Youth Forum
Happenings 2005 to 2006
Scholarship Awards
Role Models
Building the Yee Family World Wide Web
A Blast from the Past
Welcome to the WYC3 issue of the Yee Fung Toy Youth
Forum, an electronic newsletter devoted to youth matters
in the World Yee community, and discussions on youth
programs and youth activities from associations of the
Yee Fung Toy around the world.
We plan to publish on a Yee Family Convention cycle,
that is, once every 2 to 4 years. Hopefully this will
provide an opportunity to pause and take stock of what
we have accomplished between Conventions, whether on a
world or national level. This issue covers events of
interest to our youth and their advocates from January
2005 to December 2006. We thank those who contributed
articles on youth activities and scholarship awards.
They served as inspiration for this new webpage, which
is hereby respectfully dedicated to them. A big round of
applause to:
- Andy Yu and Frank Yee of New York (also Dr. Joseph
Yee and Calvin Yu)
- Fred Yee of Seattle
- Martin Yee of Vancouver (also Jennifer Yu)
- Melinda Yee of Sacramento
We look forward to your feedback!
Jim Yee
[Jim bored everyone to death with another one of his
earnest speeches before dinner, this one curiously
titled "Why Are We
Here?"]
I was asked "why are we here?" It sounds like a simple
question not unlike those with which we pestered parents
and adult relatives when we were children.
Anyone want to try and answer that question? [Shouts of
"we're here to eat!" were heard]. Yes, "we're here to
eat" seems the most direct answer, but there are other
answers depending on how you view the question.
"Why are we here
(today)?" – here
in the YFT and today being Dec 27: to have dinner and
celebrate the end of the year.
"Why are we here
(in Vancouver)?"
[pointing to location of Vancouver on globe] – and not
elsewhere on earth: born here, moved here, parents or
grandparents moved here. From where? China – Taishan,
Kaiping in Guangdung - [pointing to locations on globe].
It turns out all our ancestral villages are close
together. We are all related. Because we all belong to
the Yee or Yu extended family.
"Why are we
here (on Earth)?"
– [pointing to entire globe] - and not on Mars, or
another galaxy. We are human beings, evolved or created
on Earth. For more details, you have to study biology,
anthropology, and a whole bunch of college courses. Or
get an answer from religion if you believe in
supernatural explanations for your being here.
"Why are we
here (for what purpose)?"
- are we here to shop till we drop, to work till we
retire, to play till we run out of energy, or to prepare
for the afterlife?
I do not have all the answers. But I like to ask myself
these questions anyway. Why, just because. Seriously, it
keeps me from being bored. I think everyone should ask
these questions, now and then. I find people who have
come up with any answers to be the more interesting
people around.
I like the YFT to be a place where you can find answers
to these and other questions, such as:
- What is it to be a Chinese Canadian?
- Who are my grandparents and their parents, and so
on?
If you are interested in pursuing these questions, we
can get together as often as you like in the new year
and disucss them. In the meantime, let us dig into
fantastic array of dishes brought by everyone, and
follow through with the primary reason of why we are
here today!
We just had our first youth league event of the year
last Saturday, April 15, 2006. It was the circus day! We
took advantage of the school spring break and organized
a trip to the see Ringling Brothers Circus at Madison
Square Garden in New York City. We started the day with
a pizza lunch at the association. The presidents and the
advisors of the association also came to greet the
youths and their parents. We introduced ourselves and
talked about what we wanted to do in the future with the
Youth League. We were considering bowling, having a
karaoke night, and spending a day at Six-Flag Amusement
Park, etc. We had a great time chatting with one
another. After all, we are cousins! We only bought
twenty tickets for the circus and they were sold out.
After lunch, these folks went on their way. I was told
later on that the younger kids were particularly very
excited. The only disappointment was that there were no
tigers. In general, everyone had a very good time. I
guess as long as the kids had a good time, the parents
had a good time!
I am very happy to announce that we finally have a
Youth League staff. See the names below.
