Letters to the Editor

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Disaster Relief Notice issued on Mongolia
Governor's Monthly Letter - By DG John Wan
February Governor's Monthly Letter in Chinese
Disasters in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia - By DDIC Herbert Lau
Continuity Column - By DGE Johnson Chu
2001 District Conference
Internet Humour
Reason, Season or A Lifetime
Attendance Report - December 2000

Disaster Relief Notice issued on Mongolia

District 3450 has established a bank account with CITIC Ka Wah Bank Limited to accept contributions towards Mongolia. Make cheques payable to "Rotary International District 3450-Disaster Relief" Account No. 018-699-1-18208-7-00

At the request of Governor John Wan, RI has issued a Disaster Relief Notice calling for contributions from Rotarians worldwide towards relief efforts for victims of the severe snow storm in Mongolia.

Severe winter weather following a terrible summer drought has caused extensive damage throughout Mongolia. More than 600,000 animals have died, which in turn has caused tremendous hardship to the people in Mongolia most of whom rely on their livestock for income and nourishment.

The Rotary Club of Ulaanbaatar has appealed to the District and clubs in Hong Kong and Macau are collecting donations during regular meetings and social functions. All contributions in cash can be paid into the bank account established for disaster relief. The account is with the Queen's Road Central Branch of CITIC Ka Wah Bank Limited, and the account number is -

018-699-1-18208-7-00

Past Governor Anthony Hung who is the District Convenor of the Rapid Disaster Relief Task Force is in charge of the overall operation. He is assisted in the operation by two Rotarians from RC of Ulaanbaatar. PDG Anthony Hung is also taking charge of relief efforts towards Inner Mongolia which is in for a very severe winter and is expected to be hit even harder. Billed as the worst blizzard in decades, the snow storm has claimed over 40 loves with more than 800 injured. See article on Page 4 for more details. Although Inner Mongolia does not fall within Rotary territory, Governor John Wan has agreed to appeal to clubs in the District to raise funds to assist the people in Inner Mongolia whom he described as his countrymen. PDG Anthony Hung is assisted in the relief operation for Inner Mongolia by CP Herbert Lau (Tolo Harbour) who knows the area very well and has already arranged a meeting between the DG, PDG Anthony and representatives from the area. All donations can be sent to PDG Anthony Hung or CP Herbert Lau.

Meanwhile, RI has issued Disaster Relief Notices in respect of the earthquakes in India and El Salvador.

IPDG Dipo Sani has made a special appeal for contributions to the disaster in western India. Rotarians in the neighbouring districts, including 3050 and 3080 are doing their best to provide immediate medical care, food, shelter and clothing.

DG John Wan has made a general appeal to all clubs and members to contribute to whichever disaster they feel for strongest or all of them. He and his district team stand ready to provide any logistics support to channel the funds collected or to offer information on the latest situation in these disaster stricken areas. He has made a special appeal for donations to Mongolia because it is part of the District, and to Inner Mongolia because it is part of China.

Governor's Monthly Letter - February 2001

Congratulations AG Amy; Register for District Conference; Council on Legislation; World Understanding Month and you

My Dear Action Presidents, Club Secretaries and Rotary Leaders,

I would like to begin by sharing with you the good news from Assistant Governor Amy Ho. Amy announced that at 22:29 hours on 22 January 2001, her first baby, arrived, weighing in at 6 pounds 6 ounces. Had the baby girl waited a day and an hour and a half longer, she could have been the first baby born in the Year of the Snake in Hong Kong. Amy also reported that mother and daughter were both doing well as she wished us a Happy New Year. Congratulations, Amy and well done. Now, we all wait for the arrival of Cinderella's baby expected to be in April. We have already said that if the baby arrives on the 7th or 8th April through natural birth, mother and child will attend district conferences of our District free in future.

Yes, our District Conference will be held on 7 - 8 April 2001 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. RI President Frank Devlyn has appointed RI Director-elect Toshio Itabashi and his spouse, Ritsuko, to be his and Gloria Rita's personal representatives to our District Conference. Director-elect Toshio has been a member of the Rotary Club of Ashikaga East, Japan since 1962. He is President of a paint and chemical distributing firm, Managing Director of the Japan Paint Commerce Association, Chairman of the Ashikaga Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Chairman of the Ashikaga International Association. He is also editor of Rotary-No-Tomo, and has served RI as district governor, International Assembly discussion leader, committee member, and Foundation regional coordinator. Director-elect Toshio is a Rotary heavyweight and a keen Rotarian. I look forward to meeting the couple and to sharing his Rotary wisdom.

