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Hamilton Branch Newsletter – August 2009

PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILLL BE NO AUGUST BRANCH MEETING

Editor’s Comments.

It has been decided by the committee that since President Ian is less mobile than usual, and that Vice President and Secretary Meryl, Treasurer Diane, and Vice Presidents Stan and Peter will all be overseas at the scheduled time of this month’s meeting, that speaker and business be deferred until the September meeting which will be held as usual on the fourth Wednesday of next month.

News about members.

Jenevere Foreman arrives home this week after her year’s teaching at Changsha University, and recent extensive traveling in China. During this latter period she has among other places visited Beijing and Sister City Wuxi, and in these two cities made contact with old friends of the Hamilton Branch and the NZCFS generally. We look forward immensely to having Jenevere as our guest speaker soon, perhaps atour September meeting.

Committee member Muriel has recently returned from Bali and Australia, This week Secretary Meryl and Treasurer Diane leave for a visit to Mongolia, Stan leaves for his annual visit to Changsha, and Peter is off to Europe. President Ian is progressing well, after an extensive operation to his ankle and foot, but will be hampered somewhat for some months with his leg in a cast.

Committee member Harry van den Berg is due back this month from a three month visit to Holland. His arrival will be welcomed indeed by Presaident Ian left working with such a depleted committee.

Hamilton Branch members and friends, I draw to your attention this coming fund raising dinner, We have had great support over the years for our Kathleen Hall fundraisers, and it would be great if we could join them in this effort of theirs. Just have alook at that menu !!

Fund raising dinner for Christmas Hampers for
Families via the Salvation Army Nest, Hamilton
12 course Chinese dinner at $30 per head
Date: Saturday 22 August 2009, 6:30 pm
Venue: Canton Hong Kong Restaurant
32 Alexander St, Hamilton
Opposite Ebbet Waikato

Thank you very much for your great support in our last fund raising dinner in 2008. It was a fun night for all. This year Waikato Chinese Association invite you to a fund raising dinner on 22 August 2009.

How about giving yourself a treat while helping to spread Christmas cheer to some Hamilton families who could really do with a break? There is no feeling of guilt here, you would be eating for a good cause! Since 2007, Waikato Chinese Association has been organizing annual fund raising dinners. With your generous contributions we managed to raise $2000 for Hospice Waikato in 2007 & $8000 for Earthquake Relief for Sichuan in China in 2008. This year we hope with your help we could contribute healthy Christmas hampers to families through Salvation Army Nest in Hamilton.

 Ethnic restaurants, while enticing often have menus containing screeds of seemingly similar but strange sounding dishes, it could be utterly confusing to say the least for the uninitiated! For this fund raising dinner, we take care of that for you. We carefully select dishes of common appeal and they are delicious. Where else could you participate in a 10 course dinner at $30 /head, have good fellowship and are helping others in need?

 To whip up your appetite, I reproduce the menu below:

Complimentary soup
Combination roast duck and BBQ pork
Sweet sour fish fillet
Prawn balls and cashew nuts
Chinese style beef
Tofu Stew
Satay chicken
Ginger, pineapple and pork fillet
Stir fry beans with preserved olives
Eggplant and minced pork
Shanghai cabbage, mushroom, baby corn and carrot.
Complimentary fruits and Chinese tea

 Each table will have seats for ten guests. Depending on booking, we may need to squeeze in at most 2 extra guests on some tables.

This would be an ideal opportunity for you to try out Canton Hong Kong Restaurant if it is new to you. We are frequent customers and find the restaurant very good value for money, e.g.. lunch specials- plate of rice with choice of roast pork or chicken or duck, Chinese vege, a bowl of soup and a pot of tea for $8.50! Dinner dishes are also very reasonable. It could be an ideal venue to give your family or/and friends for a special treat.

 We are also running a raffle at $5 per ticket for a total of 100 tickets with three prizes- First prize is dinner for four, second prize is a noodle dish for four and the third prize is a rice dish for four. Fee Ching will be the chef and we would deliver the meals on site within half an hour’s drive from Hamilton, ingredients are kindly donated by our sons Wei-yen and Wei-jiat, with Mum’s gentle persuasion!

 It would be great if you could participate in our fund raising effort.

