15HKG Scout Visit Tai Po, c1950

SiliconDioxide
Mon, 12/30/2019 - 17:19
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15HKG Scout Visit Tai Po, c1950

15HKG Scout Visit Tai Po, c1950, possible 1952-3 as this was found in the same pile of photos taken by 15HKG Scout representatives during the 1952-3 Pan-Pacific Scout Jamboree.

Background looks like the old Tai Po Railway Station sign.

Date picture taken
1953
Tags
Scout association
Hong Kong 1950s
Tai Po
KCR railway
Author(s)
15th HKG Scout
Shows place(s)
Tai Po / Tai Po Kau Station [????-????]

Comments

The station was later renamed to Tai Po Kau station to (I think) avoid confusion with Tai Po Market station closer to town. The station was closed and demolished in 1983 when the system underwent electrification. There is a KCR/MTR staff quarters on the site now. 

I can identify Stephen Ching L5 and Chau Chamson L3 ( who became Chief Commissioner of Hong Kong Scouts 1984-1996), they are still around though not in their best of health; having last dined with them in November and December of last year when Stephen Ching was back to Hong Kong for a brief visit.

Hello Alex

Can you remember a massive scout rally that took place on the grassy football ground of Wah Yan College, Kowloon  in about 1958?  I think all the scout troops in Hong Kong were there. There was an inspection by some high ranking government official. 

I was there only as a junior cub scout and the year was probably 1958 (give or take 1 year).

Do you know of this big event?  If so, any other information would be appreciated.

Regards

Dear Alex

The picture on Facebook is definitely not Wah Yan Kowloon.  I had spent 5 years studying there and I can recognize almost any photo of it. Wah Yan Kowloon on Waterloo Road was only built in the early 50's. The architecture of the Facebook photo appears to be older. And the building style does not look the same.

I did not start attending Wah Yan until 1959. I was in that Rally with a troop from a primary school. So the year must have been about 1958, give or take only 6 months.  As a side story, the Scout leader in the primary school suddenly abandoned Scouting in my last year in the junior school, apparently because he had found himself a girlfriend!

Please let me know if you have any new info. 

Many many thanks for your help.

Cheers

Scout Association of Hong Kong has just informed me of your email enquiry to them too.

One of our Scout Historian M C Yu has found out that there was a Colony Cubs Sports Day held at the Sports Ground of Kowloon Wan Yan College on Saturday, 6th October 1957 where 40 Cub Packs in the Colony had taken part. I think it might be the event you have in mind. There was a Kowloon District Scout Rally held earlier in Kowloon Wah Yan College but it was circa 1952/53 when you would be too young to take part.

The 1960 photo in Facebook was taken at the Kowloon Cricket Club. As Morse House and the KCC were on Cox's Road, I suppose it was convenient for scouting events to have been held at the KCC.

The Kowloon Cricket Club at Coxs Path.
The Kowloon Cricket Club at Coxs Path., by Bruce Deadman

Alex, thanks to your efforts, we are getting more and more information. However, I am certain that the Rally was not an event for Cubs only. One thing I can remember was that on the day, Cubs were in the minority. The majority were overwhelmingly Boy Scouts proper.  How can I be so sure after more than 60 years?  Because it hurts me to remember that during the grand parade inspection by the high ranking government official, all the Cubs in our troop were placed behind the taller and bigger Boy Scouts, in the back of two single files*. It was as though out beloved Scout Leader (also a teacher in the school) was trying to hide us.  He might have seen that other troops from the rest of HK had brought very few or no Cubs along. As we were not a big troop from a primary school, he might have only brought us along to boost the numbers, I regret to say.

 

* It was such a huge event that each troop from HK was allocated no more than 2 or 3 lines facing the centre on the large football ground during the grand inspection.