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KINGSPARK NEWS Club Number: 30119 2005-06 Rotary Year : Issue 17 : 2 March | ||
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is the biweekly bulletin of the Rotary Club of Kingspark Hong Kong Club Website: http://www.rotary3450.org/kingspark-hongkong | ||
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| Chief
Editor : Francis Wann Club Webmaster : John Wan | ||
| Editorial
(Blog
Blog Blog) - By Francis Wann | ||
| District Website | RI Website | RI President | TRF | News Room | Global History Fellowship | ||
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Blog Blog Blog
Today the blog communities are as diverse as anything you could imagine from the most serious to the utterly silly, and of course they are no longer dominated by the young. I'm not sure how many of our politicians are bloggers, but I've been reading the blogs of some British MPs - and are thoroughly enjoying them. The directness, spontaneity, and forthrightness of a blog would make it almost impossible to avoid confrontations when it comes to the question of value judgement. Indeed it takes a bit of courage to be in the blogring and stay active, as the challenges can be overwhelming. True, a lot of blogs thus created are nothing more than wishywashy nonsense with no substance at all. Some more discerning members might have also noticed the blog on the RI site. But alas you would not wish to explore when you look at the date the last blog was uploaded... We can safely declare that Rotarians are not the most interesting bloggers, and this must have something to do with our unwillingness to accept - and adapt to - the new frontier of challenges. Whatever happens to the outside world in information sharing, we stay largely unmoved. But who knows how much we might have missed this way in terms of service opportunities? It probably will not be an overstatement to confess plainly that sometimes we don't understand our targets enough, or perhaps we assume the Interactors and Rotaractors look at Rotary the way we do. Another interesting phenomenon on the District site is the recent addition of Rotary First. It should have become a must read for many, if only for its very personal reflections of our fellow Rotarians. I went to Frank Devlyn's (RI President 2000-01) page to read about his own testimony.. "When people ask me, "Why Rotary? Why do you give so much importance to Rotary?"- I sometimes feel that it is almost like explaining why other key aspects in life are important. How can you explain the importance of religion, marriage, or of having a proper education? Rotary can be explained from different cultural and philosophical backgrounds, and you will always come to the conclusion that thanks to Rotary, this is a better world and Rotarians are better off for being in our ranks. Yes, as I look back, joining Rotary was the turning point of my life... For a better life!" There's no mincing of words. There's nothing grandeur, and there're no complicated social science theories. I'm quoting his words not because Frank Devlyn is a Rotary heavyweight or whatever. Most of the other entries are just highly readable, and if by any chance any readers should find their experiences similar, it's only because we share the same values. Well sometimes I wondered what if Frank's got his own blog. Perhaps it would be the most radical change of Rotary mentality if we make it mandatory for all RI directors and DGs to host their own blogs. Want to comment? Send us a blog. | ||
President's
Column
Men's
100 meters (below 40 years old) - PP Ted Ho, 1st Runner-up Once again you have won excellent results this year and you have kept up Kingspark as a very sporty club in our District. Keep up the good results for the next year. We have the District Rotaract Representative ("DRR") 2006-2007 elected and the DRR is a Past President from the Rotaract Club of Kingspark HK again. Congratulations PP Clarence Au! You are the 4th DRR from our Rotaract Club and it will be your show time for the next year. The past three are Jimmie Kwan, Patrick Yung and Eddie Yau. Clarence was inducted a few years after our Rotaract Club was chartered and the club has kept on producing new blood. For the last few years we had several Rotaractors joining the club after they left the universities. Taking a look at the new Rotaractors who have joined the club recently it is not difficult to find a lot more DRRs. There were 2 Rotaractors inducted on 24th February, 2006, Florence and Eric Kwok, and Eric was the Past DRR from the Canadian Multi District Organization inducted as a member of the club on 24th February, 2006. Well done Rotaractors and we will continue to give our full support to you. Our Rotaractors are organizing the Little School Bags project. It is sponsored by the SCOLAR of the Government and the DSG of our District and the most important session will be the concert which is going to be held at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium at Wanchai on 7th May, 2006. Students from the participating schools will learn folk songs to improve their English. Some of them will be invited to sing in the concert and our club, our Rotaract Club, SCOLAR, World Vision China Office and Principals from the participating schools will be invited to attend the concert. After the concert there will be a painting session. More than 2,000 students will paint what they have learnt and perceived from the folk songs on the canvas school bags, which will be delivered to the poor children in China. The project will cost more than $200,000. Our club is one of the participating organizations of this project and we will give our full support to it. The Interact Club of Wah Yan College, HK is joining the Interact Clubs of Marymount Secondary School and La Salle College to organize a Charity Variety Show at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium on 21st April, 2006. The surplus will be donated to Medicins San Frontiers. The Interactors are organizing it for the third consecutive year. Last year it was presented in the District Conference and also reported in the Rotarian magazine. We have resolved in our Board resolution that our club will continue to sponsor $4,000 to support this event this year. I would like to encourage our members to attend the show and see how our Interactors can organize professional entertainment shows and fund raising project all by themselves. | ||