Chairperson: John W. Yee
Co-chairperson: Janet Yee
Treasurer: May Yee
Auditor: Shek Yu
English Secretary: Frank Yee
Advisors: Presidents and all advisors
On to our next event, Janet is recommending a bowling
trip. She mentioned a few places for us to consider. I
think the date is going to be a Saturday after the
college final exams in May. We will have an announcement
soon.
Andy Yu
On a bright, sunny and clear afternoon of July 9,
2006, our YFT Society Advisor Kan Yu, Chairman Jim Yee,
Secretary Wing Yee, Treasurer Martin Yee, Youth
Committee Director David Yee walked from our Society
Hall to Chinatown's Jade Dynasty Restaurant, where we
met our Vice-Chairman James Yu. We all were there to
attend the welcoming Banquet co-hosted by Vancouver -
Guangzhou Friendship Society and the YFT Society for the
Guangdong Experimental Middle School Choir students and
teachers. Our Mah cousins Mr. Fred Mah, Mr. William Ma,
and Mr. Dana Mah introduced the School Vice Principal,
Mr. Guo Zhi Jian (standing in the picture), the VGFS
Vice-Chairman Mr. Paul Leung and Event Committee Chair
Mr. Barry Gilson to us. Mr. Guo explained the School is
special in that it is the only one in the province open
to all students in Guangdong. The school is the
province's educational testing ground for "experimental"
curricula that typically compress time spent on basic
courses. With generous support from the government and
from the parents, we can only imagine what a great
learning environment this school provides the students.
The school started the choir in 1952 and has achieved
international acclaim since. He invited us to enjoy the
Choir's performance in Vancouver the next evening.
By the way, Fred Mah is the current Chairman of the
Vancouver - Guangzhou Friendship Society. We thank him
and his committee for giving us this rare opportunity to
meet and greet this choral group.
From June 27 - July 1, 2006, the Choir had competed in
the Seventh Golden Gate International Children's Choral
Festival (Sponsored by The Piedmont Choirs Organization)
competing with children's choirs from Austria, Africa,
and more for 5 days of concerts, competitions and
friendship in San Francisco. They won Gold Medals in 3
out of 4 possible categories.
The Guangdong Experimental Middle School Choir also
participated in the XII International Choral Kathaumixw
festival which took place in the picturesque seaside
town of Powell River, British Columbia, Canada; there
they received two more Gold and two Silver medals.
In the 2004 Choir Olympics in Bremen, Germany, this
Choir was awarded 4 Gold Medals in the following
categories.
- Youth Chorus
- Folk Song (without Obbligato)
- Opus of Modern Times
- Championship in Opus of Modern Times
This group had also received acclaim and excellent
reviews for their performances in various countries
including: Australia, Germany, Austria, Italy, Monaco,
Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, France, Japan and Korea.
Some of us were fortunate enough to watch their
incredible and enchanting performance at St. Andrew's
Wesley Church on Monday July 10, 2006. Also featured in
the program was Vancouver's own Vancouver Chinese
Children's Choir. The evening was emceed by one of our
City's favourite sons, Fred Lee, and Middle School choir
member Ms. Yan Lo Yiu. The Vancouver Chinese Children's
Choir was conducted by Ms. Bernice Fung and the
Guangdong Experimental Middle School Choir was conducted
by Mr. Xie Ming Jing.
Mr. Fred Mah, thank you very much for inviting this
group to Vancouver! You and your committee members
deserve a big round of applause.
Thanks also to our own Advisor Kan Yu for negotiating a
sponsorship from our Society for this event with his
vision of providing future student exchange
opportunities with schools in Guangdong for our
scholarship students. His support for this choir has
reaped immediate benefits for all of us who attended the
performance. Because of the short notice, none of our
youth was able to accept the invitation to the dinner or
the performance.
Martin Yee
The annual picnic was a big hit this year and everyone was
a kid again. It was Saturday July 22 and the place was
Keansburg Amusement Park in New Jersey. We had rain in New
York for a few days before that. Finally, it was a
beautiful sunny morning, even though on our mind we knew
the thunder shower was still lurking in the background.
The folks showed up early and everyone was eager to go.
