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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL ADDRESS BY CHAIRMANCHAIRMAN (in English): It is now 3.30 p.m. and I will call this meeting to order. I welcome here the Chairman, the Vice-chairman, Sir LAWRENCE Kadoorie, the Executive Director and other Members of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. I would now ask Mr. Foxon to take the floor.
MR. H. P. FOXON (in English): This is certainly an important day in the history of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and I hope also in the history of the Urban Council of Hong Kong.
The history of both organizations goes back into the last century and we have both grown with Hong Kong.
It was indeed a happy inspiration of Sir LAWRENCE Kadoorie to suggest at one of our meetings of the Chamber that we should arrange on behalf of the entire commercial community to present a chain of office to the Council to be worn by its Chairman on appropriate occasions, thereby marking the appreciation of commerce for the work of this Council. Sir LAWRENCE is a very senior member of the Chamber and is a true son of Hong Kong, which owes so much to the drive and foresight and, may I add, the community spirit of his illustrious family. I now have much pleasure in asking Sir LAWRENCE to make the presentation on behalf of the Chamber. Thank you! (Applause).
SIR LAWRENCE KADOORIE (in English): Gentlemen, Mr. Chairman, it is both a pleasure and an honour for me to find myself deputed by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce to make this presentation. I was born here, and over the years have been privileged to play a part in Hong Kong's extraordinary expansion. In no field has the development and change been more pronounced than in that of the Urban Services and their controlling body, the Urban Council.
Not everyone realizes the vast amount of work that members of the Urban Council put in at countless select committees and other meetings. As representatives of the people of Hong Kong, they have created a civic spirit that is most valuable to us all. The proposal for the presentation to the Urban Council of a Chain of Office to be worn by the Chairman was conceived as an appropriate indication of the esteem for the dignity and responsibility of the office. The chain itself has been made locally and designed as to be of good augury for the future.
With these few remarks, I now ask your permission, Mr. Chairman of the Urban Council, to let me "enchain” you (Laughter)—with which gesture I bring you the best wishes of all members of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce for a continuing successful term of office and for the ever more successful performance by the Council of its work on behalf of the community. Thank you! (Applause).
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CHAIRMAN (in English): The presentation of this Chain of Office by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is most significant. It is in keeping with the tradition the Chamber has long established of playing an incisive part in the development of Hong Kong and its institutions. Indeed, the Chamber has always helped to shape public policy for the progress and prosperity of Hong Kong with which the interest of its members is identified. With this presentation, the Chamber demonstrates in clear terms the support the Council can expect from the business community for all it does in the interest of the people whose just aspirations for a better life are also linked to the degree of success the Chamber's Members can achieve with their drive and enterprise.
In thanking the Chamber and the great number of subscribing member firms, the Council hopes that all their efforts to promote the growth and prosperity of Hong Kong will be well rewarded. Just as the Chamber has always shown a keen sense of responsibility for the well-being of Hong Kong so, in the years to come, our dynamic and progressive society will surely benefit more and more from the growing social accountability of business to the community.
May I say, Sir LAWRENCE, with very great pleasure how much the Council appreciates the vision and initiative which you, the dean of Hong Kong businessmen, have shown in proposing that the Chamber should present this Chain of Office to the Council and in taking the lead to put it into practice. This gesture will stand as an example of the goodwill and co-operation which together make Hong Kong what it is: a great community living in harmony and working hard for the common good. Thank you very much indeed. (Applause).
The Council is now in recess until 4.30 p.m.
(Mr. H. P. FOXON, Mr. L. W. GORDON, Sir LAWRENCE Kadoorie and Mr. J. B. KITE left the meeting during the recess). (Mrs. E. ELLIOTT arrived at this point.)
CHAIRMAN (in English): It is now 4.30 p.m. and the Council will reconvene to despatch the business on the regular agenda. Before we do so, I would like to welcome to our Council Mrs. Grace Ho and Mr. SHUM Choi-sang. This is their first meeting and I hope that they will have a very long and pleasant association with the Council. (Applause).
