| This
is the biweekly bulletin of the Rotary Club of Kingspark Hong Kong Club Website: http://www.rotary3450.org/kingspark-hongkong | ||||
 | Kingspark News Rotary
Club of Kingspark | | ||
| Chief
Editor : Francis Wann Club Webmaster : John Wan | ||||
Editorial
(Kingspark Specific) - By Francis Wann | ||||
District Website | RI Website | RI President | TRF | News Room | Home | ||||
| Kingspark Specific While you are reading this editorial, chances are that tens of thousands of others are already out there basking under the sweltering heat in the middle of the march, demanding a more understanding government. July 1 is no ordinary day. Same time last year, some half a million people took to the streets under the imminent threat of Article 23 of the Basic Law. And July 1 also marks the beginning of our new Rotary year at Kingspark with our new President Thomas sworn in last night in a handover ceremony at the Kowloon Club. Here we congratulate the new president and his cabinet and, as he wrote in his debut President's Column, invite members to join him to celebrate Rotary which has become the de facto theme of our Centennial year. While we have every reason to celebrate, there are numerous pressing issues at home waiting to be addressed - the faltering membership, the attendance record, the no-show members, the deplorable financial situation, sense of fellowship, and a clear vision. And while our weekly luncheons continue as a formality, perhaps it's also about time we put ourselves once more to the Rotary test, and aske if we are worth our name as Rotarians. Kingspark has enjoyed a membership with diversity and professional backgrounds, and it's only natural that we are united under the Rotary ideals and convictions that there's still hope for the human race, and that we as Rotarians can make a difference. Only a few days ago this Editorial Board met officially with our renewed sense of commitment to Kingspark News. New member Edward Lau will be Profiles and International Desk Editor. There were various opinions expressed regarding contents and layouts and the purpose of our bulletin, and there was dismay at the general lack of information at club level. We hope that the re-introduction of News Room under Secretary Joyce and Programme Director Joseph should rectify this. While editors are free to explore various issues, they also need to be more aware of their specific areas of responsibility in their submissions. Meanwhile we boast at least seven members serving at district level and they should bring with them a tremendous pool of experience and expertise. They are District Governor Alex Mak, Assistant Governor Ted Ho, PETS Raymond Sin, The Rotary Foundation Chair John Wan, TRF Polio Plus SC Chair Edward Lau, Youth Exchange Committee Chair Dominic Ko, and Centennial Celebration Chair Anwer Islam. We believe these are no empty titles, and should be a regular source of input for the News Room. Kingspark News did win a District Award as the best English Club bulletin, but on many fronts it is woefully inadequate. We want to serve the members, we want to discuss issues, and we also want to spread our message outside Kingspark. It seems ironic that ever since the first edition last August, the Chief Editor has not been able to exercise his editorial decision to reject one single article as there would be nothing left to edit. For this edition I've decided not to include IPP Peter's article on grounds of appropriateness. And at the risk of being accused of stumbling over issues too sensitive, this editorial is unashamedly Kingspark. | ||||
President's
Column A New Chapter It is my greatest honour to write to you here in my official capacity as Club President for the first time. Rosa and I wish you all a fruitful year ahead. We hope you will continue to enjoy good health so that we can carry out our service projects and make our community a better place to live. Although it is a real challenge for me to play the role of Club President, the support from you and the District has strengthened my conviction to serve. Through the participation of the President-Elect Training Seminars in February and April, I have learnt how to (1) conduct effective service projects, (2) make our Club an effective club, (3) celebrate Rotary by undertaking projects relevant to our Club, and (4) more importantly, become a leader. For our centennial year of 2004-05, our RI President Glenn Estess has unveiled the Centennial year theme Celebrate Rotary with 4 presidential emphases: Water Management, Health Concerns, Literacy” and the Family of Rotary. I invite you to join me to celebrate Rotary by undertaking service projects related to the above mentioned emphases. Another major task for us is to keep our club effective. Being an effective club, we have to (1) achieve Membership Development; (2) carry out effective Service Projects; (3) support the Rotary Foundation; and (4) develop future District Leaders. I know I can count on each one of you for active involvement in recruiting more quality members, participating in our service projects and donating generously to the Rotary Foundation. Last but not least, I would also like to emphasize the basics of Rotary which is associated with the ideals of service, make our regular meetings impressive to you and your guests and reduce the cost of being a Rotarian. Kingspark needs your active participation and proactive promotion of Rotary, and I shall discuss with you my plans and ambitions next time. | ||||
