Rotary Club - HK East Newsletter October 10th, 2007

The weekly luncheon was held in the Victoria Room, 3/F, Regal Hotel, Causeway Bay. President Laurence was in the chair and 13 members were in attendance.

Visiting Rotarians included PP Vivian Fung and PP Simon Wong, both from Peninsula Sunrise. PP Vivian was looking after Rotarian Ambassadorial Scholar Juliana Hagembe from Nairobi, Kenya. PP Simon was our speaker of the day. Rotarian Patricia Dwyer, from the Rotary Club of Watertown, Connecticut, and also the Fellowship Chairperson of District 7890, USA, exchanged banners with us. We had two visitors, Ms Idy Lam, guest of Dir Eric; and Ms Aster Lo, guest of PP Hubert; both from HK.

SAA Dir Heman reported the intake for the red box at $900.

There was no birthday boy in this meeting. President Laurence informed us of the Rotary District 3450 Family Sports & Fun Day to be held on Sunday 9th December 2007 from 9.00 am to 4.30pm at Kowloon Tsai Sports Ground.

President Laurence was under the impression that we had not participated in this event before. This was not totally the case as the club joined in as recent as when PP Rudy was the president. So, the participation would be revived this year and hopefully also later.

Juliana Hagembe, Rotarian Ambassadorial Scholar, next spoke to us. She is from Nairobi, Kenya, daughter of a prominent orthopaedic surgeon. She studied for 5 years in the US on biochemistry, graduating with a master degree and was sponsored by the District of Michigan Rotary Clubs to study public health in HK. She told us about the Ambassadorial Scholar scheme which was started in 1947 with 36,000 scholars so far. The scheme allowed scholars to study for 6 months in a city never visited before by the candidate and aimed to provide mutual understanding and cooperation. She will address the club more fully at a later date on her own country, Kenya.

Dir Eric then introduced our speaker PP Simon Wong from Peninsula Sunrise. PP Simon had been with the Salvation Army for 20 years and was currently a director of the disaster aid. He addressed us previously after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami on disaster relief in Sri Lanka as we were one of the major RC which responded to the aid soon after the event, with milk powder, condensed milk, tents and household items etc.

This time, he spoke on Mission Possible- Building of New Community after the tsunami in Sri Lanka, where 41,000 people died. After the urgent daily needs of the victims were taken care of, came the need of repair, rebuilding, recovery and post-traumatic counseling.

The Salvation Army had been in Sri Lanka for more than 100 years, and was the first outside disaster relief agency to arrive after the tsunami, and in areas such as Jaffna, where the government battled the Tamil Tigers, the only foreign agency in operation.

Projects such as Jaffna Recovery system, Hikaduwa, Galle/Kalutara, Rotary Permanent Houses Program (14 homes of stone houses built by District 3450) etc were discussed. Small loans for the victims to start work and business again, such as barber shop, sewing machines, training classes were given with good control. Trauma Counseling Programme was the biggest in the country, with 14 teams and 100 well trained counselors. There was also a mobile medical clinic. The ethos of service was that of the Salvation Army motto "Heart to God and Hand to man".

Q & A followed but was limited by time, and PP Simon was thanked by Sec Norman. The meeting ended with a toast to Rotary International coupled with the District 7890 and to the Rotary clubs of Watertown in the United States and Peninsula Sunrise in Hong Kong.

History of The Rotary Foundation (Cont'd)

Matching Funds for PolioPlus Partners
Since the Polio Eradication Fundraising Campaign (PEFC) ended in 2005, fundraising for PPP, in addition to PolioPlus, remains a priority. The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation recognize the significant funding needs for PPP and will continue to match both cash and District Designated Funds (DDF) contribution US$.50 for every US$1.00 up to US$1 million in 2007-08. This matching opportunity is an incentive for individuals, clubs, and districts to make a contribution to PolioPlus Partners in 2007-08.

RI President honored
On June 29, 2007, Her Excellency the Right Honorable Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada, appointed Wilfred Wilkinson to the Order of Canada for a life time of volunteer service to the community. The Order of Canada is the nation's highest civilian decoration. RI President Wilkinson is the Canada PolioPlus National Advocacy Advisor and a member of the PolioPlus Partners Task Force.

District News
District 3450 ranked the 3rd place during the year 2006-2007 World-wide Contribution to the Rotary Foundation.

The First and Second places went to District 4420 Brazil Sao Paulo and District 3750 in Korea respectively.

New Provisional Rotary Club formed
Recently, a new Provisional Rotary Club was established in district 3450 know as Rotary Club of Hong Kong Financial Centre which temporary meets at the Chinese General Chamber Club in Connaught Road Central, 7th floor on every Thursday at 7.00 p.m. Its charter president is PP Joe Joe Chan, formerly of Rotary Club of Shatin. It will be a convenient place to make up attendance. It will move to IFC, also in Central later, upon receiving its charter certificate in November 2007. This is a Chinese speaking club.

