Golden News
Volume 15, Number 30 - Monday 21 January 2002
The bulletin of the Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile - published every Monday.
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Brevity:
 
Due to a lack of time and other reasons which will become apparent under "Milestones", this week's issue of the Golden News is considerably shorter than usual.


This Week's Meeting:

This week's speaker is Mr. Dan Waters, who will be speaking to us on "The History of Hong Kong".


Milestones:

(1) Birthday greetings for Monday 21 January to Jane Singer who shares her birthday with Spice Girl Emma Bunton, affectionately known as "Baby Spice".
 
(2) PP Vince Pinto's grandmother  Josephine ("Nan"), passed away peacefully in Hong Kong on Monday 14 January at the age of 90 after a long, healthy and fulfilling life. She had been living with PP Vince in Hong Kong since 1988.

While PP Vince and family are saddened by their loss, it was not unexpected. PP Vince will be accompanying his grandmother's remains back to Sydney this week, where a small family service will be held. KGM members are kindly asked not to send flowers or any other expressions of condolence.


Member Updates:

There are no member updates this week.

 
Semi-Annual Dues - 2nd Notice:

KGM Members are reminded that Semi-Annual dues of $1,500 for the period 1 January to 30 June 2002 are now due and payable.
 
Please prepare a cheque payable to "Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile" and pass this to President Ebe or Secretary Clarissa Bellstedt, or post it to P.O. Box 98129 Tsimshatsui.

Remember to write your name on the rear of your cheque, so that it can be properly identified.
 
Hopefully this time everybody will pay their dues on time (by 31 January 2002), so that we can obviate the need to again publish a list of delinquent members in the bulletin over the next four months.
 
 
Fellowship News - Last Call:

Our traditional "Chinese Night",  once again generously hosted by our Chinese Members, will be held next Saturday 26 January, at the Gourmet Chinese Restaurant, G/F Manulife Tower, 169 Electric Road, North Point (telephone: 2570 3008).

A Rotary Information Seminar will also be held before dinner is served, and every member of KGM who joined within the last 2 years is expected to attend. If you don't, you will not be given any food and you will be forced to stand in the corner. Simple, really.

There will also be the usual Chinese pre-dinner games such as "Mahjong", "Yue, Ha, Hai", "Dai Dor Dee" and "Pin The Tail On IPP Cassidy While He's Butt Naked". Last year's champion, VP Patricia "Gonna Make You Squeal, Boy" Blair has confirmed that she will be defending her title. Would somebody please make a note to bring Band-Aids and a bottle of "Pak Fa Yeoh" for IPP Cassidy. Thanks.
 
Finally there will be another charity auction of KGM Chinese Past Presidents. Hopefully we can even surpass last year's record-breaking bid of HK$9.75 paid for PP Sir Joseph Kwan by his charming wife Sandra, who is clearly a most generous lady.

Final news and announcements will be made during this week's regular club meeting.
 
District 3450 News:

Saturday 16 March & Sunday 17 March 2002 - Annual District Conference:
 
This event will be held at the Kowloon Shangri-La hotel. Registration forms and other information can be obtained from the District website. The conference will be preceded, as usual, by a golf tournament on 8 March and there will also be a "pre-conference cruise" on 10 March.

For more information, please contact KGM Grand Pubah, President Ebe on telephone 9186 6792.

Rotary International News:

A) Rotary International is having a contest: In honour of it's forthcoming Centennial in 2005, RI has decided to publish a book, temporarily referred to as "The RI Centennial History Book". However the actual title of the book has not been decided, and all Rotarians are invited to suggest an appropriate title. This is quite an exciting opportunity to be recognised in perpetuity by RI.

For more information, and to enter the contest, visit the special page on the RI website.
 
B) Group Study Exchange ("GSE") 2001-2002: The Incoming GSE Team from District 7750 (South Carolina, USA), will visit District 3450 from March 10 to April 10, 2002. Our Outgoing GSE Team, led by PP Simon Wong of RC of Peninsula Sunrise, will depart Hong Kong on April 10 and return on May 10.

C) An RI Presidential PolioPlus Summit will be held from 22-24 February 2002 in Mumbai, India. You can obtain the registration form and more information about this event from the RI website (if they haven't moved it by the time you read this!).

D) An RI Presidential Conference will be held from 22-24 March 2002 in Taipei, Taiwan. For more information about this event, visit their website.

E) The RI Annual Convention will be held from 23 to 26 June 2002 in Barcelona, Spain, and you can register on-line here. For more information about the convention, visit their web site!

Web Side Story:

The Web Monster has nothing to report this week.

 
Dear Geek:
 
The Geek is unavailable this week.


Who Am I? 
 
What is the more common name of world famous dance icon Virginia Katherine McMath?

The answer appears at the bottom of this issue.


Cunning Linguist:

Did you ever wonder whether a "New York minute" was longer or shorter than a regular minute?

American late night talk host Johnny Carson once described a "New York minute" as being the time between a Manhattan traffic light turning green and the person behind you honking his horn. In other words, an instant!
 
The term appears to have originated in Texas around 1967, and is a reference to the frenzied and hectic pace of New Yorkers' lives. A New Yorker does in an instant what a Texan would take a real minute to do.

 
Golden Smile:

I regret there is no humour this week. 

Quotable Quotes:

"I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter."
 
-- Sir Winston Churchill --

The Phantom
"Who Am I?" answer: Ginger Rogers.

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