Letters to the Editor

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Contents

1. Contents
2. 2002-04 Rotary World Peace Scholarship
3. Governor’s Monthly Letter – By DG John Wan
4. District Rotaract News – By DRR Patrick Yung
5. Continuity Column – By DGE Johnson Chu
6. An Interview with DGE John Wan – By CP Herbert Lau
7. Attendance Report – October 2000

2002-04 Rotary World Peace Scholarships

Applications are now available for the Scholarships for study at the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolutions. Each District may submit one candidate to compete for the 70 Scholarships offered worldwide each year.

District 3450 was recognized as a Rotary Centers Pioneer District during the Pre-Institute Regional Rotary Foundation Seminar held in Hong Kong on 10 November 2000. In appreciation of our commitment to world peace through our support of the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution, Foundation Trustee Soshitsu Sen presented on behalf of RI President Frank Devlyn and Rotary Foundation Trsutees Chairman Herbert Brown Citation Certificates to the three Governors from 1999 to 2001, namely, IPDG Dipo Sani, John Wan and Johnson Chu. In practical terms, District 3450 has pledged to contribute US$25,000 each year for the first two years the Rotary Centers for International Studies are in operation.

Applications for the Scholarships are now open. The Scholarships are specific. The focus is on peace and conflict resolution at the graduate level. They are therefore for a two-year masters degree, unlike the Ambassadorial Scholarships which are for one-year studies. Districts are advised therefore to separate the promotion and selection processes for the two categories of scholarships.

The Rotary Foundation has sent to all Governors a Program Guide and has urged them to consider appointing a separate committee to oversee the matter, to develop a strategy for nominating a candidate for the world competition and to submit the district-endorsed candidate to The Rotary Foundation by the deadline of 1 October 2001. We understand that DG John Wan would consult his advisors on the Governor’s Policy Committee (GPC) on 15 January 2001. The DG has said that the views of his successors, DGE Johnson and DGN Gloria “would be crucial.”

There are seven Rotary Centers for International Studies involving eight universities –

1. Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA (both universities jointly hosting one Rotary Center)

2. International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan

3. Sciences Po, Paris, France

4. Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina

5. University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England

6. University of California-Berkeley, California, USA

7. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Peace Scholars will study at one of the seven Centers for a two-year masters degree in international relations, peace and conflict resolution.

During their studies, Peace Scholars will work to advance knowledge of issues of peace, causes of conflict, and world understanding. They will participate in an annual Rotary Center Seminar and will commit to a career related to international relations, peace, and conflict resolution.

Governor’s Monthly Letter

Seasonal Greetings;

Go for Presidential Citation;

Support RYLA and GSE;

Register for District Conference early;

Rotary’s Ideals of Service

My Dear Action Presidents, Club Secretaries and Rotary Leaders,

First of all, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody! You have worked very hard in the year 2000 and you deserve a break and a happy holiday with your family and loved ones.

Our DGN Gloria was in Australia earlier this month. Words traveled fast: a local television network in Australia got wind of the happy news, tracked her down and interviewed her for nearly an hour during which she talked about her vision of Rotary and recent development in District 3450 including the addition of Mongolia to our territory. Both interviewer and interviewee were apparently satisfied with the interview because no editing or a second take was necessary. The interview is now on tape and no doubt Gloria would make it available to her fans on request.

You should all be planning for the election of the next board of directors. Once again, I would like to remind you to send your club election results on the prescribed form by end of the year to Rotary World Headquarters with a copy each to Governor-elect Johnson and me.

In the next few weeks, your Assistant Governor and District Secretary would be calling on you to discuss how best to secure the Presidential Citation and other awards. These District officials are there to help you, specifically to help you achieve your goals. Most presidents have only one chance to be presidents in a lifetime. I urge you therefore to make the best use of the remaining months of your term and reach your goals. Remember what President Frank Devlyn said of Don Quixote? He said that Don Quixote never had any doubt on whether his dreams could be realized. In the same spirit, all of you Action Presidents should never have any doubt on your ability to achieve the goals for the year. His Presidential Citation is there for the taking. Go for it!