My Action Presidents, now is the time to urge your members to register for the District Conference. I should stress that a district conference is for all club members and their spouses, not just for club officers and committee members. The purpose of a district conference is to showcase the achievements of clubs in the District and to provide occasions for fun, fellowship, inspirational speeches and discussion. The theme of the conference is Back To The Future. It is a reminder for us to look into the future - the future of Rotary, the future generations, and what the future means to you. We would bring in speakers outside Rotary and the District to provoke new thinking. We would try to make this a conference with a difference. Please urge your Rotaractor and Interactor advisers to register for their Rotaractors and Interactors and to encourage the youths to attend all the sessions, not just the youth sessions. Indeed, all sessions would be relevant to them, because we would be looking into the future. Rotaractors and Interactors attend free if they do not stay for the meals. This policy is in line with our commitment to the new generations and our resolve to live up to the challenge in the slogan, "Every Rotarian an Example to Youth."

Also taking place in April, but in Chicago, Illinois, USA will be the Council on Legislation. The Council meets once every three years and will next meet on 22 - 27 April 2001. Past Governor Arthur Au will represent our District to attend and I believe you have all received his letter asking you for views on the proposed legislation to be considered. I received in the post the booklet (Volume I) with the complete text of the duly proposed legislation, 527 in number. It is 4-cm thick. There are two types of legislation - enactments and resolutions. A proposed enactment is intended to amend the constitutional documents of RI, i.e., the RI constitution, the RI bylaws and the Standard Rotary Club Constitution. A proposed resolution is legislation that does not seek to amend the constitutional documents. The documents are printed in English, and in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. The English version of the legislation is considered the official document. The booklet is available in compact disc format and on the Rotary World Wide Web site. We have been advised that Volume II will soon be posted. This is a second booklet with the complete text of the duly proposed legislation that has been amended for errors in Volume I.

Back to the present, we are now in February, and February is Rotary's World Understanding Month. On 23 February 1905, the first meeting of Rotary was held and the day is now designated World Understanding and Peace Day. DGN Gloria Chan organized a joint meeting in the evening on Friday, 23 February 2001 at the Regal Hong Kong Hotel. I am glad to see so many of you at the meeting.

World Understanding month is a chance for every club to pause, plan and promote the Fourth Avenue of Service - International Service - and to pursue Rotary's continued quest for goodwill, peace and understanding among the people of the world. I discussed the international responsibilities of a Rotarian in my last letter. I urge all of you to take up the quest with due seriousness and to promote and practice international understanding in spirit and through action. As a start, consider our responsibilities towards our brothers and sisters in disaster stricken Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, India and El Salvador. Consider our responsibilities towards the Rotary Foundation and the wonderful programmes that can be carried out for humanity with our continuing contributions. Consider this an assignment and a duty to your fellowmen. This may sound quixotic, but in the words of President Frank Devlyn, let this be the year that people many years from now will recall as the year in which the Action Team of Presidents created awareness of the international responsibilities of a Rotarian and led the members to take action, by taking proactive steps in our disaster relief efforts, in our contribution to the Rotary Foundation and in our International Service programmes.

Talk to you soon.

Your Governor John Wan

February GML in Chinese
[Already uploaded]

Disasters in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia
By Deputy District Information Coordinator Herbert Lau

Since January this year, Mongolia and the Greater Mongolia Region has been battered by snowstorms or Zud. Herdsmen in the Greater Mongolian Region had a bleak Christmas and New Year.

The United Nations and the Government of Mongolia launched an international appeal for assistance for herder families stricken by a second consecutive winter disaster. As many as six million heads of livestock, or about 20 percent of the national herd, could perish during the next few months from the severe winter conditions coming after a winter disaster during 1999-2000 followed by a prolonged drought in the summer of 2000.

Referred to as Zud in Mongolia, this unfolding winter disaster is caused by heavy snowfall in some areas and icy conditions in others. Snow from 10 to 50 cm in depth covered much of the territory of Mongolia as of 10 January 2001, with depths up to 80 cm in some places. These conditions have prevented Mongolia's vast herds from grazing on national vegetation during the winter. The situation is expected to worsen with heavier than average snow forecast for the coming months.

Prolonged bad weather will result in the impoverishment of thousands of herding families. The Zud of 1999-2000 has resulted in the death of almost three million heads of livestock, or ten percent of the national herd. Some 2,400 families lost all their livestock in 1999-2000. The nationwide losses were estimated to be US$ 84 million.

Losses this year are expected to be more severe. Speaking at the official launch of the appeal in Ulaanbaatar, the Minister for Defense and Chairman of the State Emergency Commission J. Gurragchaa said, "As of today, 100,000 herders with 20 million livestock from 192 counties in 20 provinces are affected by the Zud. As of January 25, some 605,000 animals had already perished."

