XN000022-1987-01-21 — Page 30

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1987

+AS SUCH THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES AND THE BOARD MUST BE SO THAT WHILE THE COMMITTEE IS ALLOWED TO EXERCISE ITS TRUSTEESHIP. TO SAFEGUARD THE FUND, IT SHOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE BOARD, HE SAID.

MR HU SAID A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AD HOC GROUP STUDYING THE BILL PROPOSED AN AMENDMENT TO PROVIDE THAT THE COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES WOULD APPLY THE FUND IN SUCH MANNER AND TO SUCH EXTENT AS THE BOARD MIGHT ADVISE, TO MEET EXPENSES OF THE SPORTS CENTRE FOR A PERIOD OF NOT LESS THAN 20 YEARS.

HE SAID THE AD HOC GROUP NOTED THAT DESPITE THE CREATION OF THE COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES, THE BOARD WOULD RETAIN THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEALING WITH MONEYS AND OTHER ASSETS NOT DESIGNATED FOR THE TRUST FUND.

+THIS WILL ALLOW FLEXIBILITY IN DEALING WITH OTHER DONATIONS AND SPONSORSHIPS RECEIVED BY THE SPORTS CENTRE FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND IN VARIOUS FORMS, HE SAID.

MR HU POINTED OUT THAT THE BILL PROPOSED TO DO AWAY WITH THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS IN THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE AND SUGGESTED A MINIMUM MEMBERSHIP OF TWO INSTEAD.

HE SAID ALTHOUGH IN REALITY IT WAS VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE FUTURE BOARD WOULD HAVE JUST THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF BOARD MEMBERS, THE AD HOC GROUP FELT THAT A MINIMUM OF TWO MEMBERS WOULD OPEN UP THE THEORETICAL POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A BOARD ABSOLUTELY CONTROLLED BY THE CHAIRMAN.

AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THE BOARD SHOULD CONSIST OF THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY OR HIS REPRESENTATIVE AND NOT LESS THAN TWO OTHER MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, HE SAID.

MR HU ALSO NOTED THAT THE JUBILEE SPORTS CENTRE HAD ALREADY ESTABLISHED A REPUTATION AS THE BEST TRAINING CENTRE IN ASIA.

RECOGNISING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A FEW OUTSTANDING ISSUES, HE SAID THE GENEROUS ENDOWMENT FROM THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB WOULD RESOLVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND WOULD PLACE THE CENTRE IN A FAVOURABLE POSITION TO MAP OUT ITS FUTURE STRATEGIES.

HE WELCOMED THE CLUB'S AGREEMENT TO CONSIDER THE CENTRE'S REQUESTS FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS IF SUCH SHOULD BE NECESSARY, AND CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE SIMILAR UNDERTAKING AS AN ASSURANCE TO THE PUBLIC OF ITS DETERMINATION TO IMPLEMENT A HEALTHY LONG-TERM POLICY ON SPORTS AND RECREATION.

THE RELEVANT

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