RAS-1995 — Page 58

25

male heir to inherit land and to worship the ancestors. A nephew or clansman of a younger generation is usually adopted, although the generation and age of the adopted person are unimportant. The adoption may take place within the lifetime of the adoptive parents or after one or both of them have died. The explanation of this latter phenomenon is that adoption is a formal process which not only requires action of the adoptive parents but also the approval of the elders of the family and clan. The latter normally signify their approval by attending a feast to eat ceremonial pork. An adopted person renounces all rights of succession and inheritance in his natural family but, of course, acquires them in the family by which he has been adopted.

Money loan associations

148

149

Such associations are common in South China and in Hong Kong. Half a century ago, these associations had been employed by the inhabitants of the New Territories to raise money. The object of such an association is to pool the financial resources of the members with the prospect of gambling, so popular with the Chinese, that at some stage each member will be able to use these pooled resources for his own benefit. These associations are usually formed of groups of wage-earning persons in close daily contact, which engenders mutual trust. The number of members having been arranged, the period of the association is likewise arranged to correspond (e.g., an association of 10 members for a period of 10 months). The period may begin at any time, and regular meetings are held throughout its duration. Before or at the first meeting, the chairman, who is usually the instigator of the scheme, gives each member a booklet containing the names of members and simple rules. One rule invariably is that no member can back out of the scheme, for otherwise the sum won by a successful tenderer would be depleted. Another rule also provides that in the event of a member dying or backing out, the chairman will become liable. Also at this first meeting, the chairman collects a sum fixed by agreement in full from each member, say $50. At the second meeting, all members tender to the chairman in secret on slips of paper the amount of interest which they are prepared to offer on each member's share. The member who tenders the highest interest, say $5 on each $50 share, is awarded all the members' shares for that meeting. The remaining members then pay over their shares of the fixed amount less the interest tendered (e.g., $50 less $5 = $45) to the winner. The chairman also repays to the