資料：1938年12月17日《The Hongkong Telegraph》第18頁、第21頁
BOY SCOUTS MOVEMENT
GOVERNOR PRESIDES OVER ANNUAL MEETING OF ASSOCIATION
Presiding as Chief Scout for the Colony at the annual meeting of the Hongkong Boys’ Scouts Association yesterday, the Governor, Sir Geoffry Northcote, expressed his appreciation of the action of the Association Council in holding back from any appeal for funds at this special time.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Wood Badges were presented to District Commissioners Quah Cheow-cheang and Chan Fook-hong, District Scout Master W.C.Low, and Scout Master J.J.Ferguson.
Hon. Mr. T.N.Chau, Vice President, said:
I take this opportunity of paying a tribute to the tireless energy and wholehearted devotion Rev. N.V.Halward has given to the cause of scouting and of affirming the loyalty and cooperation of all who are privileged to cooperate with him. I would like also to say how much indebted we are to our Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Champkin who, in this emergency, has had thrust upon him the responsibility of guiding our affairs.
Notwithstanding the troublous and anxious times through which we are passing – perhaps even because of them – our strength has grown during the year. The last census in September showed a total of 911 as against 842 for the previous year. Since September there has been a further increase and we look forward with confidence to continued progress during this current year.
Our thanks are due to the Government for the grant of $1,200, and to our friends and supporters for subscriptions and donations amounting to $2,047, of which $1,000 is allocated to the debt on our Chaiwan property – the Training Camp which is our principal asset. Briefly, our general financial position is that we owe our bankers about $3,000 against which they hold as secure title deeds of property for which we paid about $16,000 10 years ago. We have not thought it necessary to get a fresh valuation of this property, as we have no intention on selling it, and for 10 years we have lived in constant hope that some generous philanthropist would free our neck from this millstone of debt. Still, you will see that our financial position gives no cause for any anxiety.
For our yearly requirements we have to raise $2,500 somehow. I need not tell you what those requirements are. You will see in the balance sheet how the money is spent and I am sure you will agree that no Association is more economically managed than ours, but this report is a rather meagre record of the return the Scouts have given in public service for the generous donations they have received. They would not thank me for enlarging on these services. It is enough to say that they have been gratefully acknowledged.
Refugees’ Needs
This is our Jubilee Year and I suppose I should make a special appeal to the public for funds, but I will risk the disapproval of our Treasurers and say that in this time of distress any public appeal for money should be on behalf of charitable institutions urgently engaged on the relief of suffering refugees. I believe that the reputation of the Boy Scouts in this Colony is such that our Association need have no fear that its modest requirements will not be freely fulfilled by the community that it serves.
Mr. Champkin said:
I am glad that Mr. Chau is not asking you for money. I have always refused to look upon the Boy Scouts as a charitable institution. The principles of Scouting teach as to help those who are worse off than we are. Of course, we need a little money, but we would not be good Scouts if we were not confirmed optimists, and I believe that when that need becomes urgent the public will respond as readily and generously as they have always done when we have been hard up. If the Scouts made any appeal now it would not be for money, but for wider opportunities of service in alleviating as much as they are able the grievous distress that is almost at our doors.
Governor’s Address
His Excellency said:
I should like to begin my few remarks this afternoon by congratulating the Hongkong Branch on reaching their Jubilee Year. I, and I am sure all other sympathisers with the Association, appreciate the action of the Council in holding back from any appeal for funds at this special time. I do so all the more as I have myself recently sponsored on appeal for funds for the very purpose which is the motive of your abstention; but I hope that when the present clouds have rolled away your self sacrifice of today will be rewarded deservedly by the generous minded of Hongkong.
The Report contains evidence of several acts of public spirit on the part of Scouts during the year which it reviews, and in this connection I would like to tell of the pleasure which I felt when on my second visit to the Refugee camps I found Boy Scouts already at work helping the helpless and generally fulfilling their promise. It was a great encouragement to me as Patron and Chief Scout of Hongkong to witness with my own eyes the immediate response by Hongkong Scouts as soon as an emergency showed itself. The people whom you were helping were perhaps unable to thank you for that work, but I know that you Scouts do not work for the reward of thanks.
Speaking with Mr. Halward just now I learned from him of the promising results which have followed from the appointment of Chinese District Commissioners; this, as you know, was a recent innovation and I am extremely happy to learn that it has proved so successful. I congratulate the two District Commissioners very heartily on the way in which they have taken up and carried out their duties.
