Since Fev 11, 1998
		back

11th Group - Scout Association of Macau
(visit de portuguese site of the 11th Group)

The Macau Boy Scouts Association
Associação de Escoteiros de Macau

Macau was the home for the first portuguese Boy Scout Group in the world. This was back in 1911. The former Scout Leaders came back to Portugal and founded the Associação de Escoteiros de Portugal (Boy Scouts Association of Portugal) in the year of 1913.

This the Macau Boy Scouts Association logo, at least as it was about 10 years ago. This Association was started around 1982 and had its regulations both in portuguese and chinese. The association's Leader was Mr. Ricardo das Neves. The only portuguese group by that time was a branch of the 5th Group formed only by portuguese speaking scouts.

This is the Macau coat of arms. On the left side is the portuguese shield (5 small red shields). On the right side is the chinese dragon. Under both are the water waves of the South China Sea, where both cultures meet, tha is, Macau. This coat of arms is present in the association's logo.

The 5th Group

The 3 first Leaders of the 11th Group were former members of the 5th Group - Portuguese Branch.

One of the Leaders of the 5th Group was Hui Cheng Wai. He was a student at the portuguese school. Came to Portugal in 1987 to study in a Lisbon Medical University. He was such a good student that in the 2nd year of university he was already invited to teach to 1st year classes. As far as I know he is now a doctor in a hospital in Macau.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 11th GROUP

Why a portuguese group?...

By the end of 1985 there were 10 Scout Groups in Macau. In the 5th Group, the only one having portuguese scouts, there was a feeling that a new group should be founded. We found many differences in the way of scouting... there was that connection to the motherland, so faraway, with so many scouting traditions... so much different from the line followed by the groups in the association. So 3 of us left the 5th and started a kind of a crusade to bring to light a new group, with only portuguese youngster. We had the support of the Chief Scout of the Macau Boy Scouts Association , of course.

Firts Steps...

The first steps towards this idea where taken in the beginning of 1986. After a few meetings and camps where we discussed methods and ideas present in the most popular scouting books and improved our scouting technics, we talked to a few boys at the local school, and in a short while we had 6 boys ready to start.

They were all to be trained in a single patrol - the Wolf Patrol. I pretended to be the Patrol Leader, so that they could get the idea of what would be expected from them. This training took all the year long. Many camps to practise skills, gain experience and get to know each other pretty well.

Our common camping spots were in the island of Coloane, one of the two islands which are a part of the Macau territory. We gave names to a lot of places and camping spots all over the island, such as the Crow Valley, Yellow Smile, Skull's Garden, Black Rocks, Penninsula, Dog Hill, Owl Creek, Owl Beach, etc.

Official Foundation...

The Group was founded officialy on December 25th, 1986 with 3 Leaders and 6 Scouts. The 6 boys were now ready to be Patrol Leaders themselves. All of the members were portuguese. After start, we had 3 Patrols: Wild Boar, Fox and Owl. The Group grew fast and had 5 patrols and a Rover section. Unfortunatly, many scouts and leaders came back to Portugal and in 1989 the Group closed. The members now living in Portugal, some of them already doctors and engineers, meet every year for a few days hike and a camp. The spirit of the 11th will never die!...

The Logo...

This is the 11th Group's logo - St.George (showing a scout) killing the draggon. I made this drawing after an idea taken from a book by Roland E. Philipps: "The Patrol System" where was another drawing showing a Patrol Leaders Council meeting, having this logo (sort of) on a piece of leather hanging from the wall of the headquarters.

December 25, 1986 After the Cerimony of the 11th Group Foundation, in the Guia Lighthouse (from left to right: João Paulo, Miguel Duarte, Luis Pinto, Fernando Alves, Gonçalo Barral, Abel Leong) (holding the flag, from left to right: Sérgio Nunes, Adolfo Leong)
	Summer of 1987 At the front gate of our camp, in a local jamboree, at HacSa Beach, Coloane Island (from left to right: João Paulo, Paulo, Atraca, Chico, Abel, Xana, Zé Pedro, Adolfo, Sérgio)
December 25, 1986 The Promise of the Wild Boar Patrol Leader and his Assistant, at the Foundation of the Group (shaking hand with Assistant Troop Leader, Miguel Duarte; Gobçalo Barral holds the Group's flag)