Contents

Editorial - By John Wan
Censorship or Leadership - By Francis Wann
Letters to Editor

editorial

An In-Bulletin

The discerning reader may notice that the Web Version Kingspark News posted last week does not include some regular sections featured in past issues, for example, the composition of the board, upcoming events, and Charter President's column. The primary reason is that whereas in the past, the Club Webmaster would attempt to include entire issues of the club bulletin, save the obvious typo and factual errors, the present web version is now the product of an active process, based on but not restricted to selected articles from the regular issues of the bulletin. In short, the Club Webmaster now has editorial control and responsibilities for the contents of the web version. The only restriction is that he cannot publish articles without the consent of the authors concerned. But this is a time honoured good practice that any editor worth his salt would observe anyway.

An editorial policy for the web version is that we try not to give readers information that is easily and readily available from other parts of the District Website. For the same Website also hosts the web pages of the Club, including Kingspark News. That is why we would not include those regular features mentioned in the last paragraph. Specifically, one can visit the page on "Club Officials" for the composition of the board, the "What's New" page for upcoming events, the District's IPDG pages for the letters of the Club's Charter President, and so on. We hope that the Web Version can encourage readers to offer views on issues discussed in the articles.

We would try to publish the Web Version soon after the regular version with same issue number. In practice, the web versions would appear on Sundays.

We hope this version of Kingspark News would recruit, retain and retrieve ardent old-time readers and supporters of Kingspark News, not only in the District, but also abroad. It seeks therefore to be an international and interactive bulletin, which was what Kingspark News set out to be nearly eight years ago. In short, it seeks to be an in-bulletin.

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Censorship or Leadership

By Francis Wann

[Rotarian Francis Wann holds strong views on how the Club should go about certain business. Here are two linked pieces in which he expresses his views on censorship and leadership, among other subjects, and in the process challenges the club leadership. He wrote the first piece on 22 March, after he attended an Editorial Board meeting and the District Conference. He is all praises on RI Past President Cliff Dochtermann. Inspired by what transpired at the Club Assembly held on 28 March, Wann wrote the second piece on 30 March which ends by questioning whether the Bulletin Editor could be too simple. - Ed]

Making a Fuss or Making a Point
22 March 2002

I became a Rotarian officially last year during the Annual Installation. I was indeed grateful that Rotary could open its door to me when I wanted to render my humble service.

When RI President's Personal Representative Cliff Dochtermann asked when they became Rotarians during his speech, I was baffled. Of course Cliff didn’t mean when they joined their Rotary clubs. You can be a Rotarian for ages but never be a true Rotarian. That little Rotary pin on your chest could make you immediately being recognized as a Rotarian, but it can never make you one. It’s something you have to earn for yourself.

A week ago we had our editorial board meeting. As a new member, I intended to listen and learn first. There was little of substance about editorial policy and the future policy of Kingspark News in the discussion as Chief Editor Alex Mak insisted the paper should exist as a forum for members – and members only – to exchange their views. Calvin said he felt rather insecure that our club bulletin could be accessed by anyone who bothered to click into our website, lest he’d written something sensitive. Yes his worries might have been justified, but what’s the whole purpose of our weekly publication after all were it not for us to speak our minds? My A-level intellectuals produce their own newsletters and I must admit they take it seriously, but no matter how serious they are it’s no more than a student publication. I would loathe to see our newsletters degenerate into a student magazine.

I raised the point of having regular columns which could at least give it more discipline. I mentioned the “indispensables” ie President and President-elect’s columns, editorial, and club information updates as mandatory. I also wanted the Secretary to include a record of the last meeting as well as news of the forthcoming one which includes, among other things, our guest speaker, if any. But I was the minority and most at the meeting didn’t see the need. Am I asking for too much? A club newsletter isn’t just a collection of writings and photos. Rather, it exists as a binding force for all members and it gives us a sense of direction.

I went to the Golden Mile Club site which was named the best English weekly bulletin. Though I saw plenty of tongue-in-cheekness in the way the newsletter was presented, their clever use of hyperlinks and visual effects almost everywhere must be a lesson for us.

PDG John wondered why members were reluctant to join the District Conference and enjoy the company of fellow Rotarians. I recall some of our off-the-record exchanges about Rotaractors at the editorial board meeting. Some made it plain that they joined Rotaract simply for the benefit of networking, and Rotary is a respectable household name. I gave it a second thought. Aren’t we all into some sort of networking ourselves? John said many people joined Rotary for the wrong reasons. Having been with Rotary all these years, he should have known better.

It was a pleasant experience listening to Cliff, and what a heavyweight Rotarian he is both literally and by virtue of his position! I was a bit disturbed when he mentioned many Rotarians were reluctant to introduce new members. As Cliff reminded us at the conference, he could not think of any one Rotarian who was not introduced by another Rotarian – except Paul Harris. Here is a joke, but what a bitter joke it was. And Cliff was definitely a born orator, and his message came through loud and clear.

