KINGSPARK NEWS

Club Number: 30119

2008-09 Rotary Year : Issue 3 : 21 August 2008

Contents

President's Column (One World, One Dream) - By President Joyce Mak
From the Editor (National Pride per se)
From the Editor (Time Flies) - By CP John Wan
Letters to Editor

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President's Column

By President Joyce Mak

One World, One Dream

August is the month of Membership and Extension. This year, PE Michael Eyles, our Membership Chairman has shown his generosity and proposed a very attractive incentive program for our members to promote membership growth. Every member will be rewarded in cash HK$10,000 for each new member to be inducted to our club. Of course there is no free lunch! How could this member be able to receive this reward in full payment? The new member has to meet the following criteria: firstly, this person has to be inducted to our club in the Rotary Year of 2008-2009; secondly, this person must fulfill an attendance record of over 60% at our regular luncheon meetings, fellowship activities or district functions; thirdly, this person must pay up all the club dues, RI dues and other luncheon/dinner fees at other district functions within the 12 months period. I believe the spirit behind PE Michael is to encourage our existing members to bring in some quality members who understand what Rotary does, enjoy Rotary fellowship, have the commitment to financially support the club, district and Foundation and most importantly who are willing by showing support through various means in participating different community service projects. Recruiting new members may not be too difficult, one should agree sustaining and grooming a new member overtime is the hardest part. We do need new blood and bring in new ideas to better serve the club and the community. Therefore, we Rotarians have full responsibility in explaining our club's expectations and important information about District's work and RI's key projects before the new member to make this special commitment. Taking into consideration, our Club Administration Director, PP Thomas will organizing a Membership Orientation session and welcome all new potential members to join by the end of this month. Hope this will allow them to know us in a more casual manner apart from attending our luncheons.

Something to be proud of this month! Most of our club's Rotaract advisors attended the District Rotaract Installation cum Rotaract Award Ceremony on 9 August. Though it was the first Olympic Day and all of us could not easily let go our TV at home. Second thought, as mother club, by giving our full support to our rotaractors who demonstrated their great sportsmanship and fought so hard for the past year is utmost important. They did it, a gold medal from the District! Our Rotaract Club of Kingspark HK received 2 very special achievements from District, one is Club Administration Award which promotes club fellowship and the other is the Rotract Club of the year. This is really something not only club advisors to be proud of, but also our members should take pride in having such a great Rotaract Club which all Kingsparicans have had spending the time and effort in grooming and giving much support and advice over the years! We have been building our trust through constant communications, joint project participation, social engagements and more. Congratulate to IPP Edith for her great leadership last year and wish all the best to President Polex and his board members to continue to achieve their dreams!

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From the Editor

National Pride per se

It was refreshing to read Webmaster John's reflection on the recent death of Solzhenitsyn in the last edition , a name almost forgotten in the western literature as almost his entire life was spent in prison and exile for a crime he committed in his thirties ¡V he allegedly made derogatory remarks of Stalin.

Russia allowed the publication of his novel Cancer Ward in 1965, probably to show the world how liberal the country had become. The novel brought him almost immediate fame in the academic circle, something I suppose even Solzhenitsyn himself could not have imagined. He has written only a few books, but there are scores of books and articles about him, and he was hailed as the symbol of defiance and social justice.

Like John, I was attracted to his works in those days as it seemed rather romantic to talk about Solzhenitsyn and his thoughts, and after all not everyone could pronounce his name correctly. Cancer Ward was more than a novel; it was almost his autobiography. We used to talk about the perils of capitalism and communism, and we discussed Mao and socialism and world politics in tutorials. But how could we understand the mentality of Solzhenitsyn who risked his life criticizing an inhumane system?

Today we can say with hindsight how important he was, that he should be ranked alongside Tolstoy, that it was he who accelerated the modernization of the Soviet Union. Cancer Ward was banned again in Russia shortly after its publication for fear of its lingering impact on the youths ¡V the yearning desire for freedom and justice.

In a way Solzenitsyn was fortunate ¡V at least he will be remembered, if not for his sharp political views on Russia, then for his literary achievements. I wonder if any readers would remember a young Chinese painter who one day splashed paint on a Mao mural just for the kick of it . He was caught and immediately diagnosed and sent to a mental institution and has been kept there ever since.

I cannot help thinking about the future of China now that we are in the middle of all the rage of the Olympics. As Rotarians, our mission is to make the world a better place, be it China or elsewhere. The problem is that we always overdo a little in our craze for perfection. The Golds are pleasant, but there are other qualities which are more important to our basic values. After all, history will judge Beijing Olympics, not ourselves.

I have to apologize for missing out two editorials and delaying this one. Blame the Games you might say. But I was also slightly disturbed to find that Kingsparknews was not published on July 15 while I was away.

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From the Charter President

Time Flies

Time flies. What a load of rubbish to start an article like this, stating the obvious and without saying anything that readers or members don't already know.

Well, maybe there is nothing wrong stating the obvious; maybe there are even merits to so do. We are now in the Summer months, traditionally a slow and lazy month when people would take holidays, families taking advantage of the school break to go places and expatriates going home to make sure they recognize their families or to ensure that they are still there, and so on.

But this year we have the Olympics; and it is not just any Olympics, but one in our own nation, our own country, and as Liu Xiang says, at our doorstep. And in Hong Kong, we have the Equestrian Games. For me, I had planned this to be a time to catch up with my school work, and I was rather serious about the programme. I began re-scheduling all my meetings and appointments off August and try to focus on my work. Alas, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak; and time flies.

Most people would probably remember where they were at key moments on key dates of significance. I would classify the Olympics Opening as one of those. I had decided to watch the event on television. The day finally came; and a few hours before that, I told myself that it would be awefully awkward and unwholesome to watch television at home by myself, which I would do any tiem on any day anyway. I began to call up friends. This is when one finds out whom one's friends are or their whereabouts. One was on his way to the airport with the family for a short trip; a few could not be reached, out of town, their office colleagues said; a few had dinner appointments; and so on. Then a friend called and asked me where I would be watching the Opening; and before I could tell him my woes, he invited me to his place for dinner and TV.

On my way to my friend's place, I passed the Central MTR station, where hundreds of people, well not at the same time maybe, were taking pictures of the Olympics Countdown Clock. That was indeed a reflection of normal and very understandable human behaviour. Hasn't that momument be around for 1000 days or something? Time really flies.

The Games have actually taken me off my work for longer periods than I thought or than I would like to, but this is an epic; and nobody knows when the next Olympics would take place in China again. I was watching some clips again and again, not by choice, I mean my choice. I lost count of the number of times I saw Liu Xiang grimacing with pain and his coach being choked by tears. Who says big men don't cry?

And time keeps flying. My editor brother has come back and written his piece, which becomes a cue to prompt me to do mine, at a time when I am trying to find more time.

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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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