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Kingspark News Rotary Club of Kingspark Hong Kong |
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This is the weekly bulletin of the Rotary Club
of Kingspark Hong Kong, District 3450
Club Website: http://www.rotary3450.org/kingspark-hongkong |
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President's
Message - By Raymond Sin |
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Bulletin Editor : Alexander
Mak
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By President Raymond Sin (2001-2002) |
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Happy New Year to all of you. Wish you a prospectus year and good health. Having heard some bad news from friends recently, I consider good health and peace of mind the most important elements in life. Let me thank all of you who turned up to the Joint meeting on 10th January. It was your presence that had made the meeting a success. I saw all of you enjoy the fellowship with Rotarians from other Clubs as well as the meeting. I will try to do more of this kind of meetings to attract more of you to attend meeting. During the last few meetings, I appealed to you many times for suppor of the coming Fund Raising Gala Premiere. It will be held on 8th February, Friday night at 7:30pm at HK Convention and Exhibition Center. The film is called Monsters Inc produced by Walt Disney. It will be the single most important event for Kingspark this year. It is the first public fund raising project in our club history. It will definitely draw a lot of attention from the District as well as from the general public, and will enhance our public image positively. Do not forget that "Promote Rotary Image" is a major goal in Rotary International as well as District 3450 this year. That is also why the District is organizing a "Rotary Show". So fellow members, let us work together and make it a big success. Let's share the experience and enjoy the glory together. Another thing that I consider to be very important and serious too is contribution to the Rotary Foundation and to make Kingspark a 100% Paul Harris Fellow Club. Recently, some members have got together and talked about the issue. We wish to motivate every Kingspark members to contribute towards the Rotary Foundation. We decided to set up a pool of funds on the one hand and to encourage members to contribute to it. The ultimate goal is to make every member a PHF regardless of how much they actually paid. The pool of funds will help future new members to acquire PHF by matching their contributions. By doing that, we hope to enhance awareness among members to contribute towards the Rotary Foundation on a continuing basis. As CP John has said in a Rotary Information session, Rotarians should make special effort towards our international responsibility. I have invited PDG Raymond Wong to speak to us about Rotary Foundation at the coming Thursday luncheon meeting. That will refresh our knowledge and help us think positively about the project. See you on Thursday. |
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By John Wan The year began with midnight fireworks from Sydney to Hong Kong and Beijing to Singapore. Ukraine's Chernobyl atomic power plant showed no signs that it would malfunction, while London's Big Ben rang at midnight Greenwich Mean Time, as it would for every night. There was heightened security in the United States, but no major incidents were reported despite widespread fears of possible attacks by terrorists. In Afghanistan, the Talibans announced that the hijackers of an Indian Airlines passenger plane had left the country for an unknown destination, as India and Pakistan began a war of words, with Islamabad denying New Delhi's claim that the hijackers were Pakistani nationals, and vowing to arrest and try them according to international rules if they entered Pakistan. Meanwhile, more people were killed in renewed clashes between Christians and Muslims in the Indonesian province of Maluku. More than 1,000 people had already been killed in the sectarian violence and thousands of buildings damaged or burned. Vladimir Putin visited Chechnya on New Year Day and awarded hunting knives to federal troops battling Islamic militants in the breakaway region. If all that sounded familiar, it is because it was a used rather than a new year. These were news items reported two years ago on 1 January 2000 when the world was waiting for an Y2K glitch to strike, when there were fireworks in major world cities including of course Hong Kong, when the Talibans were in power and when Putin was still acting president. It is debatable whether the world has gone safer or more peaceful in the last two years, but no one would argue that 2001 did not go down too well in the world annals as far as world peace and understanding is concerned. True, China has done very well last year and as an integral part of this great country, Hong Kong has shared the nation's joy and basked in her glory. Looking