In this Issue:
The
World
Yee Family Association 4th International Convention
Yee
Chung-sheung Ancestor Hall Rehabilitation Ceremony
23rd
National Yee Fung Toy Family Association Convention
Reports
from Yee Fung Toy Chapters
Next Issue
Welcome to the 20th issue of the Yee Fung Toy Global Village
Voice, an electronic newsletter for the World Yee community. In this
issue we are featuring summer activities from associations of the Yee
Fung Toy around the world.
The recent 23rd US Yee Fung Toy Association Convention held in
at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel in Flushing, New York on August 8
thru August 11, 2009, was a tremendous success, for more details,
please click here.
Seattle YFT Family
Association will be the next host in 2012.
Congratulations to the newly elected Grand Presidents and Vice
Grand Presidents for both East and West coasts.
We thank all those who have made contributions to this issue,
including:
- David M. Yee, Krystin Yee, Edward Yue and Rudy Yee of
Phoenix
- Edward Yee, Dick Yee, Ron Yee, Ray Yee and Allan Yee of
Detroit
- Frank Yee, Gong Sum Yee and Elaine Yee of New York
- Frank Yu of Houston
- Fred Yee, Danny Yu of Seattle
- Henry Yu and Melinda Yee of Sacramento
- Ho Lee Yee and Winston Yee of Boston
- Kai Yon Yee of Malaysia
- Martin Yee, Shui Chi Yu, James Yu and Wing Yee of Vancouver
- Richard Yue, Johnson Yee of Hong Kong
- Ying Hua Yu and Jerome Yu of Edmonton, Canada
We look forward to our sixth year of publication, and many
more years to come!
Dragon Boat
Festival and Senior Citizens Day Celebrations
Over 220 members gathered at the
Association office, paid homage to our ancestors and had a buffet
lunch on May 24, 2009.
Dragon Boat Festival was
celebrated with about 20 tables at the Rice Bowl Restaurant in
Sacramento.
There were 85 senior citizens over 75 years old who received a lucky
money envelope.
Melinda Yee, Sacramento
Congratulations
to Presiding CCBA President Damon Yee!
Presiding President Damon Yee of
the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (a.k.a. Six Companies)
was sworn in on July 2, 2009 by Assistant President pro Tempore of the
California State Senate Leland Yee Ph.D. On this auspicious occasion,
all of the CCBA presidents were present and Damon Yee has commanded
respect not only from community leaders but elected official as well.
Attending the inauguration were California Board of Equalization
Chairwoman Betty Yee, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Board of Supervisors
President David Chiu and Supervisors Carmen Chu, and Eric Mar,
representatives from State Senator Mark Leno, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma,
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, and District Attorney Kamala Harris all
honored him.
The CCBA is the granddaddy of
family associations in the Chinese community. CCBA started in 1850 and
there are now seven associations: 1) Ning Yung Benevolent Association;
2) Sue Hing Benevolent Association; 3) Hop Wo Benevolent Association;
4) Kong Chow Benevolent Association; 5) Yeong Wo Benevolent
Association; 6) Sam Yup Benevolent Association; and 7) Yan Wo
Benevolent Association. For close to 160 years, CCBA has stood the test
of time, serving and helping the Chinese community.
The Yee Fung Toy Family
Association elder Damon Yee, current Hop Wo Benevolent Association
president is now the Presiding President of CCBA during July and August
2009 and his term as Hop Wo President ends December 31, 2010.
Congratulations!
Following the inauguration a
dinner banquet was held at New Asia with had over 350 community
leaders, including our cousins Mas and Tses, the Yees, family and
friends. What a great dinner banquet to finish off a spectacular
evening that will be remembered for a very long time.
Damon Yee would like to thank
everyone for the wonderful flowers and warm wishes. He wishes everyone
health, happiness and prosperity.
Thank you!
Larry Yee, San Francisco HQ
In Memory of
Grand Elder Kin
Hoy Yee
Kin Hoy Yee ( November 1,
1924 - July 5, 2009)
Kin Hoy Yee was born in 1924 in
Cheung Lung, Taishan in Guangdong province, China. His parents were
Chung Hoa Yee and Ham Toy Mah. Chung Hoa Yee immigrated to Detroit and
was able to buy the Sam Lee laundry on Gratiot.
