Volume 02 Issue 39
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
Our lunchtime meeting last Friday was replaced by a Fellowship Evening at The Viceroy of India, where those of us present had a chance to catch up socially with our fellow Rotarians and guests and enjoy an Indian barbecue on the terrace.
Joining us for the evening were Rotary spouses First Lady Regina Chugani, Winnie Robinson, Pat Richardson, Kamal Harilela, Lo Wai Man, Helen Shum, Ann Stinson and Betty Tam as well as PP Bruce’s guests Chris & Rosie Haines and Rtn May’s guest David.
Despite the fact that it started to drizzle half-way through the evening, a canopy had been provided over the buffet area under which a number of us pulled our tables for a while, whilst the less hardy of us retreated inside to sit in comfort. Whilst the wind and rain eventually forced the rest of us inside, it did nothing to detract from our enjoyment.
That’s all for now. Till next week …
Yours in Rotary,
Rotarian Nicole Burt
PHOTOS FROM THE VICEROY FELLOWSHIP EVENING
SPEAKERS THIS MONTH
Last Week’s Speaker (Friday 26th April) There was no speaker last week as the luncheon meeting was replaced by a Fellowship Evening.
Friday 3rd May: IPP Bill Benter – Afghan Refugee Camps
Friday 10th May: Herbert Lee; Speakers, Training & Consultants – Be a Better Performer
Friday 17th May: Club Assembly
Friday 24th May: Christian Havrehed; The Yantu Project – A Life on the Ocean Wave! (Atlantic Rowers)
Friday 31st May: Joseph Lo; SCMP – Open Skies Policy; Airways & the Right to Fly
WELCOMING COMMITTEES
Please arrive early if you are on the Welcoming Committee as most guests and visitors arrive at 12.30 prompt. If you are unable to attend on that day, please ensure you make arrangements for a replacement (or else face the wrath of our Sergeant at Arms and his fine box!)
3rd May: Peter Daswani & Harish Budhrani
10th May: Bill Benter & Chris Wong
17th May: Papu Butani & Gilbert Collins
24th May: Gary Harilela & Robert Ho
31st May: May Chan & Joseph Lee
NEWS – NEWS – NEWS
ROTARY NEWS
Southeast Asia Regional Overview – The Situation
Significant progress towards the goal of polio eradication has been achieved in the Southeast Asia Region (SEAR). In 1997, the Region reported just 12% of the number of polio cases it had in 1988, the year the World Health Assembly announced the goal of polio eradication by the year 2000. Four countries in the Region: Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea, and Sri Lanka, reported zero cases of polio in 1997. Routine immunization coverage has increased to high levels in most countries in the region.
Particularly notable in the region is Indonesia, which has an excellent primary health care system and regularly achieves high immunization coverage. National Immunization Days there reached 100% of the targeted 22 million children in 1997/98.
Many of the gains in the Southeast Asia Region are due to the successful coordination and synchronization of NIDs in six countries, and with Pakistan. Furthermore, the countries have been able to achieve remarkable immunization coverage during NIDs.
Although the cases of polio declined dramatically after the NIDs in each country, the region is still a major global reservoir for wild polioviruses. India, for example, has accounted for more than half of the worlds reported polio cases each year between 1981 and 1994. In 1997, the proportion dropped to 44% of the world’s cases. Hot and humid climates, large populations and high population density provide ideal conditions for the transmission of polioviruses. Consequently, polio has remained heavily endemic to India. Indonesia and Bangladesh are also significant sources of poliovirus in the region, despite impressive improvements during the past years.
DISTRICT NEWS
“Walking Along With Rotary”
A show, tentatively entitled “Walking Along with Rotary” will be broadcast on TVB Jade from 10.30 – 11.30 pm on Sunday 19th May.
The program will be in documentary format composed of three sections: (i) Rotary worldwide and its background; (ii) Rotary in Hong Kong, Macau & Mongolia and the projects and services provided; and (iii) Launching of the Hepatitis B project in China. The projects and services carried out by Rotary in District 3450 will be categorized as Educational, Youth Programs, Environmental and Medical.
DG Johnson Chu has declared that this is a District Project for this Rotary year and all clubs in the District will be contributing to the cost, (maximum commitment per club: HK$10,000).
CLUB NEWS
Camp Hollywood
Tickets for our Annual Fundraising Ball, “Camp Hollywood”, to be held at The Football Club on Saturday 18th May, went on sale at the weekend. Priced at HK$700, they include a 3-course meal and drinks all night.
