Letters to the Editor

Please send your comments to Managing Editor PDG Y K Cheng c/o Rotary Information Centre
14/F Capitol Commercial Building, 26 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
Phone:    (852) 2576 4343
Fax:         (852) 2895 0237
E-mail:    ykchkcpl@netvigator.com

District 3450 supports Year of Volunteers - Governor's Monthly Letter - By DG John Wan
January Governor's Monthly Letter in Chinese
District Interact News - By District Interact Committee Chairman Dominic Ko
Continuity Column - By DGE Johnson Chu
Instructions for Your Life - A Nepalese Tantra Totem
An Evergreen Tale
Obituary
Attendance Report - November 2000

District 3450 supports Year of Volunteers
 
United Nations has designated 2001 the International Year of Volunteers. In Hong Kong, the Agency for Volunteer Service has set up a Steering Committee to promote volunteer service. DG John Wan represents District 3450 on the Committee.

District Governor John Wan first learnt about 2001 being designated International Year of Volunteers (IYV) in November 1999 when he attended a United Nations function hosted by the Hong Kong Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS). He has been having on-going discussions with AVS at different levels on how Rotarians in the District can partner with AVS on community service projects.

At the District Installation Meeting in June 2000, District 3450 and AVS signed a Friendship and Co-operation Agreement, and Governor John Wan was invited to be a member of the Organizing Committee for the 2001 International Year of Volunteers.

In May 2000, Governor John Wan announced the District Goals for 2000-01. One of the goals is to participate proactively in the IYV as a means to achieve the RI objective to create media awareness of Rotary and to promote the image of Rotary in the community.

The Organizing Committee launched a kick-off ceremony of the IYV on 1 December 2000. Our District sponsored a photo exhibition at the podium level of Lippo Centre in Queensway and Secretary for Home Affairs W K Lam officiated on the occasion. The Exhibition featured volunteers in action and lasted five days.

On 7 January 2001, the District partnered with Lions Clubs International District 303 and Hong Kong Junior Chamber in the Hong Kong Walk organized by the Community Chest. That morning, Rotarians, Lions and JCs donned smart hats bearing all three logos and the theme "Support Volunteers." For pictures of the Walk, go the District Album of the District Web Site.

On 21 January 2001, the Organizing Committee organized a Joint Exhibition and Recruitment Drive at the Open Piazza of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre at Tsim Sha Tsui. The event involved no less than 13 youth organizations (mainly uniformed groups) as well as the Home Affairs Bureau and Radio Television Hong Kong. Governor John Wan was at the Opening Ceremony, as were a number of Rotarians.

We also understand that the District is considering producing a coffee table publication featuring volunteers at work. It would be a good PR initiative.

There are a number of District committees involved in promoting participation and awareness of the IYV, including the Create Awareness Committee, Public Relations and Rotary's Image Committee, and Partnering with other Organizations Committee. They all operate under the direction of District Information Coordinator PDG Y K Cheng who is also Managing Editor of the District Bulletin.

January GML in Chinese
[Already uploaded]

News from Interact District Committee
By District Interact Committee Chairman Dominic Ko

Visitors from Penang, District 3300

Twenty Interactors from Penang, Malaysia visited Hong Kong between 19 and 24 December, 2000. They were led by Rotarian Tan Gin Soon, the New Generations Director of the Rotary Club of Penang and his Rotaryanne. The Interactors came from eight different schools in Penang. The Rotary Club of Penang has sponsored 10 Interact clubs out of 11 in Penang. In August 2000, the Interactors of our District together with the Interactors of District 2660 Osaka, Japan visited Penang. The visit marked the beginning of a friendship between Hong Kong and Penang and the visit in December was the return visit by the Interactors from Penang.

