Cultural Development
The Club started out as an all male, English speaking club. It held luncheon meeting every Thursday at Excelsior Hotel, Causeway Bay until 1995 when the Club was forced to move the meeting venue to Regal Hong Kong Hotel. The Club has not changed meeting venue since then.
The Club had a wide profile of membership in the early years.. Nevertheless, the number of expatriate members dropped substantially afterward. During Rotary year 2008-2009, the Board decided that Chinese language could be used in Club meetings when no foreigner is present. The official Language of Club meetings was then changed to English and Chinese. Subsequent to modification of rules of Rotary International and call by majority of members, the Club decided to reduce the number of luncheon meetings to twice a month, i.e. second and fourth Thursday of month from 2017.
Lady Members
Rotary International has changed to male and female organization under US court order. In response to the change, Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour inducted its first lady member, Rotarian Shirley Chung, in June 1991. More female members joined in the later years and played important roles in all aspect of the Club’s services. In the year 2000-2001 PP Veronica DeKrey became its first lady President. What’s more, PDG Belinda Yeung, in the year 2014-2015, became the Club’s first lady District Governor of District 3450. In fact, she is the Club’s only District Governor. The Club has won a number of District awards. The two lady presidents, PDG Belinda Yeung and PP Dora Liu, won the most prestigious District’s President of the Year in their year of presidency, 2010-11 and 2013-14 respectively.
Honorary Members
To strengthen the Club’s identity in the community, the Club had invited social elites as the Club’s Honorary Members. In 1991, the first Honorary Member appointed was Dr. Anita Leung Fung-yee, a writer, publisher and businesswoman. The Club’s Honorary Members as of July 2022 are: Ms Vivien Lau, champion bowler and current Vice President of Olympic Committee of Hong Kong; Professor Timothy Tong, respected scientist and former President of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Dr. Man-Fung Yuen, internationally well-known hepatitis-B researcher and Professor of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong.
Charitable Foundation
To enhance the Club’s abilities to raise funds for community service projects and with the assistance of PP Kennedy Tang, Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour Foundation Limited was incorporated on 9th December 1996. About HK$10 million were raised and spent on Club initiated community services since its inception.
In July 2021, in anticipation of our Club’s 35th Anniversary on 25 March 2022, a Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour 35th Anniversary Endowment Fund in the amount of US$250,000 was established inside The Rotary Foundation. Earnings from the endowment fund will perpetually support student scholarships in Rotary International District 3450.