on the bright side, Hong Kong has not done worse than many neighbouring economies and it is certainly reasonable to expect that developments in the Mainland would provide more opportunities and renewed impetus for those who would not accept defeats sitting down. I was looking at the papers yesterday and I found a few interesting item in the "Today in history" column. On New Year's Eve in 1879, Thomas Edison showed how a light bulb worked to the public in Menlo Park, New Jersey; in 1923, the BBC broadcast the chimes of Big Ben for the first time; in 1946, US President Harry Truman formally declared an end to World War II; and in 1999, Vladimir Putin became acting Russian President when Boris Yeltsin surprised the world with his resignation. But what struck me most was perhaps the reminder that Marie Curie received her second Nobel Prize on New Year's Eve in 1911 for her work on radioactive elements. I was particularly impressed by the quote on the physicist from former French foreign minister Maurice Schumann. He said, "The only lecture by Madame Curie that I was privileged to attend, even though I was incapable of comprehending it, extended my horizons forever after." Time after time, year after year, the world has produced great men and women destined for great deeds and who would shape the world and make it a better and safer place in which to live. TIME has been picking Person of the Year since 1927, and Madame Curie certainly fits comfortably in the category if not transcends it. Sadly, the human race has also bred monstrous, ruthless and fascist dictators who had inflicted unspeakable, immeasurable and incalculable suffering, desolation and ruins to the world and their fellow human beings. The battle of good and evil will go on, which is where faith comes in: the faith that even a meek and fragile person can inspire sufficient confidence that will enable human goodness triumph over evil and terror and restore peace and salvation in the human race. The beginning of a New Year in itself is no more significant than the dawn of a new day or the rising of the morning star, but a New Year traditionally brings hope and joy together with renewed faith, and one hopes that it is the faith that good would triumph over evil. In the past, we may have faltered in our steps, succumbed to evil under pressure, failed to support our fellow human beings when they needed us most, failed to deliver what we have promised particularly of our own accord, forgotten about the precepts of charity and mercy, forgotten about our responsibilities to God and fellow human beings, and acted generally in a manner and fashion that we would not recognize or condone had we been placed in a less stressful or more fortunate position. Let us hope that a New Year would turn over a new page and make us a better person and more conscious of the needs of others and of the world. Have a Happy New Year Day and a prosperous 2002. Talk to you again soon. |
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While waiting for Alexander Mak at the Mandarin Oriental, I passed the time going through the District Directory 2000-01. Accountants are not normally good at public relations, and the saying has it that they are usually boring and uninspiring. Would it also speak for Alex? Alex came and gave me his business card which bore the word Partner, and before I asked about his partnership with Ernst & Young, he drew my attention to the small print "Limited". Honestly I do not know the difference. Nor does any layman I suppose. "I'm not authorized to sign audit reports at Ernst & Young, and that's the only difference." As one of the longest-serving members at Kingspark, Alex learned his trade by being on the job. He joined the Inland Revenue Department as an assessor immediately after graduating from Hong Kong University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Social Science. By the time he decided to leave the Government to join the then accountancy firm of Ernst Whinney (Now Ernst & Young after merged with Arthur Young) in 1990, he was already promoted to the grade of an assessor. His experience in the Government had certainly landed him in good stead and he was Principal in 1987 and, for the first time, was also required to establish connections and generate business for the company. "But I was an introvert, and I'm not good at this." Then in 1989, a friend PP Albert Chu (who has left for New Zealand) introduced Rotary to him. He went to their meetings, and later became a member of the Rotary Club of Kwun Tong. However his role as Chairman of the Taxation Institute of Hong Kong (1992-94) meant that he could no longer effectively commit himself to Rotary, and he decided to take a break. But the break was short-lived. His passion to serve made him "rejoin the Rotary family" when IPDG John Wan decided to charter Kingspark in 1994, and Alex became its founding Vice President.To Alex, Rotary is an ideal, a mechanism, and an opportunity to serve. He recalled with much affection