On June 10, 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. Mr. Kenneth She joined as a guest of Past President WT. President Mark began by recounting memorable episodes from Interota 2020, which closed the day before. President Mark also asked those members who have signed up for Rotary Virtual Convention to check their emails to gain access links. President Elect Sam gave more details about Club Assembly, Club Installation and District Installation. Charter President Patrick reported that he attended Rotary Club of Pudu’s Interact Leadership Training Seminar, held via Zoom. He had fond memories of his appointment as Youth Service Director of Rotary Club of Pudu, in the late 70s. He also reminded us that fellowship and international understanding are two important pillars of the Interact experience, and that our Club should open more opportunities for our youth to experience both. Finally, Past President Samuel counted members’ efforts during our service day at Holy Cafe in the previous weekend, the 14th official outing of this Rotary Year, and commented that Coco was mad that she couldn’t join us for the…
On November 12, our Club met for lunch at our usual meeting venue, Regal Hong Kong Hotel. To ensure proper social distancing, Regal has given us a large room, with 6-person tables separated by ample spaces. After the usual reports and announcements from President Mark, Past President WT introduced our speaker, Arnett Edwards. Principal Edwards is school principal of Li Po Chun United World College (“LPCUWC”) of Hong Kong. Located in an idyllic part of Ma On Shan, LPCUWC has nurtured many responsible citizens in the past 20+ years. Many graduates of LPCUWC went on to do great things, from managing large NGOs to setting up an eye clinic in Africa. Principal Edwards shared with members and guests the philosophy of LPCUWC’s education, both inside and outside of the classroom. Some of the ideals espoused by its graduates include: international understanding, celebration of difference, integrity, service, compassion etc. – these ideals surely resonate with Rotary’s core principles and values. Principal Edwards shared the stage with Mr. Adrian Kwong, who is currently responsible for the school’s outreach programs. Mr. Kwong shared with members and guests the school’s various peace initiatives, including those with Rotary and Rotaract. Towards the end of the…
On October 10, our Club invited Ms. Angel Cheng, founder of Build A Music School (B.A.M.S), to give an overview of the project. B.A.M.S. is a non-profit project aimed to partner with the local community to build a music school in Keng Tung, in the Golden Triangle area of Myanmar. Through music training, B.A.M.S. aims to bring the joy of music to the impoverished children of the area. Ms. Angel Cheng traced her path from a Christian missionary brought to the region to share the words of Gospel, to a music educator and community developer aimed to bring the joy of music to a region ravaged by drugs and warlords.
President Mark Tong, Past President Webster Ng and Rotarian Jason Ling traveled to Taipei on September 28 to participate in Rotary Run 2019 the following day, organized by Rotary Club of Taipei Mingmen, our Sister Club. The competition course, located in the hilly part of Ruifang District in New Taipei City, was specially designed by PP Kent Yen of RC of Taipei Mingmen, a seasoned runner who is never shy of pushing the boundaries. As such, the course meandered across the hillside of Ruifang, and included a steep altitude climb of nearly 500 meters followed by a rapid descent, all within a 4km segment of the course. PP Webster, who attempted that treacherous segment, confessed that it was one of the most insane and challenging runs he has ever experienced, certainly not helped by intermittent torrential rain throughout the morning. That said, all three agreed that it was one of the most unique and beautiful scenic runs ever attempted. For the occasion, the three of us, together with additional contributions from Past President CK Wong, raised 40,000 TWD for our Sister Club to distribute to various charities, including a food bank and a local secondary school.
On September 14, Club members went to watch “童sing童戲 MUSIC Stand by Me”, a musical staged and performed by Music Children Foundation, our Club’s new service partner. Music Children Foundation is a non-profit organization aimed at providing free music education to underprivileged children in Hong Kong. Club members attended two shows: President Mark Tong, Immediate Past President Lily Chan, Rotarian SS Kong and Rtnne. Liliana attended the matinee show, while Past Presidents Grace Yen and Angela Hui, with Jerry and Maurice, attended the Gala Concert in the evening.
Richard Wesley, Museum Director of the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, explained the history, vision and mission of the Museum. The Museum is a unique cultural entity in Hong Kong dedicated to preserving, collecting and displaying objects that tell the story about trade and maritime in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. Richard shared with members photos of Hong Kong’s maritime past as well as precious art work related to the sea. Richard remarked that our Club, being the first Rotary Club in Hong Kong he visited as a speaker, was uniquely suited to be his “maiden voyage” since both his profession and passion are related and connected to the Hong Kong harbor.
Rotarian Eliza Ning of Rotary Satellite Club of Tolo Harbour Happy Health came to our Club to give a talk on “Peer Mediation”. A career banker, Eliza upon retirement has a new-found interest in mediation, particularly amongst our youth. She shared her experience taking classes on mediation, attending peer mediation competitions among secondary schools, and teaching mediation techniques to secondary schoolers. She is hopeful that conflicts, especially among our youth, can be resolved through peer mediation techniques, including active listening, reframing, uncovering underlying interests, doubt creation to firm beliefs etc. These techniques, when properly executed, help to promote an environment whereby others resolve conflict through mutual understanding.