Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1955-1956 — Page 31

years ago. The Social Welfare Officer, is the Chairman, and also the only official member. All the other members are un- officials, who have been appointed either on their personal knowledge and experience of welfare work, or as representatives of prominent welfare organizations. The Social Welfare Advisory Committee does its work mainly through a number of sub-committees set up to investigate specific problems, and to advise on possible solutions thereto. The Committee also makes recommendations to Government on the amounts of the sub- ventions to be allocated to voluntary organizations, and on which welfare societies should be permitted to hold flower days for collecting funds from the public. (For membership of the Social Welfare Advisory Committee on 31st March, 1955 see Appendix XVII).

86. In the voluntary field, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service exists to co-ordinate the work of its affiliated members, and to act as a centre of general information about social work. The Council set up a sub-committee which has submitted a report on mental defectives in Hong Kong, and at the close of the year plans were well advanced for the establishment of a shop where handicraft work would be sold on behalf of welfare institutions.

87. Other co-ordinating bodies which perform most valuable services in more specialized fields are the Standing Conference of Youth Organizations, the Port Welfare Committee, and the Hong Kong Social Workers Association. This last, which was set up in 1949, has as its objective the achievement of greater practical co-operation in all fields through personal con- tacts between all its members. During the year this association arranged a number of informal gatherings of its members, thus helping to strengthen further the friendly relationship and close collaboration existing among workers in all fields of welfare work. It also organized talks and discussions on matters of professional interest to its members.

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K. KEEN, Social Welfare Officer.