Dr. Cham Son Chau was the Chief Commissioner of the Scout Association of Hong Kong from 1985 to 1996. He was the son of the late Sir Chau Tsun-nin.

He attended the single-sex Wah Yan College, an eminent Roman Catholic Jesuit secondary school in Hong Kong, and later graduated from The University of Hong Kong with a degree in Architecture. He qualified as a Registered Architect. He also undertook further post-graduate studies at the University of Liverpool and the University of Melbourne and qualified as a registered town planner.

He was the first registered town planner in Hong Kong. He retired from the Hong Kong Government Civil Service in 1990 as Director (General) of Buildings and Lands after 30 years of public service. He has been described as "instrumental in establishing a fully-fledged town planning office in the 1980s with the modern concept of urban planning". He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1987 and a Commander of Order of Saint John in 2002. He was a steward of the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, beginning in 1989; from 1998 to 2002 he served as Deputy Chairman.

He joined the Scout Movement in 1946 as a Boy Scout. He became a Scoutmaster in 1949 for his alma mater, the 15th Hong Kong Group of Wah Yan College, Hong Kong. He was appointed Assistant District Commissioner in 1957 and succeeded Tse Ping Fui as District Commissioner in 1962. He had been Honorary Treasurer and Deputy Chairman of The Scout Association of Hong Kong. He also was Chairman of Campsites and Properties Committee between 1978 and 1984.

He became Chairman of the Scout Association of Hong Kong in 1983 and also chaired the Headquarters Building Management Committee in the crucial period during the fund raising, planning and construction of the 25 storey Hong Kong Scout Centre. He became Chief Commissioner of the Scout Association of Hong Kong in 1985, a post he held for the next 11 years.

As Chief Commissioner, He streamlined the Organization of the Scout Movement in Hong Kong and his greatest legacy is the 25 storey Hong Kong Scout Centre, one of the largest, most advanced and well equipped Scout Headquarters in the World.

He co-founded the APR Scout Foundation in 1992. By making the first contribution he became its first Foundation Member. He is a Baden Powell Fellow of the World Scout Foundation. He served in Asia-Pacific Region (APR) Regional Committee from 1986 to 1992. He was awarded with the Bronze Wolf in 1990 and was elected a member of the World Scout Committee (1993–1999). Besides the Bronze Wolf, he received Scouting awards from the United Kingdom and Thailand. He was awarded the APR Scout Medallion (1986) and the APR Distinguished Service Award (1995).

He has been a Vice President of the Scout Association of Hong Kong since his retirement from the post of Chief Commissioner in 1997. He is also a holder of Long Service Medal with four stars, signifying he has served faithfully for no less than 55 years as an adult leader of Hong Kong Scouts.

In recognition of his contribution to Hong Kong and society, Dr. Chau was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) distinction and was made Justice of the Peace.

Dr. Chau was the Chairman of the Hornell Hall SA ExCo from 1953 to 1955.