Kin attended seven years of
school in the village. In 1936 Kin and his mother went to Hong Kong to
live with his uncle. By 1937 Canton was occupied by Japan. Kin was able
to attend school in Hong Kong and learned some English.
By 1939 Kin's father sent money
for Kin to join him in Detroit. Kin traveled from Hong Kong to Seattle
on the Princess Margaret. Kin spent 5 ½ months at the immigration
detention center in Seattle. Finally, Kin was able to travel by train
from Seattle to Detroit to join his father.
In Detroit Kin attended Stephens
School for classes for foreign-born students, where one of his teachers
recommended that Kin attend Cass Tech High School. Kin then attended
classes at Wayne State University while working at the Sam Lee laundry.
Kin met Jane Fong in 1944 at an
all-Chinese Christian youth conference in Lake George, NY. Kin attended
as a representative of the Methodist Chinese youth in Detroit. Kin and
Jane were married in 1948. Their children are Catherine, Edward,
Joanne, Christopher and Brian. Niece Carolynne joined their family in
1963. Their grandchildren are Sharon, Susan, Teresa, Matthew, Megan,
Aidan and Isabella. Their great grandchild is Grace.
Kin's career as an electrical
engineer included positions with King & Park; H.F.Campbell; Siegel
& Sweich; Smith, Hinchman & Grylls; DiClemente & Siegel
Engineers and Albert Kahn & Associates.
In 1993 Kin married Yin Kwan
Cheung. His stepchildren are Addla, Andrew, Annie and Anthony. Their
grandchildren are Justin, Cassandra, Ethan , Grace and Lauren.
Fluent in both Cantonese and
English, Kin served in several positions in the Chinese community
including:
Honorary Mayor of Chinatown
President of the American Citizens for Justice
On Leong Council
President of the Chinese Welfare Council
Eastern Vice President and then Eastern President of the National Yee
Association
He is honored today by the Yee Association as a Grand Elder.
Kin frequently was asked to serve
as an emcee at weddings and banquets and would frequently entertain the
crowd with Chinese opera.
Kin's family would like to thank
everyone for their kind expressions of sympathy and for sharing their
memories of Kin.
Kin Hoy Family Members
The Yee Fung Toy
Association of Sacramento 2009 Annual Picnic
Our annual picnic was held on
July 12th 2009 at William Land Park.
A record breaking 200 guests
attended. This year, instead of serving traditional Chinese food at the
picnic, we served roast beef and turkey sandwiches.
There were 30 raffle prize
drawings. One lucky winner won both first and second prizes valued at
$450.
As with every year, there was
good food, games and fun in the sun!
Thank you to all who participated
in making the picnic a success.
Later, The Association hosted a
Volunteer Appreciation Dinner to thank all those who worked at the
picnic.
Melinda Yee, Sacramento
NY YFT 2009
Annual Summer Picnic - Bear Mountain
The New York Yee Fong Toy
Association's annual picnic was held on Saturday, July 11, 2009.
We had four chartered buses to
bring 220 people to Bear Mountain State Park in Harriman, NY. We
gathered in front of American Legion on Canal Street at around 8:30
a.m. The buses left Chinatown at around 9:15 a.m.
As usual, everything went
according to plan. Then I saw one girl who came late chasing after our
buses. Luckily, the bus driver was good natured enough to let her on at
the traffic light. We made it to Bear Mountain in good time before
noon. We distributed lunches and took some pictures.
Then everyone scattered to find a
picnic area for lunch. After lunch, the older folks just hanged around
shooting the breeze. The younger groups ventured off fishing, paddling
boats, swimming and to the zoo. I decided to take my nieces and nephews
to the zoo. In there, they have bears, bald eagle, owls, snakes,
lizards, otter, beaver, fox, coyote, etc. It was a pretty neat zoo. I
am sure the kids enjoyed it a lot.
After the zoo, we played a game
of volleyball. It drew a lot of participants. Even people, whom we were
not familiar with, decided to join in. In the afternoon, there were
clouds moved in, but it did not rain. Ah Gung must be smiling down on
us and gave us his blessings. It was a perfect day for a family outing.
Hope to see everyone again next year!
Elaine Yee, New York
Vancouver's Yees
and Mahs - A Day Trip to Whistler
Around 8:30 am on a fine sunny
Sunday morning on July 19th, 45 of us boarded the "Happy Times Travel"
bus that would take us from the Yee Fung Toy Society House in
Chinatown, to the Mah Society of Vancouver on Hastings Street, picked
up 11 Mah Society members to fill the 56-seats bus. Our Mah cousins
had already filled their other bus.