The Group arrived Hong Kong on 19 December 2000. On arrival, they went to Shenzhen immediately for two days and came back to Hong Kong by train on 21 December 2000 during school hours. Nevertheless, we managed to have more than ten Interactors and three Rotarians to greet them at the Mongkok Station. In the afternoon, they were divided into four groups. Each group visiting one school. The four schools were La Salle College, Clementi Secondary School, Shaukeiwan East Government Secondary School and St. Mark's School. The visits gave the Interactors a very good opportunity to understand the difference in the education systems between the two places. They all felt very excited during and after the visits. The visits had been made possible with the full support of the Interactors and their school Principals. Everyone agreed that it was very a successful programme.

On 22 December 2000, the Group had sightseeing in the morning before visiting the Ocean Park in the afternoon. In the evening, the Joint Interact Council, together with New Method College, Sir Ellis Kadoorie Secondary School and St. Joseph's College organised the Interact Night to welcome our visitors. About 80 Interactors from Hong Kong participated and nearly all the member schools sent representatives to attend. Naturally, the organising schools had more Interactors attending than the others. That evening had given the Interactors of both Districts a really good opportunity for cultural exchange and for developing friendship, in line with Interact's objective of international understanding. The Interact Night was well supported by Rotarians from sponsor clubs. There were more than 20 Rotarians and Interact Advisors present, including our DG John Wan, DGE Johnson Chu, New Generations Coordinator PDG Joseph Lee and PDG Anthony Hung. The overall attendance at the evening, including the visitors, was around 130.

The visitors were caught by traffic jams and the programme was delayed by more than one hour. The Interact Night started with an inspiring welcome speech from DG John Wan, followed by a reply from Rotarian Tan Gin Soon. It was then show time for the Interactors from Hong Kong and Penang. The performances by the Chinese Orchestra of Ying Wa College, the solo singing and the Chinese cultural dance by New Method College were very good. The modern dance and group singing performed by the Interactors of Penang were outstanding, suggesting that dancing is very popular in Malaysia and that they dance much better than their Hong Kong counterparts in general. The whole evening was warm and friendly. After dinner, the Interactors tried to take as many photographs as they could and were reluctant to leave before 12 mid-night.

On 23 December 2000, the Interactors of both Districts visited the Cheshire Home, Shatin. There were about 60 in the visiting group, including Rotarians. The Interactors performed dances and singing and organised some games for the disabled patients in the Cheshire Home. The Interactors from both Penang and Hong Kong also brought some gifts for the disabled. The visit had helped to create awareness of the needs of the disabled on the one hand and enabled the Interactors to take action on the other. This is essential, for Interactors are doers who desire to solve problems and improve the quality of life of the less fortunate in their community and around the world. After the visit, the Interactors from Penang were divided into four groups again for lunch with the Interactors of Hong Kong. They were taken to different areas to see some local highlights. In the evening, they all regrouped together for a barbecue at the golf driving range centre at Sai Kung. After the barbecue, they were split up again into groups and taken around town to enjoy the Christmas lights of Hong Kong.

On 24 December 2000, the visitors left Hong Kong. The visit gave our Interactors a lot of international exposure and enabled the many Interact Clubs to work together. It was clear that our visitors had enjoyed our hospitality very much. We have received invitations to visit them again during the summer vacation for a 5-days-4-nights trip during which they will host us at their homes. They have also requested that these visits be continued every year in order to strengthen the bond between Interactors of both Districts. It is great to receive such an invitation and our Interact Committee will certainly consider the matter most seriously.

District Conference - 10 February 2001

The Annual District Conference of the Joint Interact Council will be held on 10 February 2001 from 8:30am to 1:30pm at St. Joseph's College, 7 Kennedy Road. All are welcome. Please contact me.

Continuity Column
By DGE Johnson Chu

(This is DGE Johnson Chu's seventh article in the series. Johnson wrote this article on 29 December 2000 and recalled how he spent the New Year's Eve of 1999 with his family. He counted himself lucky to have played a part in the new millennium. and reported on the special meeting of the Interactors in December. He then urged clubs to send him their Club Officers Report Form as soon as possible. He also outlined the time-tables for AG training, PETS and District Assembly and ended with his very warm seasonal greetings - Ed.)

