| 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
(Reflections on Legislation) - By Francis Wann | ||||
District Website | RI Website | RI President | TRF | News Room | Global History Fellowship | ||||
|
Reflections on Legislation
Moses highlighted a list of items which he thought would be of particular interest to our district and requested input and suggestions from members of individual clubs. I referred to the hefty volume of proposals from RI and made some comments and asked if we could discuss it further. Moses suggested we meet after he returned from the States in late June. Hardly did I realise that the Council would only consider proposals over the past three years, and were I to submit any fresh proposals, they would only be tabled in 2007 - if endorsed by the district! Moses was amazed he received only two responses on a matter of such prominent importance. Moses' views were adequately reflected in his report submitted to the district. He was adamant about the nature the Council was conducted which was not value for money to say the least, and suggested the meeting could be conducted on zone basis first. He was also surprised at the quality of some (indeed many) of the proposals tabled which were either too vague or irrelevant, or perhaps not Rotary-specific. As a lawyer by profession, he probably has an eye for details. He said half jokingly that members were only given one minute to deliberate on a proposal and the mic would be promptly turned off when time's up - a remote reminder of his Legco days when members were subjected to unnecessarily lengthy speeches from other legislators. (PDG Moses was legislative councilor from 1991 to 1995 serving both Governors David Wilson and Chris Patten, when Allen Lee and Elizabeth Wong were in the Council, and when John Chan was Secretary for Education and Manpower, and saw Anson Chan rise from Secretary for Economic Services to Chief Secretary.) The Council adopted a total of 100 pieces of legislation, of which half were resolutions. Members might have also read from the report on internet about an increase of membership due per capita which takes immediate effect. It was indeed an excruciating experience going through the items from the bizarre to the metaphysical, from serious ones to silly ones. Many of the motions were indeed not binding, as they simply "request the RI to consider" for example, including Mandarin as an official language of RI (order of consideration 356 item 04 -262). Moses was particularly disappointed that the motion to encourage clubs to add a fifth avenue of service - Youth Service - was defeated, as was the withdrawal of honorarium for RI President and Vice President (US$115,000 and 80,000 respectively). Perhaps one resolution passed at the council which was very much close to our club was to consider adopting the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) as an official RI program (order for consideration 63, item 04 -111). Moses was district governor in 1993-94. When asked to comment on the role of DGs, he diplomatically said people would have different styles and concepts of Rotary, but admitted that it's essentially a public relations job. The selection of DGs has also been made more democratic over the years through a standard procedure which effectively means you can't campaign for governorship yourself. Your candidature would have to stand query in front of PDGs. As Moses put it coyly, we've been through this, and at least we know a thing or two about it..." Moses told me he left the Lions and joined Rotary in 1977 on the word of his father-in-law, and was sponsored by Peter Hall. He probably has never looked back since. He was particularly proud of his various achievements which dotted the wall of his office, one of which was dated 2002 from Rotary International and read "Service Above Self". Service above self is indeed something easier said than done. | ||||
President's
Column Rotarians are Different
We encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. As mentioned by Mr. Anthony Neoh in the District Vocational Service Luncheon on 21 October, high ethical standard originates from our intrinsic value. Well echoed and accepted by the participants of the luncheon meeting, we are committed to achieve an exceptionally high ethical standard in our vocations. We treasure fellowship and international exposure. We are always ready to do matching grant projects with our international partners or sister clubs. Last week, President Leaward, Charter President Andy and Rotarian Hanse of our Sister Club, Rotary Club of Taipei ChungYuan, came to visit us and discussed the progress of our joint community services project. According to our Alliance Agreement, our 2 sister clubs and us will jointly complete a Community Service project concerning reforming a community education & recreation center in Taiwan this year. We hope our joint effort will benefit the community in Taiwan and make us enjoy cordial fellowship with members of our sister clubs. Being one of 1.2 million service-minded men and women in the Rotary world, let's follow our motto "Service above self" to make a difference to the present and contribute to our future. | ||||
William "Bill" Boyd [Repeat] William "Bill" Boyd of Auckland, New Zealand, has been nominated RI President 2006-2007. Bill was Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator together with PDG Raymond Wong of District 3450; and in 1994 they started the Foundation Alumni Resource Group (FARG) together. Bill has been in Hong Kong and has a good impression of the District. | ||||
