PROMINENT PERSONS & LEADERS DELEGATION
What an enjoyable task your two National Vice Presidents and I had selecting this years Prominent Persons and Society’s Leaders Delegation to visit China late August, early September as guests of Youxie. The final selection is of prominent people from the worlds of education, law, migrant settlement, newspaper editing, tourism consulting, and civic affairs. This year Youxie have asked that an extra special participant be Jill Brame of Auckland, the daughter of the Rev Leslie Brame who served during the war years in the Lao Shan area for the London Missionary Society when he assisted hundreds of crashed allied airmen to travel back to their bases. Sadly Rev Brame died in Auckland earlier this year. We do wish the delegation a successful and enjoyable visit to Pingyao City of Shanxi Province and Zhengzhou City in Henan Province. 

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE MEETING 25 JULY
Your Executive had a very fruitful day in Wellington spent mainly on forward planning and outcomes from the National Conference in May. New Executive Committees were agreed upon and fantastic ideas for shorter more focused tours for 2010 were discussed and the concepts agreed upon. Certificates for our three new Honorary Members awarded at our National Conference have been now printed and arrangements are in hand for their presentation. Executive was updated on the Auckland Branch and Confucius Institute initiative for a Gap Year young person targeting high school graduates visiting China. Progress of the Jasmine music video project under development by Auckland Branch that our Annual Conference agreed to support financially, was received as was Peter Cornwall’s generous scholarship for a National Youxie staffer to study in New Zealand for a semester. Also, a committee has been formed to progress the suggested structure of the Society changes that arose out of a workshop at the conference.

PROJECTS STUDY TOUR, October 8 -29, 2009
The Society Study Tour has grown to ten Society members and will visit some of our project sites with some of our partners, Gungho, Shaanxi and Guangxi Women’s Federations, Shandan Cooperative federation, Shandan Bailie School and He Mingqing Scholars. They will meet grassroots communities, learn about rural Chinese Society, taste the local food and see unique sights. If any one else wises to join this specially focused tour contact Dave Bromwich urgently.

SHANDAN BAILIE SCHOOL VACANCY – We are looking for a replacement teacher preferably for a period of twelve months commencing in February next year. Contact Dave Bromwich 06 8779930 (dbromwich@xtra.co.nz) if this appeals to you.

There is so much going on in our Branches and the newsletters from them give excellent ideas for involving members. Do let other Branches know (try the branches near yours) if you would like to receive their newsletters by email to keep you up todate with their activities.       

Kind regards,

Eric Livingstone,  National President