Message from the President

I wonder how many times a month – or indeed a week, you are reminded of the Society’s motto: Service through Friendship. During our recent 25th anniversary celebrations we were reminded of the importance of friendship and the act of extending a helping hand wherever and whenever necessary.

During the past few weeks, your Society has had the opportunity to demonstrate above and beyond anything we have done before exactly what Service through Friendship means – especially in times of need and distress.

As the first images of the damage and destruction caused by the recent earthquake in Sichuan province began appearing on televisions and in newspapers around the world, your Society was already thinking of ways it could help the ordinary folk in Sichuan whose lives have been torn apart by one of the most severe disasters to hit China in recent years.

Total HK$20,650 has been donated by Society members and their staff to the Hong Kong Red Cross Emergency Appeal for Sichuan Earthquake Victims. This money will be used by the Red Cross for relief, reconstruction and disaster preparedness operations in Sichuan and it’s a great feeling to know that your Society has managed to play a part – albeit a small one, in China’s earthquake relief operations.

As we move nearer towards this summer’s 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and other cities in China - including Hong Kong, of course, and as we begin to celebrate and enjoy what must surely be one of the world’s greatest displays of human feats and personal triumphs, let us also remember those unfortunate people in Sichuan province who are still enduring personal challenges of their own – let us not forget that Service through Friendship sometimes means more than a simple act of hospitality.

A personal ‘thank you’ to all those who donated so generously to the Society’s earthquake appeal fund.

Fred Lui
President, The Society of the Golden Keys of Hong Kong

Chief Concierge, The Royal Garden