The Wellington Branch President’s Report was presented at the Annual General Meeting on 21 March 2012.
It is indeed a privilege and pleasure to present the President’s report for the year 2011/2012. I believe it has been once again another successful and very active year for the Branch with 9 well attended events. These included 8 Branch meetings and the Chinese New Year Spring Festival Banquet celebrating the year of the Dragon.
Attendance at Branch meetings has been often up to 80 and there have been over 100 participants at the New Year Banquet. The details of the meetings and events held by the Branch during the past year are listed below.
2011
March 17 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – His Exellency Mr David Huebner, American Ambassador, “Managing a law firm in China prior to becoming USA Ambassador in New Zealand”
April 20 Assoc Professor Val Lindsay, “Service success in Asia: Spotlight on China”
May 18 Dr Paul McDonald, “Maoism versus Confucianism: Competing Ideological influences on modern Chinese business leaders”
June 15 The Aroha Quartet, “Our stories and our music”
July 17 Informal addresses by Branch members due to Guest Speakers unavoidable absence
August 17 Dr Han Xi, “Chinese teaching and learning in schools”
September 21 His Excellency Mr Xu Jianguo, PRC Ambassador, “China’s economic outlook and peaceful development”
October 19 Chris Elder, “With the benefit of foresight: China’s world in 2031”
November 17 David Feickert, “From faster is better to better is faster in China and New Zealand”
2012
January 29 CHINESE NEW YEAR BANQUET – The Year of the Dragon
The continuing important feature of our meetings is the fellowship among members joining together in a catered Chinese meal following the formal proceedings giving the opportunity to get to know members.
The Branch membership as at December 2011 stands at 164 members which includes two life members. Since January 2012 we have welcomed a number of new members.
It is with regret we record during the year the decease of some of our members. Suitable messages of condolence were sent to the families of these members.
The Branch Committee has again worked hard to maintain the momentum of the Branch in 2011/2012. As well as the monthly Branch Events, the Committee arranged and hosted the very successful 2011 National Annual Conference of the NZCFS on May 27 to 29 here in Wellington.
The Mandarin Corner Chinese Language meetings at Victoria University have been an important outreach. On behalf of the Branch I would express our thanks to the Mandarin Corner Committee lead by Ellen Yang for the work they have done over the past year in furthering the knowledge of the Chinese language.
In the past year I have represented the Branch at both Embassy and Parliamentary Functions also Government House to celebrate special occasions and visits of important overseas visitors.
Also during the past year we have again hosted visits of many delegations from China and friends from The Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
We have also continued the close relationship with the Wellington Chinese Association and the Wellington Xiamen Association, and have joined with these associations – and they with us – for some social activities.
I wish to acknowledge once again the continued strong support of the Peoples’ Republic of China Embassy in 2011/2012 and acknowledge the very close association that exists between the Branch and the Embassy staff. The present Ambassador, His Excellency Xu Jianguo, Counsellor Cheng Lei the Cultural Secretary Mdm Olga Wang and other Embassy staff have again shown their wholehearted support and ready assistance in furthering the aims of our society and we look forward to continuing this valued and close association over the coming year.
I would personally thank all the Branch Committee members for the time and support they have provided to me and the Society during this past year.
“The Capital China Letter” our monthly Branch Newsletter is a credit to our editorial team who faithfully contribute a great deal of effort and time monthly in ensuring it is produced to a very high standard. On behalf of you all I thank them for their exceptional achievement.
Unfortunately due to ill health Douglas Day had to relinquish leadership of the editorial group. Our sincere thanks are due to Douglas for the distinguished service he has given the branch in many ways over the past years. His health is improving and we look forward to seeing him again able to attend our meetings.
To those members of our Branch Committee who will be elected tonight I say welcome and we look forward to the varied contribution and views you will bring to the Branch management during the coming year.
I would also express once again my personal thanks to members although not part of the Branch Committee, who each month assist with the running of the monthly meetings. This assistance is not taken for granted.
Our Branch will arrange a full programme over future months and look forward to providing speakers of interest at meetings and maintaining the momentum the branch has experienced over the past few years.
It is a privilege to have led the Wellington Branch again as President over this last six years. This has only been possible with the excellent support and encouragement that I receive from each member of the Branch.
Bernie A Richmond
PRESIDENT
WELLINGTON BRANCH
NEW ZEALAND CHINA FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY
