Portal:Hong Kong/Selected article/2007/August

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Scout Association of Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港童軍總會) is the overall Scouting organisation in Hong Kong. After the first Scouting initiatives in 1909, the Hong Kong branch of The Boy Scout Association of the United Kingdom started in 1914 by registering the St. Joseph's College Scout Group, and was formally established in July 1915. The Hong Kong branch became an autonomous association and the 111th member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1977.

In 2005, the association had 78,523 uniformed members, with approximately 2700 Scout groups in the sections Grasshopper, Cubs, Scouts, Venture and Rover Scouts, making it the largest uniformed youth organisation in Hong Kong. The headquarters at the Hong Kong Scout Centre (香港童軍中心) in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, host the administration, headed by the Hong Kong Chief Commissioner (香港總監).

The association runs campsites, including Gilwell Campsite (基維爾營地), Tai Tam Scout Centre (大潭童軍中心) and Tung Tsz Scout Centre (洞梓童軍中心), as well as hostels and Scout Activity Centres. It annually organises the traditional Scout Rally, providing Scout competitions and activities. For specific anniversaries, themed Scout Jamborees have been organised.