We sent out letters to call on you all Wah Yah Alumni Associations that existed within our knowledge, inviting you to report your chapter's outstanding activities of the past two years. We also suggested that you might want to outline your main ideas or concerns that you felt should be addressed at the conference and to express your thoughts on the general welfare of Wahyanites. The response to our call has been good, with almost 90% return, though not perfect: a “distinction” nonetheless in our high school academic parlance. We thank you all for taking time out to compose them.
We are publishing the reports here in this volume to be made available for conference participants to use as conference proceedings on their arrival in Calgary. The whole idea is that each delegate may have a better feel of what would be in tune with the thinking of all other representatives and may better gauge the emphasis of this presentation at the conference. This measure, I said in my first letter, might expedite the proceedings of the conference. Well, we'll see if it does when the time comes.
I specifically requested that the author's name be made explicitly clear, so that we may identify the author of each report. You might say that I am nit-picking and that this is standard procedure in the world of publishing and just common sense and should therefore go without saying. Well, I reckon that nothing is as unjust as for someone, having sweated to compose an article, only to see it published without one's name in print also. I know that feeling well because it happened to me once in the past. I'd rather take the credit or the blame for what I wrote.
I have written to acknowledge the receipt of each and every manuscript, with the exception of two or three. One bore an illegible return address, and the other two reached us way past deadline and so close to the conference that it was all we could do to get the publication ready. In the confusion of last minute scramble we lost track of which ones yet to be acknowledged.
The manuscripts were proofread thrice, each time by a different individual to ensure faithful copy in our publication of the manuscripts just the way we received them. We are not qualified to recognize all syntax errors or have enough confidence to correct them. A few obvious misspellings we have managed to set right. We have our hands full weeding out all grammatical errors from our own writing.
The reports from all alumni chapters, messages from various VIP's, and advertisements form the bulk of the publication. This will be made available at the conference time. The conference record, articles about the conference, speeches of key-note speakers and some selected photos of the conference as well as the social functions will be printed on colored paper to be added after the publication to form a combined “souvenir” copy. These souvenir copies will be distributed to all chapters for their leisure viewing at a later date.
At the outset, we wanted to keep the registration fee to a minimum. For all social functions as well as sightseeing trips organized for the benefits of out-of-town guests, ticket price was hardly enough to cover all hidden expenses. We would have to rely on advertisements in our publication to make ends meet. It didn't take long for it to become clear that we'll [be] short of our financial goal, and that we would be in a hole if we did not take proper measures. It was Stella Hon, the lovely wife of our Conference Organizing Committee Chairman, who came to our rescue in the nick of time and successfully persuaded many more businesses in the Chinese Community to see it to their benefit to advertise their wares or services in our publication.
If Wah Yan ever decides to go co-ed, I highly recommend recruiting Stella to be the first and fore-most honorary student of the fair sex. Stella and Dominic Hon in yet another generous gesture donated 120 T-shirts as souvenirs for our conference delegates. For that we are thankful.
In a way, advertisements make interesting reading. It is said that one can tell the ideals of a community by its advertisements, just as one can tell the affluence of a neighborhood by the garbage put out on the curb collection days. Here I am not drawing a parallel between advertisement and garbage even though mentioning the two in the same breath may be offensive to some. Instead one should see the close association between advertisement and affluence.
One of our three honorary Wahyanite members, Goddard Yuk-Tat Lau of HK/K33, passed away July 6 this year, at the age of 78. I remember this friend to be a gentleman, sincere, unpretentious, always polite and very pleasant to talk to. I had the pleasure of making his acquaintance at our very first Wahyanite dinner meeting some six or seven years ago. His son Kenneth of HK70 has been an active executive of our Calgary chapter for many years and is in the organizing committee of this very conference.
Dominic Eng
Rev. Fathers and fellow Wahyanites
On behalf of the Calgary Chapter Wah Yan Alumni,
it gives me great pleasure
to extend a warm welcome to all participants
of the 6th Wah Yan International Conference
being held August 1st and 2nd in Calgary.
This convention will provide a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas and networking between our group of brethren. The 1st International Conference was organized ten years ago when Mr Raymond Yu, Mr Mason Loh, and Mr Phillip Ching were discussing the student ambassador programs. Since then, fellow Wahyanites met in every two years. This time, we have the great honor to have all the original founders attending our conference.
Many of our Wahyanites are very successful in the commercial field, political life and expert professions, not only in Hong Kong, but all over the world. Thanks to our teachers and Jesuit Fathers, as well as the great Wah Yan Spirit. I believe we all cherish the fond memories and the happy times when we were at school. In this conference, our theme is “New Wave of Wahyanites.” We welcome every positive idea to keep our Wah Yan Spirit going. We are especially looking for ideas concerning our young Wahyanites and our Alma Mater.
Lastly, I wish all of you good luck, good health and a memorable and joyful stay in Calgary.
Dominic Hon
Conference Chairman
On behalf of City Council and the citizens of Calgary, it gives me great pleasure to welcome all the participants of the Sixth International Wah Yan College Alumni Conference.
This conference provides alumni a wonderful opportunity to renew friendships with fellow students who have gone on to be active contributors in the private and public sectors in different parts of the world.
I am particularly pleased to welcome those visiting Calgary for the first time. Calgary is known nationally and internationally as a vibrant city with an outstanding community spirit. Situated adjacent to the Canadian Rockies, our city offers a wealth of cultural, recreational and scenic opportunities. During your stay, I would encourage you to enjoy our special brand of western hospitality, and to seek and explore all that Calgary has to offer.
In closing, I have every confidence your conference will be a great success and I wish you all the best!
Sincerely,
Al Duerr
Mayor
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If you would like to supply any extra information about this conference, please contact ic2002@wahyan.ca. Thank you. |