Also in the coming weeks, RYLA Chairman Stephen Tsai (Quarry Bay) will be asking for nominations for the 2001 RYLA Camp, while GSE Chairman Dicky Yip (Admiralty) for GSE team members and a leader. Both programmes are designed for young people. Do not be shy to nominate your young staff or Rotaractors to go on either programme. These are wonderful programmes. Give the youths a chance and send in your nominations early.

Our District Conference would be held on 7 and 8 April 2001 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre. Past President Kay Lau (Hong Kong Harbour) is Conference Chairman and Past President Haywood Cheung (New Territories) Committee Chairman for the Governor’s Banquet. I am happy to have these two dedicated Rotarians working on this single most important project in the next few months. Both are heavyweights in our District and are known to be first class organizers. Both have promised to offer innovative and special programmes that you would not like to miss. The theme of the Conference is “Back to the Future” to remind us to look to the future. Please start promoting the Conference at your weekly meetings and register early. The full package, including the Governor’s Banquet, two lunches, three coffee breaks and a Conference kit, costs $1,800, the same price tag for the Conference organized three years ago by Past Governor Jason Yeung.

Back to my official visits, by mid-December, I have visited all except three clubs officially. I made follow-up visits to some clubs and I tried to attend all anniversary dinners or balls. I missed a few; and I could not attend a few District functions because they clashed with other appointments. I have enjoyed every meeting and every function I attended. As I thank the Action Presidents, the Rotarians involved and my District Team for the hard work and hospitality and for making these occasions enjoyable, I would like to apologize to the Action Presidents and Rotarians who were disappointed because of my inability to turn up at their functions.

I have often been asked whether I find all these activities tiring or tiresome and whether I am feeling relieved now that the halfway mark is in sight. Well, the short answer is no. Life is a series of choices. Since a friend introduced me to Rotary some years back, Rotary has become part of my life, and I am glad. In the same way that one ought not be tired of life, I do not think I would ever be tired of Rotary. Yes, there were times when club members failed to deliver, did not honour promises and made me feel more stupid than I really was. In such cases, I would remind myself that life comes in a package and that all the sham, drudgery and broken dreams had nothing to do with Rotary or Rotary’s Ideal of Service.

It is this Ideal of Service that has kept me going, and dare I say that has motivated many Rotarians worldwide all these years in their strive for world peace and international understanding. It is all these selfless men and women doing great deeds quietly that has made Rotary the great organization that it now is. I often see images of these men and women during my visits to clubs. I am encouraged every time I see them and I can never see them often enough.

On this note, I wish all of you, your loved ones and your families once again a joyous holiday season ahead. May the spirit of Christmas fill you with faith, love and hope, reinforce your Rotary spirit, enhance your creativity and capacity, create awareness in you and enable you to take action in your club, in your community and in your world, for the greater good of humanity in general and for the good of the people who need your service in general.

Talk to you soon.

Your Governor John Wan

News from Rotaract District

By District Rotaract Representative Patrick Yeung

Rotaract District Conference

The Rotaract District Conference held on 24^th September, 2000 was participated by 120, including about 100 Rotaractors and 20 Rotarians. We had planned the Conference at the beginning of the Rotaract year for two reasons. First, Rotaractors from different clubs can meet and know each other earlier, thus enabling them to explore possibilities for joint club functions. This would facilitate the year’s work. Secondly, providing leadership training to the board members early would help them lead their clubs more effectively.

It took the form of a day camp hosted by Rotaract Club of Tai Po. 

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards

(RYLA 2001)

For the first time, the District RYLA Committee has decided to invite Rotaractors to take part in the organization of the RYLA Programme. Two Rotaractors, namely, IPDRR Jimmie Kwan and DRR Patrick Yung are on the RYLA 2001 Central Organizing Committee. We are very happy with the development. It is proof that DG John Wan and the Rotary District leadership are serious about youths in general the Partner-in-Service relationship between Rotarians and Rotaractors in particular. This will be a golden opportunity for Rotaractors to serve, to learn and to lead through actual involvement in the organizing of the RYLA Programme this year.