New Executive Secretary in RIC
After the departure of Ms Sonia So, Executive Secretary of RIC in August 2007, the management recruited a new executive secretary Ms Melody Kwok as from 24th September 2007. In addition, a new member Ms Sherman Wong had been hired. Altogether, with the incumbent assistant Ms Loretta Au, we have now a full team of 3 staff to provide services to our members in RIC.

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Club News – Pres. Laurence Chan, AG Eddie Wong, PE Andy Wong, PP John Kwok & Rtn John Yao attended the Rotary International District 3450 (Hong Kong, Macau & Mongolia) Intercity Luncheon Meeting on 9th Oct held at JW Marriott Hotel to welcome PRIP Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar. See also photos enclosed.

Update on Project CD Events (a project for "Competence Dynamic" enhancement of our existing and potential rotaractors in leadership) planned by the Rotaract Club of HK Island East:-

Date	Event	Partner	In Charge	Status
20/10	Elderly Service (Home Visit & Health Care)	SKH Tung Chung ISC	IPP Mimi Lau	Confirmed
17/11	Visit to Crossroads Village (Life X-perience) Reception: Rotaract Club of Guia	Crossroads International	Pres. Ming	Confirmed
18/11	Reception: Rotaract Club of Guia (Tour to NT North West)		Pres. Ming	Confirmed
21/11 or 28/11, 12/12 or 19/12	Visit to Children's Hospital (Host activities for children; 19:00-21:00)	The Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital		Proposal under preparation
22/11	PD Talk + CD Workshop		Sam, Jason	Under preparation
25/11	Training for Outing with the Elderly (with elderly volunteers)	SKH Tung Chung ISC		Further discussion required
9/12 or 10/12	Outing with the Elderly and the disabled	SKH Tung Chung ISC		Further discussion required
23/12	1. Competence Dynamic Training Camp: Pre-camp briefing & CD Workshop 2. Christmas Party	Rotaract Club of Kingspark	Pres. Ming Kaho, Kenny	Further discussion required
29-30/12	Competence Dynamic Training Camp		Pres. Ming	Confirmed

Truck for sale!!!

A fifteen year-old boy came home with a new Chevrolet Avalanche and his parents began to yell and scream, "Where did you get that truck???!!!"

He calmly told them, "I bought it today."
"With what money?" demanded his parents. They knew what a Chevrolet Avalanche cost.

"Well," said the boy, "this one cost me fifteen dollars."

So the parents began to yell even louder.
"Who would sell a truck like that for fifteen dollars?" they said.

"It was the lady up the street," said the boy. I don't know her name - they just moved in. She saw me ride past on my bike and asked me if I wanted to buy a Chevrolet Avalanche for fifteen dollars."

"Oh my Goodness!" moaned the mother, "she must be a child abuser. Who knows what she will do next? John, you go right up there and see what's going on."

So the boy's father walked up the street to the house where the lady lived and found her out in the yard calmly planting petunias!

He introduced himself as the father of the boy to whom she had sold a new Chevrolet Avalanche for fifteen dollars and demanded to know why she did it.

"Well," she said, "this morning I got a phone call from my husband. I thought he was on a coffee break, but learned from a friend he had run off to Hawaii with his mistress and really doesn't intend to come back. He claimed he was stranded and asked me to sell his new Chevrolet Avalanche and send him the money. So I did."


Pres. Laurence Chan, PE Andy Wong, PP John Kwok & Rtn John Yao attended the Intercity Meeting on 09 Oct held at JW Marriott Hotel	Hon. Sec. Norman Lee, visitor Rotary Patricia Dwyer from Rotary Club of Watertown, Connecticut, USA & our Rtn. Nancy Yee


Ms Juliana Hagembe from Kenya, Rotary Ambassador Scholar 07-08, speaker PP Simon Wong of Rotary Club Peninsula Sunrise & Pres. Laurence Chan	Aster Lo, guest of PP Hubert Chan, PP Stephen Liu, Hon. Tres. PP Rudy Law, Idy Lam, guest of Rtn Eric Chin


Pres. Laurence Chan exchange banner with Ms Juliana Hagembe - Rotary Ambassador Scholar 07-08	Pres. Laurence Chan exchange banner with Ms Patricia Dwyer - Rotary Club of Watertown, Connecticut, USA


Ms Juliana Hagembe from Kenya, Rotary Ambassador Scholar 07-08	PP Simon Wong of Peninsula Sunrise talk about the work of Salvation Army


Group picture with guests & speaker	Choi Chun School Swimming Team

Part of the swimming team students of Choi Chun School under the sponsorship of our community service project "Swimming Above Self" to enhance their health and self confidence

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