Contents

Editorial (A Face in the Crowd) - By Francis Wann
President's Column (Leadership) - By President Peter
Happy Hour - By Ted Ho
Partnership with Youngsters - By Joseph Chan
PE's Column (Hello) - By PE Thomas Chan
From the Rotaractors - By Vinky Lau and Vivian Choi
From the Webmaster (Here we go again) - By CP John Wan
Letters to Editor
The Board

editorial

A Face in the Crowd

and moreover, aren't we all individuals first and Rotarians later?

What has happened in Hong Kong over the past few months is nothing less than traumatic, but it's also a timely reminder of our global identity on the world of politics. The doom and gloom of our economy, the worsening unemployment figures, the Sars, the scandal surrounding our former financial secretary, the national security bill Article 23, the resignation of two cabinet ministers, and exactly one month ago on July 1, half a million people took to the streets in a show of disapproval to our leadership. The message was loud and clear - enough is enough.

It has been a common belief that Rotary is a service organization and that Rotarians should stay clear of politics, That is understandable considering many of Rotary's worldwide projects are concerned about matters of life and livelihood. The elimination of illiteracy, of poverty, and avoidable diseases cannot even take off without adequate support and co-operation from governments, many of them rife with civil unrest or totalitarian regimes. PolioPlus, one of our most ambitious partnership projects with WHO, CDC and the UN Children's Fund, now focuses mainly on a few of the world's poorest countries including India, Nigeria, Somalia and Afaghanistan. While we have managed to wipe out 99% of the the cases globally, the target of a polio-free world in 2005 could only be reached with adequate support from NGOs and funding. Nevertheless an earlier BBC report has confirmed a fivefold increase in new cases and as reported by the UN Centres for Disease Control and Pevention(CDC), there were 1,556 cases of polio in India in 2002, compared to 268 the year before.(BBC World, March 7 2003)

Back in Hong Kong, the saga of Article 23 continues while Legco has gone into recess, leaving the fate of the draft hanging in the balance. Before the recess, the Bills Committee discussed mainly procedural matters and at one point a motion was tabled to dissolve the Committee in the wake of a fresh round of consultation - in whatever colour, but was advised only the House Committee is empowered to do so. It would be unrealistic to expect the the Government to withdraw the bill indefinitely, and as time moves on, people might be less interested in the fine fine-tuning and interpretation of the legal terminology as the pressure of daily life takes over. If our common goal is to bring about a better, and more just society, many Rotarians are well placed in Government, professional, and business sectors and it is also their responsibility to act on their conscience and exercise their influence to achieve their end.

Whatever your stance, the incident on July 1 should have at least made you think.

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Happy Hour
By PP Ted Ho

[PP Ted Ho is our Events Editor]

We have a very tight schedule during regular meetings. The President’s announcement, Rotary information and the guest speaker can easily take up all the time of a meeting. For those members who cannot turn up early for fellowship, he or she could find that there is no time to talk to other members at all once the meeting starts. Much as we have tried to encourage members to turn up half an hour earlier before meetings, we understand they have busy working schedules which would prohibit them from doing so. It is therefore very common and rather sad to see some members come and leave during a meeting without talking to any other members.

That is how the Happy Hour Gatherings fit in to correct this problem. Many clubs in other countries would hold “fireside meetings” or other form of informal meetings so that members have the opportunity to meet outside the official settings. Many would associate our Happy Hours purely with alcohol or an unofficial break. There is nothing wrong about alcohol as long as it is not excessive. It certainly helps me to relax a bit after a long day’s work.

Those who often come to our happy hour gatherings would agree with me that members are generally more relaxed and open, and tend to express their views more openly, particularly on matters concerning the club, the District and Rotary International. From our experience, a real sense of fellowship can often develop during these gatherings where many significant club projects and policies were also discussed before they were brought to Board meetings. It is also the best time to get to know each other.

So next time when we have a happy hour gathering, make an effort to attend. Particularly for new members, it could be the best way to learn more about the club, about other members and most importantly, let other members know more about you. So come along the next time, bring a friend too, and let your friends learn about Rotary through these informal gatherings. After all, Rotary is as much about fellowship as service.