To place your booking, please email [email protected]. I will confirm your booking by return mail. You could make payment either by internet banking using Waikato Chinese Association’s Westpac Trust’s bank account:

 03-1560-0056023-000
with FRD SANH and your name in particular / reference columns in your internet banking. This would help to identify the entry is for fund raising dinner and allocated to you. For payment by cheque, please make cheque payable to
The New Zealand Chinese Association (Waikato Branch) Inc
The Address is :
Waikato Chinese Association- FRD
c/o Tan Computer Services
82 Enderley Ave, Hamilton 3214

NZCFS Regional Meeting
On the second of this month, Stan, Muriel and Meryl travelled to Auckland and attended the Society’s Northern Regional Meeting attended by representatives of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga Branches. The meeting was held at the home of National Executive member Cecil Fowler, and was ably chaired by Auckland President George Andrews and important issues were tabled and discussed; The minutes are here enclosed for your information

Minutes of Northern Regional meeting held at 31 Frost Road Auckland on Sunday 2 August 2009
Present: George Andrews, Cecil Fowler, Murray Hoare, Rewi Kemp (Auckland)
Stan Boyle, Meryl Lanting, Muriel Adams (Hamilton)
Roseanne Groom, John Hodgson )Tauranga
Apologies: Ian Howat, Peter Vautier, Diane Grant-Mackie, Sylvia Yang,Sophie Wang, Diane Lanting
\
Report from National Executive meeting:
George and Cecil gave a brief report of the National Eecutive meeting held in Wellington on 25 July.
The tours committee lost $4000 through cancellation of national tour. This related to the costs of advertising the tour. Lack of numbers thought to be because of recession not competitive with other tours available

Also discussed were capitation, Charities Commission a smaller National Executive.and other possible constitutional changes

Conference 2010 will be dealt with later.

Closer links between branches:
Very positive discussion and a readiness expressed to increase inter branch activity. Invite other branches to special events such as Hamilton’s picnic Suggested here that we select a definite date if possible suiting the Consulate, but going ahead with it anyway on a selected date as an inter branch Chinese community get together. Other events. Auckland’s garden party and film showings, Possibility of a Hamilton Branch outing to Lantern Festival, Other occasions dinners, branch meetings. Etc Perhaps Tauranga might look again at their once popular Mid Winter dinner.
Of immediate interest National dinner 27 September in Auckland involving all Northern Region Branches All branches combining together with Auckland
Branches could . , share speakers where possible and celebrate Chinese festivals together.

Jasmine Project The Confucious Institute has contributed 1/3 of the cost. George has many young people eager to participate. Approaching prominent musicians, politicians, mayors etc to take part. The launch will probably be at the Auckland Business School at the end of September. Offer free membership to all volunteers. Participating.
Free Branch membership raises the question of capitation. To be discussed fiurther

Shanghai Expo: Shanghai Youxie has offered to host a group for ten young people 10 days to the Expo, home hosted, only cost airfares.
Gap year: There are difficulties arranging this because the students lack teach qualifications Maybe go to Expo and then spend 6 months in rural areas? Confucious Institute, NZCFS and ASEC could combine This is a matter being pursued. Stan to check arrangement relating to two eighteen year olds currently on a GAP year studying Mandarin at No 1 School in Liuyang . These students are from the Isle of Man have completed Secondary school and will be attending Oxford University.

Conference 2010:
National Executive felt there would not be enough time on Sunday morning for the AGM. There was much discussion and several suggestions
Workshops could be arranged beforehand and discussion take place by email. Reports on workshop outcomes could be written , and tabled at the conference. Stan and Ian are working on a related proposal re workshops to put to National executive. shortly There is not enough time at the conference for any worthwhile conclusions to be reached.
It is not thought necessary to have Branch reports spoken to at conference since they are also circulated.
The National Executive should make any resolutions re changes to the Constitution at their meeting in October and these should be submitted to branches ahead of time to give ample opportunity for members to discuss these before the conference.

It was agreed that the Saturday should be an exciting, interesting and entertaining day.

To make the conference attractive to Chinese young people it was suggested that we invite a prominent person from China to speak – a politician, someone from the space programme, a Chinese pop star? George is to approach the Consulate for names It is interesting to record that this suggestion came directly from young Chinese in Auckland when asked what would encourage them to come and participate in The NZCFS conference. When asked the same t question two Chinese students home hosted by a Hamilton committee member, and who attended, our last conference gave exactly the same answer.

It was suggested that perhaps the Sunday session could be extended. 8.30am until I .00pm ???
It was agered that Hamilton should come up with a completed programme within the next week.
Meeting closed at 2. 45 pm,with thanks to Cecil.

IMPORTANT NOTICE PUT A RING ROUND 27th SEPTEMBER

All Northern Regional Branches will be celebrating China’s National day at a dinner, together with Her Excellency the Consul General Mme Liao Juhua and members of the Consulate on the evening of 27th September. Full details, time and venue will be published in the September newsletter

Ian needs to know very smartly numbers from Hamilton who will be attending since Auckland Branch needs these numbers for overall planning and booking.

President Ian Phone 7 855 9431 [email protected]