Roland Hui
2011 President
A year ago, when I became the president of this great organization, I said in my acceptance speech that I want to make "reinvention" our theme for 2010. Well, thanks to the innovative ideas and hard work of our members, and the support of the community, I am happy to say, Wa Sung has emerged from 2010 with a new face and a new sense of direction.
The center piece of our transformation is the dedication of our new Community Center located in the lobby of the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. It may be small in terms of square footage, but it is a huge milestone for us for two reasons. First, for the first time in history, Wa Sung has a physical presence in Chinatown. No longer do we exist only in a mail box. We can now truly claim that we are part of the community we have pledged to serve. Second, on a sentimental side, Wa Sung is returning to its roots, for Oakland Chinatown is where it all began some 58 years ago.
2010 was a busy but a banner year for Wa Sung. Everything was on an upswing. Our membership was up; our monthly meetings were much more lively and crowded; and our core service projects – the Easter pancake breakfast, Chinatown Community Directory, and the Merit Scholarship Awards -- were all carried out beautifully. The Merit Scholarship Awards in particular, where we handed out almost 15,000 dollars to high school seniors, was highly successful. And our annual fundraisers – the crab feed and golf tournament – both brought in more money than the year before. In 2010, we provided thousands of dollars in grants to Lincoln Elementary School and half a dozen non-profit organizations in the East Bay. We also sponsored tables at the fundraisers of other service organizations here in Chinatown. I am very proud of what Wa Sung as a group has accomplished. Thank you, Wa Sung members, for all your dedication and hard work. ?
What is going to be the theme for 2011? Three words: keep the momentum. Besides the traditional programs and projects for which Wa Sung is well known, we will focus on three new areas. First and foremost, the Community Center will get a lot of our attention. The Center offers us many benefits, but at the same time it also poses new challenges that we haven't faced before – issues like programming, maintenance, funding, and so forth. We'd appreciate any contribution you can offer in helping us maintain the Center, whether it be monetary donation or ideas for improvement. The second area we want to work on is the "Junior League". This is also a new initiative under our 5-Year Plan and is aimed at the younger generation. Our vision is that this will become an incubator for future community leaders. Third, we want to work closely with other service organizations and where possible, partner with them in doing projects that are mutually beneficial. This is the only way to optimize results at a time of dwindling resources. We have had good success with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, and we can do more.
The coming year should be another exciting and challenging year. I look forward to working with all of you to continue our mission, which is to serve the community. It was Albert Einstein who said, "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." Such is the spirit of Wa Sung, helping others, and believing in our hearts that there is no greater reward in life than knowing that you've made a difference.
Wishing you and your family a healthy and prosperous Year of the Rabbit!