The Handover 1st of July marks the beginning of a new Rotary Year. Rotary International, Districts and Clubs around the world should be very busy with their celebrations of welcoming the Rotary Year of 2004-2005, the Rotary Centennial Year with the theme “Celebrate Rotary”. As Assistant Governor of our District Governor Alex, I’ve already attended a few clubs’ handover ceremonies. None of them were full of poetry, lectures, laughter and tears, at least not like the one at Kingspark. To recapitulate what CP John said at the handover, the event is the most significant one among all as it marks the change of club leadership. Irrespective of the President’s performance this year, he is obliged to hand over the Club’s Charter, the gavel, the president sash, and most of all, the club’s leadership to the new President. There were no less than 22 members and 21 guests at the handover ceremony last night to witness the change of leadership from IPP Peter to President Thomas. I was delighted to see Rotarian Chan Tak Hin who attended his first Rotary meeting after his induction almost a year ago. If Rotarian Chan Tak Hin could make it, one wonders what reasons the other eleven members would give for their absence at the ceremony. | ||||
By Elsa Law What do we have in common with the bull?
The only thing that got the bull killed was its blind rage in finding and following the red flag. Otherwise, the bull is invincible as it is a strong and powerful beast. Although human beings possess high intellect and wit and can handle many situations well, we are no exception when it comes to anger which can often make us lose our senses and reasoning. Yes, we do have something in common with the bull - anger. Anger can cause destruction in our lives. Earlier this month, a man who allegedly loved his wife dearly shoved and pushed his wife in anger. The result was she is now in a coma. Some years back, two men traveling on the light rail had an argument about something insignificant. The argument turned into a fight which left one of them dead. The offender had never thought that his burst of anger could cost a life and ruin his own . Indeed, when it comes to anger, we are much like the bull - driven by rage and being led by it. How can we get out of it? The first and the most important step in anger management is to be aware of our own emotion. Spot anger when it rises. Excuse ourselves from whoever we were facing, and then find a space where one can take a deep breath and count to 10. If that fails, repeat the same again, but allow more time. The next step is to ask ourselves what it is that has made us angry. Very often, the problem is not always with what is outside of us but inside. Look deep inside of us and find the source of our anger. Once we find it, take the appropriate measure to deal with it. Alternatively, ask ourselves if anger is the right emotion that will help us deal with the situation/problem at hand. If not, ask ourselves what emotion we need to dispose of it. Name an emotion that will help and then focus on it intently. One will soon find a shift in emotion. We are just human beings, we have our flaws like the bull. However, we would not run blindly into the trap set by anger but manage it and control it. Our lives and our future will most certainly be better for this. | ||||
By Eddie Yau [Eddie Yau is President of the Rotaract Club of Kinspark 2003-04 - Ed] Finally, it came to the end of my Presidency of Rotaract Club of Kingspark Hong Kong on 30 June 2004. Being a charter member, I met up with a lot of good friends, overseas Rotaractors, fellow Rotarians who had influenced my life. I am particularly indebted to them for their tolerance and guidance. I hope you would agree with me that our club had had a fruitful year. I still recall that when my IPP Joey asked me if I could be the President of the club, I had doubts about my ability in managing such a successful club in the District. On the other hand, I am proud to be a member of this club. Having consulted my girlfriend, Charlotte and with her support, I finally decided to take up the challenge and received the President's Sash from my IPP Joey. Looking back, I still think that it takes courage to take up this challenging post even after being a member in the club for nearly 9 years. I hope I have not failed everybody's expectation in my job. During the year, we have done a number of projects and here is a summary. In Professional Development, we invited a total of 8 speakers to share with us their valuable experience and expertise in their professional field. In Community Service, we took moon cakes to the elderly, carried out the Young Envoy Program, held a Halloween Party and X’mas party