All Rotaractors consider RYLA 2001 the most important and significant District event of the year. Six Rotaract clubs have agreed to be host clubs, taking up different responsibilities in the organization of the RYLA Camp, as follows: University of Hong Kong, Promotion and recruitment; Kingspark Hong Kong, Selection; Baptist University, Orientation Night on 8-2-2001; and Channel Islands, Kowloon Northwest and Peninsula, RYLA Camp on 17&18-2-2001.

24 Rotaractors from various Rotaract clubs have been selected Seniors for the Camp. They would be the small group facilitators and have been receiving leadership training since November, 2000 which would last till February, 2001. They are expected to apply what they have learned to motivate, encourage and assist the RYLA participants throughout the RYLA programme.

Although Rotaractors are mainly involved in logistics work, we are positive that the members involved in the programme would definitely benefit from this well-established leadership training program.

World Rotaract Week

Since we would be allocating most of our time and resources to the RYLA 2001 between February and March, 2001, we have decided to organize a simpler, but equally meaningful programme to celebrate World Rotaract Week 2001.

Tentatively, a one-day Community Service programme will be organized for 11-3-2001. Rotaractors will be posted to various public streets at different locations in Hong Kong and Macau to arouse public attention to Spina Bifida and to explain how the disease can be avoided. Rotaract Club of City University and Rotaract Club of Kowloon Golden Mile will be the host clubs. Further details will be announced nearer the time.

Rotaractors deployed on the Community Service programme will join the RYLA participants after their street duties. They will attend the whole-day day camp on 11-3-2001 where they will discuss their achievement and hence promote a positive image of Rotaract.

Rotaract District Assembly

We have tentatively scheduled the Rotaract District Assembly for 1-4-2001. This year, the Assembly will be held in Macau and hosted jointly by the four clubs in Macau. At this early stage, not much detail is available, but we estimate that about 160 incoming board members from all Rotaract Clubs will participate in this annual District event. There may be a special discussion session for Rotaract advisors and District officials.

Rotaract District Inauguration

There are now 25 Rotaract clubs in the District. All inauguration ceremonies for clubs are more or less the same in terms of format and contents, albeit each club differs in culture. Most Rotaractors have felt that it is time-consuming and resources-wasting for each club to have its own inauguration ceremony. There is a mutual understanding among all the Rotaract clubs that a Rotaract District Inauguration should be carried out in late June or early July next year in lieu of all the individual inaugurations. The whole Rotaract District including the Rotaract District officials will have their inauguration together on the same day so that more resources and time could be saved and applied on services.

return to the contents section

Continuity Column

By DGE Johnson Chu

Dear Fellow Rotarians,

A Charity Golf Day and a District Sports Day were held on Friday, 17 November and Sunday 19 November respectively. As Governor John had to go to Ulaanbaatar to host an official reception for Rotary International President-Elect Richard King, I officiated the opening ceremony of both activities on behalf of the Governor.

The Charity Golf Day was organized by PP Ronald Lu. It was held at the Mission Hills Golf Club, PRC. The function was organized to raise funds for a District Community Service Project in China, namely, Protect Our Mother Rivers. The funds raised will be used to plant trees along the banks of Yangtze River and Yellow River, to prevent soil erosion and flooding which had resulted in heavy losses of lives and properties in the past.

There were thirty-three participants, including nine visitors from Australia. The function was very successful, and every golfer enjoyed the game. Hole 6 was designed for wager. Two circles of diameters 5 feet and 10 feet around the pin were marked on the green. A player wagers an amount of money and would win if his or her ball fell within either circle after one stroke. He would win more if the ball fell within the smaller circle. It was great fun, but unfortunately for the golfers, no one was managed to put the ball in either circles. The result was a happy one because all wagers would go towards charity. The fund raised on Hole 6 alone was $6,500, while the total fund raised on that day amounted to around $96,000.