My Fellow Rotarians,

The Year 2000 is coming to an end. The economy in Hong Kong is gradually recovering from the 1997 financial turmoil, although not everyone is fortunate enough to benefit from the recovery. This could be reflected in the slow membership growth among Rotary clubs in District 3450. We are still having difficulties recruiting new members as well as retaining existing members. Chartering of new clubs could be even more difficult.

After the Christmas of 1999, my spouse and I accompanied our son back to University of Toronto, Canada. We had a chance to spend the New Year in Canada once again. On New Year's Eve, we stayed at home, watching television, enjoying the Millennium Celebration all over the world, starting from celebration activities organized by countries in Down Under Australia to cities like Beijing, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Moscow and New Delhi. My eldest brother and his spouse usually sleep rather early. I was surprised to find that they were also watching the celebrations until long after mid-night. I absolutely agree with their choice because I think we are exceptionally lucky to be in this world at the turn of a new Millennium, which falls in our lifetime when we are grown up enough to understand and to appreciate.

A group of Interactors led by Rotarian Tan Gin Soon, Director of New Generation Service 2000-2001, visited Hong Kong during the week before Christmas. These Interactors are all members of 10 interact clubs sponsored by the Rotary Club of Penang, Malaysia in District 3300. Have you ever heard that one single Rotary club alone sponsors 10 Interact clubs? This is a good example of how Rotarians may help the New Generations. It is important that we do so, for they will be our future leaders, both in Rotary and in the community.

One of the objectives of Interact is to develop international understanding. The purpose of their visit to Hong Kong is to try to achieve this. The District Interact Committee in our District 3450 had arranged for them to visit schools with Interact Clubs and to visit the Chelshire Home, where they entertained the handicapped with their performance.

All Rotary clubs should have their Annual General Meetings held latest by 31 December 2000. The Secretary of each club should send the original copy of the Club Officers Report Form (2001-2002) to Rotary International World Headquarters, with a copy each to DG John and myself. I have only received six Report Forms. May I once again remind all current Secretaries to send me a copy of the Report Form of your club so that I would have a complete record of all club presidents and club secretaries for the Rotary Year 2001-2002.

I would like to announce that my District Trainer for Rotary Year 2001-2002 will be PDG Arthur Au. Details of district meetings are as follows:

Assistant Governors Training

Date: 10 March 2001
Venue: Rotary Information Centre
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00p.m.

Presidents-Elect Training Seminar (PETS)

Date: 24 March 2001
Venue: The Hong Kong Jockey Club (Shan Kwong Road Club House)
Time: 8:45a.m. to 4:00p.m.

District Assembly

Date: 12 May 2001
Venue: Miramar Hotel
Time: 8:30a.m. to 4:00p.m.

All Assistant Governors and District Secretaries for 2001-2002 shall be required to attend the Training Seminar. Attendance at PETS is mandatory for all Presidents-elect and incoming secretaries for 2001-2002. All club officers and committee chairpersons for 2001-2002 and new club members should attend the District Assembly.

The Year of the Dragon will leave us soon. The Year of the Snake is approaching. May I wish every Rotarian, his or her spouse and family a very happy and prosperous New Year. Good health!

Talk to you again.

Instructions for Your Life
A Nepalese Tantra Totem

(You could have come across this recently through the internet. A friend sent it to me recently and assured me that it was really worth reading and that it is virus-free. Reading it on the screen is a real pleasant experience, aesthetic and even ecstatic. The problem is that it takes a while to download the file, which is why I have decided to print it without the picturesque graphics. The message came with a instructions like what one finds in a user manual. like instructions. Here they are, from the sender, not me - Ed.)