In between sessions I took a rest at the lounge with John and Rosita. Peter Hall happened to be there. I would imagine Peter has a towering reputation within the Rotary family. I remember at the Foundation seminar when “Uncle” Peter Hall’s name was mentioned, it was greeted with a standing ovation. When I asked whether he read John’s letters, he assured me he did. And he added, “too long, too long”, and reminded me Kingspark News scooped the District Awards when he was editor. I can testify the quality of Kingspark News as I often received facsimile copies before I joined Rotary. Out of respect (and curiosity) I digged into our District Directory again. Peter K Hall was DG during the term 1981-82. And the RI theme was “World Understanding and Peace through Rotary”. Peter was nominated the Most Respected Rotarian of the year in the District Oscars Ceremony that evening. He certainly has Rotary running in his blood.

At the Governor’s Banquet, I sat with a number of Rotary Scholars, some of whom I met before at meetings. I think the presence of new faces is always a reflection of our success. Pamela Tremain Koch from the States is doing her research in risk management at City University, whereas Tobias Gillen from Germany who is a veteran Rotaractor is doing his MBA at HKUST. We talked about everything, and of course how they perceived Rotary. He also emailed me this photo which I received earlier. I guess it’s the way we establish our influence and contacts on a global dimension. Tobias is now under the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and told me the Rotary clubs in his own country were invariably dominated by the older generation. I recall a remark Cliff made about his experience in Manila – when he spoke, nobody listened. Whereas here in Hong Kong, when he speaks, everybody listens.

Rotarian Cliff told the conference how he first knew about Rotary meetings as a waiter in a hotel in Texas. What he wanted to deliver was simply everyone can be a Rotarian, whatever his background. And no contribution is too humble. I look forward to the rewarding experience and satisfaction this Rotarian promised.

Too Simple; Sometimes Naive
30 March 2002

Members only?

When the Editorial Board decided Kingspark News should in future exist as an 'intimate' publication strictly for members, little did our chief editor Alex realise he was treading on thin ice on the fundamentals of freedom of speech. The possible non-inclusion of articles in our web-based edition effectively means Kingspark News will not be accessible to other clubs or non-Rotarians, and that precisely means an end to our original idea of spreading the Rotary ideals to the outside world in general, and Kingspark News in particular.

In his introduction to German existentialist Friedrich Nietzsche's Twilight of Idols(1889), HJ Hollingdale wrote "Why read a book by Nietzsche?...There are, after all, many other books to read, there are also many other things to do besides read..."(1968). Indeed are we fast becoming the victim of of our past success when we're obliged to produce our bulletin for the sake of producing it?

I cringed with embarrassment when President Raymond made it plain at the Club Assembly on Thursday that the web edition would only contain the President's message. I remember the Board decided earlier that even that would not be mandatory. Now the whole purpose of producing our newsletter hangs in the balance, and has certainly become a matter of principle. In general practice it's usually at the writer's own request that certain articles or part thereof be withheld from publishing, not the other way round. And who in their right mentality would specifically go on internet only to read a club president's message?

That to me must be a major step in the wrong direction.

There was a bit of a drama when President Raymond told the Club Assembly the Board's decision on the bulletin without making it explicit whether it referred to the Editorial Board or the Board of Directors. At last it was our guest Patrick from the Group Study Exchange programme who offered his professional advice that it's quite natural for newspapers to appear in two different versions - the street copy and the internet edition, as the internet edition could always change in direct response to the development of an issue. Indeed modern technology has made it possible to give readers up-to-the-minute breaking news on internet and, as Patrick rightly pointed out, it's therefore of considerable importance to have a capable and independent web editor. Ty, another member from the GSE programme who was a park manager back in Carolina, had been following the saga with interest and saw the seriousness of the matter. He assured me he would write something about it to Kingspark News.

It was all a matter of principle when the subject of contributing towards production cost of the TVB programme "Walking with Rotary" was tabled. While the decision has already been made at district level, members' opinions were divided as one asked what difference it would make if Kingspark didn't contribute (to the cost of production). The official answer from Raymond as I understood was "nothing" as the decision to pledge $10,000 was not binding. Alex said if we didn't support the project, we'd still share the benefit (of publicity), whereas Ted Ho went as far as - and I quote "If the publicity is good, we'll contribute... personally I don't like the project" John made it plain that the programme might reach the wrong audience. Though not a Board member myself, I couldn't help wondering the less than possitive attitude towards a project which could possibly put Rotary right on the spot if the message was loud and clear. I raised the possibility of monitoring the production as this could at least guarantee quality. Then John questioned why contribution was not made on per capita basis which was how district fund should be financed. To this Alex's response was that larger clubs didn't have more publicity.

Storm in a tea cup? Yes, but all for a good cause. But here I saw one glaring gap in the process of disseminating information, and this also confirms my staunch belief that one of the important functions of our bulletin is news at both club and district levels.

Webmaster John claimed the new policy amounted to censorship. What is more worrying, I'm afraid, is self-censorship, and should that happen, it would be an end to Kingspark News. Chief Editor Alex was flamboyant at the prospect of a more promising - and more balanced and diversified - club bulletin when many members pledged to contribute under the new arrangement, but what I have witnessed so far - more than two weeks afterwards - is something otherwise. Time to call our own bluff?

Take no offence, but dear Mr Chief Editor, are you too simple - sometimes naive?

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Letters to Editor

You are welcome to write to 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 fro the latter for publication in the same issue if possible.

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