with Spina Bifida’s Children, and visited Teddy Bear Kingdom with the elderly. In Club Service, we had Spring Dinner gathering, Mahjong competition, ex-members gathering dinner and hiking. In International Service, we visited Rotary Club of Sathorn with our mother club in November and attended the RI Osaka Convention. And of course, all of our club members will attend the first Asia Pacific Regional Rotaract Conference in the coming August that is organized by our District. We are preparing our annual report to record all these and are looking forward to your support. In 2004-05, a young lady, Virginia Seung, who used to be the Vice President of Rotaract Club of City University, will lead our new board of directors and club to Celebrate Rotary. She wasted no time to form the new board. Though most of them are University students, I am sure they will continue to show the spirit of Kingspark. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the current board of directors, including Joey, Vivian, Rosenna, Clarence, Olivia, Jacqueline, Elaine, Iris, Vinky and Andy. In addition, without our mother club’s Rotarian Advisors’ support, we would not have been so successfull and I would like to thank President Peter, President-elect Thomas, Dominic and Clan. Last but not least, I would like to say a big thank you to PDG John, PP Edward, and DGE Alexander, and of course, our club’s CP Jimmie who chartered the Rotaract club of Kingspark Hong Kong. We are looking forward to another meaningful Rotary year with all of you. | ||||
|
How to Read the Bulletin
Just as every accountant would know how to read a balance sheet, every member of a club would know how to read the club bulletin. And just as a balance sheet would reflect the financial state of a company at a given point, a club bulletin could reflect the health of a club. However, just as some clever accountants can present a company's balance sheet to project an image that a company is healthier than it is, bulletin editors can paint a rosier picture on a club than it really is. I can go on with this analogies, but I think I have made the point. A club bulletin at best is simply a tool to enable the readership know more about the club, its policies, its ideals, its membership and its programmes. The discerning reader would need to go much deeper to find out the state of the club. It follows that a club bulletin - in this day and age - can only serve specific and limited purposes, compared with the times when people actually read their club bulletins for vital information. It was against this background Chief Editor Francis Wann convened a meeting of the Editorial Board earlier this week to ascertain what specific purposes our club bulletin - Kingspark News - should serve under the new club leadership headed by Thomas Chan. The bottom line must be: we should not produce one because we want to get an award at the end of the year, or because we have been doing this from day one. There were no earth shattering decisions made, but one thing was clear: we should continue to produce a biweekly through the club website. The Meeting also noted that Kingspark News would seek to be a readable biweekly with intellectual discussions on topical issues on Rotary, but not necssarily restricted to Rotary alone. Specifically, we should avoid Kingspark News degenerating into a secondary school student publication which typically features nothing but a chronicle of what happened at school between two publication dates. It means that we would not publish in the bulletin information that can be easily obtainable elsewhere, particularly on the District Website or the RI Website, or very importantly, the various pages of the Club Website. Readers should know by now that Kingspark News is not the only material on the club website - there are a few other pages, in particular, there are pages with self explanatory titles such as What's New, the membership, the officers and others, which together would help put together a more complete picture about the club and its state of health. In the days when websites were not so readily accessible, such information would be reproduced on paper in the weekly bulletin for the convenience of the membership, and quite rightly so, which could be one of the reasons why Kingspark News was voted by the District as the Best Bulletin for a few years running in our heyday. To those who are desirous to see pictures, let me say that that can be done easily, provided we have the pictures and provided that the pictures are sufficiently interesting or significant for publication. As an added service, I am providing extra links to other websites from which readers can obtain more information. The bottom line is, Kingspark News exists for the membership and will serve its purposes if members continue to read them and provide us feedback. | ||||
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. | ||||
Chief
Editor : Francis Wann The Board of Directors President
: Thomas Chan | ||||
| Return to Contents | ||||
| Send
a message to Chief Editor Francis Wann 2004 Issues, Back Issues, Home | ||||