Some vowed to sit in a roller coaster all day. Some came
with swimming gear underneath, ready to storm the water
park. They came with fancy fishing gears, hoping to catch
some big ones. Then we had a fine group of seniors who
just wanted to get out of the house and enjoy a day trip.
The tickets were all sold out for three buses.
We must give special thanks to Frank Yee, our English
secretary. He started to work on this project since the
beginning of the year in order to take advantage of
different discounts for the buses as well as the game
tickets. I am just glad we found Frank and he enjoys
this job "for life." Check out Frank's pictures and
write-up in our
website.
Lets' do it again next year. Next, our Youth League is
planning on a hiking trip and a bowling trip. Watch your
email.
Andy Yu
[Essay from Vancouver chapter scholarship award recipient
Jennifer Yu, who joined the YFT Kung Fu Club (and Lion
Dance team) when she was 12. She has completed a B.A. at
UBC and is studying for a Diploma in Accounting Program at
the time when she submitted this essay with her
Scholarship application in December 2004.]
Aspirations encourage students to achieve their dreams
and overcome obstacles that may appear along the way.
Without a strong foundation to support the learning and
studying habits, a student cannot obtain optimal returns
from their educational careers. I have learned that
teachers cannot force students to learn, but that
students' willingness to learn is the key to their
success. It is a difficult path that many have traveled
and a road many have strayed from, but with the right
type of training, it is achievable.
The Yee Fung Toy Society has equipped me with the
social and academic skills needed to reach my current
level of education. First of all, through lion dancing,
a function provided by the Yee Fung Toy Society, I have
learned the power of teamwork and the importance of
trusting those you are working with. I learned that
encouragement from team members can allay the most
intense fears and empowerment can make me see beyond my
limits. Not only was the program a great deal of fun,
but also rewarding. After every performance at the
annual YFT banquets, I felt a sense of pride in knowing
that I did the best I can and that the audience enjoyed
our act. Without YFT supporting the lion dance team and
actively encouraging its members, I would not have
experienced the joy of teamwork and the pride of being a
lion dance member.
Secondly, as a member of the first YFT Youth Group, I
have learned valuables lessons in managing my time. I
have learned that organization is crucial for success.
Prioritizing my work has helped me to meet my project
deadlines and has kept me in par with the rapid pace of
university. Professors no longer remind students of an
approaching deadline as in high school, so it is up to
me to make sure I remember and meet the deadline with
quality work. Without efficient organizational skills,
the university road would have been extremely difficult
and would have prevented me from aiming high. Being part
of the YFT Youth executives have given me an opportunity
to sharpen this skill.
Finally, confidence is crucial regardless of what I do.
From job interviews to class presentations, confidence
is the determining factor that gives others the
impression of my capabilities as a worker or a student.
YFT events fuelled my confidence by means of the
scholarship program and public speaking opportunities. I
played a small speaking role for one the annual
banquets, and despite being extremely nervous, mentors
like Jim and James, helped me to practice my public
speaking skill, and encouraged me to complete the task
with up-most confidence. In retrospect, it was a
wonderful opportunity and a personal accomplishment for
overcoming my fear of public speaking.
There are many skills and experiences that help build
personal development. It is not so much what you already
know that makes you an admirable person, but the fact
you are constantly willing to learn skills. YFT has
provided vast opportunities for me to excel in certain
aspects of personal development and I am forever
grateful for that. They have provided an outlet for me
to demonstrate my leadership, social, and personal
skills through various YFT events and functions. The
challenges associated with planning YFT events
encouraged individual as well as teamwork, which are
exactly the skills I would need in the working world.
Overall, being a member of the YFT Society has benefited
me greatly over the years by shaping my personal and
social development. I would strongly encourage future
participants to be active members of YFT because YFT has
not only prepared me for university, but for life in the
working world as well.
High school seniors tend
to view college as both wonderful and terrifying. On one
hand, you'll be independent, but on the other…well,
you'll be independent.
It's a big step up from
living at home and going to school with the same people
you've seen since kindergarten. Granted, some people
choose to commute and there's always the possibility
someone from elementary school happens to be going to
the same college as you are, but the educational
experience of a university is completely different.