The Government of Mongolia requested assistance from the United Nations to deal with the disaster in December 2000. On January 9, 2001, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) dispatched a team of disaster specialists to Mongolia. This United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team assisted the Government to assess the situation and to prepare for an international appeal for assistance.

Based on the findings of the UNDAC Team, the Government of Mongolia and United Nations launched an appeal on January 30, 2001, requesting for US$11,778,857 in assistance for Mongolians suffering from the Zud. Of this total, US$7,096,609 was requested in cash, and US$4,682,248 was requested for donation in-kind.

The funds would be channeled through the appropriate UN agencies and distributed in consultation with the related government ministries. These UN agencies include the UNDP, FAO, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, and OCHA.

On February 9, United States Ambassador to Mongolia, John Dinger, presented US$25,000 for Zud disaster relief on behalf of the United States Government. The money would be used for purchasing and transporting 40 tons of flour, 500 pairs of warm cotton pants and 500 pairs of felt boots to 4,200 people in 800 households in eight severely affected soums of Huvsgal, Govi-Altai, and Bulgan amigs.

Herdsmen in Inner Mongolia have also had a bleak Lunar New Year and will go through a long severe winter ahead. The official death toll from the worst blizzard in decades has exceeded 40, with more than 800 injured and most suffering from frostbite after the severe snowstorms earlier in the year.

Relief workers have said that many victims were badly hurt and some needed urgent surgery. Many had to have their limbs amputated. Food supplies have also been running low. Official sources have put it that 363 million hectares of grasslands in 31 banner/counties had been destroyed and 220,500 animals dead, while 386,000 homes or 1.65 million people were affected. Mr. HAO Yidong, Vice Chairman of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Government, warned that the blizzard-hit regions, mainly in Xilin Gol League, would take some months to recover. He said it would take two more months before snow started melting. Many herdsmen would have to live on outside relief for at least four months. He said that "extreme difficulties lay ahead" as the winter had not ended and more bad weather was a possibility.

The Inner Mongolia Government had started to dispatch relief materials and allocated 58 million Yuan (HK$54 million) in relief funds to the victims. According to Xinhua News Agency, 30,000 homes in the Xilin Gol grasslands were still unreachable and up to three million livestock were starving.

While the local government had promised resolute measures to ensure that the herdsmen would not starve, many families were running out of food and fuel. To highlight Central Government's concern, Vice Premier Wen Jiabao was sent to inspect the disaster-struck area and to supervise the relief work. An Inner Mongolian official said that the situation could remain dire, even when spring came, since most grassland had already been destroyed by a bad drought last year. During the blizzard, deep snow blanketed the remaining pastures on which the herdsmen feed their livestock and temperatures fell as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius.

The disaster areas fell on the majority part of the northeastern Inner Mongolia, including Xilin Gol League, Hing An League, Hulunbair League, Chit Feng, Tung Liao, totally 26 Banners/Counties.

Continuity Column
By DGE Johnson Chu

This is DGE Johnson Chu's eighth article in the series. Johnson wrote this article before he went for his training in Anaheim. In this article, he gave an account of the District Mahjong Tournament, his attendance at the Inauguration Ceremony of the HK Junior Chamber National President, his experience in accompanying DG John in his club visits, and his visit to the sister club in Osaka of 20 years. He ended with an appeal to members to attend the special joint meeting to be held on 23 February to mark the 96th Anniversary of Rotary - Ed.

Dear fellow Rotarians,

KUNG HEI FAT CHOY! The district Mahjong competition was held on Saturday, 6 January 2001 at the World Trade Centre Club. It was well participated. Mahjong is a Chinese game, supposed to be played and enjoyed by Chinese Only. Unexpectedly, there were two non-Chinese participants. I was greatly surprised that both of them were among the final 16 contestants. I had a chance to watch them play. Their technique was really superb. They spoke fluent Chinese throughout the competition. One of them is Rotarian Franco Calabrese from the Rotary Club of Peninsula, which fielded two participants, both of them advancing to the final. The game was exciting and tight. The winner was Rotarian Fredrick Ng of the Rotary Club of New Territories. He beat the first runner-up by two chits only. Congratulations to Fred.

As Governor John was engaged in another activity, I was asked to present the prizes to the winners on his behalf. The competition was extremely well organised. A vote of thanks should go to President-elect Lawrence Lok of the Rotary Club of Hong Kong Bayview.

The Inauguration Ceremony of the Hong Kong Junior Chamber was held on Sunday, 14 January 2001. I was honoured to be invited by the incoming National President Michelle Tang together with Governor John as representatives of Rotary International District 3450. The World President of Junior Chamber International was also present.

