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February 1986
The Voting View Change is
in the air for the FCC. full text of a letter
Following is the
being sent to all members by the President, Philip Bowring: Dear Member, Thursday, March 13 will be an important day for the Club. At 6.30 pm an Extraordinary General Meeting will be held to vote on proposed amendments to the Articles of Association. It is essential for the well-being of the Club that these amendments are approved which means that750/o of voting Correspondent members must vote in favour. The amendments are needed for the
following reasons; First - and by far the most important eliminates is - to ensure that the Club any danger of having to pay tax on its revenues. This is not only common sense; it has been urged on us by our auditor and by our legal adviser. The situation at present is that the rights of voting of non-Correspondent members
Although we have so far managed to ward off the Inland Revenue's attempt to tax us, we remain potentially vulnerable. The amendments the Board of Governors has proposed will remove all such danger by giving all members a vote at
general meetings. However, in order to leave effective control of the Club in the hands of the Correspondent members, the proposed amendments will give Cor-
respondent members 25 votes each compared with one each for non-Correspondent members. This means that there would be almost no conceivable circumstance in which the Correspondent members would not have the 750/o majority needed for effective control of
the Club. The proposed amendments would thus leave the power structure
ciate. This will improve representation
of the membership at Board level and enable the Board to do more to expand Club activities. b) To institutionalise the existence of the Club's recently revived Professional Committee so that
it will not be able to lapse through inertia.
Thirdly, on the recommendation of our lawyers, to tidy up some phraseology in the Articles to remove anomalies and
bring them into line with the current requirements of the Companies AcL Correspondent members: please be sure to vote Yes to these vital amendments. If you are not able to attend the EGM in person, you may register your vote by mail by writing to the Secretary
best, ambiguous. As a result, according
effectively unaltered, while removing the very serious tax threat which stems from the current voting status ofnon-Correspondents at general meetings. Secondl¡ the amendments will bring about two specific changes which I un-
to current interpretation of the Inland
dertook
election manifesto to
state your name and membership num-
Revenue Ordinance, freedom from taxa-
promote: a) To enlarge the board by the addition of three members, one Correspondent, one Journalist and one Asso-
ber and must be signed. They must arrive prior to the commencement of
in the explosion was Dr Ronald McNair,
to Mrs Cheryl McNair by Club President
are very circumscribed. They are, at
tion of
reYenues derived from nonCorrespondent members is not assured.
Lost in Space
in my
space shuttle Challenger, chillingly recorded on the FCC's video screen on
mission specialist aboard an earlier Challenger Yoyage, who was a guest speaker at the Club in May 1984. Dr McNair's talk, thought many of those who attended, had been among
January 29, wllI have saddened many Club members. Among those to perish
the most interesting given at the FCC. Following is the text of a letter sent
The sudden, fiery end of the US
of the Club. Mail votes must clearly
the EGM.
Philip Bowring: Dear Mrs McNair,
On behalf of the members of
the
Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hongkong, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to you on the tragic death of your husband and other members of
fhé Challenger crew. Your husband spoke at a Club luncheon here in 1984 and presented us with a framed photo of Hongkong from space which is prominently displayed at the Club's entrance. We remember him for his grace and modest good humour as well as for his space exploits.
I am sure that the
courage and sacri-
fice of space pioneers will long be reDr McNair presents the shuttle photograph to Philip Bowring.
membered. I hope that the appreciation of your husband's work by us as by so many will make your grief easier to bear.
Lots of heart-not much soul All the world loves a lover and the FCC staff certainly did their best to show they cared on February 14 when romance held sway in the dining room. Strangely enough, the evening dedicated to lovers was sponsored by Ballantine's whisky - I heard a rumour somewhere that strong drink diminishes the capacity for romantic activity rather than encouraging it - but the amorous swains and their ladies who turned up at the FCC Valentine shindig moderated their intake sufficiently to ensure a satisfactory outcome - or so we hear from informed sources among them. Certainly many of the couples we saw on the dance floor at a late stage of the evening seemed to be well into the right mood. No doubt the prosaic walls
of the old Dairy Farm building
had
dissolved for them intp rosy clouds of ecstasy
!
Lights were so dim that one had to peer to discover what one was eating, but that was the only real concession to the romantic mood. The general noise of a dining room full of happy eaters
consuming
the
four-course nouvelle
rd and
John McDugall and friends.
with her husband under the table),
The sponsors, R. Ashworth and Walter Cherrard. cuisine repast was not too conducive to sentimentality. Most of the swains found themselves having to shout sweet nothings into their adored ones' ears at the top of their voices! However, since most of the FCC stalwarts are more renowned for vigour than subtlety in their affairs,
it probably suited them very well. There were many notable guests, among them at least one well-known dress designer (who was holding hands
Heinz.
where next yeaยก but those out for a jolly good bash are sure to come again. By Winsome Lane
Alain Lagier, Winsome Lane, G. Macchia, Nanq Miller and Ruth Lagier.