The golfers were competing for six prizes that day, including the Nearest Pin, Longest Drive and Hole-in-One, etc. The Stableford winner was PP Ricky H. M. Wong of Rotary Club of New Territories.

The Sports Day was held at Wanchai Sports Ground. The event was open not only to Rotarians, but also their spouses and children. The opening ceremony took place at 9.40 a.m. Mr. Isaac Chow, Deputy Director of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, was the Guest of Honour. He was accompanied by DS Kenneth Chow, PP Tony Kan (Chairman of District Sports Committee), President Tony Wong (Chairman of the Sports Day Sub-Committee) and myself. After a couple of short speeches, the ceremony ended with an exciting Lion Dance.

The day started with track events for adults. Many children had a great time playing games at the other end of the playground. There were not many Rotarians in the morning, but it was much better in the afternoon. There were relay events and long jump events. We invited our partners in service, the Lions and Hong Kong Junior Chamber, to participate in the 4 x l00 meters relay event. The Rotarian team finished first after an exciting competition. Unfortunately, the team was disqualified because of a technical foul. Consequently, the Hong Kong Junior Chamber, which originally finished second, became the Champion team.

The Men’s individual champion was PP Ted Ho of the Rotary Club of Kingspark Hong Kong, while the Women’s champion was Claire Mak of the Rotary Club of Tai Po. Tai Po also won the overall championship of this year’s Sports Day.

It is a good news that the Lions have sent their reciprocal invitation to District 3450 to participate in their Lions Olympics Extravaganza to be held on Sunday, 7 January 200l. We are now organizing a team to compete in the Men’s 8 x 50 meters relay.

From the information I recently received from Rotary International, I learn that District 3450 is No. 1 in the per capita Annual Giving to the Rotary Foundation among the 26 districts in zones 4B, 6B and 7B for the Rotary Year l999-2000. District 3450 is also No. 1 in the total contribution to the Rotary Foundation among the same districts in the same period. Congratulations should be extended to IPDG Dipo Sani and his Rotary Foundation Chairman PDG Y. K. Cheng.

World Health Organization and the Rotary Foundation identified 10 outstanding volunteers who have contributed to making Western Pacific Region polio-free. These outstanding volunteers include PRIP MAT Caparas, PRID Dr. Benny Santos, and PRID Hechanover. It is a great honour for District 3450 that one of the Past District Governors is also identified. Congratulation! Could you guess who?

The Nominating Committee for District Governor Nominee 2002-2003 met on the 1 December 2000. A lady Governor Nominee has been selected for the first time in the history of District 3450. Congratulations to CP Gloria Chan of the Rotary Club of Queensway!

The Year 2000 is approaching its end. May I take this opportunity to wish all Rotarians, their spouses, and the readers of my article a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2001.

Thank you.

An Interview with DGE John Wan

By CP Herbert Lau (May 2000)

Herbert Lau is Charter President of RC of Tolo Harbour, and an editor of The Rotarian Monthly published in Taiwan. He interviewed DG John Wan in May this year, two months before he assumed office. He had planned to publish the article in Chinese earlier, but then decided to include a follow-up interview on the inclusion of Mongolia to D-3450. He had yet to do this. Readers would therefore find that Herbert Lau (HL) still refers to John Wan (JW) as DGE in the article.

I think I must have known him for at least 13 years or as long as he has joined Rotary. At the time, he was the District Officer of Tuen Mun, an administrative district in Hong Kong made well known for the wrong reasons. Tuen Mun then was known for having two Vietnamese Refugee Camps and for its youth problems. Everyone called him DO [junyuan] at the time, and I sometimes wondered whether some of the residents there knew his name. But I did. I knew even then that he was a Rotarian, a member of a new club formed in the same year as the club of which I am the charter president.

