Hong Kong Scout Rally 2015

Today, I attended the Hong Kong Scout Rally. This is the fourth consecutive year that I have participated in this annual event in the capacity of Chief Scout since I took office.

Youth development is one of the policy priorities of the current-term Government. Uniformed groups play a significant role in nurturing young people outside formal education. Apart from providing a variety of training activities to promote the whole-person development of young people, these groups also instil positive values in them, and help them develop a sense of belonging and responsibility towards Hong Kong and the country.

In the face of continuous globalisation and Hong Kong's role as a "super-connector" between China and the rest of the world, our young people need a broad international outlook and close links with the international community for their future development.

The pledge that I made in my 2014 Policy Address to double the recurrent subvention for the Scout Association has been honoured. I hope that the Association will make use of the increased financial resources to organise more activities outside Hong Kong, so that our young people can interact with their peers in other places and help to foster each other's growth.

October 25, 2015