Pres. Henry opened the meeting by welcoming back the Osaka delegation for R.I. Convention. Pres. Henry also made special welcome to the following visiting Rotarians and guests:
- President Peter Wu of Vancouver Chinatown (our sister club) came to visit us after his trip to RI Convention in Osaka, with three guests - his Anne Susanna and his brother Robert living in Hong Kong. Pres. Peter was also accompanied by his good friend - PP Peter Tse of TSTE. Pres. Peter Wu also welcomed our members to make up there in their Wednesday luncheon.
- PP Max Gattein (Rotary Club of Melun, in southeast Paris of France) visting us for our joint tree planting international project.
- Ms. Anita Strangl (our speaker for the meeting from Rotaplast of San Francisco), together with PDG Don Walker (Tulsa, Oklahoma of USA). Both of them were also visiting Hong Kong after the RI Convention
- Pres. Henry presented our 50th Anniversary souvenir gift to Pres. Peter Wu and exchanged banners with all three clubs. Our birthday boy was Rtn John Yao and picked his preferred song leader of Rtn Tony Loy.
- PP David Li was the SAA and reported a red box collection of HK$1,720 for our commuinity funds - with Pres. Henry contributing handsomely. While all members in the meeting received a table prize from our sister club - Osaka Jonan for their 35th anniversary celebration, the club also received a gift from Osaka Jonan and that would be put on for auction in our June 23 luncheon meeting - presumeably our "biggest auction day for the year".
- Pres. Henry has one announcement - proposing our members to join PDG Uncle Peter and to attend the Friday event of Rotary Club of Hong Kong Norht East - having their June 5 (Friday) luncheon at the World Trade Centre in Causway Bay, with the presence of RI Past Ptresident Cliff Dochterman and his 24 people delegation.
- PP Max Gattein of Rotary club of Melun made a presentation of their international project (with Hong Kong Island East to be their joint partner in Asia) - "Fighting agaist desertification:":
- Pres. Didier Grenier (2004-5) and Project Director Guy Millant of Rotary Club of Melun were the active proposers of this meaningful Planting Tree Project. So far, 32 Rotary Clubs have engaged (all are 50th Anniversary clubs), and target to invited 18 clubs more.
- The original project budget was US$400,000 (expecting US$20,000 by 50 participating clubs + US$5,000 by the District 1770 + RI Matching Grant of US$15,000)
- This project was endorsed by Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome and the scope was extended to US$50,000 and planning to help support of a forestry school.
- The project inauguration for planting one million trees would be in second quarter of 2005 in Angola (Africa) and expecting an official opening by 2004-2005 RI President Glenn E. Estess and FAO Chief - Mr. Jacques Diouf. The members of our club were encouraged to plan on attending the inauguration of this meaningful porject in Luanda (Capital of Angola ) next yuear.
- The speaker of our meeting was Ms. Anita Strangl (non-executive director of Rotaplast) a San Francisco based non-porfit organization that facilitated surgical mission to developeing countries to treat children born with the cleft lip and palate anomaly (commonly known as hare lip, it is where the skin and tissue do not develope normally below the nose during pregnancy).
- The Rotoplast was founded in 1992 and in collaboration with the Rotary Club of San Francisco to facilitate a cleft lip surgical program to Chile.
- The Rotoplast program had grown from one surgical mission in 1993 (US$350,000 worth of donated service to 132 patients ) to 14 surgical mission in 2003 (US$6.6 milliion worth of donated services and supplies for 1,147 patients)
- The program objective was a free and reconstructive surgery to help suffering children and adults to gain self respect and avoid discrimnation for their deformed looking - creating "the value of changing life".
- The first Rotaplast mission in China was their Jiujang project in 2002 and participated by the Provisional Club of Shanghai.
- Rotaplast is targeting their 2004 China mission in Chengdu City and planning to raise funds iof US$70,000 (about US$30,000 for airfare for the voluntary medical staff and US$40,000 for the supplies) and expecting to generate a worth of donated services of US$570,000.
- After a touching presentation of the Rotaplast video show, Pres. Henry then closed the luncheon meeting and proposed a toast to RI coupled with the Rotary club of Vancouver Chinatown.
Rotary Information The 35th Anniversary Celebration of our sister club Osaka Jonan Cum
95th Annual RI Convention in Osaka, Japan- On behalf of President Henry Chan, P.E. Rudy Law headed a delegation of 20 HKIE members and families to attend our sister club's 35th Charter Anniversary on the 21st to 23rd May, 2004. The group consisted of the following participants :
PDG Peter Hall and daughter Emily
PDG Y K Cheng with Rtyanne Irene and daughter
PP Andrew Chen
PP John Kwok
PP Stephen & Rtyanne Christina and son Alex
VP Robert Lai and Rtyanne Millay
Rtn. Francis Li
Rtn. Eddy Wong
Rtn. Heron Chan
Rtn. Laurence Chan and Rtyanne Jennie
Rtn. Andy Wong and Rtyanne Angela
Leader Rudy Law.- We were greeted at the Kansai airport upon arrival on 21st May, and checked in the Miyako Hotel, followed by a big welcome dinner at the Taiko-en, a Japanese Garden Restaurant with entertainments, such as Japanese Geisha dance, karaoke, etc.
