TKU Boy Scout Group celebrated its 30th anniversary last week (December 13) with elaborated activities, which included a construction of a 7 feet bamboo hexagon tower on the Shepard’s Meadow in Tamsui campus. It attracted copious Boy Scout groups from Taipei region and visitors from afar who came to admire the structure and dare the height.

Dr. Flora Chang, the President of TKU, opened the ceremony who praised the group’s ability in blending public service and fun successfully over the years. The guest of honor, Yung Chaur-shin,, the Chairman of Scouts of China also extolled the group’s efforts in promoting the true spirit of boy scouts in providing quality public services, and educating ethical and law-abiding citizens.

In return, the Sectary in Chief of the TKU’s Boy Scout Group, Huang Wen-chih, thanked the university for providing a versatile environment for his group to strive. As a gesture of gratitude, the group donated 75 copies of books relating to the topic of boy scouts, some copies of May’s Boy Scout Monthly Journal and a copy of The Handbook of Rover Boy Scout Group in Japanese as well as a copy of “The Man Who Lived Twice—Baden Powell”, which is about the founder of boy scouts, to the University library. The handbook, in particular, was translated into Japanese recently, as a demonstration the group’s determination in expanding internationally. Therefore, he would hope that, as Baden Powell, an Englishman, set up the first Boy Scout group the Oxbridge styled Langyang campus could provide a bigger and better space for his group to expand in the near future.

The tower the group built took an month to complete costing approximately NT$ 80,000 designed by one of its members, Su Chia-horng, who is also a senior of the Chemical Engineering Department of the National Taiwan University. He explained that the tower in the movies ‘Lord of the Rings’ inspired his design and its height symbolizes ascendance to success.

However, unlike the tower in Tolkien’s books, which houses evil power, this tower serves as the epitome of the group’s skill, stamina and foresight and will be kept standing beyond Christmas. There will be a ceremony of placing and lighting a Christmas tree on the top of the tower on Christmas Eve. Those who would love to enjoy such a sight are welcome to be there on the eve of 24th. (~Ying-hsueh Hu)