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Kingspark News Rotary Club of Kingspark |
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This is the Web Version of the weekly bulletin
of the
Rotary Club of Kingspark Hong Kong, District 3450 Club Website: http://www.rotary3450.org/kingspark-hongkong |
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Editorial
(District Projects) - By John Wan |
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Club Webmaster
: John Wan
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District Projects
This is actually not a new concept. In the mid 1980s, RI asked districts and clubs to raise funds for the Rotary Foundation so that the human race could rid itself of polio as it had of small pox, by the year 2000. Rotarians worldwide responded with vigour and achieved the target well ahead of time, only to be advised that the first targets were too low and that a lot more work was required. Looking back, Rotarians and RI in particular could draw useful lessons from the PolioPlus Campaign. Now, let us quickly state that we do not have the slightest intention to belittle the dedication or the commitment of Rotary and Rotarians to work with national and international health organizations towards the goal of polio eradication by the year 2005. Bearing in mind that the entire efforts of the world could be foiled by one carrier on one flight, and bearing in mind that international conflicts continue unabated, it is not inconceivable that we could not declare with confidence by Rotary's 100th anniversary that we are still working towards that noble goal. But our quest should continue. Indeed, that scenario should motivate us to redouble our efforts towards our commitment to PolioPlus, which is why individuals and individual clubs should be encouraged to think global. A corollary to this is that individuals and individual clubs should at least think district and endeavour to support district projects. A case in point is the Hepatitis B Project for Mainland China. The object is to immunize 1 million new born babies in the Mainland in the next ten years at a total present day cost of $25 million. This would reduce the percentage of Hepatitis B carrier in the Mainland from the present 10% to 1%. This may appear to be an ambitious project, but compared with PolioPlus, is very much more practicable and practical. More importantly, it is a project close to the heart of everyone in Hong Kong, and therefore one that we should all support. |
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From President, Rotary Club of Sathorn Published on 24 July 2002 in the Members Only Version |
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Back to Bangkok from the recent visit to Hong Kong, I found loads of professional work and emails and Rotary busy schedules and activities before undertaking my presidentship at Sathorn Club from July 1, 2002. I am sorry that I did not have the chance to express my thankfulness for your kind hospitality during our visit early May 2002. Thank you President Anwer for your and Kingspark's courtesy and friendship. I look forward to the opportunity of reciprocating the same to you all. Thank you also for your emails on your proposed trip to Bangkok in November for which we are fully aware of and are making the necessary plan to make the trip as fruitful and pleasant as you have made it for us. We will come back to you on this. You may wish to keep us informed of any development. Regarding your invitation to Kingspark Camp in Guangzhou, I will inform my fellow Rotarians just in case some of us can join it. However, it is unlikely that we can since the month of July was a bit difficult for us. Thank you anyway for inviting us. I wish to inform you that effective from July 1, 2002, the Board of the Rotary Club of Sathorn, officiated through joint installation for 35 clubs on June 15 and welcome celebrated on July 4, consist of the following - President Elect 2003-2004 : PE Pradit Ratanawijitraslip |
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I attended the Kingspark Camp in Guangzhou By Calvin Fung I did not join the camp for all three days. Rtn. Thomas, KM Ip and I left Hung Hom Station at 1.25 pm. by train on the second day of the camp, Saturday, 20 July, arriving Guangzhou at 3.15 pm. We were supposed to be picked up but no one was at the railway station. A few phone calls were made. We found that the organizer expected us to arrive by the next through train from Hong Kong leaving at 2.30 pm. We decided to make our own way by MTR to join the Group at the Chan's Clan's Ancestral Estate. Apparently, the Group had had a fun-filled day already at the time when we met. President Anwer had already lost his voice. Rtn. Thomas found his family. I found my other fellow Rtn. friends Ted, Tom, Bernard, Peter Lo, Peter Tsui, Sunny, Terence and of course our Rotaractors and friends of Kingspark.For the records, after the Ancestral Estate visit, we split into 2 groups, one group went to the night Safari and the other, in which I was, took the Pearl River Cruise for 2 hours. Then check into the Canton Hotel before we went out for a drink in the "Hoi Yin Bar" on the Pearl River embankment. The officials of our counterpart in Guangzhou joined us. We visited a rather new museum in the morning followed by shopping at the largest book city in Guangzhou. Lunch was featured by a second speech by Professor Chan who spoke on the economic outlook of Guangzhou. The Camp ended and we were driven to Nan Sha for the ferry back to Hong Kong at 4.00 pm. The Camp was exceptionally well organized, not to mention all the fun everybody enjoyed. There are a few things I wish to share as afterthoughts. How many of us remember that Guangzhou was called Canton by us in Hong Kong when we were young. I was happy to be reminded of this when we checked into the Canton Hotel. With a Cantonese mother tongue, I actually prefer to call the city Canton. Canton has really become a beautiful city, particularly along both sides of the Pearl River on a cruise, comparable to Shanghai. The city is clean, even the side streets in the older districts, possibly cleaner than Hong Kong. Traffic has become a lot more orderly compared to 5 years ago when I observed. If you have not been there recently, it is really well worth a visit. Our Kingspark Camp was both a success and a failure.
Successful in terms of all the good things organized, the agenda and
the itinerary. On the sad side, only 46 people benefited from all
the effort the organizing committee has put into it. 11 members and
2 Rotaractors participated. I personally saw President Anwer, Sunny,
Peter Lo and Terence preparing for the Camp, expected many more to
join. What has gone wrong? |
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You are welcome to write to Club Webmaster John Wan on any topic, particularly in response to articles published in Kingspark News. We would publish all contributions as long as the authors identify themselves, the contents are not offensive or abusive, and would not offend common decency or common sense. You need not be a Rotarian to write to us and you have a choice to withhold your name in the published version. Where the contents make reference to statements or policies of individuals or organizations, we would try to obtain a response fro the latter for publication in the same issue if possible. |
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Also in the Members Only Version
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