Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1961-1962 — Page 31

Resettlement Estate and Ngau Tau Kok Resettlement Area, to be run by the Maryknoll Mission. Since 1951 the Jaycees have established and handed over to voluntary organizations for management no less than 22 children's libraries, each of about 7,000 books. The two libraries of the Children's Playground Association were used by a total of 237,000 readers, while a monthly average of 55,000 children visited the eight libraries of the Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association. Towards the end of the year, the Department opened a children's library in its Shau Kei Wan Welfare Centre where 350 children regularly found enjoyment. The libraries in the Community and Social Centres (see Chapter XII) continued to attract some hundreds of young readers regularly, while the Mobile Library remained most popular with New Territories children, as well as with some fishermen and farmers. This vehicle, which now serves 37 areas and 24 schools regularly and attracts over 500 readers every day, has given seven years of good service, and is shortly to be replaced, through the generosity of UNICEF, by a larger and better-equipped mobile unit.

88. As a result of a visit by Lt. Col. V. A. J. HEALD, Assistant Secretary of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme in London, a Working Party was set up under the aegis of the Hong Kong Conference of Youth Organizations to consider the introduction of the Scheme in Hong Kong. The Scheme was initiated by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh as a challenge to endeavour and achievement for boys between 14 and 19, through a balanced programme of leisure time activities and was recently extended to girls also. It is a personal challenge to individual boys and girls, not to compete against others but to measure themselves against the standards set for each level of the Award. As a pilot project, six groups of boys from schools, voca- tional training classes, church groups, etc. were invited to participate and at the close of the year 50 boys were working towards the Bronze Badge and 42 for the Silver Badge. Voluntary Service Overseas, a voluntary agency in Britain which provides opportunities for young people to give their services overseas, agreed to sponsor a Gold Award Winner who arrived soon after the end of the year to assist in the initial running of the Scheme. The Working Party were ready to launch the Scheme more widely and arrangements were in hand to appoint a Committee to control and promote the Scheme in Hong Kong.

89. Youth Welfare organizations during the year found themselves facing the complex and growing challenge of how to help in providing healthy outlets for the energies of the increasing number of young

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