RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1969
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/9g553n20d
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numbers. The complete set of the volumes now 8 in number with the 9th in the press is now being regarded as of increasing value. Vol. 1 is long out of print, but we expect to have sufficient demand for a limited new issue to justify reprint as soon as possible.

As to our Library we can now say that we have a considerable number of books upwards of 300 volumes but unfortunately no library room of our own to accommodate them. One section including some of the rarer volumes and the growing number of exchange journals is kept in the library of the University of Hong Kong; the remainder are housed in the library of the British Council in the Gloucester Building. The library of the original branch of the Society founded in 1847 was the first library organised in Hong Kong, with the exception of that of the Medico-Chirurgical Society founded in 1845 whose members with their small collection of books—mainly professional joined the new branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1847.* The Society's library of 400 volumes was housed at the old Court House where the Society had been granted by Sir George Bonham a room to hold its meetings: but in 1859 when the Society became defunct the whole of its library was handed on trust to the Morrison Educational Society which later in 1869 presented its own and the R.A.S. library to the City Hall. Now we are back where we started in 1847, with a library of 400 books gradually increasing but with no generous benefactor to give us a room in which we can house them.

From the Hon. Treasurer's Report you will see that the Society's finances are in a reasonably healthy condition. There appears to have been an excess of income over expenditure, but that was partly due to a greatly increased income from the sale of journals and the bank interest and dividends received. The annual subscriptions amounted to $11,590 but the expenditure was $17,398. The gap was bridged mainly by interest from investments, bank interest, and the sale of journals.

Since the last general Meeting there have been several changes within the Council of the Society. Mr. Robert Bruce left Hong Kong on retirement in March 1968 and his place on the Council was filled by his successor as Representative of the British Council, Mr. G. A. Bridges. Professor K. E. Robinson resigned from the

* See page 154.
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RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1970
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/ww72j0241
The Society was, however, very fortunate from the start in the support given by the British Council and its representative Mr. R. E. Lawry who later became the Hon. Secretary and also Vice-President of the Society and to whom the Society owes a great debt of gratitude. It was in the rooms of the British Council that the Society held its meetings until the City Hall became available. It is in the Council's rooms that the Council still holds its meetings and that a great part of the Society's books are kept ready for members to consult or take out. Each of Mr. Lawry's successors, including Mr. Bridges to-day, has become a member of the Council, and it has been the British Council that has provided the successive Hon. Secretaries—Mr. Lawry, Miss O. Michaeliones, Mr. T. H. Thomas and now Mr. J. L. H. Webster, C.M.G. The Society has no home of its own, and ever since its revival the British Council has been the base of its operations; and now after ten years of such continued support it is difficult to express in adequate terms our gratitude to the British Council and its Representatives in Hong Kong.

The Society was also fortunate in the full support given by its Patron, Sir Robert Black, who in spite of his arduous and manifold duties as Governor of Hong Kong rarely missed a meeting of the Society together with Lady Black and his family and staff and often took part in the Society's activities. Sir Robert is now an Honorary Member and still takes a keen interest in the affairs of the Society. Two other keen supporters and regular attendants were Sir Michael Hogan, the Chief Justice, one of our founder members, and also the late W. G. C. Knowles who was also a founder and life member both of whose support was much appreciated and both of whom are greatly missed at our meetings.

During the year the Society met twelve times at which addresses of a high standard and of great variety and interest were given. And in the last two months not less than seven meetings were held including the lecture by Commander Warrington-Strong on porcelain, that of Professor Frank Chippindale on the Chinese Influence on Chippendale's Designs, that of Capt. Roger Pineau on Commodore Perry's Japan Expedition, the tour of Tsun Wan Temples under Mr. Graham Johnson, the Week-End Symposium on the Vegetation of Hong Kong conducted by Professor Thrower
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RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1971
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/z029vt43g
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from time to time regarding lecture subjects, and particularly would welcome advance information any of you may have regarding impending visits to the Colony of experts in some branch of Asian affairs, who may be willing to lecture to the Society during their stop-over here in Hong Kong.

Other Meetings. In addition to the 10th Anniversary Dinner already referred to, mention must be made of the Annual General Meeting and of the Council meetings.

The Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday, 13th May, 1970, in the Hong Kong Club, at which the reports of the President and the Treasurer were received, the officers of the Society and Council Members were elected and the Auditors appointed. The officers and council members elected were as follows:

President:

Sir Lindsay Ride, C.B.E.

Officers of the Society

Vice-Presidents: Dr. Marjorie Topley

Mr. J. W. Hayes

Hon. Secretary: Mr. J. L. H. Webster, C.M.G.

Hon. Librarian: Mr. H. A. Rydings, M.B.E.

Hon. Treasurer: Mr. D. A. Gilkes

Other Members of Council

Dr J. R. Jones, C.B.E. (Past-President).

Professor Ma Meng, M.B.E.

Mr. H. T. Wu

Commander F. Warrington-Strong, D.S.C.

