XN000022-1981-05-08 — Page 14

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1981

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RED CROSS YOUTH PROGRAMME PRAISED

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THE HONG KONG RED CROSS YOUTH PROGRAMME WAS DESCRIBED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE THIS EVENING (FRIDAY) AS +WORK OF IMMENSE VALUE+.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE RED CROSS YOUTH JUBILEE CELEBRATION, SIR MURRAY SAID THAT THE PROGRAMME HAD GROWN FROM ITS MODEST START IN 1956 WITH 57 STUDENTS TO TODAY'S MEMBERSHIP OF OVER 5 000 STUDENTS, PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE AND OTHER WORKERS.

YOUNG

+YOU HAVE BUILT UP A STRONG AND VIGOROUS ORGANISATION. PEOPLE ARE GIVEN A THOROUGH GROUNDING IN FIRST AID, HEALTH EDUCATION, LIFE SAVING, AND OTHER SKILLS. THEY UNDERTAKE A WIDE VARIETY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE WITH THE SICK, THE HANDICAPPED AND THE UNDERPRIVILEGED,+

HE SAID THE REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON YOUTH WORK, WHICH WAS PART OF THE CELEBRATIONS AND THE FIRST OF ITS KIND ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG RED CROSS, SHOULD BE OF GREAT INTEREST AND VALUE TO PARTICIPANTS FROM HONG KONG AND COUNTRIES NEARBY+.

SIR MURRAY EXPRESSED HOPE THAT THE ORGANISATION'S PLAN TO EXPAND INTO NEW TOWNS WOULD BE PURSUED WITH VIGOUR, AS THIS WAS URGENTLY NEEDED.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF THE RED CROSS YOUTH JUBILEE CELEBRATION:

+TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IS A LONG TIME IN THE LIFE OF A YOUTH MOVEMENT - THE MAIN PURPOSE OF TO-DAY'S GATHERING IS TO CELEBRATE THE GROWTH OF THE HONG KONG RED CROSS YOUTH PROGRAMME FROM ITS MODEST START IN 1956 WITH 57 STUDENTS TO TO-DAY'S MEMBERSHIP OF OVER 5 000 STUDENTS, PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE AND OTHER WORKERS.

+YOU HAVE BUILT UP A STRONG AND VIGOROUS ORGANISATION. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GIVEN A THOROUGH GROUNDING IN FIRST AID, HEALTH EDUCATION, LIFE SAVING, AND OTHER SKILLS. THEY UNDERTAKE A WIDE VARIETY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE WITH THE SICK, THE HANDICAPPED AND THE UNDERPRIVILEGED. IT IS WORK OF IMMENSE VALUE AND THE SPLENDID EXHIBITION WHICH OPENS TOMORROW WILL PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH AN INSIGHT INTO BOTH THE SCOPE OF YOUR WORK AND THE HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY.

+ANOTHER ENTERPRISING VENTURE DURING THESE CELEBRATIONS IS YOUR REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON YOUTH WORK. THIS IS THE FIRST GATHER ING OF THIS SORT ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG RED CROSS AND SHOULD BE OF GREAT INTEREST AND VALUE TO PARTICIPANTS FROM HONG KONG AND COUNTRIES NEARBY.

+ THE REGIONALISATION YOU HAVE RECENTLY INTRODUCED INTO YOUR ORGANISATION CREATES A SOUND BASIS FOR THE EXPANSION INTO NEW TOWNS WHICH YOU NOW PLAN. THIS IS URGENTLY NEEDED AND I HOPE IT WILL BE PURSUED WITH VIGOUR,

+CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SILVER JUBILEE. I HOPE THE

CELEBRATIONS ARE REWARDING AND THAT THE NEXT TWENTY-FIVE YEARS WILL SEE EVEN GREATER GROWTH. +

+

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