August 21-25 was my first
week of college at ASU West as an official college
freshman. I can relate to all you high school seniors
because a few short months ago, I was one of you.
Senior year was my
favorite at Sunnyslope High School. AP classes tried to
overwhelm me, but senioritis was always there to make
sure my last year of high school wasn't all work and no
play. I participated in my usual clubs and theatre
shows, went to the home football and basketball games to
cheer on the Vikings to victory, got my senior portraits
done, went to Prom, and generally had a fantastic year.
In hindsight, though,
senior year also represented a time of transitions.
There were times when it would just hit me: I'm an
adult, and this time next year, I'll be in college. When
did that happen? When did I go from being a simple high
school student to an actual, 18-year-old legal adult? My
friends and I would sit and ponder this occurrence; our
childhoods were over, and it was time to face the real
world…or at least the real college life.
After walking across that
stage and receiving my diploma, there was barely any
time to breathe before the craziness of packing for my
dorm began – what do I need from home, what do I need to
buy for my dorm, etc. Fortunately, I had applied for and
gotten some scholarships to help with all the expenses:
one from the Yee Fung Toy Family Association here, one
from ASU there, and so on. (Seriously, seniors, TAKE
ADVANTAGE of websites like Fastweb and pay attention to
those scholarship deadlines! Free money is free money,
and you don't want to be up to your nose in student
loans. Plus, colleges do look at transcripts after
second semester, so don't just stop coming to school
simply because you've already been accepted to your
college and you're essentially done with high school –
it's not over until that diploma is in your hand!)
You may be traveling
across the country to attend a university in New York,
or you may be going to one of the three in-state
colleges. You could be moving into a dorm or an
apartment, or you might be staying home. Whatever you
do, appreciate the people in your life who have always
been there for you. Realize that distance does affect
relationships. My three best friends and I all ended up
in different states. I no longer see them every day, and
talking has been minimized to sporadic emails, a couple
text messages, and the rare phone call. I'm confident,
however, that our friendship of over 10 years can
withstand this, but it's still not the same.
I'm the youngest in my
family, and so now that I'm gone, my mother has an empty
nest. She tells me that it's strange and quiet without
her three kids. I call her often to update her on new
happenings in my life, and on the weekends, I go home to
do laundry. (Home is only a 20-minute drive from campus,
a rarity.) One of my roommates is from South Dakota; I
met a guy who's from Maine, living on campus with his
brother. Both have expressed that they miss home – heck,
I miss it sometimes, and I'm there every weekend. Home
is not just a place, though; I miss shopping excursions
with my mom, where I'm her personal fashion consultant,
or my dad yelling, “Dinner!” while he puts the finishing
touches on his culinary genius for the night. I can't
just sit down and talk to both of them about my life
anymore. After my first day, I called home and had my
mom put me on speakerphone so I could talk to both of
them simultaneously and vice versa, but it wasn't the
same.
Being alone in a new
setting is uncomfortable for most people, but you should
make the most of it. When it comes down to it, college
is glorious. (Just remember to call home every once in a
while; staying in touch with your parents is important.)
Being out of your comfort
zone is unsettling, but college is full of such
wonderful opportunities. There are always new people to
meet (which means new friends to make) and new clubs to
join. There are clubs and organizations for just about
everything under the sun, and if there isn't one geared
toward your hobby/interest, you can create it. There are
always activities going on; people are constantly
reminding me about this volleyball game or that movie
night – it's great!
At my orientation, the
student body president told us a story about how she had
never joined a club in high school. On her first day on
campus, she was giving herself a tour and ended up at
the student government office, where the president came
out and convinced her to join. It became her passion,
and now she's the president. At the end, she challenged
all of us, and I want to extend that challenge to you.
If you didn't join anything in high school, do something
in college, whether it's joining an existing
organization or starting your own. If you did
participate in school activities during your four high
school years, try joining something that you didn't do.
Either way, you'll make new friends and have fun – I
speak from personal experience.
I won't lie to you: going
away to college is scary. You don't know if your
roommate(s) will be nice, if you'll make any friends, or
if you'll even be able to find your classes on your
first day. You won't have your parents or friends for
moral support; you'll be doing everything on your own.