The Sweenqts.
an
Italian artist who is rumoured to throw off his clothes at the least provocation, and several eminent members of the legal profession with ladies who were not their wives. (I shan't publish names if sufficiently bribed.) Lady guests were given red roses as a corsage on their arrival, and they were also promised glasses of Champagne which did not seem to be forthcoming unless their escort sprung for a bottle. The gentlemen had hearts of gingerbread hung around their necks by the delicate hands of Tiger and his staff, with free bottles of whisky to boot. The music of Larry Marriott and his Red Hot Lovers was far from sweet and low for most of the evening, but it was first-class musical entertainment with many catchy tunes that had the guests rocking joyfully. To sum up, it was a rumbustious, noisy enjoyable evening. Lovers who want tranquil surroundings may go else-
to exist and prosper the community and
Deane of the Academy The cliche that Hong Kong is a cultural desert no longer applies. In the past 10 years a number oflocal and international arts festivals have come into existence
as showcases for the performing arts. The problem, however, of training talented local artists to the standards required of international performers has been a complex one, recently solved by the opening of the Academy for Performing Arts. At a small lunch on February 26,Dr.
Basil Deane, the Academy's director, talked about some of the problems fac-
ing the new Academy. For the Academy to gain a solid reputation, in Hongkong and abroad, it must take in the most talented. "Ideally we should begin their
education as early as eight, in some for them to be able to compete internationally," Dr. Deane added. There is no lack of talent in Hong cases,
Kong, according to Dr. Deane. The problems lie in an education system that doesn't place any great emphasis on the performing arts in the school curriculum. And though a child may well be an outstanding performer, parents want thei¡ children to study a subject that will lead to a secure job in the future. Dr. Deane has confronted numerous criticisms of the Academy's role since
At its meeting on January 31, the Board of Governors approved the following proposals relating to monthly dues:
Members en route for Portugal in the
absent member.
-"*;--*'","","
By Ian Findlay
Announcement March
crease,
near future may be interested in the following letter, recently received*from
lost."
as
years and is needed
Our Man in Portugal
much has been
operations. He sees the Academy not
Fair Dues subscription, Chinese New Year gratuity and development fund contributions will be amalgamated into a single pay-
national one or not, is that it fulfils its role in Hongkong. "'We are not just taking (from the community)," he said. "We can give a gleat deal back to the community ¿rnd to a culture in which
There will o tour of'rhe Academy of Pe(orming Arts on Saturday,
ment of HK$280. This compares with a total sum at present of $260. The in-
and
come a first-class venue for music, dance and theatre already. Most important lor Dr. Deane. howeveq whether the Academy is an inter-
its
part of the community. For the Academy
To rationalise our accounting
are to reach the international arts market," said D¡. Deane. The Academy itself is, of course, not waiting around for the money and talent to roll in. It has be-
he arrived in Hongkong to direct
an elitist institution but as a necessary
billing, and provide lor a modest increase in dues, as from April, monthly
the Government must support it. "The. Government must recognise that it must pay for the talented if we
of
7.70/0,
is the first for three to covel the in-
creases in wages and other overhead costs - which have totalled some 300/o over the same period.
Henceforth the New Year gratuity, which is an obligation of the Club rather than a separate obligation of members, will be met from general revenue. In place olthe direct impost on members, the development fund in future
15. Anyone x,ishing to patticipafe please contact the o.ffice.
will be funded by the allocation of 500/o of entrance lees to it. This is in recognition ofthe fact that entrance fees are by their nature capital revenue and should as far as possible go to capital expenditure rather than be relied upon for their' contribution to general revenue. The proportion of entrance fees allocated to the development fund may be altered in
future. But on the assumption that entrance-fee income continues at the rate of last ¡,e¿¡ the development lund income
will be some $500,000 a year.
For your diary EGM
The EGM to discuss
NZ PRIME MINISTER PRESS
voting CONFERENCE rights is scheduled for March 13. David Lange will give a press All members are welcome. confer TOOM AUSTRIAN WEEK no-o As noted in the lasl. issue. Auswlll
trian Week is coming up. Austrian dishes will leature prominently on :ot the menu between March ló-lS, Betj and contrary to what found its
ĂŹ
NeW Mgmbefs
Correspondent Mitsuo Sekino NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.)
we would like ro extend a warm welcome to the following new members.
Correspondent Francis Pearce CW Communications
Correspondent
Mark Fisher
Correspondent Terje Surbo
Reuters
Aftenposten
,\, // Journalist Lucia Chu HK Trade Development Council
Journalist Lynn Howlett
Journalist Pauline Loh
Andrew Cleeton
S.C.M.P.
HK Standard
Jardine, Matheson & Co. Ltd.
Associate
Editor
-
Lesley Hargreaves Tel:5-236493
-
Newsletter Liaison Michael Malik (FEER)Tel: 5-8936688
Printers
-
Ad-Asia,
Worldwide Commercial Associate
Richard Meins Simpson Spence & Young HK Ltd.
Associate Alan Walmsley Dixon Stores Group
Associate
Leila Nachtigall Omnidesign Ltd.
Bldg., 34 Wyndham Street, Central. Tel: 5-256067