Golden News
Volume 13 - Number 22 - 29th November 1999

The weekly newsletter of the Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile, Hong Kong.
Web site: www.rckgm.org


Good news, bad news !

Well folks, the good news is that according to DG Dipo Sani's November newsletter, KGM is the 7th largest club of the 48 clubs in District 3450 by membership. I suppose this is quite an achievement for such a young club.
 
On the other hand, the bad news is that our Attendance is recorded as a dismal 61.8% average for the year-to-date, and this is even lower than the already dismal District average of 62.4% for the same period. Shame on us !!
 
Sure, it's nice to know that we are holding our own when it comes to membership numbers, however there is little point in doing so if the members we have do not achieve a reasonable attendance at regular club meetings or through doing "make-ups" at other clubs.
 
So here's a challenge. Let's try and make December a bumper month for KGM in Attendance terms, OK ? We have five (5) meetings in December and, if everybody can attend four (4) of those meetings, we can boost our result to 80%.
 
So, how about it folks ? Shall we give it our best shot ?


News From the Rotaract Club of KGM: Mentorship Program

The Rotaract Club of Kowloon Golden Mile is going to launch a new program called "Mentorship Program". We’d like to invite you to join this program as a mentor. Being a mentor you can share your expertise, your attitudes and your precious experience with your mentee, who will be one of our members. In return, you will know more about your mentee and also our club. It won’t take you much time, but only some lunch and dinner times. It is a valuable opportunity to develop a relationship with the Rotaractors, your partner in service. So do not hesitate, be our honourable mentor today!

Aims: to create mentoring relationships between Rotarians of Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile (mentors) and our members (mentees) to facilitate our members’ career, social and personal growth.

Structure: One-to-one relationship between a mentor and a mentee

Suggested activities: Regular communication via telephone, email etc Lunches/dinners/happy hours and whatever your pair likes

Benefits: No salary, however you can know a Rotaractor and share your experience to him/her and facilitate his/her growth.

Application: Please contact Joey Ma at 97733103 or via email sbjoey@hotmail.com


Welcome Committee:
 
On duty this week are PP Joseph "Baa-Baa" Kwan and June "Legal Eagle" Liau.
 
Usual drill - extremely loud red sashes and be at the Holiday Inn not later than 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
 
By the way, if anybody is unhappy with the Welcome Committee roster, don't shoot me 'coz I am just the messenger, OK ? The roster is determined by VP Ebe Tung "Chee Watusi", so kindly bust HER chops. Thank you.
 

This Week's Speaker: Ian Nicholson

Topic: The HKQAA and ISO 14001
  

This Week's Birthday Celebrants:
 
29 November - Jagdish "The Goatie" Pursram, who shares his birthday with Dr. David Rueben, author of the book "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Too Afraid To Ask". Hmmmm. No comment.
 
01 December - Manu "Choo-Choo" Chulani, who shares his birthday with actor/director/producer/cradle snatcher Woody Allen.


Next Fellowship Event: Horse Racing Night ?

Oh Norman ? Hello ? Are you in hiding again ?? The following message is your cue ...........
 
Although the final details are not finalised yet, we are hoping to organise a Horse Racing Fellowship at Happy Valley Race Track in the middle of December. Our fellowship committee will be liaising with KGM Club Advisor PP Larry Parmanand on this event.
 
This has always proven to be a popular and fun evening, so watch this space --->   <--- for more details soon.


Forthcoming Club & District Events:
 
KGM Fund-Raising Walkathon - 5 December 1999 - LAST CALL !
 
For those of you who tend to get lost in your own kitchen, the following is a description of the STARTING point as provided by PP Louis "Trailwalker" Thomas (the FINISHING point is somewhere near Beijing):
 
"Turn first left after passing the Hong Kong Cricket Club at Wong Nai Chung Gap into the road which leads to Park View and then to the Tai Tam Country Park. First you will pass an impressive residence on the right with an ornate iron gate (Stanley Ho's Hong Kong residence !!). Shortly thereafter is a sitting-out area on the left where we should all gather and the walk starts. Next on the left is a public car park for those with cars. Pedestrians should walk past the Cricket Club and the Shell petrol station, climb the stairs on the left, turn right on Sir Cecile's Ride for about six yards and then turn left. This will bring you to the sitting out area."
 
Got it ? Good ! Now can somebody please explain it to me ...............
 
Anyway, your club hopes that this event will be the sole Fund Raising event of the year, and we expect that every member will raise (or contribute) not less than the paltry sum of $2,000 in sponsorship. Official KGM Sponsorship Forms have already been emailed to all KGM members.
 
If we don't achieve our Fund-Raising target with this event, we will need to embark upon additional fund-raising activities, so please support this event and maybe we can leave you alone for the rest of the year, OK ?
 

KGM Web Site:
 
1) Have you ever wondered why there are three little dancing balls near the top of the KGM web site ? Well, just hover your mouse over each one, and all will be revealed !!
 
2) Did you know that if you click on the Rotary logo at the top of the page, you will be whisked away to another web site which will open in a new window ? Go ahead and try it !
 
3) Under "Member's Stuff" the link previously entitled "Club Classifications" has been renamed "Member Information" because it now indicates which KGM members are also Paul Harris Fellows. Those of you with a blank square next to your name have not yet made a contribution to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, and you should therefore expect to be contacted very soon by KGM Rotary Foundation Director Elissa "Pay Up Or Else" Cohen.
 
4) Trivia - during the month of November, 50% of the visitors to our web site were from outside Hong Kong, and a large portion of them were from North America and Europe. However we also had visits from people in places as diverse as Russia !!


Cool Internet Sites Of The Week:
 
Do you wanna save a few trees during Xmas and on other special occasions ?? If so, then I suggest you check out the following web sites: http://www.postcards.net/  and/or  http://www.cardmaster.com/ from where you can send electronic greeting cards to your family and friends.
 
If you want to go one step further, try http://www.mailameal.com/ from where you can send them a gourmet meal !!
 
ADULTS ONLY: On the other hand, if you want to be a bit naughty, try http://www.erotic-cards.com/ and, if you want to proceed after reading the warning, just click on "Enter". This is a fairly tame web site, albeit with vintage nudity (no pornography). You have been warned. Twice !


Quote Of The Week:
 
"The man who views the world at 50, the same as he did at 20, has wasted 30 years of his life."
 
Mohammed Ali
 

Joke Of The Week:
 
A fellow had just been hired as the new CEO of a large corporation. The CEO who was stepping down met with him privately and presented him with three numbered envelopes. "Open these if you run up against a problem you don't think you can solve," he said.

Well, things went along pretty smoothly until six months later when sales took a downturn and he was really catching a lot of heat. At his wit's end he remembered the envelopes. He went to his drawer and took out the first envelope. The message read, "Blame your predecessor."

The new CEO called a press conference and tactfully laid the blame at the feet of the previous CEO. Satisfied with his comments, the Press responded positively, sales began to pick up and the problem was soon behind him.

About a year later, the company was again experiencing a slight dip in sales, combined with serious product problems. Having learned from his previous experience, the CEO quickly opened the second envelope. The message read, "Reorganize." This he did, and the company quickly rebounded.

After several consecutive profitable quarters, the company once again fell on difficult times. The CEO went to his office, closed the door and opened the third envelope.

The message said, "Prepare three envelopes."



The Phantom