Instead of shying away from it, embrace the college
experience. I promise you, you'll make friends, and they
do give out campus maps and tours. Cell phones are great
for keeping in touch with those you've left behind. If
you register for orientation early enough, you can take
your pick from the courses and not have to wake up at 7
in the morning for English. Take it from me: you will
like college once you give it a chance.
Bear in mind, though, that
college is still school. Some professors don't take
attendance, but they still expect you in class. You go
to college to get your degree, not to party all night
and never go to class. You can fail, and it's possible
to get expelled. Scholarships often depend on your GPA,
and you can lose them if you aren't careful. Basically,
what I'm trying to say is that with independence comes
responsibility – it's important to find a balance. You
can work hard and get an education while having fun,
which I believe is the theme of college. At least, it is
for me.
My older siblings only
told me that college was like high school, so I didn't
really know what to expect. Now, you have some idea, and
hopefully, I've alleviated some of your fears. Just
remember, you have to get through senior year first.
Good luck!
Cortney Yee
Cortney
is the daughter of Benny and Helen Yee of Phoenix,
Arizona and is a freshman at Arizona State University.
We just had our 2005 scholarship award ceremony in New
York on Sunday August 14, 2005. Like in the past, we had
a little over 100 scholarshiop winners this time. Our
cousin Frank Yee already updated our "unofficial" New
York Yee Fong Toy website to show some highlights of the
event. Frank took very good notes as he knew I would
press him very hard to write a report on the event!
Please read
his story. He has good pictures too.
This year our guest speaker was Dr.
Joseph Yee and our student speaker was Calvin
Yu. Dr. Joe is a radiologist of New York
University and he used to be an interviewer in the NYU
Medical School Admission Committee for more than 10
years. I should have been a pre-med myself if I knew he
was one of the insiders! He is a singer too. He is a
Leader of Song at St. Mary's of Woodside, Queens. Check
him out; and bring your donations too. We wish him the
very best. Calvin is really some rising star. He went to
Stuyvesant High School. It is a very top school in New
York City. He was involved in scientific research at
City College. He got 770 verbal and 800 math in SAT. He
got accepted at Columbia, Cornell, Johns Hopkins and
others. And he got several scholarships. I was told that
Calvin "forgot" to bring his special medical school
admission package to school to be submitted on the
deadline day. The kid was gutsy and he knew what he was
doing. Calvin decided to go to Caltech and enjoy being a
pre-med there before commiting to the hard work in
medical school. God bless this kid. We wish him the very
best.
This year we had a very tight race in the
Highschool-to-college Division of Five Tong Scholarship.
And I want to mention these two impressive sisters:
Hayley (12th grade) and Melissa (11th grade). Hayley did
very well in SAT and her average was in the nineties.
Essentially Hayley got the third highest SAT total among
the applicants in this division. However, we followed
the rules and we had to go by the school average first
and the SAT score was then used as a tie-breaker. So
after lining up the report cards by school average,
Hayley became number four. The high SAT score could not
save her a spot for the Five Tong Scholarship. She ended
up with a regular scholarship. She will start college at
Syracuse University in September; and she will work hard
for the College Division of Five Tong Scholarship. We
look forward to receiving her application next summer.
Melissa too did very well. Melissa even scored 1450 in
her SAT. However, she was a 11th grader and therefore
she was only qualified for the regular scholarship, not
the Five Tong one. We wish these two sisters the very
best.
I want to congratulate all our scholarship winners. We
cannot give out big amounts of money awards. But we do
give each one of you our sincere best wishes from the
bottom of our hearts. We wish you all the very best.
Andy Yu
Kimberly Yee's political journey began as a senior in
high school when she testified before the Arizona Senate
Education Committee. As a student journalist and
political cartoonist, she supported a bill upholding the
first amendment freedoms of high school and college
journalists. After providing testimony on the bill, one
senator applauded her poise and protocol at the podium
and said he would have guessed that she was a seasoned
professional in the legislative arena rather than an
18-year-old student making her first visit to the
Legislature. That experience was a turning point that
propelled Kimberly to pursue a path not often tread by
Asian Americans.
