| Lunch
Meeting of 26th February 2004 |
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Dinner Meeting at the Hong Kong Golf Club
on 26th February 2004 at 13:00 by Lillian Lau
IPP
Bernie stood in for President Peter this evening. We have 3
visiting Rotarians. President Issei Mori and the International
Service Chairman Shigeru Hamada from our sister club Yokohama
Midori in Yokohama, Japan. The other visiting Rotarian is from
Rotary Club of HK.
President
Issei Mori on behalf of his club, donated HK$6,100.00 to our
Leprosy Project. He said that there are still cases of leprosy
in Japan. He hoped through efforts like ours, leprosy will
decrease in China. Mr. Hamada gave us a brief introduction of
Osaka where Rotary International Convention 2004 will take
place coming May. Osaka began to develop as a prosperous city
attracting many people offering opportunities for exchange
since some 1,400 years ago. In the Middle Ages, Osaka
developed as a temple town and is where Ishiyama Honganji
Temple is located. Osaka served as a key place to be included
in the itinerary of pilgrims. In modern times, Osaka developed
into a major city in Japan where many industries are located.
Though a modern city, Osaka is a city where precious
historical and cultural heritages are intact. Rtn. Hamada
informed us that Rotary Club of Yokohama Midori will have
about 18 members attending the convention and said that will
provide a good opportunity for us to have a meet at the
Convention this coming May.
For
your diary
Forthcoming
Fellowship Events
MARCH –
Wine Tasting and Buffet Dinner at HK Golf Club, Deep Water Bay
Thursday 18 March 2004 (evening)
There
will be eleven different types of wine, four whites and seven
reds, from 9 regions in Italy. We are promoting this even to
other Rotary Clubs in HK. This will be a great opportunity to
invite your guests along for the Wine Tasting. So make it a
point to invite your guests early for the Wine Tasting evening
and let Lillian know the number of guests you will bring
along.
APRIL -
Spring Dinner - Thursday15th April 2004 (evening)
MAY -
Race Night and Buffet Dinner - Wednesday, 5th May 2004
(evening)
JUNE -
Tour and Golfing Day at Zhuhai
Details
for each event will be announced later.
Today’s Speaker - PP Paul Young spoke on the “Urban
Council?” PP Paul was a member of two District Board (DB)
1982-1988 and Urban Council (UC) between 1987-1995. Its
beginning goes back as far as 1883 as The Sanitary Board.
Epidemic caused by Malaria and subsequent Bubonic Plague in
the 1894 lasting almost 30 years highlighted the importance of
the function of the Council in local management. The Colonial
Governor in the early forties, Sir Mark YOUNG proposed to
progressively give greater say to the local in running their
city more in line of other Municipal Councils in UK. The idea
was shelved under Governor Sir Alexander Grantham. The UC with
elected members from various districts, appointed members from
various walks of life and official from relevant government
departments was given Financial (Income from part of the
Rates) and Administrative autonomy in 1973 and can make by-law
for the approval of the Legislature. Much of what the citizen
enjoyed up to the nineties in HK in terms of Environmental
Hygiene, Recreation and Cultural facilities and activities was
the fruit of the UC. Numerous District Board as an advisory
bodies with local elected and appointed members now known as
the District Council each covering a much smaller geographical
area, was first created in 1982 and election held shortly
thereafter. The DB’s elected element to advice the
administration in local area administration was therefore in
many respects duplicated the function of UC. One should note
that, of the three tiers of Government i.e. the Legislative
Council (LC), the Urban Council and the District Board, only
the UC enjoyed the Financial and Administrative Autonomy. Even
though HK and NT together is geographically small compared to
areas covered by many Municipals overseas, surprisingly the
Regional Council (RC) duplicating the functions of the Urban
Council was created in the late eighties to look after the New
Territories. After the return of HK to China and the
unexpected heat generated by the “Avian flu” at the end of
1997, the government initiated steps to dissolve the two
Municipal (UC and RC) Councils. After spanning 117 years of
service, the Municipal Councils were dissolved at the end of
1999. Only time will tell whether their elimination will be
for the good of the residents and the improvement of the
living condition here. After all, the purpose of the Municipal
Council was to give the residents of HK to tend to their own
living conditions.
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