On June 5, President Mark, Charter President Patrick and Past District Governor Belinda attended Interota 2020 kick-off event at Hotel ICON. The kick-off event included a live-streaming of the virtual opening ceremony, which featured speeches by Rotary International President Holger Knaack, Rotary International Director Surgeon Liu, District Governor Eric Chak and Immediate Past District Governor Wilson Cheng, performances by various groups, and the singing by District Governor Eric, Immediate Past District Governor Wilson, and Rotaractors. Several Rotarians also attended the virtual opening ceremony via Zoom or Youtube, including Past Presidents Dora and Grace, and others. Immediate Past District Governor Wilson, chair of Interota 2020 Hong Kong steering committee, hosted a few tables at the event. We thank Immediate Past District Governor Wilson for his generosity in this evening and for his stewardship of Interota 2020 Hong Kong in the past few years. We also thank Past District Governor Belinda for her support behind the scenes, especially when Interota 2020 Hong Kong was planned as a physical convention. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, the organizing committee took time during the live virtual opening ceremony to thank our Charter President Patrick, whose most significant and unwavering support of Interota 2020 Hong Kong,…
On June 5, President Mark led a team consisting of Past President Grace, Past President Samuel and Amy, and President Elect Sam to deliver hot meals to 200+ elderly living in Cheung Sha Wan and Lai Chi Kok areas. Amy, first to arrive, was the star of the day. She singlehandedly handled 100+ meal boxes. Past President Grace managed the front line, while Past President Samuel and President Mark managed the day’s traffic, which was mostly orderly.
On June 5, various members attended as guests Interact Leadership Training Seminar, organized by our sister Club, Rotary Club of Pudu. President Mark and Charter President Patrick dropped by, while Rotarian Jason participated as panelist during the international session. The Seminar was expertly run by Pudu Rotarians, who spent a substantial amount of time to prepare for the Seminar, and the first such one virtually. Harbour attendees learned a great deal from the Seminar, not only about Interact but about how to support Interact, especially during this ongoing pandemic.
On May 27, our Club met at Regal Hong Kong Hotel. To ensure proper social distancing, Regal has given us a large room, with 4-person tables separated by ample spaces. Several announcements were made before the speaker program. President Mark urged members to support Interota 2020 Hong Kong by signing up and joining the event virtually. President Mark and President Elect Sam gave more details about an upcoming joint Board meeting, to be held on June 21. President Elect Sam also announced several important dates for our Club and District: June 24 (Club Assembly and last Club meeting of RY2020-2021), July 8 (Club Installation), and July 10 (District Installation). Club Installation would be a regular lunch meeting, at Regal HK Hotel. Final arrangements are still to be hashed out, dependent upon social distancing rules of the day and the number of members and spouses wishing to attend. At the moment, both outgoing and incoming District Governors, both outgoing and incoming Assistant Governors will attend. Finally, according to President Elect Sam, District Installation would be held in the afternoon, at HKCEC, with no meals. Members who have yet to sign up but wish to join should contact President Elect Sam directly.…
On May 23, our Club sent one team of Interactors to 11th Hong Kong Bowling Tournament for all x 10th Hong Kong Blind Bowling Tournament. President Mark, Past President Grace, President Elect Sam, and Grace’s sister Joyce went to cheer our team of Interactors from King’s College. Also in attendance was Dr. Kelvin Siu, our speaker from last week, and his colleague Mr. Ricky Chan (not to be confused with our most cheerful Past President Ricky). Both are innovators who are passionate about supporting the disabled through technological innovation. We also managed to catch Honorary Member Vivien, who was the event’s Guest of Honor.
On May 22, President Mark led a team consisting of Past Presidents Grace and Samuel, Rotarian Eliza, and Coco to deliver hot meals to 200+ elderly living in Cheung Sha Wan and Lai Chi Kok areas. Everyone lost weight while standing under the 36-degree afternoon sun to hand hot meals and other goodies to the elderly. The next outing, likely our final one this Rotary Year, is scheduled on June 5.
On May 13, our Club met at Regal Hong Kong Hotel. To ensure proper social distancing, Regal has given us a large room, with 4-person tables separated by ample spaces. Special welcome was given to all five of our Charter Members. Before the speaker program, members took turns to give reports of Club and District activities. Past President MK, as Sergeant-at-Arms, thanked President Mark and President Elect Sam for their contribution to the red box in the Poster Hunting Challenge, and thanked many others for their generous contributions to red box on the day of the meeting. Past President WT gave highlights of a tree planting outing to Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve. Past President Grace chimed in and said the work this year was especially challenging as some of us had to carry pots of plants up a steep slope and had to clear wild bushes before saplings can be planted. Charter President Patrick gave details of District Training Assembly, and highlighted key points by the event’s guest of honor, Mr. Kenneth Fok, JP. President Mark ended the reporting section by encouraging members to sign up for the upcoming service outing at Holy Cafe, when over 250 elderly were expected…
On May 8, at Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, our District conducted Training Assembly for incoming Presidents Elect, officers and directors. Various members attended, including: Charter President Patrick, Past District Governor Belinda, Past President Angela, President Elect Sam, Rotarian Eliza (President Nominee) and Rotarian Jason. The Keynote Speech by Mr. Kenneth Fok, JP, informed us on Youth Development and Sports in Hong Kong. Later, Past District Governor Belinda chaired a breakout session on The Rotary Foundation, while Past President Angela and Rotarian Eliza presented in the Public Image and Service Projects (Health, Preserve Planet Earth and Peace) breakout sessions, respectively. Rotarian Eliza also acted as the reporter for her breakout session in the Plenary Session. One new item for this upcoming Rotary Year is to appoint a Youth Protection Officer at each Club, as required by new Rotary International policies.
Five members (Past Presidents Angela, Grace, WT and Dora, and Rotarian Eliza) plus one spouse (Maurice) attended the District Preserve Planet Earth Committee’s Tree Planting at Fung Yuen, Tai Po on May 1. Motivated by Past President Angela’s call: “有錢出錢，有力出力”, our Club members donated 2,200 HKD in total with some of the donation going to clubs in Mongolia for planting trees there. The team carried the plants uphill before digging holes for planting the trees to attract butterflies to come to this “Site of Special Scientific Interest” conservation area, where over 200 species of butterflies (90% of the total 245 species in HK) live here. Among them, over 140 species are uncommon/rare/very rare in HK. The happy service+fellowship event was followed by a “heavy meal” filled with laughter in Tai Po.
On April 24, President Mark led a team consisting of Past President Grace and Rotarian Eliza to deliver hot meals to 200+ elderly living in Cheung Sha Wan and Lai Chi Kok areas. The next outing is scheduled on May 22. Extra helpers are needed as it would be the date for elderly to register for the first time, or renew, their eligibility cards.