The ceremony included the inauguration of the incoming National President Michelle Tang by the outgoing National President Spencer, followed by the inauguration of the District Officers by Michelle, who then inaugurated the 18 chapter presidents and their officers. The ceremony was quite long, taking around one hour.

The Junior Chambers are dedicated and enthusiastic. They love to make new acquaintances. When I was introduced during dinner to the president of a chapter, other chapter officers came to exchange name cards with me. Chapter officers and members in the adjacent tables also came to exchange name cards. I had brought with me extra name cards, but I still ran out of cards.

There were a number of Rotarians present, including past presidents and presidents-elect. They have an age limit of 40 for membership. To maintain membership, the association has created a category called Senior Member, who are not required to do what other members aged under 40 do. The evening ended with entertainment and raffle draw.

I have personally set a target to attend all district committee meetings, particularly those in which I attend ex-officio. My target is unsuccessful because some meetings were held simultaneously. For instance, the Joint Presidents' Meeting and the Joint Secretaries' Meeting were held at the same time on Friday, 22 September 2000. I should attend five Rotary meetings on Tuesday, 17 January 2001. However, I could only attend four because the last two were held simultaneously.

I have joined District Governor John in his official visits to clubs from July 2000 to February 2001. Although I was unable to visit every club, I did visit close to 90% of all the clubs. This has given me a chance to know the clubs better. In addition to meeting presidents serving in my year of Governorship, I have learned a lot from Governor John. I am particularly impressed by his organizing ability, his technique in delivering speeches, his talent in writing letters, his knowledge in Rotary and his efficiency at work. He seldom reads from a prepared speech. I am lucky in having such a great predecessor.

My family members and I were among the delegation to visit our sister club, the Rotary Club of Shirokita, in Osaka, Japan. We have sister relation for 20 years and are closely related to each other. We visit each other every year. With no exception, we were again warmly received. The club president and other members greeted us at the airport. A formal reception dinner was arranged with about 70 participants. President Tanaka brought us to one of his restaurants for dessert after dinner. We were invited to a Hot Spring resort in the north the next day. Bento lunch, tea, beer and soft drinks were served on the coach. A delicious crabmeat dinner was arranged in the evening followed by karaoke entertainment. The trip lasted only three days, but all 17 of us appreciated deeply everything that our sister club had arranged.

Rotary was born on 23 February 1905. The day has been designated WORLD UNDERSTANDING AND PEACE DAY. This year, our district will observe this important day by organizing a joint evening meeting hosted by a number of clubs, mainly those meeting on Fridays. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this meaningful function because I will be attending the International Assembly in Anaheim, U.S.A. I sincerely wish every success for that event.

Thank you

DGE Johnson Chu

2001 District Conference
By DG John Wan

A District Conference is a meeting held annually in each district to further the programme of Rotary through fellowship, inspirational addresses, and the discussion of matters relating to club and district affairs. It is open to all Rotarians in the district and their families. This is the definition taken from the 1998 Manual of Procedure.

Cliff L Dochterman, President of Rotary International in 1992-93 observes that most Rotarians have never attended a Rotary district conference (and hence) have not experienced one of the most enjoyable and rewarding privileges of Rotary membership. Past President Cliff has further said, "Every person who attends a district conference finds that being a Rotarian becomes even more rewarding because of the new experiences, insights and acquaintances developed at the conference. Those who attend a conference enjoy going back, year after year."

A district conference is meant to showcase the programmes of Rotary and successful district and club activities. It is an opportunity to sustain and grow the membership base within the district. It is probably the single most significant event on the calendar of every district and district governor. I bet every past governor can tell you what happened during the district conference held in the year he was governor.

In order to maintain consistency and ensure quality, the RI Board has laid down certain requirements. Among others, a district conference must be not less than two entire days and no more than three days in duration. It must provide a minimum of nine hours of plenary sessions and discussion groups of Rotary content. It must provide the personal representative of the RI President with the opportunity to address the conference a minimum of two times, and with sufficient time for one of the two times to deliver a major address of 20-25 minutes at the conference session wit the maximum attendance, including spouses. Earlier, there was a suggestion that-because Hong Kong people run busy schedules-our district conference should be reduced to a one-day event. Clearly, the suggestion is not be in keeping with the policy. But even if it were, it would not be wise to schedule nine hours of Rotary content in one day.

I have mentioned in my letter on Page 2 that President Frank Devlyn has appointed Director-elect Toshio Itabashi and his spouse Ritsuko to be his and Gloria Rita's personal representatives at our District Conference. PDG Raymond Wong has talked to Director-elect Toshio in Anaheim recently and confirmed that we can expect a Rotary heavyweight.