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From
the IPP Lead the Way I believe that most of you have obtained the 2006 January issue of Governor's Quarterly Bulletin. Have you read it? If not, I would recommend you to read it because it has not only briefly introduced our DGE Tony Wong, but more importantly, he has shared with us a short but encouraging story. It encourages us to dream and make our dreams come true. Dear Kingsparicans, I am grateful to be one of the big families because we are able to help a lot of people to dream and make their dreams come true. On 17 February, Rotary International Incoming President, William B. Boyd has chosen "Lead the Way" as the theme for the 2006-07 Rotary Year. At the International Assembly in San Diego, California, RIPE Bill Boyd has requested all incoming governors to lead in the Rotary way by living as role models of tolerance, unselfishness, and integrity with friendliness and a smile, so that others will be happy to walk beside them. He concluded that by saying, "As Rotarians, we are not content to let matters stay the way they have always been in our clubs or in our communities. We are not content with the status quo, and we do not look at a problem only to say someone else will solve it. We are the ones who ask, 'Why not us?' We are the ones with the skills and the desire to build a better future. And we are the ones who must Lead the Way." Being leader of your own profession, I am sure each and every one of us will accept the challenge and Lead the Way to make a difference for those in need. | ||
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Remembering Bill Huntley
Bill served as Rotary International President in 1994-95. I first met him in June 1994 in Hong Kong. To be exact, he was honoured by our District at the Intercity Meeing held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday 24 June 1994. He had just had his first RI Board Meeting in Hong Kong, so that he was accompanied by many RI Directors and Officers. Our Governor of the day then was Liu Lit-mo, and I was the President of Kingspark. During the Meeting, Bill Huntley installed Lit-mo as District Governor and presented the charters to the 41st and 42nd clubs of the District, which were respectively Hong Kong Bayview and Kingspark. I had a picture, which re-surfaced recently when I was shifting faded photographs, taken with him handing over the club charter to me. Many of the charter members were in the picture. We all looked much younger and very happy and fresh. I had all these details because I still keep the hard copies of all past issues of Kingspark News. The Intercity Meeting was the cover story of Issue 8 of Volume 2 published on 27 June 1994. Kingspark News reported that President Huntley spoke of Rotary's success secrets: that Rotary is not bound by geographical or political boundaries; that Rotarians can talk to many governments and make them talk to each other; and that Rotary has become an international emblem of trust. Quoting from a last RI Vice-President, President Huntley said that Rotary would be worthless without the "Rotarian men and women of good will" each of whom having "a heart full of love for his or her fellow human beings." To Rotarians who asked what they could do to perpetuate Rotary's success, the then President said, "Be a friend" and "Be a Friend to your community, be a friend to your family, be a friend to your colleague, be a friend to those far away." Kingsaprk News further reported that the then President went on to say that "friends are always patient, always think about others, never give up and always forever." For the clubs in the District, the then President said that they could well be "gateway clubs holding the future of Rotary in a special way." He was referring to Rotary extension in China, where in the wake of hunger, diseases and war, Rotary could be her destiny by helping to bring about a world of care, of compassion and of hope. What foresight, and what prophetic vision! I next met Bill as Governor Elect in Anaheim in January 2000. I was with Rosita of course, and Bill, with Audrey. They were such nice people. They wrote me a very nice note in response to a simple gift we brought them from Hong Kong. These are real kind people, full of compassion. Rosita and I had another close encounter with the Huntleys when we were appointed their aides at another big conference held in Hong Kong. Bill was then Chairman of the Foundation Trustees. I do not have records of that meeting because I was then not the editor of Kingspark News, but I do recall that Roita and I had a great time with them. They were always so kind, unasuming, considerate, compassionate and statesman like. Bill had served Rotary in many capacities: as district governor, International Assembly discussion leader, committee member and chair, Rotary information counselor, Foundation trustee and trustee chair, director, and vice president. He also served as vice president and president of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI). He was a recipient of The Rotary Foundation's Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award; and he received the PolioPlus Pioneer Award and the PolioPlus International Service Award for his extraordinary service to PolioPlus. You can read more about his past and other achievements on the RI website, inclding his difficult childhood and humble beginning, his many awards in various fields, notably those related to youth rehabilitation and juvenile delinquents. Bill will be remembered for his lifelong commitment to community service such as his Rotary volunteer missions to India, Mexico, Sri Lanka, and Thailand and his service with the World of Children International Advisory Council. His outstanding volunteer leadership was recognized in UK and abroad: He was a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and was invested by the president of Venezuela with the Order of Simón Bolívar. In the District, and certainly in Kingspark, we would remember him as the President who gave us the charter and most importantly as a friend who taught us to be a friend. | ||
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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 from the latter for publication in the same issue if possible. | ||
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Chief
Editor : Francis Wann The Board of Directors President
: Dominic Ko | ||
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