Kimberly would graduate from Pepperdine University in
Malibu, California with a Bachelor's Degree in English
and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, and later
earn a Master's Degree in Public Administration from
Arizona State University and also receive the
university's highly honored Scholar-Citizen Award upon
her graduation.
Kimberly's first experiences working in a political
office was as a legal assistant in the executive office
of former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley in
Arizona, and at the federal level, providing research
and paralegal assistance during an internship with the
United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division,
Fraud Section in Washington, D.C.
After graduating from Pepperdine University, Kimberly
served as a Fellow to the prestigious Executive
Fellowship Program under former California Governor Pete
Wilson's administration, and worked in the executive
branch office of the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction, specializing in childcare and education
issues. As a Fellow, Kimberly assisted with the
development of legislation that became law, helping
local planning councils gear up for an increased
enrollment of welfare recipient children in childcare
programs.
Following her tenure as a Fellow, at the age of 23,
former California Governor Pete Wilson appointed
Kimberly as a policy analyst to the California State
Board of Education. During this time, she helped develop
California's nationally acclaimed academic content
standards, outlining what students should be able to
know and do by the end of each grade level. California
assessments and textbooks are now aligned with these
academic standards to measure student achievement and
performance.
In 1998, several years after her first experience at
the Arizona Legislature as a student, she would return
to Arizona to work for the Senate Committee on
Education. Each week, she briefed members of the
Legislature in the same committee room and behind the
same podium where she first testified as a senior in
high school. She served as staff to the Arizona
Legislature from 1998 to 2003 where she worked closely
with Republican and Democratic elected officials and
governmental leaders throughout the State of Arizona,
gaining first-hand experience in the legislative
process. It was then that her political experience
seemed to come full-circle when she received a phone
call in 2003 requesting that she return to Sacramento,
California—this time, to work for the newly-elected
Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Shortly following that call, Kimberly was sworn into
office to serve as California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger's Deputy Cabinet Secretary. As a member
of Governor Schwarzenegger's Cabinet, Kimberly served as
liaison to the executive branch state agencies and
provided policy advisement to the Governor in the areas
of education, state and consumer services, lottery,
labor and workforce development.
Last year, Kimberly returned to Arizona and was
recently elected Republican Chairman of Legislative
District 10. As Chairman of one of thirty legislative
districts in the State of Arizona, she is honored to
serve the community where she was born and raised,
registering voters and educating citizens about election
information and how they can become active participants
in the governmental process.
Having served in all three branches of government: the
executive, legislative and judicial, as well as at the
federal, state and local levels, Kimberly has
experienced a unique and distinctive political journey
since that memorable day as a high school senior.
Kimberly is the daughter
of Jack and Betty Yee of Phoenix, Arizona and is a
member of the Yee Fung Toy Family Association.
Welcome to the Yee Fung Toy Global Village Web Forum.
This is a private forum for the Yee Fung Toy Global
Village. The purpose of this group is to create forum
for members involved in designing the Yee Fung Toy
websites to exchange communication, ideas and
discussions. If you are a YEE and have a YEE family
surname and are interested in meeting or looking for
other YEE's for kinship and support or want to connect
with other YEE's, please go to our main website at:
www.yeefungtoy.org There you will find links to the
regional YEE websites and perhaps find one in your area.
Message from the Group
Moderator, Melinda Yee of Sacramento
Group Messages
Since its inception in February 2005, the group has hosted
over 60 messages, including the following:
[Message #3] Thu
Feb 17, 2005
Hi to all,
I have added several links under LINKS in this Yahoo Group
that contain lots of helpful info on planning, designing,
building websites including do's and don't's of designing
sites.
Melinda
[Message #22] Tue
Apr 26, 2005
Hi Woracha,
Welcome to the club! You had expressed interest in putting
up a website for the Yu Family Association of Thailand at
the Convention last November. Here is the best place to
start.