We then, were on our way to
Whistler,
the site of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, via the Sea to Sky Highway
for a one day outing together.
This year, our Mah cousins
co-hosted with us for a "one day" getaway to Whistler. Thanks to
Chairman Jim Yee of the Yee Fung Toy Society of Vancouver, and William
Ma, Chairman of the Mah Society of Vancouver for arranging this joint
program.
Our buses drove by Horseshoe Bay,
Britannia Beach, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, and Squamish. We had a
rest stop at Squamish's Tim Hortons for some cool drinks and donuts. We
arrived at Whistler Village just before noon and spent the next three
hours exploring the place under the hot sun.
Some of us took a 15-minute
shuttle ride from Whistler to beautiful "Lost Lake". It is a gorgeous,
small mountain lake surrounded by lush greenery and flowers. With the
colorful scenery, it's so unbelievable that seems like we walked into a
lovely postcard. A few of
us took the Whistler-Blackcomb
Peak to Peak Gondola ride for a sight seeing adventure, and some
stayed in the Whistler Village
to do some shopping around.
After an enjoyable outing, our
buses drove us back to Vancouver's Chinatown, where we dined at The
Jade Dynasty Restaurant. Both appetizer and entree dishes came out
quickly and all were
very delicious.
The Yee-Mah friendship
relationship in Vancouver is just keeps on getting
stronger, deeper and better than ever!
Cheers to the Yees and Mahs! More
adventures and outings together in the future!
Martin Yee, Vancouver
Annual Outing at
Canobie Lake Park
This summer's weather has been
somewhat abnormal and unpredictable. There were many cool, cloudy,
damp, and rainy days with few warm sunny days. However, on July 25th a
summer day finally arrived. We had a great day for our annual summer
outing to Canobie Lake Amusement Park in New Hampshire.
Although the park in located in
another state to the north, it was fairly close to Boston. Driving time
is approximately 40 minutes from Chinatown. Thus, many people chose to
drive their family auto rather than take our bus.
Over the past few years, we had
attended Lake Compounce Them Park in Connecticut. This year it was
decided for a change and went to Canobie Lake Amusement Park which was
first opened in 1902. Both parks are very similar. They both provide
rides and games for all ages. The standard cars, trains, coaster, and
carousel. A kiddies section with the smaller version, and regular size
rides spread throughout the park for teens and adults. Also, a cable
car ride across the park gives a bird's-eye view of the people below.
It's like the cable car in Lake Compounce that goes up to the mountain
top.
Castaway is their water park
where families and others of all ages gather to enjoy swimming, slides,
and other water games.
Mystique, a mystical & magic
show is offered in the main hall. Also, theatre like stages and bench
were setup in a couple locations for rest and enjoyment of musical song
& dance shows.
Since Canobie Lake is a much
larger lake than Lake Compounce, it offered a longer boat ride. The 30
minute ride around the lake was very enjoyable and relaxing.
At 6:30pm we concluded our day
at the park and boarded our bus for the ride back to Boston Chinatown.
Another year, another fun day enjoyed by all.
Winston Yee, Boston
2009 Seattle Yee
Fung Toy Family Association 55th Annual Picnic
The 2009 Seattle Yee Fung Toy
Family Association annual picnic was held on July 26 at the Woodland
Park Zoo Picnic Area
#3. On this beautiful Summer day, preparation for the setting up of the
picnic began at 11:30 am when association advisor Suey Yee and wife
Linda brought in a truck load of picnic essentials with boxes of paper
plates and napkins, chips, sodas and bottled water, water melons and
gifts for door prizes. Soon after, Vice-President De Shum Yee and wife
arrived with a van full of hot food that include a whole roast pig,
barbeque pork, chow mein, fried chicken pieces and Chinese style finger
food and dessert items. Before long, enough association members arrived
to help with the table set and arrangement of the food serving table.
By 12:30 pm, over a 100
association members and families had gathered together around the
picnic area.
With the arrival of the Yee Fung Toy Society of Vancouver Chairman Jim
Yee and his wife Betty, the picnic began with the traditional brief
remarks and thank you messages. Food was then served and the annual
scholarship awards presentation began.
