Next Meeting
AGM Friday 16thMarch At the ETC Learning Centre, Broadway, Palmerston North.
AGM at 7pm and talk at 7.30pm
Speaker:
Esther Joe “The Tibetan and Projects Tour 2011”
The Tibetan people are one of the most remote and ancient civilisations in the world. 90% of the population of 3 million people are of Tibetan ethnicity but many Tibetans also live in surrounding provinces of Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan. Esther recently took part in the NZCFS projects tour of Tibet and neighbouring provinces of Western China such as Gansu and Shaanxi where NZCFS projects are currently in operation.
Our last Meeting
For our last meeting in 2011 we were joined by our National President Eric Livingstone and his wife Judy at an informal meeting in the Noodles N’ Dumplings restaurant in Coleman Place, Palmerston North. Eric brought us up to date with National activities and reminded us of the forthcoming 60th annivers
ary of the NZCFS which had its first meeting in Auckland on 28th February 1952.
Eric and Judy Livingstone
at New Plymouth in October 2011
During his visit to the smaller central branches such as Manawatu, Whanganui and Taranaki Eric provided some useful suggestions for maintaining branch membership. These included the writing of regular newsletters and maintenance of the internet NZCFS branch websites.
NZCFS 60th Anniversary Celebrations.
At the February executive meeting , George Andrews outlined an exciting program for the National meeting to be held in the Glen Owen Building at the University of Auckland on Friday 18th May this year. The organisers have invited three honorary members of the Society Ma Baoru, Lu Wanru and Liu Guozhong to join the celebrations.
Local Branch News
Arrival of a new Agricultural student from Shaanxi.
He Lulu is a 24 year-old student from Yang Ling Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University in Shaanxi where she graduated with a Batchelor of Agricultural Science. She has a scholarship for postgraduate study from The Chinese Scholarship Council and is being partly supported by the Manawatu branch of the NZCFS. While at Massey University Palmerston North she will be studying grassland science. Her interests include, photography, reading, table tennis and badminton.
Easter Trip to Rewi Alley’s whare Moeawatea Valley
The access road to Moeawatea has not been improved since last year and recent storms in South Taranaki will have no doubt left their mark. Never-the-less a working party is planning to go into the valley again over Easter this year for repairs and maintenance of the cottage.
Obituary – Graham Jackson
Graham died peacefully in his home in Wanganui on Tuesday 17th January 2012 . The funeral was held in Masterton on Saturday 21st and was attended by family and friends. Four Tibetan Chinese students from Graham’s adopted families in Sichuan came to New Zealand to be with him before he died. They spoke at the service then released white balloons and placed 1000 paper cranes that they had made on the casket as a symbol of their admiration. It was a very touching farewell. Since some people missed the funeral Jan McLeod plans to have a memorial for him later this year.
News from Shandan
Celebrating the year of the dragon in Zhangye The Liu family enjoyed the celebrations
A famous NZCFS members photograph has been used to promote a Zhangye poultry cooperative
Attached to this newsletter is the agenda for this year’s AGM which is being held a little earlier than last years in order to bring us into line with the Society’s national financial year.
Note:- Subscriptions for 2012 are now due.
Maurice and Dorothy Alley