First I would like to introduce Woracha to the other
members of the group. We first met in Hong Kong at the
First World Yee Convention in November 2000 and went on
the Guangdong trip to celebrate 1,000th anniversary of
ancestor Yu Jing's birth. He was one of many members of
the group from Thailand whose family was originally from
Chiuchow, not Toisan. He did not speak Cantonese, but
was fluent in Chiuchow, Thai, and Mandarin. I spoke none
of those languages, so we ended up communicating in
English. One day he asked me to join him for a run
before breakfast. We got up early and pounded our way
through the twisting and uneven streets of Kaiping, as
the city slowly roused itself for the new day. I could
barely keep up, especially as we made the climb up the
hill to the hotel parking lot. After catching our
breath, we warmed down with a couple sets of Tai Chi
(different styles for each, but Tai Chi nevertheless),
as the sun broke through the haze from the East. Exactly
1,000 years after his birth and not far from his
birthplace, Yu Jing's descendants from around the world
gathered to honor him. In the process, we found
brotherhood and common interests, despite being
dispersed across the globe during a millennium of
history.
Woracha works as a Senior Manager for the Telephone
Organization of Thailand www.tot.co.th (in North America
we would call it Telecom Thailand). I think it would be
just as easy for him to put up a website as anyone of
us. I understand there are still challenges, of course.
Here are some of my suggestions for kick starting a new
website:
- Choose the languages to make the website useful for
the local members of the Family Organization, e.g.,
for Thailand it may be Thai and Chinese.
- Do not try to solve all your problems before putting
up an initial webpage, e.g., it is OK to have a
website up with one language at first. The other
language and features can be introduced later.
- There is an annual cost to register a domain (35
USD) and have the virtual domain hosted (96 USD for
our server). What I can do is offer to share the use
of the yeefungtoy.org domain (which is already paid
for), so new Yee Family websites can choose to avoid
these annual costs. For Thailand, the domain name
would be something like www.yeefungtoy.org/thailand/.
This offer is open to all Yee Family websites, old or
new. You have the freedom to design and host your
website on a server of your choice (at your cost),
with a reasonable domain name that costs you nothing.
The only catch is that yeefungtoy.org needs to store a
copy of your homepage.
- If you would rather forego the pleasure of designing
and maintaining your Yee Family website on your own,
then my original offer of hosting it on
www.yeefungtoy.org still stands. You just have to
supply the material and I will get it hosted, with the
same domain-naming scheme as above.
Let me know what works best
for you.
Regards,
Jim
[Message #41] Wed
Jan 18, 2006
Happy New Year, everyone!
The print edition of the Winter 2005 newsletter is being
mailed to chapter offices. You can print off copies for
yourself and your chapter members from the Word document
at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yeefungtoy/files/Newsletter/2005-12.doc
from the yeefungtoy Yahoo Group Files section. It is 12
pages long suitable for double sided printing on letter
size paper.
As we head into the Spring Banquet season, with each
association hosting its own banquet for its members,
would you like to print a custom version of the Spring
2006 newsletter for your banquet attendees? This would
be a good opportunity to show off your own website as
well as your association's global linkages. I will get a
starter version ready by January 31 and post it to the
yeefungtoy group Files. You can download it, then add
whatever local content you desire, and print off copies
for you members and banquet attendees. Let me know if
you are interested or need help in doing this. A regular
edition of the Spring edition will be published in mid
March.
The Spring Banquet is also a good time to remind
members about the 3rd World Yee Convention in August. To
encourage higher attendance, especially from younger
members, I propose we invite prominent members of the
Yee Family with career accomplishments that they can
share with Convention participants. We are still in the
planning stage, so I do not have too many details yet.
However, I do want your feedback on this proposal
quickly, as many of the speakers have busy schedules,
and will require advance booking (I like to give them 6
months notice). My idea is to invite about 4 or 5
speakers, so we can spread them over the 5-day
Convention. Each speaker should have a specific area of
interest or expertise (preferably outside of the Yee
Family Association) that they can address. This is
currently not an official part of the Convention
program, so we will have to schedule the presentations
around the official program.
So, let me know:
- Is this a good idea?
- Who would you suggest as a speaker?
- Any comments or suggestions on logistics and
details, etc?
Thanks,
Jim
