History of Air Scouting in Hong Kong
香港空童軍歷史
【資料來源: 香港空童軍發展歷史資料節錄自「香港童軍總會青少年活動署」2008年1月9日（星期三）2007／2008年度「航空活動委員會」第1次會議「已確認會議紀錄」。「航空活動委員會」為管理全港空童軍活動之政策委員會。
其他參考: Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Scouts,
Scouting in Hong Kong 1910-2010 by Pau; Kua pp. 317-318 published by the Scout Association of
Hong Kong
空童軍活動始於英國1930年，當時有不少童軍旅團在機場附近集會，得到當地 的飛行組織支援，舉辦航空知識講座及免費搭載，讓空童軍體驗到飛行的樂趣。後來，於1933年匈牙利舉行的第四屆全球童軍大露營中，更首次有空童軍代表參與大會。
Major Baden Fletcher Smyth Baden-Powell, Robert Baden-Powell's youngest brother, was the first who brought flying-based activities into Scouting.
The 4th World Scout Jamboree in 1933 was the first international gathering where Air Scouts were represented. On August 9th Robert Baden-Powell has visited the air scouts, in the company of Pál Teleki Hungarian Chief Scout and László Almásy (known as The English Patient), who was a leader of the Hungarian air scouts.[1]
1967年初，香港童軍總會推出一個「五年拓展計劃」(Project E)。 當時，一位熱心的耶稣會教士簡寧漢神父，於九龍華仁書院成立空童軍團，教授飛行知識, 成員只限該校學生參加。 有志之士, 亦於1971年成立非童軍的航空團讓一般的青少年參加。「空童軍運動」未有甚麼進展。
直至1972年, 香港飛行員錢氏兄弟「耀宗」和「耀昌」破紀錄越洋駕驶只有一百匹馬力的「小獵犬」型小飛機自英國抵港, 為傳媒及「讀者文摘」廣泛報道, 成為一時美談。香港童軍總領袖馬基先生阅報赫然發現錢氏兄弟的「耀昌」竟然是「英女皇榮譽童軍」和童軍九龍地域「領袖訓練隊」隊員。遂委任錢耀昌先生為香港首位總監級空童軍領袖,全力拓展「空童軍運動」。錢氏將傳統只限空童軍的訓練和活動開放給所有童軍成員及全港願加入童軍行列的青少年。除定期舉辧航空訓練班, 教授飛行知識,大量培訓空童軍教練員和空童軍領袖外, 更設立空童軍訓綀系统和空童軍教練員架構, 並促成地域和總 部「空童軍活動管理委員會」的設立, 委員成員包括皇家香港輔助空軍、皇家空軍、香港航空青年團、香港的兩間飛行會及本港各大航空公司 , 奠定「空童軍運動」的基礎, 長遠發展方向和航空界支援綱絡。而當時空軍和香港的兩間飛行會則為贊助空童軍「體驗飛行」的主要機構。
The Queen's Scout Award and the Queen's
Words of Commendation has a decisive influence on
Francis Chin's courage and love for adventure.
時至今天，這空童軍訓綀系统、空童軍教練員架構和航空界支援綱絡仍然行之有恆, 而36年前參加錢氏主辧的「空童軍教練員訓練班」的一群童軍小伙子己成為現任的「童軍總會空童軍總監」 和各級空童軍領袖和教練員了 。空童軍運動」亦由70年代最初的一個地域的一個空童軍團拓展至香港、九龍、新界各區5個地域 共18 旅空童軍團，致力提供多元化的空童軍航空活動。而錢耀昌先生亦應邀 復出任童軍總會總 部「空童軍活動管理委員會」主席，恊助童軍總會, 繼續發展香港的空童軍運動。
附注：錢耀昌先生是九龍1661旅空童軍及九龍180旅空童軍旅的創辦人/創旅旅長、亦是九龍1064旅深資空童軍的辦人/創團團長。
History of Air Scouting in Hong Kong
History of Air Scouting in Hong Kong started in 1967 when a Jesuit priest Father Cunningham formed an Air Scout Troop in the 11th Kowloon Scout Group of Kowloon Wah Yan College during the 5-year expansion plan of the Scout Association of Hong Kong. 11th Kowloon Scout Group (Kowloon Wah Yan College) is a "closed school Scout Group' with Scout membership open only to students of this college in the Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong. As a result the number of Air Scouts were limited and there was only one Air Scout Unit in the territory from 1967 to 1972 without any expansion of the Air Scout numbers (as limited by the student size of the this college). In 1972 the Group added an Venture Air Scout unit when the original 1967 Air Scouts reached the age of Venture Scouts at 16.
In 1971 another aviation youth group enthusiasts went another direction and formed as the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps (HKACC). The students of Hong Kong Wah Yan College on the Hong Kong Island(the counterpart of the Kowloon Wah Yan College on the Kowloon Peninsular) were able to participate in air activities by joining as Flight 101 of the HKACC.
In order to promote and spread the Air Scout Movement and open up the Air Scout membership and activities to all the youth of Hong Kong, in 1972, the Chief Scout of Hong Kong appointed [ Mr.Francis Yiu Cheong Chin][2] as the first Air Scout Leader of Hong Kong at the Commissioner level to develop and expand Air Scouting. Mr. Chin is a Queen's Scout, the first one in Hong kong entitled to wear the Scout Pilot's Wing, and a Leader Trainer in the Scout Leader Training Team, Headquarters, Kowloon Region of the Sout Association. Mr. Francis Chin is also a member of the well-known outstanding Hong Kong Chin Brothers [3] [4] aviators with long distance flying record/achievement.
Air Scout Commissioner Francis Chin opened Air Scouting to all adult and teenage Scout members and built up a solid foundation for the promotion and expansion of the Air Scout Movement. Apart from launching progressive training course series in Air Scouting at all levels, great emphasis was placed in the training of Air Scout Leaders and Air Scout Instructors so that they can start Air Scouting on their own. Air Activity Board were set up at Headquarters and Regional levels to coordinate all Air Scout Activities and the distribution of aviation resources and flying opportunities in the territory. After training, instructors and adult leaders were able to conduct Air Scout activities and establish new Air Scout Groups. For example, the present Headquarters Air Activity Commissioner was a teenager attending Air Scout Instructor courses ran by Francis Chin in the 1970s. As a result Air Scouting spread and flourished after 1972 as new Air Scout units were established in Hong Kong.
Nowadays, most of the original Air Scout training courses set up by Francis Chin are still running annually. Notable courses are the Airman Instructor, Senior Airman Instructor and Master Airman Instructor Training Courses. Air Scouting in Hong Kong is well organised under the Programme Branch of The Scout Association of Hong Kong with 18 Air Scout Units in 5 Regions of Scout Groups in Hong Kong. All the Air Scout Units are coordinated by a Headquarters Air Activity Board attended by Air Scout Commissioners of the Scout Regions. The Headquarters Air Activity Board reports to the policy-making Headquarters Air Activity Committee of aviation professionals.
N.B. Francis Chin is the founder and GSL of 1661st Kowloon Group of Air Scouts and 180th Kowloon Group of Air Scouts. He is also the founder and Venture Air Scout Leader of the Venture Air Scouts of the 1064 Kowloon Scout Group.
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