his days in the Rotary Club of Kwun Tong as Programme Chairman and how he worked to secure quality and interesting speakers, including very senior Government people, at their luncheon meetings. "I think this helps to put Rotary on the map, and people are more aware of our work." I asked if he had invited any Government secretaries to speak at meetings. "In those days there were no policy secretaries; they were directors. The Director of Water Supplies came. One day I saw the news on television about the first successful liver transplant in Hong Kong. I called Chinese University and talked to the professor who was directly involved in the operation and asked if he could come and speak at our meeting. He did. On another occasion, I bumped into film director Sylvia Chang one day in Tsimshatsui, and she was speaking to our members the following week…" I understand Kingspark has an excellent record in community service, and Alex was keen to remind me of their Community Service Committee on youth projects. There were also projects developed jointly with the Social Welfare Department. It is certainly how we send our Rotary message across to the next generation. It ensures continuity. I remember when he talked to IPDG John two days ago, the subject of continuity was also raised. How does he see the importance of continuity? "It's important not only for projects, but for the whole structure. This would inevitably make the impact of Rotary more felt. But I can imagine few DGs would want to commit future Governors for three years to their initial projects…" And still on the subject of continuity, Alex had been Chairman of the District Interact Committee for three years since 1997 (a post subsequently held by Rtn Dominic Ko, who was introduced by him), and he recalled how he initiated the international youth exchange program which fosters international understanding and informal gatherings of Rotary advisors. "I got the addresses of all other District Interact Chairpersons worldwide, and I sent letters to all of them, inviting them to come to Hong Kong, and I was overwhelmed by the keen response…" Indeed he is still proud of this program which has already taken root as a Rotary tradition. I could imagine lots of hard work went unnoticed, considering the problems of networking and the emailing system being not all that well established in those days. And I could understand immediately how rewarding it was. He said PDG Raymond Wong came to our regular meeting earlier that day and told him a Rotarian from Korea asked about him…Last year Alex was the District Treasurer and also the Chairman of the District Accounts Committee. I have noticed only his name on the committee. "In theory the Accounts committee works with the District Finance Committee which focused on policy matters, but in reality there's only one person responsible for preparing district accounts, and that's me." Alex was clearly aware of the confusion in terms at district level, and he was well aware of the sentiments when IPDG John restructured the Finance Committee last year. This year the District Finance Committee literally exists only on paper, as no meeting has ever been convened. I wonder, has the game of politics finally crept in? "At present, many district finance matters, policies and procedures are not well established. It may not be the right time to change them drastically now. People are still not ready for such changes. No, I would imagine not within my term of office as District Secretary(Finance) this year..." What will be his role as District Secretary (Finance), presumably only answerable to the District Governor? "I'd want to ensure a more systematic approach on district funding and disbursemements, and as we're responsible for financial policy matters within the district. I'd want a greater sense of transparency as well as accountability." How? Alex did not elaborate much. Last year, the District Conference at Convention Centre incurred a deficit in excess of HK$400,000 as a result of - in his own words - late promotion for registration, and subsequent low turn-up rate. That, I suppose, was a case of clear mismanagement. Will the organizing committee be held responsible? Was there enough monitoring of budgeting? "The good thing about accountants is that they have to accommodate differences, and understand other people's needs. A good leader is probably someone who can tolerate differences." Two days ago he asked John how he responded to accusations of dictatorship during his term as District Governor. Alex was President in 1996-97. How does he look back on himself? "I recall when I was President, I was quite dominating in the club." But nevertheless it was also in his term when Kingspark won the most district awards. Over the years, have there been moments when he seriously wanted to question his role as a Rotarian? Has he ever felt depressed with Rotary's ideal of service above self? "Yes, the District Conference issue was a clear example. It aroused a lot of