Society's web-site, which Dr Waters discussed at some length in his Report to last year's AGM, is another valuable advertising resource. Council has also been successful in getting our talks and other events included in the regular lists of "What's On" in the print media, notably in the SCMP and HK Magazine. Of course, as always, our main source of advertising is by word-of-mouth: we become known to potential new members to a large extent because existing members talk to their friends and urge them, too, to join. So please carry on this good work, and tell everyone you meet what a splendid body we are!
At the moment, our overall membership is such that our talks and visits are well supported, but not seriously over-subscribed. Council's view is that, if we can continue to replace those members who resign on leaving Hong Kong or for other reasons, then our current membership levels are acceptable. Council does not, therefore, feel that any intensification of our current advertising campaign is called for, at least as of today. We shall continue to advertise in local magazines, to give talks and in every other way advertise our existence and presence to potential new members as at present, but will not start any major new initiatives aimed at generating new Ordinary Members, unless applications from new members start to show a worrying drop-off.
Council is, however, concerned about those members who leave Hong Kong without informing us or formally resigning from the Society. We only learn about these disappearances when the annual membership fee is not paid, and then only after we have written letters, and sought the defaulting members out. This causes a great deal of work, and some expense, all of it nugatory. I must appeal, therefore, to everyone here, and everyone who will read this report, for them to let us know if they are leaving Hong Kong, or feel they need to resign from the Society for some other reason, so that we can keep our membership books up to date, and do not have to spend a couple of months each year reworking our membership database to cope with resignations only coming to light because fees are not paid!
Council also remains concerned about the low level of local Chinese membership of the Society. As I mentioned above, this has been a concern of Council's throughout the 25 years I have been on Council, and remains a concern today. We have a substantial number of local Chinese members, but not enough, and, of those members,
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