- The official ceremony started on the evening of the 22nd May at the Miyako Hotel. There were a lot of speeches with instant interpretation. Our leader Rudy also delivered a short message of felicitation in English and interpreted in Japanese by Alex, the son of PP Stephen Liu. Exchange of souvenirs was held at the stage and later, PDG Peter handed to President Toshiro Ue our club's contribution of Japanese Yen 400,000.- for their community service projects.
- After the official function, we were treated to the bar at the top floor of the hotel to cement better friendship which ended at ll.00 p.m. In high spirit, all went back to their hotel rooms (I think).
- During the day, we have been looked after by their Rotaryannes who guided us to Kyoto for sight-seeing and rickshaw ride. A sumptuous Japanese lunch was arranged for us. We were showered with their generosity and kindness since arrival.
- On the 3rd day, our group attended the opening session of the RI World Convention at the Osaka-dome while some of the delegates returned to Hong Kong earlier. It had been a successful convention with an estimated number of registrants around 47,000 from 111 countries.
- The Plenary Session was opened with a performance of Kongoryu, a Noh theatre group that incorporated elements of dance, drama, music and poetry. Dr. Genshitsu Sen, Convention Committee chair called the meeting to order. Joining him on stage were Osaka Prefecture Governor Fusao Ohta and Osaka Mayor Junnich Seki who welcomed all Rotarians and guests to the city.
- The traditional and inspirational ceremony presenting all the flags of the Rotary world followed by the introduction of RI President Jonathan B. Majiyabe. The entertainment featured two acclaimed Japanese opera stars - soprano Shinobu Sato and tenor Taro Ichihara with an orchestra followed by Brazilian, African and Japanese percussion artists.
- During the convention, various workshops were prepared with speakers and moderators on the following topics :
The Rotary Foundation - An Update
PolioPlus
Humanitarian Grants Programme
Literacy and Education
TRF Educational Programme, etc.- The closing ceremony on the 26th May was most colourful, much better than the 1st Plenary Session. A blind tenor together with a blonde soprano attracted the audience by their talents. The audience was also treated to an array of Japanese artists, including Hideki Togi, a renounced flutist famous for his Japanese court music.
- As usual, the curtain was lowered by singing the Auld Lang Syne both in Japanese and English. See you all in Chicago, USA on the 18th to 22nd June 2005, the centennial year of Rotary when we shall hold our world convention.
- All in all, it was a fine Convention except a long delay occurred at the opening session. Due to long waiting, some of the participants who were at the fully packed Osaka-dome much earlier, left their seats.
- Sayonara !
Joke & Cartoon Four guys who worked together always golfed as a group at 7:00 a.m.on Sunday. Unfortunately, one of them got transferred out of town and they were talking about trying to fill out the foursome. A woman standing near said, "Hey, I like to golf, can I join the group?" They were hesitant, but said she could come once to try it and they could see what they thought.
They all agreed and she said, "Good, I'll be there at 6:30 or 6:45." She showed up right at 6:30, and wound up shooting 5-under par round. The guys went nuts and everyone in the clubhouse congratulated her. Besides that, she was fun and pleasant the entire round. The guys invited her back the next week and she said, "Sure, I'll be here at 6:30 or 6:45."
Again, she showed up at 6:30 Sunday morning. Only this time, she played left-handed, and matched her 5-under par score of the previous week. By now the guys were totally amazed, and they asked her to join the group for keeps.
They had a beer after their round, and one of the guys asked her, "How do you decide if you're going to golf right-handed or left-handed?" She said, "That's easy. My husband sleeps nude. Before I leave for the golf course, I pull the covers off my sleeping husband. If it's pointing to the right, I golf right-handed. If it's pointed to the left, I golf left-handed."
One of the guys asked, "What if it's pointed straight up?" She said "Then I'll be here at 6:45.
Photographs of our meeting
on
2nd June, 2004
Ms. Anita Strangl is our speaker for today. Her subject is concerning Rotaplast Foundation.
HS Eddy enjoys the company of PDG Don Walker (Tulsa, USA) & Pres. Peter Wu (our sister club - Vancouver Chinatown).
Birthday boy John Yao has a wonderful celebration with PP Li (Acting SAA), PP Peter Tse (TSTE) RtnanneSusanna, her in-law Robert, & Rtn Tony. PP Tim enjoyued the fellowship of PP Stephen, Heron, Jason & PP Hubert.
Pres. Henry presented our 50th Anniversary gift to Pres. Peter of Vancouver Chinatown. Pres. Henry exchanged banners with PP Max Gattein (RC of Melun, France) 
Program Chairman Tony presenting our guest speaker. Pres. Henry presented the club banners and her photo to our guest speaker, Ms Anita Strangl (Rotaplast).
The group photo of visiting Rotarians & guests on 2nd June, 2004. previous home