unpleasantness. Sometimes you do feel a bit uneasy when you're working so hard but people around you just don't care. But when you think it over, you'd realize it's rather insignificant when compared to our Rotary ideals. Sometimes people don't see things as I do, as I've gone through the experiences in life they may not understand…" Alex is probably right, but it is something easier said than done. Sitting in front of me was the Chief Editor of Kingspark News and former English Editor of Undergrad, the official Hong Kong University Students' Union paper. It was then the era of ideology and students' movements, and massive corruption. Alex reminisced about how they demanded Peter Godber, the chief police superintendent who slipped through Hong Kong with HK$4.3m, be brought to book. "I published an article with the author impersonating as Godber's wife asking him to turn himself in. The Undergrad was a powerful student voice and a paper of good standing." How does he see Kingspark News? I have examined all other Rotary Clubs here and was amazed to find that only Kingspark has taken on this task - of producing such newsletters, not to mention weekly. That alone will make Kingspark a cut above many others, I think. But after twelve issues, Alex begins to ask - is it going in the right direction? Has it become our pride, or our liability? "The pressure is always there. It's tremendous hard work. I want to see that it serves as a communication tool and generates more interest. I would like to see more spontaneous contributions and members can share their views and feelings on all matters. I'd also like to see more international connections forged through Kingspark News." And Alex reminded me that our delegation to visit Sathon, our sister club in Bangkok, would take up this matter. What about the Rotary image in the community? Alex now serves on the organizing committee for the Millennium Enterprise Program, a function co-sponsored by Kingspark, Kowloon Northwest, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and the Hong Kong Youth Institute. There is going to be a gala premiere of a Walt Disney production at the Convention Centre. Publicity in the local media will begin very soon, and it will be a full scale one. One with a bang, I suppose. "Yes I think this will effectively enhance our Rotary image, apart from raising money. There will probably be quite a bit of media coverage."I asked if his seniority at Kingspark has given him the privilege to lecture members. Alex laughed, "They just respect me." IPDG John lamented that "many people joined Rotary for the wrong reasons". I asked if he agreed. "Who cares what he joined Rotary for? Once you've become a Rotarian, you'll begin to understand…" Is Alex an introvert, an enigma, or a contradiction? I asked if he considered himself hard to understand. He disagreed, "Sometimes I don't really care what people think of me, if I know what I am going is right…" Then how would he describe himself? "'Benevolent autocrat' as the word is described by IPDG John?" he smiled. "But I think that I am more diplomatic (than IPDG John)" |
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By Jimmy Chen The Oxford Dictionary defines the word 'attitude' as 'the way you think and feel about somebody/something; the way you behave towards somebody/something that shows how you think and feel'. According to Herbert Dow, founder of the Dow Chemical Company, our choice of this 'attitude' should be more in the nature of "I only need ONE person to get a job done, not 100 to tell me why it can't be done". Expanding on this, Rotarian Jimmy considered that the 'attitude' that we choose should have the following characteristics :- |
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Should * Play to win
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Should Not * Play not to lose |
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Rotarian Jimmy concluded with Professor Erwin H Schell's observation that 'When our attitude is right, our ability reaches a maximum of effectiveness and good results inevitably follow'. According to him, the simple truth is that when people's attitude is right, they are already half way on the winning side; and that whilst the aforesaid observations may be a bit rudimentary for us, they should nonetheless be good 'sharables' for our junior staff or our own children |
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Club Level (2) 8 February 2002 - Fund Raising Gala Premiere at Convention & Exhibition Centre (3) 4 May 2002 - Kingspark's Annual Ball. District Level (1) 26 January 2002 - District Football Competition at Lok Fu Recreation Ground (2) 16 - 17 March 2002 - District Conference at Kowloon ShangriLa Hotel (3) June 2002 - RI Convention in Barcelona, Spain. |
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President |
Raymond
Sin Tom Hui Anwer Islam Peter Lo Michael Eyles Thomas Chan Ho Chi Ming Amy Chow Stephen Lin Sunny So Jane Fung Patrick Wong Alice Chau David Cheung |