He always appeared cheerful, energetic and confident. His dark and dense hair, coupled with his relatively small stature, make him look younger than his real age. I remember a real-life joke about his hair. A friend asked me some six years back after attending a provisional Rotary club meeting whether I knew a Rotarian in the Hong Kong Government who wore a wig. It turned out to be none other than John Wan. My friend and I had a good laugh. He later joined the club as a charter member. This is of course the Rotary Club of Kingspark Hong Kong of which John Wan is Charter President, and the club that sponsored him to be Governor of the district.

Going back to his Tuen Mun days, even then, I sensed something unusual about him. He was one of the very few civil servants in Hong Kong who joined Rotary, and continued to be active. Now, he will probably be the first government officer in Hong Kong to become a Rotary district governor.

I asked him why so few of his colleagues joined Rotary and why he had remained in Rotary all these years. His reply is typical of many world leaders of Rotary, at least in parts.He said, I cannot speak for my colleagues, but Government service is mainly about serving the community. Maybe most of them are already too busy and too pre-occupied with their daytime role that they don’t see a need to join a service organization that apparently exists to serve a similar purpose. As to why I am a Rotarian, I became one because a friend, a very good friend asked me to join, and since then, Rotary has become part of me and a way of life. Just as a wise Rotarian has said, ‘we want to do something good, as opposed to doing something well.’ That’s why I am still a Rotarian.

HL: Can you elaborate on the latter point?

JW: What I mean is I became a Rotarian because someone asked me to become one, but I have opted to remain in Rotary because I have found that the way of life of Rotary suits me and helps me develop as a person. Let me be specific. I feel that the rules and regulations of Rotary, the Object of Rotary, its programs, the Rotary Foundation, the Manual of procedures etc., are all compatible with my values and my way of life, such that I am more than willing to share them with my friends.

HL: How would you describe District 3450?

JW: It is a lively district, and one with great potentials. At the risk of offending some of my fellow governors-elect in the zone, I think it is probably one of the better informed and more effective districts in the zone, in terms of the knowledge of its members on Rotary; our contributions to the Rotary Foundation; our efforts in creating awareness in the community about Rotary, and in terms of producing Rotary leaders in the zone and in the world. Where we can do better is perhaps membership development and extension, and this will certainly be a major focal point for next year.

HL: What added values do you think you can bring to the District?

JW: This is a difficult question. I would rather answer it at the end of my term, but let me say this. When I said that we have a strong district, it does not mean that we cannot improve. In the same way that Evanston has been doing extensive soul searching to explore how Rotary can continue to improve and be relevant in the 21st century, I believe I should help and encourage the membership to do the same at the district level. Specifically, I am an administrator by profession. I like records and I would like them to be kept and maintained properly. I am therefore seeking to develop a district organization that not only would facilitate the implementation of the goals and objectives of our leader Frank Devlyn, but also would be conducive to consistency, credibility and continuity.

HL: What are your views on Continuity?

JW: Continuity is vital for the human race, for a country, a city, a government or any going concern. Continuity is very important to Rotary. Both Carlo Ravizza and Frank Devlyn have highlighted the importance of continuity. Carlo Ravizza has described Frank Devlyn’s theme for 2000-2001 as wonderful example of continuity at the top leadership, because it builds logically on this year’s theme, and because creating awareness starts with being consistent and credible.Both Rotary leaders have said that there would be no new programs. Both have placed strong emphases on membership development and membership retention, and in particular, bringing in quality members, or members who would make good Rotarians.

HL: What are your views on leadership?

JW: I gave a presentation on leadership at the District Assembly last year. Briefly, I describe leadership as the ability and readiness to lead and to follow, as the circumstance requires. In the same way a professor of economics would say that economics is all about supply and demand, I say that leadership is all about leading and following.