Scouters’ Leadership
Mr. Halward said: I feel rather shy in coming down to speak to you as I feel I have been an absolute slacker as far as the work of the Association is concerned, but I have been encouraged to speak to you by the fact that during recent months in Canton, when news has filtered through, I have had such good reports of the work being done in Hongkong by the scouts.
This has been entirely due to the leadership given you by the Commissioners, District Scouters and Scouters. It is to the scouters that I would say a very big thank you. On your shoulders have fallen the main work of showing the boys the work of scouting. We look to scouting as one of the adjuncts of the education of a boy which he receives at home and in the school. I consider it a very important adjunct which employs something which training in a home or a school does not supply.
This has been proved from many parts of the world that scouting has given to youth an ideal for which they strive every nerve to attain and by so doing they have been enabled to help the communities in which they live, and their countries. We have heard during the past year of many wonderful deeds by our brother scouts in China. We have also heard of some of the things done in Hongkong. These are things we expect scouts to do because scouting says “at all times we should be prepared to do our best to help other people.”
These are the main things scouting is out to do and to make it a game makes it the more attractive for the boys, and they feel it is something worth while doing. I was talking to a band of Rover Scouts at St. Paul’s Boys’ College last night. I have had long associations with that troop, with whom I was for a time Scout Master, I told them that as Rovers they had to expand the game of scouting into one of service for their fellow men and for their community. I feel sure that in Hongkong, there has been inculcated through the scouters into the minds of the scouts, a very willing desire to do all they can to help other people.
Wood Badge Awards
The Wood Badge which will be shortly present to Messrs. Quah, Chan, Low and Ferguson by the Governor is a badge for scouters only. I am sure that these scouters have been considered efficient through having taken a correspondence course and a practical course in scout training to lend their boys. I hope that opportunities will be given during the coming year for more and more scouters to be able to take this course of training which leads up to the Wood Badge.
Those elected to serve on the Council for 1938-39 were:
Officers Elected
Rev. N.V.Halward, Colony Commissioner; Mr. F.Cock, Esq., President; Hon. Mr. T.N.Chau, Vice President; Mr. D.A.Pockson, Secretary; Mrs. D.Booker, Acting Secretary; Lo Koon-hang; Lo Koon-kan, Treasurers.
