Our Fellowship Chairman today was PP George and our Sergeant-at-Arms was VP Thomas, who managed to collect $1,020 for between the raffle and fines.

President Angela announced that the Carnival of the Terrace will be held on 21st May 05 at the Fringe Club, we will have a full programme including Magic, Fortune Telling, Caricature Drawing, Face Painting and mime Walkabout.

From the District, we will have the Centennial Garden Tree Planting Ceremony on 1st May and Official Award Presentation on 23rd May '05, and next years Club 888 requires the donation of prizes. If any member is interested in these events, please contact Lillian.

Our speaker today was Anneleise Smillie and the topic was "CHINA BEAR RESCUE"

Across China, thousands of Asiatic Black Bears are imprisoned for up to 22 years in tiny metal cages no bigger than their own bodies. Each day they are painfully milked for their bile (which is used in Traditional Medicine) through crude metal, latex or perspex catheters implanted into their gall bladders, or via permanent, open and infected holes in their abdomens - known as the "free-dripping" technique.

Following her discovery of bear farming in 1993, Jill Robinson MBE campaigned tirelessly within China to bring an end to this cruel practice. In July 2000 Animals Asia signed a breakthrough agreement with the Chinese Authorities, which pledged to rescue 500 bears and work towards the final elimination of bear farming. Sanctioned by the Central Government in Beijing, this historic agreement was the first accord between the Chinese Government and any outside animal welfare organisation.

Since October 2000, dozens of bear farms have been closed and 185 bears have been released into the care of the Animals Asia team at our Moon Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu. On arrival, the bears undergo extensive surgery to repair their damaged bodies and months of patient rehabilitation, integration and enrichment, before release into a semi-natural bamboo forest sanctuary, where they will live out their lives free from pain and fear. The organisation continues to raise funds to enable Animals Asia to continue running the Rescue Centre and freeing more bears from the terrible farms.