User Instructions

The Tantra came from India. It doesn't matter whether you are superstitious or not. It is a Nepalese TANTRA TOTEM for good luck. You will be greeted with good luck four days up on receiving and reading it. Send copies to whoever you want to wish good luck. There are many. If you forget someone but have them in your heart, they will also be lucky.

Do not keep this message. The TANTRA TOTEM must be out of your hands in 96 hours. Send copies and observe what happens. During the next four days you will receive a pleasant surprise. This is true, even if you don't believe.

Send this message to at least 5 persons, and your life will improve;
0-4 persons : you'll experience a slight improvement.
5-9 persons : your life will improve accordingly to what you hoped for.
9-14 persons : you'll get at least 5 good surprises in the next 4 days.
15-or more persons : your life will improve drastically, and your dreams will start to come true.

Instructions for Your Life

· Eat lots of rye rice.
· Give people more than what they want, and do it with all your heart.
· Memorize your favorite poem.
· Do not believe everything you hear, do not spend all you have, and do not sleep for as long as you wish.
· Whenever you say "I love You", mean it.
· Whenever you say "I'm sorry", look the person right in the eyes.
· Believe in love at first sight.
· Never ignore someone's dreams.
· Love deeply and passionately, you may get hurt, but this is the only way to live life completely.
· Tackle any disagreements in a clean manner, do not offend.
· Never judge a person based on their relatives.
· Speak slowly, but think fast.
· Whenever someone asks you something you don't want to answer, smile and ask "Why do you want to know"?
· Remember that the deepest love and the greatest achievements are the ones bearing the most risk.
· Call your mother. If you can't, at least think of her.
· Say "Bless you" whenever someone sneezes.
· If you happen to lose, do not miss the lesson.
· Remember the 3 R's : Respect yourself, Respect everyone else, and be Responsible for all of your actions.
· Do not allow a little dispute to put an end to a great friendship.
· Whenever you notice you've made a mistake, do all what is necessary to fix it Immediately.
· Smile whenever you pick up the phone, for the caller will be able to notice it.
· Marry to a person that likes to chat, for when your old age comes, chatting will be one of the best qualities you can find in someone.
· Spend sometime alone.
· Embrace changes, but do not repudiate your own values.
· Remember that sometimes silence is the best answer.
· Read more books and watch less TV.
· Lead a good and honest life. Like this, when you are old and remember the past, you will see how you can enjoy it all once again.
· Trust GOD, but lock your car well.
· A good atmosphere in your home is important.
· Do whatever is possible to keep your home peaceful and harmonious.
· If you have a quarrel with someone close to you, try to solve only the present issue.
· Do not revolve the past.
· Read inbetween the lines.
· Share your knowledge. It's a way of achieving immortality.
· Be gentle towards our Planet …
· Do not block Mother Nature.
· Keep yourself busy only with your own matters.
· Do not trust a partner that never closes his/her eyes when kissing you.
· At least once a year, visit somewhere you have never been to.
· If you make lots of money, do some charity while alive. That's the best reward fortune can provide you with.
· Remember that sometimes an under-achievement is good luck.
· Learn well all the rules, so as to know how to break them in the proper manner.
· Remember: the best relationship is the one where the love of one for another matters more than the need to be with each other.
· Judge your level of success from what you have had to renounce to achieve it.
· Face love and cooking with absolute commitment, not expecting too much in return.

An Evergreen Tale
"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

One day when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friend tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him; and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives." He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"

There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would never have hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.

I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him. And my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Damn boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than me and all the girls loved him! Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach.....but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give him. I am going to tell you a story."

I looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so that his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth.

Never underestimate the power of your action. Your one small gesture can change a person's life. For better or for worse, God put us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

You now have two choices, you can either pass this on to your friends; or delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart. As you can see, I took the first choice. "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

Obituary

We are saddened that Lady Ivy Fung Kan Shiu Han, OBE, JP passed away early January 2001. Our thoughts go to PDG Sir Kenneth Fung and the family.

Attendance Report - November 2000

Go to District Web site for the November Attendance Report

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