WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1990
21
STEPS TAKEN TO ENSURE PROPER MANAGEMENT OF FLAG DAYS
THE
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SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN VARIOUS MEASURES ENSURE, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, THE PROPER MANAGEMENT OF FLAG DAYS BY CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON ELIZABETH WONG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
FROM
MRS WONG WAS GIVING THIS IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION THE HON ROSANNA TAM WHO HAD REFERRED TO A RECENT CASE IN WHICH TWO ORGANISATIONS WERE FOUND TO BE SELLING FLAGS ON THE SAME DAY.
SHE EXPLAINED THAT THE UNDERLYING REASON FOR THIS OCCURRENCE WAS THAT THE HOLY CARPENTER CHURCH COMMUNITY CENTRE, WHICH HAD BEEN GIVEN APPROVAL TO HOLD A FLAG DAY ON FEBRUARY 17, HAD DELIVERED THE FLAGS AND COLLECTION BAGS TO THE VOLUNTEERS AT TOO EARLY A DATE AND THAT THERE WAS A GENUINE MISUNDERSTANDING ON THE PART OF THE VOLUNTEERS CONCERNED AS TO THE DESIGNATED FLAG DAY.
MRS WONG POINTED OUT THAT APPROVAL HAD BEEN GIVEN BY THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE FOR THE LOK SIN TONG BENEVOLENT SOCIETY TO HOLD A FLAG DAY ON FEBRUARY 10.
HOWEVER, ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 10, VOLUNTEERS OF BOTH ORGANISATIONS WERE FOUND SELLING FLAGS TO RAISE FUNDS OUTSIDE THE KOWLOON TONG MTR STATION.
CENTRE
17.
MRS WONG SAID ENQUIRIES HAD REVEALED THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD RECRUITED SOME 3,500 VOLUNTEERS TO SELL FLAGS ON FEBRUARY
"SINCE IT WAS ENVISAGED THAT THE DELIVERY OF FLAGS AND COLLECTION BAGS WOULD TAKE SOME TIME, ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE
BY THE COMMUNITY CENTRE TO DESPATCH A PROPORTION OF THESE AS EARLY AS FEBRUARY 9 TO SOME OF THE VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING THE ELDERLY MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG BAPTIST HOSPITAL'S AU SHUE HUNG HEALTH CENTRE.
"FIVE OF THE ELDERLY VOLUNTEERS OF THE HEALTH CENTRE, PROBABLY DUE TO OVER-ENTHUSIASM, MISTAKENLY CONCLUDED THAT THE FOLLOWING
DAY, THAT IS, FEBRUARY 10, WAS THE DESIGNATED FLAG DAY INSTEAD OF THE CORRECT DATE OF FEBRUARY 17, 1990.
"THEY THUS COMMENCED TO SELL FLAGS OUTSIDE KOWLOON TONG MTR STATION ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 10," MRS WONG SAID.
THE HOLY CARPENTER CHURCH COMMUNITY CENTRE, UPON NOTIFICATION OF THE INCIDENT, IMMEDIATELY RECALLED THE ELDERLY VOLUNTEERS THAT SAME MORNING, SHE SAID.
MRS WONG SAID THAT THIS MISUNDERSTANDING AND THE REASONS FOR IT WERE SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED IN A CHINESE LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER ON FEBRUARY 11.
/SHE SAID