Last Meeting Report

At the stroke of one, your scribe was running up the stairs to the Bayview Room on the heels of Rtn. Agnes Mak, who remarked that she was glad that she was not the last one to arrive at our regular luncheon meeting.

Upon signing in, your scribe was informed by Rtn. Deborah that Rtn. Bernie was still in Japan. She asked me to volunteer for acting scribe as well as press photographer. Knowing how much work Deborah puts in for the bulletin, I just cannot say no.

It was a small but exclusive group that met, filling just two tables. Rtn. Marion had driven all the way from her office in Kwai Chung to attend the meeting.

Perhaps still recovering from the District Conference, President Nick had trouble recalling Fellowship Chairman P.P. Raymond's name. First calling him P.P. Rex and then "the other P.P. Lu". Sergeant-at-arms Fali chose not to fine our President. It was certainly not due to a lack of evidence.

P.P. Raymond introduced two club guests, Mrs. Kathleen Cook and Mr. Spencer So. We had one visiting Rotarian, T.H. Chung from the Rotary Club of Hong Kong Northeast, our sister club.

President Nick recovered to perform faultlessly the welcome task of inducting a new member, Rtn. Gerald Mille, classification: construction, introduced by P.P. Niels Kraunsoe.

Our speaker was Dr. Royer Cook, President of the Institute for Social Analysis, who spoke on "Promoting a healthy workforce in the 21st Century."

Dr. Cook started by saying that though the World Health Organization is reporting life expectancies increasing by 10 to 20 years, more people are dying from non-communicable diseases, such as a high fat diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and alcohol abuse.

Everyone wants to live longer, expecting more and better health care. The costs will only increase.

A healthy workforce will make a company more efficient, reduce health care costs, and can only help the bottom line.

Management should promote a smoke free, drug free workplace. They should help with stress management, promote healthy eating, weight control, fitness, substance abuse, smoking cessation.

Rotarians were happy to learn that alcohol in moderation is healthy, but the cheesecake dessert is less so.

While companies should provide the information, the worker should take responsibility for his own health.

More information is available at his company's web site at http://www.isagroup.com

Busy with writing and taking photos, your scribe did not realize that he was the winner of the raffle prize until alerted to the fact by visiting Rotarian Tze Hien. The prize was a book "Keys to Imagination" by Bernard Chan.

The meeting closed with a toast to the Rotary Club of Hong Kong Northeast.