On September 5, Past President Grace led a team consisting of Past President Angela and Maurice to pack and deliver hot meals to the elderly. Not only hot meals but face masks were distributed to about 200 elderly. Our next volunteer outing will be on September 26.
Our Club continued to meet on Zoom due to pandemic conditions and gathering restrictions in Hong Kong. Past President Douglas Hsia, our Club’s Y2K President (RY1999-2000), joined from California. Everyone was pleasantly surprised by his presence and most happy to welcome Douglas back! The meeting began with the usual report by Club President, but not before Past President WT led a virtual chorus to celebrate Past President Angela’s birthday, in a few days. Thereafter, Douglas was invited to update us about his life in sunny northern California. Now belonging to the Rotary Club of Walnut Grove, Douglas told us that, like us in Hong Kong, the current global pandemic also made physical meeting difficult in California. He also mentioned that he was his Club’s lone representative at the RI Convention in Atlanta – our Club also had one representative that year – but did not remember meeting any Rotarians from Hong Kong. Personally, he found living in Walnut Grove, a designated U.S. Historical District, fascinating. A Chinese-American history buff himself, Douglas explained that Walnut Grove was steeped in Chinese-American history and traditions. Douglas ended his sharing by hoping to visit us in the future, whether physically or via Zoom. Next…
On July 12, 14 members attended District Installation, held at HKCEC. To comply with gathering restrictions, members were separated into four tables, with Charter President Patrick sitting at the head table with guest of honor, Jasper Tsang, invited by Rotarian Fei and Charter President Patrick; Past District Governor Belinda sitting at the Past District Governors’ table; and the rest of the members split into two separate tables. Past Presidents Angela and Grace had OC duties throughout the day. During the Club Presidents Installation ceremony, Past President Lily stood in to pass the presidential sash one more time to President Mark. In one significant moment of the evening, Charter President Patrick received on behalf of Rotarianne Wendy the rare and prestigious Rotary International award: “Rotary International 2019-20 Excellence in Service to Humanity Award”.
On June 28, President Mark, Charter President Patrick, Past District Governor Belinda, Past Presidents Grace and Angela attended District Conference, our District’s 60th.
On June 20, Past President Dora led a team of 10 consisting of Past Presidents WT, Grace, Samuel and Angela, Rotarian Jason and spouses to deliver hot meals to the elderly at Holy Cafe. On occasion, our Club also sponsored 220 Tuen Ng Festival care packages, each of which included the following: 2 Tuen Ng Festival glutinous rice dumplings, a foldable fan, a vacuum flask, a bag of dried jujube walnuts, vermicelli noodles, and tea. The special “festival” hot meal included fish, roast duck, vegetables and white rice, each of which was carefully assembled, packed and delivered by Rotarians and spouses, in a hot but fun-filled afternoon.
On June 13, our District conducted Training Assembly for incoming Club officers and directors. Various members attended, including Past District Governor Belinda, who chaired a breakout session; and Past President Angela, who was at the main stage most of the time coordinating the proceedings. Past Presidents Angela and Grace were awarded District Training Leader certificates during a plenary session.
On April 18, Past President Grace, Past President WT, Past President Angela and Maurice, and Grace’s friend Yvonne distribute hot meals at Holy Cafe. Over 200 meals were distributed that day. Past President WT and Maurice used their engineering skills to assemble face shields, which were given to the elderly.
On February 13, our Club met for the first time after Chinese new year break. President Mark began the meeting by offering a very special welcome to all members and Maurice. President Mark then detailed the new arrangements of various Club and District events that are postponed or cancelled as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak. Members then shared their stories of how they struggled but eventually managed to secure their own health supplies. Some members also shared their stories of how they managed to source thousands of masks from all over the world and personally donate to charities. Maurice made an impassioned and heartfelt plea to help refugees in Hong Kong who were just as neglected and in need of help as any group in Hong Kong. Past President Angela and Rotarian Jason shared stories about how Rotaractors came together as private citizens to help out those in need. Immediate Past President Lily also shared how she managed to buy boxes of masks while visiting Turkey during her annual vacation, and promptly donated a few boxes, in our Club’s name no less, to our District’s “Giving Masks, Rotary’s Tasks” campaign. It was also during the meeting that the idea…
Over the Chinese new year, Past President Gary Lim of Rotary Club of Pudu and his family visited Hong Kong from Malaysia. Our Club members showed them our usual hospitality. Thanks to liaison by Past President Dora, our Director of International Service, we went for a long hotpot dinner one evening, and a dim sum lunch in another afternoon.
On January 15, more than a dozen Hong Kong Harbour Rotarians and spouses were present at the naming ceremony of Patrick SC Poon Amity College at Hang Seng University of Hong Kong. Patrick SC Poon, of course, is our Club’s Charter President and well-known philanthropist. During Charter President Patrick’s speech, he mentioned that Rotary philosophy of service above self is one of his chief guiding principles when he does philanthropic deeds. Plenty other District dignitaries were present, including District Governor Wilson Cheng, Past Governors Moses Cheng (Chairman of the University’s Council), Anthony Hung, Jones Wong, Peter Wan, Ada Cheng, YC Ho, and District Governor Nominee Keith Chow.