District Installation Ceremony on 12 July 2020, by CP George Wong
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By CP George Wong, District Installation Organizing Committee Chair
Rotary District 3450 Installation Ceremony was successfully held at the Grand Hall of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 12 July 2020. Despite the difficulties and uncertainties caused by Covid-19 this year, the event managed to attract an attendance rate of over 700 people.
It was a historical and memorable moment to witness the handover ceremony of Immediate Past District Governor Wilson Cheng and District Governor Eric Chak, as well as the handover ceremony of all Immediate Past Presidents and Presidents.
We were also honoured to invite former Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok Sing, GBM, GBS, JP to act as our Guest of Honour on the evening and was delighted to have the presence of many other VIP guests.
This year’s District Installation (DI) is a pioneer in that it was the first time that the entire event had live streaming from the beginning till the end (this can be found on YouTube if you search “Rotary District 3450 District Installation 2020”), as District Governor Eric Chak recognized the importance of the participation of clubs and Rotarians from Mongolia and Macau, despite the fact they could not be physically present due to the restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic. Not only is live streaming a pioneer, but this year’s emcees consisted of Rotarian Past President Jack Chong and Rotaractor Kelly Lam, it is the first time at DI that a Rotarian and Rotaractor cooperated on the big stage.
The formal ceremonies were conducted smoothly on the evening, and we also enjoyed terrific singing performances from guest singer Ingrid Lam and the performance by Opera Hong Kong’s children performers, and of course our live band who kept the vibe of the evening going.
In spite of having to keep their masks on at most times to comply with regulations and practicing social distancing, Rotarians enjoyed a delightful evening, and took away not only the joys and memories of a fun night, but also a souvenir bag containing a newspaper interview of District Governor Eric Chak’s goals and ambitions for this Rotary year that was published on Ming Pao that day, as well as a beautiful mask prepared by a charitable organization named LoveXpress.