Leading is often confused with leadership. Leading is a process. A person put in a leadership position is expected to lead. If he leads well, we say that he has leadership, and so on. But I quickly add that a poor leader can also and often produce good results. Why? He is lucky: he is lucky to have good followers, good people who follow not because of him, but because of what he represents. This brings me to following, which is a willingness to follow leaders for the greater good. A leader must be willing to be led. The willingness to be led has perhaps taken on a more significant proportion in the equation in modern times when everyone wants to lead rather than to be led. History is full of examples of how leaders achieved greatness by following one great leader, and conversely, of how men with obvious leadership qualities had caused immense human sufferings simply because they couldn’t see their way to follow other leaders.

HL: How do you see D-3450 fit in with the Mainland, which has yet to open up for Rotary clubs and with other neighbouring districts?

JW: I think there are at least three questions there. Let me take them one by one. First, I am happy to say we have very good relations with the Mainland. Many clubs in the District visit the Mainland regularly for service projects. RC of Peninsula Sunrise, for example, makes monthly trips on a weekend to teach the children English, and many clubs build schools and orphanage in China. Last year, the District raised funds, which were matched by the local authorities, to reconstruct a village in Jiujiang after the village was completely destroyed in the worst floods. At the District level, we now visit Beijing every year round about May and hold meetings with the ministries with which we have contacts. Our objective is to bring our services to the people who need them most; and many areas in the Mainland are still rather poor and under provided.

This brings me to the Beijing Fellowship Group, which has been meeting, on a weekly basis for five years. Many of these Rotarians are members of the RC of Hong Kong. They are there because their companies have sent them there, rather than by choice. They understand fully that they are not a Rotary Club, although the work they do for the local community and the world bears all the hallmark of Rotary. They are an extremely useful group in creating awareness among Rotarians in the District of the needs of the people in the Mainland on the one hand, and among the general public in the District and in the mainland on the other, of the work Rotarians have been doing and are willing to do for our fellow man, regardless of race, creed or border. I have great respect for the Group and I would support their work as far as possible.

As regards Taiwan, which I believe is the third leg of your question, there are 7 districts. To start with, Director-elect Gary Hwang is from Taiwan. I think he will be an extremely important bridge between Taiwan and the District, particularly with his extensive knowledge of the District. In fact, I joined Rotary during the year he was Governor of our District.

HL: What are your plans for 2000-2001?

JW: The thrust of my plans for next year is to create awareness in the District about Rotary and what our members have been doing for the community and our world. Our clubs have been doing a lot of good in Hong Kong and Macau, and in China, but very few people are aware of that. I intend to change this, and I have already said the Beijing Fellowship Group could help. We would actively improve our public relations and our public image. I believe we have a good story to tell. It is a question of how to tell it well. As a start, I have persuaded all clubs in the district to hold a District Installation for the changeover of not only the governorship and district leadership, but also the changeover of all the 48 club presidencies. It will be one single, highly visible and public meeting with a solemn, dignified and memorable ceremony.

HL:Any other initiatives?

JW: We would seek to partner with other organizations. We believe we are not in competition with anybody to do good. When it comes to service, we see it as our responsibility, rather than a task. The world’s problems are increasingly more complex, global, immediate and immense for any one single organization, government or country to handle, not to mention one person. Our task therefore is to create awareness of the problem and encourage everyone to tackle the problem by taking action together.

HL: Tell us something about your family life.

JW: I would like to believe I am happily married. Rosita is a tower of strength. I consulted her before putting my name forward to be considered for nomination; and she has been giving me much sound advice. She has been very busy slowing me down and making up for me with friends I upset through my thoughtlessness and carelessness.Our daughter Stephanie is now a senior in UC Berkeley. She receives all my letters, articles and bulletins by email and sends me the odd comments every now and then. Her favourite complaint is that I spend too much time on Rotary. Our son Lawrence is doing Form 6 in Hong Kong. Both children are becoming very independent, so that I can spend most of free time on Rotary. Free time is now very precious, and I am already losing my Sunday trail walks and evening Happy Hours with my own club members. But I guess it means that I will have to learn to be more efficient and to manage my time better.

Attendance Report – November 2000

Go to District Web site for the November Attendance Report

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