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AGM
Dinner 25 March 2008
Speech by the Incoming Chairman
Dear fellow members of the Guild and guests, I welcome you to our annual dinner
after the AGM. This year, unfortunately, our Administrator, Jack Smith, is
unable to be with us due to his illness and I am sure all of you will join me in
wishing Jack a speedy recovery.
Capt. Peter Robinson, our Immediate Past Chairman, has done an excellent job
during the past two years and will be a hard act to follow. He is easy and
courteous of manner and extremely eloquent. During his two year term as our
Chairman, Peter put his heart and soul in Guild matters. Notwithstanding his
heavy responsibilities, he continued to take on extra work by looking after our
Youth Flying Scholarship winners by painstakingly making all the arrangements to
send them to Adelaide for their flying training and monitoring their progress on
a weekly basis. His involvement with the Youth Flying Scholarship programme has
demonstrated the depth of his kindness. On behalf of members of the Guild,
“thank you, Robbo”.
Looking forward to the coming year, I will continue to keep a keen interest in
the Youth Flying Scholarship programme. Some of you may know my involvement
with the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps. We have a programme to give their young
members air experience flights in helicopters around the Harbour. Recently, I
received a present from one of our winners of the Mappy Miller Flying
Scholarship, Alan Ng, who is now undergoing training with Cathay Pacific Airways
in Adelaide. Alan arranged for the design depicting me in our air experience
activities (see photo) and had it made into cross-stitch embroidery by his
mother. It was heart warming and, indeed, very encouraging.
In this regard, I have a very pleasant announcement to make. Back in September
or October of last year, Robbo telephoned me one day about the Youth Flying
Scholarship. Before he was able to tell me what he was going to say, I had
guessed it. Over the next few months, it was just matter of formulating it. I
am happy to let you know that it has been decided to create a new scholarship to
be awarded annually for advanced flying training and we will name it “The Jack
Smith Advanced Flying Scholarship” in appreciation of his many years of
dedicated service to the Guild.
The Committee for the coming year was named during the formal proceedings of the
AGM and I will not repeat the list, but just to thank them in advance for their
cooperation and look forward to working with them. I would like, somehow, to
get our past Chairmen more involved. I am sure the Guild will benefit from
their sound advice. Indeed, I look forward to strong support from all members
of the Guild. Such support goes beyond attendances at our social functions,
which I hope you will all continue to enjoy; by holding ourselves out as a
member of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators and conducting our aviation
activities with integrity and high standards, we will be supporting the Guild of
a reputation we can be proud of.
John Li
Chairman
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