With each Club member being expected to purchase at least four (4) tickets, please contact VP Nic or Rtn Brian as soon as possible, to arrange for payment and collection of your tickets. If you are paying by cheque, please make the cheque payable to “Camp Quality Annual Ball Account”.
This is our Event of the Year and funds raised will go to Camp Quality, so please do support it by attending and bringing guests.
Don’t forget to dress as your favourite film star or movie character for a fun-filled evening with great entertainment and wonderful prizes – the top prize of the evening will be a trip for two to Hollywood (return flight to LA with accommodation at The Peninsula).
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“If by interposition of Providence I someday were to find myself standing on a platform in some great coliseum looking into the eyes of every living Rotarian, and were to be told that I could have one word to say, without an instant’s hesitation and at the top of my voice, I would shout ‘Toleration!'”
From:- “Paul Harris and His Successors”
BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK
Friday 3rd May: PP Steve Lan shares his the anniversary of his birth with: 15th century philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli (1469); crooner Bing Crosby (1903); the only boxer to win the world title at one weight (middleweight) five times, Sugar Ray Robinson (1920); and the Godfather of Soul, James Brown (1928).
3rd May in History
1494 – Jamaica was discovered by Columbus; he named it “St Iago”
1937 – Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for “Gone With The Wind.”
1945 – Indian forces captured Rangoon, Burma, from the Japanese.
1952 – A ski-modified US Air Force C-47 piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Fletcher & Lieutenant Colonel William Benedict became the first aircraft to land on the North Pole. A moment later, Fletcher climbed out of the plane and walked to the exact geographic North Pole, probably the first person in history to do so.
1979 – Margaret Thatcher became the first woman prime minister of Great Britain.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Saturday 18th May: Annual Fund Raising Ball to be held at The Football Club in Happy Valley.
Sunday 19th May: “Walking Along with Rotary”, a locally produced documentary about Rotary in District 3450, will be shown on TVB Jade from 10.30 pm – 11.30 pm.
23rd – 26th June: The 93rd RI Annual Convention will be held in Barcelona, Spain.
Thursday 4th July: District Installation, Convention & Exhibition Centre, Wanchai
Saturday 7th September: Rotary Foundation Seminar, New World Renaissance Hotel
19th – 20th December: Intercity Meeting attended by 2002-2003 RI President Bhichai Rattakull
1st – 4th June 2003: The 94th RI Annual Convention will be held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
FROM THE BREADBASKET
A Soroptimist Tale
(Katie Moore & George, RC of Crewe & Nantwich Weaver, D 1050)
On the 14th August I received a private EMail from the President of the Soroptimist Club in Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. It read : “I need to talk to you on a very important issue and let me talk to you”.
Obviously I responded immediately and learnt that Bolor, the 11 year old daughter of one of the club members was dying from ‘blood cancer’, no treatment being available in Mongolia, there was an urgent request for drugs. Irwin helped, and found www sites for the drugs they were requesting and I put out a request on our Soroptimist List – and received an immediate response from a member in Germany where the drugs were manufactured. Contact was made with another member, a medical oncologist at the University Hospital in Berlin and things started to happen.
Just over three weeks later I received an eMail from Mongolia to say that the drugs had been delivered by Annemarie, a German Soroptimist from Luebeck and Bolor had received her first treatment. Quite incredible.
The full story is that Annemarie was about to leave for Mongolia when her club learnt about Bolor and the club immediately raised the necessary monies to pay for the drugs so that Annemarie could deliver them personally. The Club then started fund raising and currently both Bolor and her mother are living with Annemarie in Luebeck whilst Bolor’s treatment continues at The Medical University in Luebeck – who have waived the cost of 20,000DM for the cost of treatment. Total additional funds of 40,00DM have to be raised.
Bolor is responding well, although the first chemotherapy was very hard for her, she lost her hair and was very sick and they were severe side effects. But she is positive and knows she is going to get better She is back in hospital on Sunday next for the next chemo. The treatment will continue until August, and during this time Bolor and her mother are translating a book for children from Russian into Mongolian and Bolor is going to paint the pictures.
AND FINALLY ….
Excerpts From A Cat’s Diary
DAY 752 – My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture.
Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.
DAY 761 – Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair… must try this on
their bed.
DAY 765 – Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was… Hmmm. Not working according to plan.
DAY 768 – I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called ‘shampoo.’ What sick minds could invent such a liquid. My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my
teeth.
DAY 771 – There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call ‘beer’. More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of ‘allergies.’ Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.
DAY 774 – I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time…