We are having our District Conference on 7 and 8 April, and we have actually announced the dates nearly a year ago, during the last District Assembly, held on 6 May 2000. We are holding it at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

I would like all Action Presidents to make a special effort to attend and to persuade as many of your members as possible to attend, not forgetting the spouses and families, the Rotaractors and Interactors.

The theme of the Conference is about the future, and we are putting together a programme that centres on the future.

The 2001 District Conference will be different in a number of ways. First, we are having a video conference with President Frank Devlyn. The President will be conducting his Presidential Conference in Manila and will address us in a plenary session. Secondly, we are inviting interesting speakers to speak on interesting issues, employing innovative formats wherever possible. Thirdly, for the first time, we have a clear policy of not charging the New Generations. This means that all Rotaractors and Interactors will attend free if they do not have meals, as will the Rotary Alumni who are not Rotarians. Fourthly, for the first time, we will present the Budget for 2001-2002, so that all members of the District will have more than one month to study the Budget before the presidents-elect vote on it at the next District Assembly. Lastly, the Governor's Banquet will be different. It will feature an Oscar-style evening and Banquet Chairman PP Haywood has pledged that he would pull all stops to make the evening a huge success. All he needs is your presence.

In a matter of days, we would firm up the conference programme after we have firmed up the speakers. We would then announce the details as soon as possible, but I can assure you that Conference Chairman PP Kay Lau and his team will spare no efforts to make this conference an event that you will remember for a long time.

My Action Presidents, I am aware that there will be people who would say that it is expensive, that they have been to one before, that they are not sure it would be worth their time and effort to turn up, and so on. Please do not lose heart when you hear this. Rotary is not for the ordinary. Rotary is for leaders who want to serve and those who are prepared to follow the Rotary's service ideals. Do what you can to encourage and motivate your members to attend. In the years to come, you will recall fondly the achievement of your club in the year you were President, when you created awareness in your club and took action to take your members to the first district conference of a new millennium-something that you would always want to remember.

An important feature of a district conference is a "House of Friendship" which will showcase club and district projects. Please spend time with your membership to work on a display of your club's projects. We are thinking of taking some of these displays to the Rotary Convention to be held in San Antonio, Texas in June.

Action Presidents, register for the District Conference now, please.

Internet Humour
By D W W Kwok

(At least three friends, all men, have sent me a list of 14 cases about marriages. I added one. Some lines are familiar and would likely evoke a feeling of déjà vu. They do not and need not necessarily reflect views of the editors or Rotarians-Ed.)

CASE 1: Getting married is like going to a restaurant with friends. You order what you want, then when you see what the other fellow has, you wish you had ordered that.

CASE 2: At the cocktail party, one woman said to another, "Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?" The other replied, "Yes, I am. I married the wrong man."

CASE 3: Before a man is married, he is incomplete. Then when he is married, he is finished.

CASE 4: Marriage is an institution in which a man losses his bachelor's degree and the woman gets her master's status.

CASE 5: A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?" And the father replied, "I don't know son, I'm still paying for it."

CASE 6: Young son: "Is it true, Dad, I heard that in some parts of Africa, a man doesn't know his wife until he marries her?" Dad: "That happens in most countries son."

CASE 7: Then there was a man who said, "I never knew what real happiness was until I got married, and then it was too late."

CASE 8: A happy marriage is a matter of give and take; the husband gives and the wife takes.

CASE 9: When a newly married man looks happy, we know why. But when a ten-year married man looks happy, we wonder why. Affair?

CASE 10: Married life is very frustrating. In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbours listen.

CASE 11: After a quarrel, a wife said to her husband, "You know, I was a fool when I married you." And the husband replied, "Yes, dear, but I was in love and didn't notice it."

CASE 12: A man inserted an ad in the classified: "Wife wanted". The next day, he received hundreds letters. They all said the same thing "You can have mine."

CASE 13: When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: either the car is new or his wife is new.

CASE 14: A woman was telling her friend: "It is I who made my husband a millionaire." "And what was he before you married him?" the friend asked. The woman replied, "A multimillionaire."

CASE 15: There was this man who muttered a few words in the church and found himself married. A year later, he muttered a few words in his sleep and found himself divorced.

Reason, Season or A Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, your desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you some-thing you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. Thank you for being a part of my life...…

(Forwarded to me by a friend - Ed.)

Attendance Report - December 2000

Go to District Web site for the December Attendance Report

You can visit the attendance section of this web-site for the current and previous attendance reports.