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KINGSPARK NEWS Club Number: 30119 2005-06 Rotary Year : Issue 2 : 15 July 2005 | ||
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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
(Rotary on the Couch) - By Francis Wann | ||
| District Website | RI Website | RI President | TRF | News Room | Global History Fellowship | ||
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Rotary on the Couch
A few months ago at the District Assembly, DG Peter Wan (then DGE) announced the setting up of the Rotary Image Committee which was entrusted with the envious tasks of putting Rotary back on the world agenda where we deserve. Its official status and high profile is likely to make it one of the most potentially influential committees at district level. It was also given a clear mandate. The committee's first task was the District Installation and a lot of thought and effort were put in to ensure that this year's installation was not just another installation. It would be grand - and newsworthy - and to make it academically respectable, the PolyU was commissioned to undertake a study on poverty in Hong Kong and make recommendations, timed to coincide with the installation and was meant to tbe the highlight of the ceremony. The study was released in powerpoint version at a press conference, but was only given a brief mention at the installation. We would have imagined that Rotarians present would be treated to something of a thought-provoking and inspiring message which helps us identify our immediate roles ahead. In fact, most members or presidents were not even aware of this study which has cost us over ten thousand dollars. The PolyU study was not mentioned in the media, and apart from our adverts in two local papers, there was hardly any mention of the District Installation. That is understandable - there wasn't anything calculated to generate media interest, which is what the Image Committee is all about. But its work wasn't very much in evidence. I talked to PP Joseph Chan, Chair of the Installation Committee, about the possibility of including an English official newspaper in the form of a free sponsored supplement, but this idea hasn't materialised. Rotary has just completed its first century of service and naturally we're all proud of what we've achieved. But as I mentioned, it's so easy to be complacent. The Image Committee has missed its best opportunity to deliver its goods at the installation. They should immediately pool their resources together, do their post-mortem, evaluate and form their strategies for the future. The District Installation is a lesson for everyone. We would urge everyone to study the submission from the PolyU and make the most of it. At stake is not only what costs us, but the future and lives of people we want to serve. In stark contrast, the Lions International Convention held here only a fortnight ago was an excellent display of the subtle art of publicity and public relations. And it's not just about money; it's about manoeuvring the media to your advantage. The District Installation came and went, but our image problem lingers on. | ||
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President's
Column
Our Rotaract Club of Kingspark Hong Kong had their Installation of the 11th Board members on 9th July 2005 and IPDG Alex, PP Edward, PP Tom and his Rotaryanne Mil, IPP Thomas, Joyce and our Exchange student Vinita from India attended the meeting. Our DG Peter, our DRR Vincent and many representatives from many Rotaract clubs were there. I was impressed by the support by all these people and their fellow Rotaractors. The meeting was warm and filled with a lot of creative ideas and gifts for the 10th Anniversary of the Rotaract Club. President Vivian, you have a good start. Congratulations! We had our first Club Board meeting on 14th July 2005 and it was short and constructive. We had our focus on Membership and Club Service. Coincidently, we received 3 resignations from Rotarians Peter Tsui, Jimmy Chen and Terence Leung before the end of the Rotary year. Peter was our Treasurer last year. He did a lot of work for our project at the Quang Xi Primary School and he has made a lot of improvement to our Club's treasury work. Jimmy was inducted in 1995-96. He spends most of his time overseas and he has been trying to turn up in our Club meetings, he turned up several time recently, but finally he has decided to leave. Terence spends most of his time in Macau and this will continue for quite some time. We will miss them and certainly we welcome them to join our Club again when circumstances change in future and welcome them to be our Friends of Kingspark. Our membership has reduced to 29 as of 30th June 2005. We have our objective to achieve the net growth of at least 2 members for this years and I would like all members to help to achieve this. Our Club Service Director, PP Edward has proposed a lot of ideas in our Board meeting, including happy hours, dinner gathering, sports program (e.g. bowling, golfing, tennis, table tennis, etc.), to promote better fellowship among our members. He has started with a Happy Hour at Dublin Jack on 15th July 2005 and he is suggesting a dinner gathering on 12th August, 2005. Please mark your diary. Our upcoming event will be our Kingspark Camp to Qing Yuan from 22nd to 24th July 2005 and I am looking forward to this trip. | ||
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Letter
to Editor By Florence Hui [Florence was inducted in RC of Macau earlier this month - Ed]
I've been a frequent reader of "Kingspark News" since I was a Rotaractor. We do need more Rotary Club newsletters like yours which is done "with heart". Like Kennedy Tsang, I've been under the spectre of the blue and gold gearwheel since I was a teenager. His article reminded me of my life as a Rotaractor - a charter member, a PP and an alumni of Rotaract Club of Macau. Although I don't LOOK like a Rotarian, my age advises me to be one! Therefore I was proposed by my Rotaract Advisor, PP Ip Pui Fai and inducted by my mother club, Rotary Club of Macau on 2 July 2005. Guess my meddling nature qualifies me to be a Rotarian (or a Rotaract Advisor to be ). Please pass on my best regards to President Dominic, IPP Thomas, IPDG Alex, PDG John, fellow Kingsparkicans/ Kingsparicans (?); PP Eddie and IPP Virginia of Rotaract Club of Kingspark. Wishing you all the best and success in "Service Above Self". "Through our scientific and technological genius, we have made this world a neighborhood and yet we have not had the ethical commitment to make it a brotherhood. But somehow, and in some way, we have got to do this," said Dr. Martin Luther King. Let's make this world a brotherhood through Rotary. P.S. "Bon Voyage" to your camp at Qingyuan! | ||
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Attendance
Letters to Editor are what editors live and toil for all over the media world. Indeed, feedback is what many men and women at work have been struggling to get but very seldom or never get, and when they do get, it is often too little too late. Leaders are always on the lookout for feedback and some would go as far as sending out feelers and what not. Some send out wrong signals and inevitably get the wrong feedback. Others get what they deserve, but had set out hoping to get something else. And the story goes on and on. Back to our club and back to the basics, our outgoing President had been busy collecting awards and at times lost count of how many he had got and for what purposes. At the risk of being a killjoy, I must point out that one should never set out working on a project with the objective of getting an award, not in the business we are now discussing, which is service. Had we been in the entertainment business, it would be fully justified to make a film or a programme with that objective. Meanwhile, our new leader President Dominic has reminded us that we should work hard on membership, noting that three members had left just before he took office. We are now just under 29; but we have always been operating as if we were a club of only about 20 members or less. Our attendance records have been tale telling, except that some of us might have consistenly chosen to ignore them. The attendance statistics for the first four months of 2005 have just been published with the recent release of the last four issues of the Governor's Monthly Bulletin for March to June. They show our club's average attendance at about 52%, such that our attendance ranking in the district averaged No. 44 for the four months. Our Club Secretary has certainly been telling the truth, and true to the 4-Way Test. But it is no good living up to only one limb of the 4-Way Test. It is therefore gratifying that President Dominic has decided to take the problem head-on by first acknowledging that we have a problem, and a serious one on our hand. And may I end by reminding everyone that organizing more fellowship events and regularly can only be the first step of the long process, for it won't address the problem if all these events are attended only by those who are attending club meetings regularly. | ||
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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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