BOY SCOUTS' ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL MEETING AND ELECTION.
President's Review.

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   At the annual meeting of the Boy Scouts Association (Hong Kong Branch) held in the Chamber of Commerce Room, City Hall. yesterday afternoon, over which H.E. the Governor (Sir William Peel) presided, an urgent appeal for more Scouters was made by both the President (the Hon. D. R.H.Kotewall) and His Excellency.
   There was a large gathering of those interested in the movement. The report for 1931, which has already been published in these columns, was presented by the Commissioner and Deputy Camp Chief (the Rev. G.T.WaIdegrave) who dealt with certain portions of the report. The statement of accounts was presented by the Hon. Mr. T.N.Chau (Hon. Treasurer) and adopted.
   On the proposition of Mr. C.Champkin (Deputy Commissioner) the following were elected to serve on the Council for the ensuing year:-
   The Commissioner and his Assistants, the district and assistant district commissioners. President - The Hon. Dr. R.H.Kotewall, Vice President - Mr. E.Cock, Treasurer -The Hon. Mr. T.N.Chan, Hon. Vice Presidents - The Hon. Sir Henry Pollock, K.C., The Hon. Mr. W.T.Southorn, Lieut. Col. L.G.Bird, D.S.O., O.B.E., Mr. John Owen Hughes and Mr. C.E.H.Bavis.
   Co-opted Members of the Counil - A. el Arculli (representing I.R.C.), Dr. Chau Wai-cheung (representing Chinese Medical Association), the Hon. Sir Shou-son Chow, R.M.Dyer, Sir W.W.Hornell, H.H. Sir Joseph Kemp, T.H.King, A.J.Lane, Li Jow-son, M.K.Lo, C.M.Manners, G.P. de Martin, Ng Sze-kwong (representing C.R.C.), Commander J.Newill, R.N., (Representatives of the S.C.A.A., C.A.A. and Tung Wah Hospital Committee), Dr. Chau Wai-cheung Committee). Lieut. Col. T.A.Robertson, C.A. da Roza, the Hon. Mr. W.E.L.Shenton, Mrs. W.T.Southorn (Commissioner of Girl Guides), M.P.Talati, Tang Shiu-kin, the Hon. Dr. S.W.Ts'o, the Rt. Rev. Bishop of Victoria, the Rt. Rev. Bishop Valtorta, Commodore A.H.Walker, R.N., Wong Kwong-tin, Mr. Justice Wood, and B.Wylie.
   Executive Committee of the Council:- The Hon. Sir Shou- son Chow, T.H.King, M.K.Lo, Commander Newill, the Hon. Sir Henry Pollock, The Hon. Mr. Shenton, Tang Shiu-kin, Commodore Walker, Wony Kwong-tin, and B.Wylie.

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Scouts Commended.

   His Excellency then presented warrants to the following Scouters: Messrs. S.A.Sweet (District Commissioner for Kowloon), Scoutmasters Wong Tse-shing, Sau Fung-ching, Fred Kwok, Pun Lai-chuen and Cubmaster Miss S.Dalziel.

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President's Address.

   The Hon. Dr. Kotewall said:-
   Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen.- In his report for the year under review, the Commissioner, the Rev. G.T.Waldegrave, has said that while there has been a halt in other directions, and a retrograde movement in at least one case. My own observations have convinced me that the advance has been greater than the retrogression, because there has been a marked improvement in the efficiency of the Troops. After all, what we should aim at, and are actually aiming at, is quality rather than quantity, though of course the larger the number of boys joining the movement, the more beneficial it would be to the community by reason of the training which Boy Scouting affords to its youth in order to fit them for good citizenship. The trouble, as has been pointed out, lies in the lack of men to serve as Scouters. At our last annual meeting, a strong appeal was made by His Excellency the Chief Scout and by myself for people to come forward as officers, but the response has been, I am sorry to say, disappointing. It is this lack of trained officers that has arrested the progress of the movement in this Colony. I now venture to make yet another appeal to those who can spare the time to come forward to act as Scoutmasters or Rover Leaders. Surely, the movement with its splendid objects and ideals, is worthy of some sacrifice from young men who have time to spare and there must be plenty of such young men in our midst.

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Saiwan Camp.

