Not with standing having resigned my commissions refusing even to remain in the reserves in the year 1974 after serving for over fifteen years, resulted from my personal feeling that a certain long time Government Executive Officer (though then break through with promotions) was constantly trying to push away from the Regiment volunteers who in their general civilian capacity were professionals or generally were consider of having higher civilian position than him, I still and have always been considering myself a member of The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers), but free from bias of any internal self-interpretation of disciplinary right against others and/or politics. Such bias have now been vanished with the disbandment but the spirit of the Regiment and in particular the spirit of volunteering of defending or otherwise to assist in making our place of abode a better place to live, deserve to carry on. It is with such intention of preservation of our volunteer spirit and memory, to pass on our heritage and to carry them on for as long as it can be, we decided to form our present Association which was formerly Incorporated with the Canadian Ontario Government on the 23rd March 1995 as a separate entity and not as a branch, and with the permission and blessing of the then and the last Commanding Officer of the Regiment Lt. Col. K.B.L. Simson QRH.

After the formation our members at all times treating one another as brothers and all our office bearers are but volunteers of servers who believe they are able and willing to assist in whatever way they can to carry our goal. We have manage to keep all the traditions (which we are capable of keeping and believe to be worth while) of the Regiments. To put us in a more proximity of the regimental life we have managed and have joined The Queen's York Rangers (The First American Regiment) as affiliate to them and to participate in their non military activities. We have the right (subject to availability) to use their facilities including their messes. The Queen's York Rangers is, by history, the first volunteer American Regiment of the British Empire formed to defend that part of the British settlements in North America (which is now Canada) against the invasion of the Americans during the American Revolution and have successfully in expelling them from entering Ontario.

As an association and with the recognition of the Ministry of National Defence and Veterans Affairs of Canada we have been invited to participate and officially present our wreath in the 50th year of the Canadian Federal Memory of the VJ-DAY Veterans of the 2nd World War held in Ottawa on August 13 1995, and also in other Veterans memories that were held in various community for the VJ-Day and the VE-Day and Warrior Day in various years. We have also participate as members of the Queen's York Rangers in various military functions including as visitors in the annual Ontario garrison military exercise in Patawawa almost annually. We are also present at the appointment of His Highness Prince Andrew as the Colonel-in-chief of the Queen's York Rangers in 1999. His Highness Prince Andrew was very surprise, but I believe glad, to see us as a group in participating in the Queen's York Rangers activities.

In our Association, subject to the our Rules and By-laws, we welcome all persons who has previously serve with the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) and its predecessor and/or otherwise persons who would generally under the Regulations of the Hong Kong Regiment Associations acceptable to be members. We also welcome those persons who have previously associated with Regiments eg. non-regimental instructors, as our associate members. As a particular effort in keeping the heritage we invite and welcome the children of our members or those persons who are entitled to be members to be members of our Association and it is believe that through them and those that are aware of our spirit to carry onwards such spirit and to keep our heritage. We have already in our association three generations members who are associated with the volunteer work in the Regiment or here in Ontario. Ex-Cpl Henry So TONG had his son Peter TONG (who is the ex RWOI of the York Rangers and now a Capt with Rangers) and his grandson Cadet WO Kyle Tong (a cadet with Rangers.), and ex. S-Sgt Ping LUK had his son Francis LUK (ex Cpl junior leader) and his grandson Cadet Cpl Kenji Luk (cadet with Rangers) that are closely connected with our association. As some way of preserving a memory we have presented the Queen's York Rangers with a shield named as "The Ninety-Nine' Shield for Annual presentation to all those York Rangers who have achieved as being the best candidate at any military course open to all regiments of Ontario during the year. In the past the Rangers have shown keen interest in trying to be the recipient of the award.

As a separate entity we are able to make decision without subject to the otherwise strict restriction that are applicable to the Association in Hong Kong. I believe that as we are formed prior to disbandment we are able to retain our past insignia with the Crown and if deem appropriate would be able to create souvenir with the original insignia and for distribution to all ex-regimental members and their friends and related persons for memories. We would welcome ideas from our fellow brothers for the creation of such memories or souvenir and to distribute them through us or through the Hong Kong Association as our agent. However as such separate entity there are drawbacks. We need to pay for all our equipment and expenses. We need to pay for all the insignia we required in the form of cap badges. We even need to pay for the replica of our Regimental Color, in view of the fact that the extra Regimental Color that Col Simson had promised to be for us had disappeared and whoever is in charge of the million of dollars that belong to the Regiment after disbandment do not deem it appropriate to spend any of the fund for such purpose.

With us as we are and now existing in Ontario Canada, I ask any person who has previously served with the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) and all its predecessor including Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps, Hong Kong Defence Force, Royal Hong Kong Defence Force (Land Forces), Hong Kong Woman Auxiliary Army Corps, Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary air Force and the Hong Kong Royal Hong Kong Naval Reserve, and who has otherwise connected with them, or who are descendent of them and having the same idea as that of ours to be a member of our Association and otherwise to communicate with us and be connected with us, notwithstanding that you may or may not lived in Ontario. It is through association that we hope to achieve our aim to pass on our heritage and to remember and be remembered. Your past experience with one or more of other members of the regiment should not deter you from achieving your aim.

As the President of the formation Committee of the Association and of its President since its inauguration I believe it is time for me to move on. We have elected James CHAN as my successor and he is now our President as from 1999. It is through him that we hope to achieve something new in our next millennium. I have been retained and remained as an ex officio of the Association and will certainly give whatever assistance to the Association.

Alexander Tsang

Honorary President, RHKR Royal Hong Kong Regiment Volunteers Association (Ontario) Canada