KINGSPARK NEWS

Club Number: 30119

2007-08 Rotary Year : Issue 19 : 18 April 2008

Contents

Editorial (Sense and Sensuality) - By Francis Wann
From the Charter President (Happy Birthday) - By CP John Wan
Letters to Editor
The Board

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EDITORIAL

Sense and Sensuality

They must have gone mad.

The Obscene Articles Tribunal is back in the news again, thanks to first the Chinese University's student newspaper, then to Edison Chen's controversial photos on internet.

The Tribunal has classified the reproduction of these photos in Oriental Daily and Next Magazine as Class I Category, which means - by its own definition - neither indecent nor obscene.

While our moral brigades are up in arms against the invasion of sexual fantasies, we all thought we had enough of it anyway and the whole saga should be put to rest. Suddenly TELA (The Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority) came into the fray and wanted to get the ball rolling again.

These days you simply can't avoid it: schools are saying they use the incident for their liberal studies, the media is holding panel discussions on the possible implications, and in almost every corner of the community, many more are passing their judgements with heavy moral undertones.

Is history repeating itself ? Almost half a century ago the England's Old Bailey found Penguin, publishers of DH Lawrence's book Lady Chatterley's Lover , not guity in the most famous obscenity trial in publishing history - thirty years after Lawrence's death.

BBC4 produced a drama The Chatterley Affair two years ago and playwright Andrew Davies actually talked to Richard Hoggart, then lecturer at Leicester University and the expert witness in the real court case in November 1960. The character was played by David Tennant, better known for his role as Dr Who. When asked by the Director of Public Prosecution Melvyn Griffith-Jones if he thought the book was little more than an indulgence in sex and sensuality, he said he considered it highly virtual and puritanical¡K It is the enormous amount of reverence which must be paid by one human being to another in a physical relationship¡K

Is it about time we take a hard look at our own moral values?

I found it particularly relevant when I read Gerald Gardiner the defense lawyer who told the court Penguin wanted to publish it "¡Kso that ordinary people could buy all the good books in our literature at a reasonable cost. The whole Shakespeare, the whole Shaw, and now the whole of Lawrence¡K If we are to understand what Lawrence had to say, and to properly understand Lady Chatterley's Lover, we must be able to read it, unexpurgated - to read what Lawrence actually wrote. It is a book about England, about our society. Lawrence wanted to say something about our society in his book. He thought the ills in our society will not be cured by political action, but the remedy lay in the restoration of right relations between human beings, particularly in the physical union between man and woman¡K"

If you should think it's the script of the drama, in fact the script was largely based on the transcripts of the trial.

Few would disagree that DH Lawrence was one of the most important literary figures, and it might sound inappropriate to compare his case with Chen's, but the way we look upon ourselves as moral guardians hasn't changed much.

A French version "Lady Chatterley" is now showing at Broadway Cinematheque. And as expected, you could expect it to go off the screen any time - a further testimony of our narrowness in our own moral values.

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From the Charter President

Happy Birthday

Peter Drucker (1909 - 2005) was a writer, teacher, philosopher, reporter, consultant and most important, an original thinker, a big original thinker. He was the world's renowned management guru. He once wrote about learning from a very wise old man, who was head of a very large international organization, who was in his late seventies and who had a reputation of putting the right people in the right job all over the world. Drucker did not identify this man whom he asked, "What do you look for?" to which the man replied, "I always ask myself, would I want one of my sons to work under that person? If he is successful, then young people will imitate him. Would I want my son to look like this?" Drucker alluded to the last question being the ultimate question, adding that the next time you want to hire a person, ask yourself whether you would want your son or daughter to work for him or her.

To some extent, membership development in a non-profit organization is no different. Would you want your son or daughter to be in the same organization and eat and work with the president and members of the organization week after week, year after year.

Peter Drucker also alluded that the sincerity and seriousness of a management could be reflected by the emphasis it placed on integrity of character. Drucker advised people to evaluate the character of the CEO and top management when considering a job offer.

There are certainly no shortage of leaders and leadership in Rotary. Paul Harris and his successors have provide Rotary the leadership and guidance for over a century and many of their words and deeds are well documented in the annals of Rotary.

On the founding of Rotary, for example, Paul Harris had this to say, "The question Rotarians most frequently ask me: 'When you founded Rotary, did you think it would come to anything like this?' My answer: 'No.' There was no inspired beginning. Young businessmen, mostly from the country... unacquainted with city life, gathered together to help and befriend each other.... We had found a cure for lonesomeness.... Our peace and tranquility soon burst their bounds, however. We ceased to be content with isolationism, and begin community service. That was in 1947.

Earlier, in 1934, Paul Harris apoke on friendliness, "Men has affinity for his fellowman, regardless of race, creed, or politics, and the greater the variety, the more the zest. All friendliness needs is a sporting chance, it will take care of itself in any company." Later, in 1939, he added, "Friendliness is the motive power of Rotary.... A virtue in its own right; it begets others. Neighbourliness, kindliness, tolerance, and usefulness are children of friendlinness.... To doubting Thomases, I maintain that friendliness can be made effective in any industry. Know your men, be their friend, and trouble will melt away.... Rotary entered the international field recognizing the solemnity of its undertaking. [It] hoped to lead men to think well of each other irrespective of religious or political views. Rotarians realize they must tread softly when they cross borders. Politeness, friendliness and tolerance must be the order; arrogance and preaching must be avoided."

In his famous "My Road to Rotary" Paul Harris spoke of his vision on membership development: The yearly, daily, hourly spirit of Rotary should be the spitit of Renaissance. We need men of microscopic visions who will explore the molecules, atoms, and electrons, but we also need men of telescopic vision who will explore the stars.

Next month, Kingspark celebrates its 14th anniversary. As we gear ourselves up for the occasion, and as we take the obligatory anniversary photos and sing "Happy Birthday", we can also take stock and review how we have changed over the years.

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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 from the latter for publication in the same issue if possible.

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The Board

President : Marvin Lai
President-Elect and Membership: Joyce Mak
Vice-President and Public Relations: Michael Eyles
Secretary : Kennedy Tsang
Treasurer : Ted Ho
Rotary Foundation : Patrick Wong
Club Administration : Edward Lau
Service Projects : Peter Lo
Sergeant-at-Arms : Alexander Kar

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