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Partnership with Youngsters
By Joseph Chan

[Joseph Chan is our Reviews Editor]

On 24 July 2003, a representative of Junior Achievement Hong Kong (the “JAHK”) visited our club to introduce the Junior Achievement (the “JA”) to us. According to the publication of the JA, it is the world’s largest and fastest growing business and economics education organization. It is unique in that it recruits the very people who are most knowledgeable and enthusiastic about enterprise to teach students about the business world. Every year, thousands of volunteers from business communities go directly into local classrooms and teach business skills to students, the value of educational qualifications, and how to apply them. Drawing from their real life experience, these individuals help young people develop the leadership skills they’ll need to succeed in school, the future workplace and in life.

JAHK was established in 2001 to inspire and empower Hong Kong’s young people to improve the quality of their lives and communities. JAHK strives to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness tomorrow by developing the business understanding and confidence of young people today. It builds a bridge between business and education. Investment from the private sector makes the JA programs possible. For example, Goldman Sachs (Asia) is the founding contributor of the JAHK while other companies like Citigroup, Delolitte Touche Tohmatsu, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Watson Wyatt Hong Kong, ExxonMobil and Federal Express are all taking an active part in its operation and projects.

Very briefly, the JA operates as follows -

Step 1 : A teacher selects one of over 15 JA programs and submits an interest form via the JAHK website (www.jahk.org), including program name and weekly timing, as well as other school details.

Step 2 : JAHK identifies an appropriate volunteer, who has already committed to teach a JA program by signing up on the JAHK website. JA conducts a training session for the volunteer (and teacher, depending on the program) and introduces the volunteer to the teacher.

Step 3 : The business volunteer travels to the school and works with students in classroom for 1-2 hours a week, for 6-22 weeks (depending upon program). Through volunteer work and financial contribution, these companies and individuals have invested in Hong Kong’s future competitiveness by, (a) making an annual financial contribution; (b) involving personnel in teaching JA programs; and (c) enlisting key leadership to serve on the JAHK Board or Advisory Council.

The role of the schools is also essential in making the JA programs successful. They participate in the JA programs by helping students apply academic lessons through JA activities, supporting teachers’ use of JA programs in class, after school, or outside school and promoting the development of leadership.

I think most of you may have noticed that both the JA volunteers and the Rotarians are actively participating in programs related to youngsters with a view to equipping them for the challenges ahead. In the various activities with the Rotaractors and Interactors, we work with them as partners and share our experiences with them to give them positive influences.

Since 2001, I have been active again in the debating programme in Chinese of my alma mater, La Salle College. As an ex-team member, I had wanted to share my experiences with my fellow schoolmates in order to assist them in the inter-school tournaments. At first, I thought that I was very knowledgeable and skillful in the debating technique and formulating advocacy. As a result, I was a little arrogant and dominant during their training sessions. I think it is a common mistake for adults who work with the youngsters.

Luckily, I later realized that I should work with them as partners since it was actually their game. I believed that the process could be more effective and efficient if they followed my advice. However, it would hinder their learning process and take away their opportunity to explore new ideas. Most importantly, I should respect them by not taking away their leadership role. My self reflection brought me great surprise and joy. They improved a lot and won the championship at last. I also learned much from them. After I changed my attitude and approach, I was challenged by a few Form 6 students on a few occasions when we were discussing the debate motions. It is a good sign as it indicates that they have their independent minds and the courage to challenge authority. After the debating contest, we’ve become good friends.

The joy of working with the youngsters cannot be aptly described in words here. You can only get it by taking action and join them. So, put aside your pride and prejudice and join the activities of our Rotaractors and Interactors. You would then blame yourselves for not doing so earlier!

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President-Elect's Column
By PE Thomas Chan

Hello

[PE's Column will be a regular feature of Kingspark News - Ed]

This is the first time I say hello to all of you through this new PE's column since I took office. While not having any habit of writing a regular column or submitting articles in the past, I have to extend my sincere thanks to Chief Editor Francis and the Editorial Board for this opportunity to share my views and experience with you.