The Rotary Centennial Gobi Race 2004 By PP Edward Lau [Edward Lau is Chiarman of the District PolioPlus Sub-Committee. This article first appeared in the weekly bulletin of RC of Kowloon East two weeks ago - Ed.] On 28 September, 2004 a delegation of some 43 Rotarians and family members of District 3450 plus guests and supporting personnel including travel agency staff, medical team, photographers, reporter and volunteers, flew to Dun Huang, China to take part in a 10 to 30 km race in Gobi Desert, the second largest desert in the world, for fund raising for Polio Plus. The delegation was led by IPP Rainbow Li of Kwun Tong, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, and includes IPDG Jones and Shirley, and DGE Peter and Rita. DG Alex would have joined as well if not for attending to other Rotary business in Beijing. Other than a one hour delay at Beijing Airport, the three connecting flights from Hong Kong to Dun Huang were tiring but non eventful and we arrived Dun Huang some 12 hours later at 8:45pm. After a 20 minute transfer to Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel which is managed by PP Wong Man Kong of Kwun Tong, a sumptuous dinner was served under the moon as we celebrated the mid autumn festival accompanied by traditional Chinese musical and dance performances plus moon cakes and lanterns brought from Hong Kong. The next day is the day of the Race. We were all very excited as Keith Noyes, the course director, briefed us at 7:30am about the intricacies of racing in the desert – the main concern being that we do not get lost, such as, by following the markers which can be difficult to locate among sand dunes, standing still in a sand storm, and back track to the last marker if necessary. It was cloudy when we all set off for the starting point of the 30km race for an opening ceremony with speeches by IPP Rainbow Li, PP Wong Man Kong, Dun Huang City Official, and others, accompanied by drums and firecrackers. Then the runners, 8 men and 1 woman, were off. As the rest of us were transported to the starting point of the 20km race, the clouds began to turn dark and then it rained! What a surprise! We were briefed just about everything about racing in the desert, but rain was never mentioned. It seldom rains in Gobi Desert, which is why it is a desert, and certainly not in September. The rain, heavy at times, continued for over 2 hours which is another surprise as it seldom rains, if at all, for more than half an hour. The runners, 4 men and 7 women, finally took off after waiting unsuccessfully for 30 minutes for the rain to stop. The temperature also started to drop and, by the time the 10km race got underway, it got down to 3C which is really cold especially when we were all dressed for running on a hot day. The 10km runners, 12 men and 9 women, wore every piece of clothing they had on them to keep warm except for Rtn. Jerry Lam of Tsuen Wan who came in just a tee shirt and shorts. No surprise that he ran the whole distance and was second in the 10km race. The only consolation was that the rain actually made running, or walking as many of us did for part or all of the distance, on the wet sand easier and the cooler weather was better for the runners. It was truly an unforgettable experience because everywhere you look all you can see is sand, mostly in the form of rolling hills or sand dunes. I was on the 10km race and the first thing that hit us is a huge and very steep sand dune which must be over 100ft tall and we were literally sliding back two steps for every three steps forward. After that, the rest of the desert was easy going. The results of the races will be reported at the end of this report but the 30km race is worth a special mention as both PP Kenneth Chow of Tsuen Wan and Rtn. Andrew Seah of Kowloon were joint winners. They were running neck and neck for the entire race and they both passed each check point together. At the prize award ceremony that evening, PP Kenneth related that his strategy was to keep pace with the perceived winner and he chose Rtn. Andrew. The strategy obviously worked but a few km from the finish, PP Kenneth got a cramp and fell down. Rtn. Andrew came back to give PP Kenneth a rub and waited for PP Kenneth so they can both finish together! PP Kenneth praised Rtn. Andrew as being a true Rotarian and a wonderful sportsman. This is the first time for both Alice and I to visit Dun Huang and the Gobi Desert and we enjoyed every bit of the trip which included two days of sightseeing in and around Dun Huang after the Race. We visited the well known grottoes at Mogao Caves and Yulin Grottoes and the spectacular Yardan Landforms. The camel ride at Mingsha Hills to watch the sun rise over endless sand dunes was most memorable. We had a grand time and I am sure I can speak for everybody else as well. I know the Organizing Committee spent numerous hours of hard work to plan the trip, particularly regarding the Race, and I am happy to report that everything went very smoothly, except for those due to mother nature, and the Organizing Committee should be congratulated on a job well done. With Rotarians and family members from 17 clubs coming together for this important fund raising event for the District, the Rotary Family spirit is alive and going strong. One Rotarian, PE Angela Chan of Kwun Tong, deserves a special mention as seven members of her family ranging from an 8 year old girl to 70 year old parents all came to support the event and complete the race. There were lots of fun and fellowship among members which I always consider as an essential ingredient to any successful project. This project is certainly a success as IPP Rainbow has informed that, even though all commitments have yet to be counted, we are on target to raise at least HK$1 million for Polio Plus. This is a wonderful achievement and all participants and their sponsors should be congratulated for their efforts. Finally, for the record, the 30km race was jointly won by PP Kenneth Chow of Tsuen Wan and Rtn. Andrew Seah of Kowloon, both with a time of 5h 18m. The male and female winners of the 20km race are Rtn. Lai Kam Moon of Kowloon Northeast with a time of 3h 5m and Rtn. Poon Yee Ha of Queensway with a time of 4h 46m. The male and female winners of the 10km race are PP Jason Chan of The Peak with a time of 1h 23m and Ms. Tao Cheng Hong of H Y Woo Charitable Foundation with a time of 1h 57m. | ||||