Those elected to the Executive Committee of the Council were: Commodore E.B.C.Dicken, Col. N.M.S.Irwin, H.S.Mok, Tang Shiu-kin, F.G.Maunder, H.V.Wilkinson, Hon. Mr. M.K.Lo, C.G.Perdue.
翻譯：
童子軍運動
總督出席總會周年大會
昨日，總督羅富國爵士(Sir Geoffry Northcote)以總領袖身份出席了香港童子軍總會之周年大會，並對會務委員會於特殊時期停止向公佈募款表示贊同。
於大會結束前，一併頒發木章予區總監柯昭璋(Quah Cheow-cheang)及陳福康(Chan Fook-hong)，童軍區長盧威廉(W.C.Low)，及旅長(Scoutmaster)富嘉新(J.J.Ferguson)。
副會長尊敬的周埈年先生(Mr. T.N.Chau)發言表示：
現藉此機會向對童軍事業努力不懈及全力奉獻的侯利華牧師(Rev. N.V.Halward)致敬，並對與他忠誠合作之人士表示肯定。另外，亦需對副總監詹堅先生(Mr. Champkin)致謝，尤其是於如此危難時期指導各式各樣之工作。
儘管我們正經歷着困難與焦慮，但卻因為這種情況，我們的力量在這一年反而有所加強。9月進行的統計顯示我們的人數為911人，而去年則是842人。自9月以來，人數正逐步增長，我們有信心來年我們將繼續成長。
感謝政府資助本會1,200港元，另外亦感謝各位知友及支持者捐贈的2,047港元，我們抽出了其中1,000港元以用作償還我們柴灣訓練營地之貸款。現時我們尚欠銀行3,000港元，一直以來他們為此物業之按揭擔保人，10年來我們已大約償還16,000港元了。我們認為沒有必要為此物業進行重新估值，因我們無意出售物業。而這10年以來，我們亦一直在期待着有慈善家會慷慨地使我們擺脫這項債務。但亦需重申，現時我們的財務狀況未至於令人擔憂。
作為年度所需，本會需籌集2,500港元，我不會詳述相關支出，因相關項目已列明於財務報表當中。透過這份財務報表，相信各位會認同我們正節約慳儉地運作。這份報告，公眾雖然表面上對童軍在危難之付出致以微薄回報，在我們加強服務時亦不會出作更多回應，但我們亦深信受到我們幫助的人士會心存感激的。
難民之所需
今年是本會之銀禧之年，我應為此發起慶祝籌款，但我相信如此方案將獲得司庫之反對，在這困難之時期，一切籌款必須用作救濟難民之用。我相信本會於本地擁有之崇高信譽，將不致於令我們在真正有需要時失去支持。
詹堅先生發言表示：
我很高興周先生不再請求各位捐款，因我一直認為童子軍不是慈善團體，童軍運動一直主張幫助比我們更有需要的人。當然，我們亦需要少許金錢，而沒有樂觀主義的人士亦不配稱為童軍，所以我認為當金錢成為急切所需時，相信公眾亦會像我們一樣從容慷慨地作出回應。就算童軍進行呼籲，亦一定不是為了金錢，而是為了更大規模的服務機會，以援助鄰近本地地區的傷痛苦難。
總督訓詞
閣下發言表示：
我首先要在這個下午恭賀香港童子軍總會銀禧誌慶。我本人，以及相信一眾關心本會之人士，都為會務委員會不再呼籲公眾捐款表示支持。我相信你們的行動是為回應近日由我發起的籌款活動，我希望當日後籠罩着這裡的密雲散去時，心胸廣闊之香港各界人士亦將會對各位的自我犧牲作出回應。在此亦熱誠祝賀總會的持續進步，其進展部份佔去了去年報告的大部份內容。在如此艱難時期，竟錄得人數的增長，可見童軍活動之積極。報告中亦包括了過去一年童軍進行的多項社會服務記錄，令我回想起當我第二次到訪難民營時，看見童子軍們正在協助難民，實踐着他們的承諾。作為香港童軍贊助人及總領袖，親身目睹香港童軍於危難中不畏艱辛，我感到十分鼓舞。我相信那些受到幫助的人未必能向你們道謝，但我亦相信童軍工作是不求回報的。
與侯利華先生的對話中，得知委任華人作為區總監的成效十分美滿；如同各位所知，這是一項創新的嘗試，而我亦很高興結果十分成功。在此衷心祝願兩位區總監能繼續履行他們的職務。
領袖之領導才能
侯利華先生發言表示：在面對着你們時，其實我感到有點羞愧，因為我在總會的工作量可說是懶散得很，但從過去幾個月我在廣州(Canton)收到各位送來之報告卻令我十分鼓舞，因為香港童軍之工作表現是如此的優秀。
以上需歸功於各總監，各區長及各領袖，而我最希望感謝的就是前線領袖，因為你們肩負着向孩童展示何謂童軍的重擔。我們皆認為童軍運動為家庭及學校以外的輔助教育手法，以我亦相信這手法有其重要之處，因其教導了家庭與學校所無法學習的東西。
世界各地已有多項例證，童軍運動賦與青少年全力以付實現理想之機會，並在過程中幫助他們所處的社區及國家。過去的一年，我們聽到了很多中國童子軍之英勇事蹟，而香港童軍亦有其光榮事蹟，這就是我們作為童軍，就是要「時刻準備，服務他人」(at all times we should be prepared to do our best to help other people)。
將這些童軍日常所做之事，透過遊戲性質，引導男童參與其中，讓他們為自己所做之事感到自豪。昨晚，我與聖保羅書院的羅浮童軍促膝長談，我與他們共事多年，我亦一度為他們的旅長(Scoutmaster)，我告訴他們羅浮童軍之意義在於將童軍之遊戲性質推進成為服務他人與社區。而我亦相信今天的香港，各領袖已能夠向他們童軍的內心灌輸竭盡所能服務他人之渴望。
頒發木章
接着即將由總督頒發木章予柯先生、陳先生、盧先生及富嘉新先生，此章只頒予領袖。我相信他們已透過一系列課程及實習，掌握如何帶領青少年成為童軍。我希望來年將有更多人士參加課程並成功考取木章。
1938-39年度獲選會務委員包括：
選任委員
香港總監侯利華牧師、會長谷克先生(Mr. F.Cock)、副會長尊敬的周埈年先生、秘書帕克森先生(Mr. D.A.Pockson)、署理秘書布克夫人(Mrs. D.Booker)、司庫盧冠恆(Lo Koon-hang)及盧冠勤(Lo Koon-kan)。
執行委員會選任委員包括：狄根准將(Commodore E.B.C.Dicken)、伊溫上校(Col. N.M.S.Irwin)、莫慶淞(H.S.Mok)、鄧肇堅(Tang Shiu-kin)、文達(F.G.Maunder)、衛健信(H.V.Wilkinson)、尊敬的羅文錦先生(Mr. M.K.Lo)、巴調(C.G.Perdue)。