Contents

Editorial (The Mainland is our strength) - By John Wan
District News
Letters to Editor
RIC not value for money - By Nicole Burt
Also in the Members Only Version - Editor

editorial

The Mainland is our strength

Our District leaders - led by DG Johnson Chu and DGE Gloria Chan - would have met quite a few RI leaders at the RI Convention just concluded in Barcelona. They would have echanged views on Hong Kong's strengths and weaknesses as a city to host an RI annual convention or for that matter any world class convention.

Our strengths are many and well known. To start with, we have excellent infrastructure, including a modern airport which has won the World's Best Airport Award for two consecutive years, world-class conference and exhibition venues and facilities, efficient city transport systems including the excellent and reliable city-airport connection, attractive tourism spots with wholesome entertainment, and modern hotel accomodation at competitive prices. More importantly, our infrastructure is backed up by an abundant supply of business and professional support services, a skilled work force with top language abilities, a government committed to being business friendly and to making Hong Kong Asia's World City, no VAT, no exchange control, almost zero tariffs, and wide choices of cusines in quality and in style. We are simply the best in the region.

Perhaps the single most important strength and one to which Evanston has not appeared to have given sufficient weight so far, is our unrivalled location - we are at the doorstep of Mainland China.

Just as Hong Kong is the gateway to China in trade and commerce, Hong Kong can well be and will be Rotary's gateway to China, in more than one way. RI and Rotary clubs can usefully use Hong Kong to take to China the service that the people of China very much need and in the process put Rotary clearly and unmistakably on the roadmap to China.

We have seen how the Lions Clubs International (LCI) has been guided by members of their District 303 (Hong Kong and Macau) in taking the services of LCI to the people in China, culminating in the establishment of two Lions clubs in China in May this year. It strongly suggests that when it comes to establishing service clubs in the Mainland, as with trade and commerce, it is many times better and much more effective to do it through Hong Kong and with the people of Hong Kong. And there are very good reasons behind the suggestion. Hong Kong and China are one: the people share the same culture and heritage, speak the same language, have established trust between them through trade, and are keen to see "One Country, Two Systems" work. More relevantly, the Rotarians in Hong Kong and Macau have been taking service to the Mainland for many years, quietly and not much helped by the policies of Evanston.

The Mainland is indeed our great strength. He who ignores this ignores it at his peril.

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District News

What Rotarians in District 3450 have done

Published on 26 June 2002 in the Members Only Version

The following are some of the things that Rotarians in District 3450 have done in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia.

Disaster Relief - Mainland China - In June 1998, Jiujang, in southeast China on the Chang River, was hit by a flood that destroyed some 2,000 villages and the homes of nearly 3.5 million people. When the news reached Hong Kong, clubs from District 3450 immediately sent a disaster relief notice to Rotary International headquarters and started a local fundraising drive. By early 1999, they had raised more than US$55,000, while Rotarians in District 2760 in Japan had raised US$20,000, and clubs in North America, Taiwan, and Malaysia had raised US$35,000.

By September, an entire village with housing for 600 flood victims will have been built on a highland area near the city, thanks to an effort spearheaded by District 3450. Future plans include reinforcing nearby embankments on the river and funding scholarships for children in the area.This is the third village that the Kowloon East club has helped to build following various floods during the past four years. The club has also built 69 schools all across China.

Polio Prevention - Ulaanbataar, Mongolia - Rotarians helped to provide laboratory equipment to a polio virology lab in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia. Sponsored by District 2660, District 2750, District 3350, District 3450, District 9630 and District 9650. US$30,000.

Vocational Training - Smokey Mountain, Philippines - Funds have helped to equip a bakery run by residents of Smokey Mountain, Philippines and to provide them with vocational training. Sponsored by District 3450 Hong Kong Bayview, District 3480 San Chung and District 3810 Uptown Manila. US$28,000.

Tuition - Patthaya, Thailand - Participants have provided one year of tuition to 14 young adults to the Redemptionist Vocational School for the Handicapped as well as school uniforms and supplies in Patthaya, Thailand. Sponsored by District 3350 Bangkapi, District 3450 Victoria, District 9810 Bentleigh Moorabbin Central and Districts 2750, 3340, 3350, 3810 and 3340. US$30,100.

Healthcare - Manila, Philippines - Rotarians are helping to provide new ophthalmologic equipment and provide free eye consultation and eye surgery, for the patients of 3 centers in Manila, Philippines. Sponsored by 3450 Kowloon East, 3480 Taipei, and 3810 Manila. US$100,000.

Nutrition - Quezon City, Philippines - Funds provided a feeding program which will provide food and educate families about good nutrition in Quezon City, Philippines. Sponsored by 3450 Amagao, 3450 Kowloon, District 3780, 3780 Ortigas, and District 5300. US$32,832.

Library Supplies - Taipei, Taiwan - Rotarians helped to provide computer equipment, furniture and supplies for a multifunctional library for the Huadong community in Taipei, Taiwan. Sponsored by 2610 Kanazawa West, 2640 Izumi, 2650 Kyoto-West, 3450 Hong Kong Island West, 3480 Taipei Peace, 3480 Taipei Shihmen, 3480 Taipei Tokai, 3480 Taipei West, 3480 Taipei Yungfu and 3520 Hsichih. US$32,000.

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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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RIC not value for money

By Nicole Burt

I could not agree more with the comments you made in your editorial regarding the effectiveness of the RIC. I have called them on many occasions to elicit information, only to be told that they "don't know anything about that". The most they have ever been able to do is to refer me to someone else. This seems to me to be an extremely inefficient way to run what should be a central "Information" Centre. I for one certainly do not think we are getting value for money, if all the RIC is able to do is host meetings and act as a storage site for photographs! You don't need to hire a management consultant to tell you how the office should be run - any Office Manager worth his or her salt would be able to tell you that. A good dose of common sense and initiative should do the trick. Sadly, that seems to be lacking at many levels. Regards.

[Nicole Burt is Club Secretary of Rotary Club of Kowloon North in 2002-03]

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1. RI President-Elect attends charter event of Australia club - From RI News Basket
2. Jokes - From District Website
3. Youth Exchange - From ABC of Rotary
4. Visit to Taiwan - By Sunny So
5. Board Composition - From Club Website

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