From the Rotaractors - Little Shoes By President Virginia Seung [Virginia Seung is President of our Rotaract Club of Kingspark] People in developed countries may not realise the importance of shoes. To those who do not have shoes in some poor regions in Mainland China, shoes are actually considered as luxurious items. It is not uncommon that children in these regions walk on their bare feet for at least 4 to 6 hours everyday for schooling or getting basic necessities. A pair of shoes can help them ease their lives. In the light of this, we are planning to organise a fund-raising charity campaign - “Little Shoes”. Our objectives of the campaign are the following: 1) To provide shoes for children living in the rural areas in Mainland China; 2) To raise awareness of the Hong Kong society to the under privileged group; 3) To care about our young compatriots in Mainland China; 4) To promote love-sharing and lending a hand to the needy. The project is divided into four parts. Part One: Shoes Painting White shoes and painting materials will be provided to students of participated universities, secondary schools, primary schools and kindergartens in Hong Kong for shoes painting. Part Two: Outstanding Award Presentation Ceremony Participants of outstanding painted shoes from different age groups will be awarded during the Outstanding Award Presentation Ceremony. All shoe-painting participants, sponsors, organisers and press are to be invited to the ceremony. Painted shoes will also be exhibited during the event. Part Three: Exhibition / Promotion An exhibition will be held at university campus. This aims to promote the objectives of the campaign, exhibit painted shoes, acknowledge the patronage of the sponsors and more importantly, to arouse the awareness of the public. A review will appear in the South China Morning Post. Part Four: Shoes Delivery All painted shoes will be delivered to the children in rural areas in Mainland China through the arrangement of various charitable organisations. To make the project successful, we are seeking your support and contributions, e.g. new white shoes and painting materials. Your donation will make a difference to their lives. Please contact Virginia Seung (Kingspark_Rotaract@yahoo.com.hk or 852 9047 6784). Thank you for your generous support. | ||||
|
Rotary Foundation Month
As my brother Chief Editor Francis has reminded you, Rotary spent more than US$94 million on its service programs last year. They were all spent through The Rotary Foundation, on international scholarships, cultural exchanges, and humanitarian projects large and small that improve the quality of life for millions of people. It is therefore fitting that we all spend some time in this Rotary Foundation Month to reflect on what The Rotary Foundation has done to humanity and how we can as a club and individuals do to ensure that the Foundation can continue to serve its purpose forever and ever. One very simple, direct and effective means by which one can discharge one's responsibility to Rotary and humanity is to contribute a sum of at least US$100 each year to The Rotary Foundation. Do it in the month of November and do it now. It is interesting that Catholics begin the month of November with a great celebration of two rather important feasts: All Saints Day on the first and All Souls Day on the second. Both are occasions for serious prayers and reflections on what life is all about. To those who feel that life is a painful ordeal, at least at times, and are searching for the meaning of their day to day struggle, I would invite them to turn to the Book of Revelation which uses beautiful albeit sometimes puzzling symbolism that could restore their spirits and provide them the encouragement they need. Or one can turn to today's reading from Matthew on the Beatitudes the essence of which are admired by all through the ages, but thought by many to be bordering on being too idealistic and impractical. Matthew went to great length to outline those qualities of the Beatitudes, including humility, non-violence, gentleness, hunger and thirst for justice, and the pursuit of peace. Now, does that sound familiar? Did not Rotary's founder Paul Harris ask Rotarians to pursue world peace and international understanding through service? Just as Christians, the early Christians in particular, sometimes have a hard time spreading the Gospel, so would we Rotarians face rejection, humilation, ridicules and other difficulties at times. It is at these times that Rotarians would stand up for their values and hence make a difference in other people's lives and hence in theirs. Get your wallent out and contribute US$100 or more to The Rotary Foundation now. | ||||
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 | ||||