP AND A DEVELOPMENT FUND ESTABLISHED TO RAISE $500 000.

THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN CALLED FOR AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SCOUTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FROM 8 000 TO 14 000 IN FIVE YEARS AND FOR IMPROVED ADMINISTRATION, EXPANDED SERVICES AND DISTRICT CENTRES IN TSUEN WAN, TUEN MUN, YUEN LONG, TAI PO AND SHA TIN.

+I HOPE OUR PLANS TO EXPAND SCOUTING AND OTHER ACTIVITIES WILL BE STRONGLY SUPPORTED, + MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

PRIOR TO THE RALLY AN EXHIBITION OF SCOUT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WAS OPENED BY MRS AKERS-JONES AT YUEN LONG TOWN HALL.

THE EXHIBITION