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English): It is now 3.30 p.m. and I will call this meeting to order. I welcome here the Chairman, the Vice-chairman, Sir LAWRENCE Kadoorie, the Executive Director and other Members of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. I would now ask Mr. Foxon to take the floor.
MR. H. P. FOXON (in English): --This is certainly an important day in the history of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and I hope also in the history of the Urban Council of Hong Kong.
The history of both organizations goes back into the last century and we have both grown with Hong Kong.
It was indeed a happy inspiration of Sir LAWRENCE Kadoorie to suggest at one of our meetings of the Chamber that we should arrange on behalf of the entire commercial community to present a chain of office to the Council to be worn by its Chairman on appropriate occasions, thereby marking the appreciation of commerce for the work of this Council. Sir LAWRENCE is a very senior member of the Chamber and is a true son of Hong Kong, which owes so much to the drive and foresight and, may I add, the community spirit of his illustrious family. I now have much pleasure in asking Sir LAWRENCE to make the pres- entation on behalf of the Chamber. Thank you! (Applause).
SIR LAWRENCE KADOORIE (in English): ---Gentlemen, Mr. Chair- man, it is both a pleasure and an honour for me to find myself deputed by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce to make this presentation. I was born here, and over the years have been privileged to play a part in Hong Kong's extraordinary expansion. In no field has the development and change been more pronounced than in that of the Urban Services and their controlling body, the Urban Council.
Not everyone realizes the vast amount of work that members of the Urban Council put in at countless select committees and other meetings. As representatives of the people of Hong Kong, they have created a civic spirit that is most valuable to us all. The proposal for the presentation to the Urban Council of a Chain of Office to be worn by the Chairman was conceived as an appropriate indication of the esteem for the dignity and responsibility of the office. The chain itself has been made locally and designed as to be of good augury for the future.
With these few remarks, I now ask your permission, Mr. Chair- man of the Urban Council, to let me "enchain” you (Laughter)—with
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which gesture I bring you the best wishes of all members of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce for a continuing successful term of office and for the ever more successful performance by the Council of its work on behalf of the community. Thank you! (Applause).
CHAIRMAN (in English):-The presentation of this Chain of Office by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is most significant. It is in keeping with the tradition the Chamber has long established of playing an incisive part in the development of Hong Kong and its institutions. Indeed, the Chamber has always helped to shape public policy for the progress and prosperity of Hong Kong with which the interest of its members is identified. With this presentation, the Chamber demonstrates in clear terms the support the Council can expect from the business community for all it does in the interest of the people whose just aspirations for a better life are also linked to the degree of success the Chamber's Members can achieve with their drive and enterprise.
In thanking the Chamber and the great number of subscribing member firms, the Council hopes that all their efforts to promote the growth and prosperity of Hong Kong will be well rewarded. Just as the Chamber has always shown a keen sense of responsibility for the well-being of Hong Kong so, in the years to come, our dynamic and progressive society will surely benefit more and more from the growing social accountability of business to the community.
May I say, Sir LAWRENCE, with very great pleasure how much the Council appreciates the vision and initiative which you, the dean of Hong Kong businessmen, have shown in proposing that the Chamber should present this Chain of Office to the Council and in taking the lead to put it into practice. This gesture will stand as an example of the goodwill and co-operation which together make Hong Kong what it is: a great community living in harmony and working hard for the common good. Thank you very much indeed. (Applause).
The Council is now in recess until 4.30 p.m.
(Mr. H. P. FOXON, Mr. L. W. GORDON, Sir LAWRENCE Kadoorie and Mr. J. B. KITE left the meeting during the recess). (Mrs. E. ELLIOTT arrived at this point.)
CHAIRMAN (in English):-It is now 4.30 p.m. and the Council will reconvene to despatch the business on the regular agenda. Before we do so, I would like to welcome to our Council Mrs. Grace Ho and Mr. SHUM Choi-sang. This is their first meeting and I hope that they will have a very long and pleasant association with the Council. (Applause).
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