G.O.C. To Inspect Boy Scouts

​

   A big parade of all Scouts in the Colony will be held tomorrow when the G.O.C., General Festing, will inspect the Groups and take the March Past. The time has been altered to 2.45 p.m. at the Botanical Garden. This will be the first rally since 1940. Though the scouts will not be able to appear in full scout uniforms, their spirit will not be tied down by "matter."
   Scouting in Hong Kong has made further big strides in the last two months. Many more groups have been reorganized and some troops have even expanded beyond the usual limit and are splitting up into two or more troops.
   The local Association can at present cater to the needs of only a small percentage of the boys who have had or are haying some schooling. The child ran "in the streets" are being well looked after by the Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association which has opened a number of free schools and clubs in the slum areas of Hong Kong and Kowloon.
   Scouters now meet about once a month the next meeting being on the second Saturday in May. The "Scouting Gazette," edited jointly by John Pau and Wong Yat Hung, is making its appearance monthly and includes articles in English and Chinese for Scouters and Scouts.
   From the point of view of the Association, the difficulties that lie ahead are the securing of a permanent headquarters in town, funds to pay off the bank overdraft and to maintain the organization (including the camp site at Chaiwan) and the help of more people as Scouters.
   In pre-war days the Association received from the Army and Navy old tents, gear and other suitable material which were otherwise condemned to the scrap heap. With the surrender of the Japanese and the gradual demobilization of our armed forces, there are possibilities that more of such material will be made available to make up for the total loss suffered by the Association as well as by individual groups.