This year, over 30 students from
Grade 1 - College Seniors received scholarships. Association Senior
Advisor, Uncle James Yee gave an overview of the scholarships program
and application requirements. Door prizes began after the scholarship
awards were completed. The door prize drawing has been the highlight of
each annual picnic for many years and this year was no exception. By
2:30 pm, the picnic ended with an atmosphere of great fellowships and
enjoyment.
In the evening, the Association
held the traditional dinner at Renton Seafood Restaurant of which
Association Shek Jing is one of the owners. All then look forward to
the 2010 annual picnic with great memories of another successful picnic
for our association for 2009.
Fred Yee, Seattle
Yee Chung-sheung
Ancestor Hall Rehabilitation Ceremony Is Postponed to Early Next Year
Hi everyone,
After our meetings in Hong Kong
and Kai Ping last week, and on behalf of both Hong Kong and Kai Ping
Restoration Committee, I hereby announce that the Yee Ancestor Hall
Opening Ceremony will be postponed to early next year. Further
information regarding this event will be sent to all of you in the near
future.
Regards
Johnson Yee Kin Lun
Hong Kong and Kai Ping Restoration Committee
Monday, July 27, 2009
The 23rd US Yee
Fung Toy Association Convention in pictures
New York YFT
2009 Scholarship Event
This year, because of the
countless hours spent in preparation for the 23rd National Convention,
New York Yee Fong Toy Association decided not to hold its 2009
scholarship awards ceremony.
Instead, we requested all our
scholarship recipients to appear in person at our association's hall to
pick up their scholarships. The idea is to get them acquainted with our
association and to understand where their scholarships come from. In
hope that one day they too can be contributors to our association.
In spite of time constraint, our
scholarship committee worked tirelessly to review all scholarship
applications and produced this year's scholarship winners. This year,
113 scholarship recipients qualified for awards. Graduating high school
seniors tend to benefit the most from our awards program.
Our big winner for this year is
Vivian Yu who received scholarship awards from a special Five Tong
Association scholarship program and Dit Nam Yu memorial scholarship
fund. Also receiving awards from Five Tong Association's program are
Allison Yu and Diane Yee. Dennis Yu and Kimberly Yee received awards
from Dit Nam Yu's scholarship fund. Stephanie Yee and Jessica Lauren
Yee both got awards from the late Ming Lai Yee Memorial Scholarship
Fund. This year, of the top six college students with a 3.5 or better
average for 30-credit school year, three already received our one-time
special Five Tong awards. The three recipients are Sammy Yu, Jia Xin Yu
and Shasha Yu. Education provided upward mobility to all our future
generations.
Our forefathers had a vision.
They saw the important of education so they set up scholarship to
motivate our youngsters to do well in school. Nowadays, the new
generations of Yees are mainly middle-class professionals, who are
living the American dreams. America gave us equal opportunities in this
society. However, it takes a leader, one who has a passion and is
willing to make a difference in life, to step up and be able to give
back to the community.
Today, we recognized your
achievements, but it is up to you to show us your true colors.
Congratulations to all our scholarship winners!
Elaine Yee, New York
Congratulation
to new Eastern U.S. Grand President Kenneth Yee
On August 30, 2009 about 100
members, family and friends came out to celebrate the newly elected Yee
Fung Toy Family Association's Eastern U.S. Grand President Kenneth Yee
at Delight Restaurant in New York Chinatown. Congratulations to a
person well deserving of the position. We consider Kenneth not only a
good family member to our association but great good will ambassador to
our Chinatown community. We are appreciative of his dedication and
commitment in leading our family association to new heights locally and
now on a national level.
A week later, September 6,
Kenneth wanted to show his appreciation by treating our members to a
buffet luncheon. In keeping with tradition, he also wanted to pay
respects to our ancestor by bring a roast pig. Our Ma and Tse cousins
also came to wish Kenneth success in his new position. We all had a
great time. Thank you, Kenneth for making this all possible.
Frank Yee, New York
Now that summer is over, it is
Back to
School
for most
students. The next issue of the Yee Fung Toy Global Village Voice will
be published in mid December, featuring reports of scholarship awards
and celebrations of the Moon (mid Autumn) festivals at Yee Fung Toy
associations around the world. Please submit your articles to the
Editor via email (editor @ yeefungtoy.org) or postal mail (The Editor,
226 East Georgia Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6A 1Z7) by November
15.