   Last year, when we were before you, I said that we were burdened with a debt of $16,000, the result of the purchase of the site at Saiwan for our training camp, and that the Hon. Mr. T.N.Chau and Mr. Tang Shin-kin had undertaken to raise $6,000 for the reduction of this debt. As the Commissioner has announced in his report, Mr. Chau and Mr. Tang have more than fulfilled their promise by raising the splendid sum of $7,000. (Applause). I am sure that you will all like to associate yourselves with the Commissioner in his expression of grateful thanks to these two gentlemen for their valuable help, especially for their generous personal donations of $1,000 each.
   There is yet another $7,000 to be paid off, and I echo the Commissioner's hope that before long we may call Saiwan Camp really our own. This can only be made possible by the generosity of those who believe in, and sympathise with, the work which the Association is doing. More and more the Camp is proving its usefulness, not only to the boys but also to those who give them training.

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Scouts' Magazine.

   In the Commissioner's report mention has been made of the difficulties encountered in the issue of the Silver Wolf, the local Scout magazine. You will be glad to hear that I have received a letter from Mr. Jas. T.Dobbie, editor of the China Mail, offering to assist in every way he could in connection with the Silver Wolf as well as in the compilation of leaflets to which the Commissioner has also made reference. We are very grateful to Mr. Dobbie for this offer which we will lose no time in submitting to the new Executive Committee for consideration. (Applause). I must mention the help which Mr. B.Wylie had rendered to us in connection with the Silver Wolf until the temporary suspension of its publication, (Applause); and I am confident that this help will be forthcoming as freely in the future as it has been in the past. It is very encouraging to see that such busy men as Mr. Wylie and Mr. Dobbie have come forward to give us so much of their valuable time - a public spirited act which should serve as an incentive to others to assist the movement in work for which they consider themselves best suited.

   Mention having already been made by the Commissioner in his report of the large number of helpers who have rendered us special services, I will content myself with cordially endorsing his words, and expressing to them the warmest thanks of the Association.

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Tribute To Commissioner.

   I must, however, not omit to say how much we all are indebted to our hard working Commissioner, (Applause), whose experience, keenness and energy have made the local movement the success it is today. During the greater part of the year, Mr. Waldegrave, in addition to his already onerous duties as Commissioner, discharged the duties of Honorary Secretary. We are still in want of an Honorary Secretary so as to relieve Mr Waldegrave of this additional burden. It is to be sincerely hoped that this announcement may catch the eye of someone who will be ready to make the necessary sacrifice to help us out of what is to us a real difficulty.
   The Association is very fortunate in having as the Commissioner's assistants a band of workers who give a good deal of their spare time to the movement with the sole thought of serving its interests. The public may not know much of the work that is being done by these men, for big parades and such demonstration play but little part in Scout training or routine. The Commission has always held before his officers and the boys the ideal of the knight errant, the pioneer, the backwoodsman and the explorer - essentially lone workers who toil for the good of their fellow creatures. It is, however, the intention of the Executive Committee to hold an exhibition of the work in which the boys are trained, so that the public may have some idea of what the local Association is doing.

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The Chief Scout.

   Our work would not have been carried on with such keenness and efficiency, had we not always received the wise guidance and sympathetic support of His Excellency the Chief Scout, who has once more shown his practical interest in the Association by sparing the time to come and preside at this meeting. (Applause). I beg to propose a hearty vote of thanks to His Excellency. (Applause).
   Sir William Hornell, in seconding said he would like to associate himself with the remarks of the Hon. Dr. Kotewall in connection with the guidance and sympathy shown to the Scout movement by His Excellency, the Chief Scout.
   His Excellency in addressing the meeting thanked Dr. Kotewall and Sir William Hornell at the "bouquets" thrown at him and added that he thought when he came to the meeting it would be an ordinary business meeting. It was very difficult for him to add much to what had already been said. He congratulated the Commissioner on the excellent and full report which he had written and which covered a tremendous ground; and it was just another indication of the Commissioner's energy and keenness which undoubtedly was at the back of the Boy Scout movement in Hong Kong.

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Governor Renews Appeal.

   His Excellency congratulated the Committee and the members of the Council on the success achieved during the year. He was sorry that his appeal a year ago had not achieved more result. There was no doubt that more workers were wanted for the Scout movement. It was not easy to induce people to come forward, and those who do are probably the same few who are hard workers in connection with various movements. He repeated his appeal of last year for more assistants for the boy scouts movement.
   The Chief Scout dealt with the necessity of training youth for citizenship and referred to the excellent idea of visiting neighbouring places and agreed with the Commissioner that these exchange of visits would lead to nothing but good.
   "I should also like, as Chief Scout", said his Excellency, "to add my thanks to those generous donors of funds for the upkeep of the Association. So far as general expenditure goes, it seems to get along quite well but we do want this extra money for the Saiwan Camp and those who have come forward so generously have set a good example and have cleared half the amount outstanding and with like generosity we should be able soon to clear off the debt."
   His Excellency concluded by thanking those who attended the meeting.