From
the Editor
Council
on Legislation
A well known
character within Rotary and District Governor for 1996-7, Y K Cheng
of Island East must be considered an old hand in the family with his
dad H K Cheng also a Rotarian.
I'm not sure
if any of our Legco or Exco members today are also Rotarians themselves,
and if our policy secretaries made their decisions based on the 4-way
test, we would probably see a very different political landscape here.
Y K came with
a huge Rotary file. it was all the official papers which arrived at
his office last December for a bit of background reading before he went
to Chicago in late April for the Council on Legislation, the legislative
arm of Rotary.
I doubt very
much if anybody in an average mindset would read it that way. Indeed
as Y K mentioned in his brief report, everything - or almost everything
- was available on RI's website. Yes, literally it's only a click away.
I remember six
years ago I talked to Moses Cheng who was the district representative
for this council. It was certainly an enlightening experience and you
got to see how other Rotarians worldwide put their heads together to
make it a better world. Perhaps one minute wasn't what you'd expect
at the Council to put forward your case.
But time has
changed. Though Y K conceded he didn't go to the Council with a district
mission, he did manage to get involved in various plenary sessions,
and in his own capacity, contribute his opinions. The onslaught of internet
has come a long way since then, and today increased opportunities for
travel or overseas studies has made our Rotary scholarships simply less
attractive. And as Y K pointed out, there were financial considerations.
The Council this year started straight away on a Sunday without any
orientation and ran continuously until the next Friday to avoid hotel
expenses over the weekend.
It's interesting
to note that a Council proposal which recommended a US$1 levy on every
Rotarian across the board to subsidize the Council was rejected after
lengthy deliberations. As we know, delegates go to the Council at their
own expenses, and while it is also considered an honour to represent
the district, the expenses incurred might have been overwhelming for
members in relatively poorer countries. Well Y K must be wondering how
Rotarians today have gone into such a sorry state...
While Rotary
has been helping to tackle poverty over the century, it might not be
easy for some Rotarians to fully understand its implications. Poverty
exists everywhere, but when you found that other delegates had to argue
over one dollar extra levy, or why water could be so precious to them,
you know we still have a lot to learn. Cultural differences apart, it
must have been an eye opener for the old boy from St Paul's
Co-ed.
Y K told me
he didn't take the A-levels in Hong Kong, and when he returned from
the States, he joined his dad's consultancy company and is still its
director today. Cheng Hon Kwan, a former chairperson of Housing Authority,
has virtually retired from his many facets of public life some seven
or eight years ago. I looked at Y K's card and his various appointments
outside Rotary, the latest of which is from the Hospital Authority.
It's not difficult to understand why he's always on the move. Charter
President John said he might have to wait for at least 12 years to be
appointed a district representative for the Council on Legislation.
Not necessarily, argued Y K. While representation is traditionally based
on seniority, if some more senior past governors decided not to go for
whatever reasons, the more junior ones could be selected ahead of time.
The next appointment will be made shortly after DG Jason takes office
this month.
RI is concerned
about strategic planning at district level, which means strong leadership,
humanitarian projects, and membership. Y K admitted while he admired
the leadership displayed in the organization of this Council, he was
often frustrated when delegates argued at length over something he considered
pretty trivial. He was also not amused when e-clubs which were run on
trial basis have become official, and in some districts, two e-clubs
are allowed for language reasons. Again, cultural differences, if you
might say.
But what amazed
him was the introduction of the fifth avenue, ie, New Generations. Isn't
it what we've already been doing? Why come under an offficial title?
Y K's worry is not without reasons. With this recognition, projects
which previously dealt with community service with young people or students
involved will now come under the fifth avenue, and in practical terms
it will affect how funds are allocated in the future.
We touched on
a whole range of subjects, and inevitably we talked about our outgoing
District Governor Ada. Well, I ran an editorial on her shortly before
she took office, and suddenly she's finished her term. I still remember
it was Y K who introduced her officially at the installation. That's
a year already, laughed Y K. I said I was sometimes annoyed that Ada
didn't upload her DG's newsletter on time, and Y K said he noticed some
other people shared similiar views on the matter. Yes I remember how
she talked about her ambitions, and her aspirations. I'm sure she remembers
too.
I talked about
all the glorious titles the District has created - Assistant Governors,
Area Secretaries, this and that committee, etc. Incidentally, Y K's
also Chair of China Extension Committee. It's difficult to understand
the real nature of all these titles, but as Y K said, it gives you an
air of importance, and instant recognition anyway. Well, Ada must have
said something similar.
I've often
thought that as the mastermind of the Rotary family, the role of a DG
is more ceremonial than practical. Whatever he or she did, it should
be more than pinning the Rotary pins, Y Klaughed. As a PDG of more than
ten years standing, he knew what he was talking about.
|