To have joined the Rotary family is a wonderful experience for me. Apart from the satisfaction through participation in community services projects, I have also treasured the fellowship and been able to sustain my personal development in playing different roles such as Program Director, Treasurer and Secretary in our Club.

As the PE and one of the Board members this year, I will try my best to serve the Club and cope with the future challenges through teamwork. As we shall not be able to achieve our goals without your support, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to actively involve in our coming regular meetings and activities. Wish you all the best and see you on Thursdays.

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From the Rotaractors
By Vinky Lau and Vivian Choi

[Vinky Lau is Community Service Director and Vivian Choi External Vice President
of the Rotaract Club of Kingspark]

Young Envoy Scheme

Kingspark Young Envoy Scheme 2003-2004 is the first training program we have organized for secondary school students. Its objectives are to increase a sense of awareness in serving the needy among students, strengthen students' self confidence and their awareness of their own abilities and further polish students' leadership and organizational skills. In addition, it helps promote Rotaract Club of Kingspark to the students. 20 students ranging from Form 3 to Form 6 secondary students from all schools will be invited to join the scheme.

The whole training program will be conducted in the form of games, role-plays, group discussions and services. The young envoys will be required to organize a community service after the training.

The Orientation Day will be held in November 2003 while the core training program will be held in December 2003. Leadership and community service training will be conducted in the core training session. Community Service Project will then be organized by young envoys in early 2004. A closing ceremony will be held in April 2004.

Vinky Lau
Community Service Director

Stay Tuned

Looking back at my diary (my PDA indeed!), I found that being part of the Rotaract club has certainly added some spice to my life. I officially became a member of Rotaract of Kingspark Hong Kong on 26 July 2002 at the AGM Installation Night of the Club. Since then, I have participated in plenty of fruitful events organized by the board members of 2002-03. They include BBQ and dolphin watching in fall; modern jazz dancing; Christmas party with the Spina Bifida Association and with our mother club; trip to Hokkaido; and many others. I have gained invaluable friendship and memories during the year.

For the year ahead, we are already planning a variety of activities round the year with great support from our new board members. To kick off, we went for a 2-day 1-night wonderful but exhausting camp at Cheung Chau in June. In July, we were pleased to have invited Dr Frankie Ng, Associate Professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, to be our guest speaker on “People Image” in the first General Meeting. At the same time, we have also started a Yoga class to shape up our bodies.

I am sure there will be more exciting and challenging activities to fill up the calendar this year. So stay tuned!

Vivian Choi
External Vice President

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From the Webmaster

Here We Go Again

If you have read thus far and are still reading, you are probably a serious reader if not a serious Rotarian, and I thank you for your patronage of Kingspark News on the one hand and congratulate you for your staying power and patience on the other.

The avid reader of Kingspark News could have noticed that two years ago, we revived publication and at the same time began to distribute the bulletin on the Club Website. We published 29 issues in 2001-02. The following year, we struggled on and published 21 issues, ending with the issue dated 10 April 2003. For the record, there is actually an unfinished Issue 22 dated 22 April languishing somewhere in my hard disk. Throughout, we shamelessly professed that we sought to publish on every Monday as we did in the heydays. Alas, that was sometime ago.

Let us not relish the past. Let us look ahead. The new Board under President Peter has recruited a new Chief Editor who has in turn assembled a formidable Editorial Board. More significantly, Chief Editor Francis has decided to publish Kingspark news biweekly, more specifically, on the 1st and 15th of every month. Today, we publish the first issue. Let us hope that the revised target would make it easier for everyone.

As I have said in the Club more than once, Kingspark News is published primarily for the members. I hope the the bulletin under a new editoral board would instil vigour in the membership and encourage free and lively exchange of views on club matters and other social issues. As for me, I intend to continue writing. Francis has given me a rather loose remit with particular reference to District news. So here we go again.

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Letters to Editor

Views in any article in Kingspark News reflect those of the authors. They are not necessarily the views of the Rotary Club of Kingspark or of District 3450.

You are welcome to write to Chief Editor Francis Wann or 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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