Bill Pegg and President Jerome Freiburger thank guest speaker Savio Wong.
President Jerome Freiburger presents Brad Swanson with 4-Sapphire Paul Harris Pin.
We have a 50/50 winner!
Neil Aitchison is $537 richer.
Kitchener-Westmount Rotary supports the Children's Needs Distribution Center.
David Barth presents Connie Lacey and Mary Faith Franklin-Rennie, her co-coordinator at the Children’s Needs Distribution Center, with a Cheque for $5,000 for the purchase of child car seats. At about $85 each, Kitchener-Westmount Rotary were able to help them supply 59 families with a car seat.
Announcements
birthday congratulations to: John Villemaire, Laura Power
anniversary congratulations to: Troy and Angela Steubing
Paul Harris Fellowship
For those who have contributed, or had contributed in their name, more than $1,000
90% of senior and senior active members are Paul Harris Fellows
50% of all members are Paul Harris Fellows
Brad Swanson was inducted as a 4th Level Sapphire Paul Harris Fellow!!!
50:50 Draw: Neil Aitchison won an astounding $537.00!
Guest Speaker:
Savio Wong was introduced by Ed Simon. Savio is a retired teacher and a traveller with an interest in history. He spoke on the loss of Hong Kong during WW2.
Two battalions of "C-grade" (i.e. undertrained, inexperienced, under-equipped) Canadian soldiers were sent to help Indian, British and other soldiers (including some locals) after Winston Churchill had declared that it was impossible to defend Hong Kong if it were to be attacked. While the defensive lines created around Hong Kong were expected to hold a Japanese attack for two weeks, they in fact held for only two days.
For Asians, World War Two began in 1937 with Japan's attack on China. Japan did not attack Hong Kong until the day after the Pearl Harbour attack. It was unexpected as no formal declaration of war had been made. The official surrender of Hong Kong took place on December 25, 1941.
After the surrender, the survivors became prisoners of war, many used as slave labour. Some 1,800 were on a ship being taken to Japan when it was bombed by the Americans. About 800 POWs lost their lives at that point.
Savio also talked about the more modern situation of China and Hong Kong. He pointed out how China is becoming a one party, total surveillance state with "Social Credit Points" being used, in combination with facial recognition software to induce self-policing and self-censorship among the population.
Today was the 30th anniversary of the massacre at Tienanmen Square and many Chinese, regardless of what they actually might know, would claim ignorance, he said, because the government wants to suppress knowledge of the event.