Mr. G. A. Bridges

During the year, the Council met nine times, and I have much pleasure in informing you that

(a) on the 4th May, 1970, Mr. J. W. Hayes was appointed to the vacant Vice-Presidency;

(b) on the 29th June, Dr. J. R. Jones, the retiring President, was invited to become an Honorary Member of the Society, an invitation which he honoured us by accepting. This action was taken under Rule 9 which provides that "Persons of eminent attainment, rank or situation or persons who have rendered distinguished service towards
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RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1971
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/z029vt43g
In Conclusion, there remain to me now three brief duties to perform and they are the duties of recording thanks.

Firstly they go to you members who have demonstrated your public spirit by coming here this evening and making the number present up to that which is necessary to give this meeting legal status. Secondly, I must also thank the members of the Committee who, by so dextrously and loyally serving two masters during the year 1970, have ensured an even maintenance of policy and achievement during the change in Presidency.

And finally, a bitter-sweet item, bitter because it is the last meeting at which we shall have the pleasure of the presence of Mr. Webster as our Hon. Secretary. He is leaving Hong Kong in the very near future on transfer to Istanbul, and this brings to an abrupt end his all too short stay here. We offer him our heartiest congratulations on his new appointment and we would like him to know that he takes with him our most grateful thanks for his invaluable services to the Society for the past two years. The sweet part of this item is the news that the British Council has offered us the continuation of its services, which, I think you should know, include facilities for the venue of all our Committee meetings as well as the procuring of halls for our Society's meetings; a central home for our secretariat; the services of two senior members of its staff on our committee; and the behind-the-scenes help of Mrs. Margaret O'Hara, who is invariably prepared to cope with the hundred and one minor problems which so frequently confront an organization such as ours in its ordinary every day affairs. In fact I am certain that without this sympathetic help from the British Council, we would have no chance at all of running this Society with the efficiency and success that you have come to expect of it. To the British Council, to its local Representative, Mr. G. A. Bridges, and to his staff, we again offer our most grateful thanks.

With these words of thanks to all our helpers, I beg to table this report of the affairs of the Society for the year 1970.

3rd May, 1971.

L. T. RIDE
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RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1974
https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/x633mp077
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LIST OF MEMBERS

ORDINARY MEMBERS:

AIDE-DE-CAMP, The

AKERS-JONES, D.

ALLCOCK, R. C.

ANDERSON, J. S.

ARCHER, Hon. Mrs. S.

ARSAN, Ahmet

ARSAN, Mrs. Karin

AU, K. N.

BAKER, Dr. Hugh

BARD, Dr. S. M.

BARR, J. W.

BARRETT, Father Cyril, SJ.

BARROW, Mr. & Mrs. John F.

BATE, H. M.

Government House, Garden Road, H.K.

Island House, Taipo, N.T.

Department of Law, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, H.K.

Diocesan Boys' School, 131, Argyle Street, Kowloon.

41, Stubbs Road, Apt. 21, H.K.

First Chicago Hong Kong Ltd., Rooms 4004-9, Connaught Centre, H.K.

43, Stubbs Road, Flat C-1, H.K.

c/o Grantham College of Education, Gascoigne Road, Kowloon.

c/o Govt. Training Division, Lee Gardens, 2nd floor, H.K.

University Health Service, University of Hong Kong, H.K.

E9, Repulse Bay Towers, 119A, Repulse Bay Road, H.K.

Wah Yan College, Queen's Road, East, H.K.

Room 362, Central Govt. Offices, Lower Albert Road, H.K.

c/o Caritas House, 2, Caine Road, H.K.

BENNETT, Mrs. Patricia M.

BENNISON, Larry L.

BIRCH, Dr. Alan

BLAIKLEY, P. E.

BLAKE, Mrs. Doreen

BORGEEST, Gus

BRAUN, F.

BRIDGES, G. A.

BRIGGS, The Hon. Sir Geoffrey, Q.C.

BROADBENT, Miss Margaret

BROUWER, Mrs. R. P.

BRUMMERSTED, D. A.

BUCHANAN, Dr. A. J. C.

BULLEN, J. B.

3, Coombe Road, H.K.

Caltex Oil, G.P.O. Box 147, H.K.

Department of History, University of Hong Kong, H.K.

19D, Vienna Court, Realty Gardens, 41, Conduit Road, H.K.

c/o Paul Y. Construction Co., Bank of Canton Building, 18th floor, H.K.

P.O. Box 1058, H.K.

8, Kotewall Road, 4th floor, H.K.

B-3, United College Staff Residence, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T.

Courts of Justice, H.K.

The Helena May, Garden Road, H.K.

A3, Repulse Bay Mansions, H.K.

87, Pearl Gardens, 7A, Conduit Road, H.K.

Dept. of Paediatrics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, H.K.

Myer Eastern Buying Ltd., Cheong Hing Building, 12, Nathan Road, Kowloon.

BURGGRAAF, Miss Huberta

c/o Royal Interocean Line, P.O. Box 725, H.K.
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