80th anniversary of the foundation of Gung Ho
Delegates from all over China attended the commemoration event, with guest speakers NZ Ambassador Claire Fearnley and Youxie VP Xie Yuan, and a speech read on behalf of Madam Li Xiaolin.
In recent years, Gung Ho has established work stations in the North-centre, South-east, south-west and North-west, where I am most closely associated. Each work station now has its own expanding activity. For example, the South east station has an office just opened in Nanchang, Jiangxi province. In the North-west, centres include Shandan, Lanzhou, Baoji and Xi’an.
A special encounter was to meet Madam Tan, previous consul general in Christchurch, and Jayson Zhang. Isobel Crook, at 103 years of age, attended half way through the morning, as well as a number of Bailie old boys. People some of us may know were Michael Crook, Wang Zigang from Zhangye, Li Jianping and Liu Guozhong. Overall a meeting of great rememberance and friendship, with an air of optimism. There was a healthy number of young people also there, attracted by the principles of work hard and work together (for the betterment of society).
The event coincided with the international day of the cooperative. It was my job to read a letter from ICA, the International Cooperative Association, expressing the worth of the cooperative in a humane and progressive society.
