Youth Empowerment

Looking at most of the Chinese Clan Association Youth Sections, the old folks keep saying no youth want to join due to they (the youth) are busy working on building up their career, and accumulating their wealth. My opinion is that, the old folks who say this is SHUTTING THE DOOR for the youth to come in to association.

I will tell you the story why I join Chinese Clan Association in my next post. Now I would like to point it to all of you, reason why youth are not joining Chinese Association.

First of all, the youth does not feel welcome. There are no activities FOR THE MEMBER. The association merely organize events for the "FAME of ASSOCIATION", not for the member. With this, members does not feel belong to the association. Because the member who join the activities feel no different from the public (none clan member) who join that event (although member might have some special discount). In other words, there is no sense of belonging.

When I first joined the association, I do not know anyone in the association. I only go to one of the event because of a friend brought me there. That event was organized by the youth section for our clan youth member to know each other. Peer influence play a big role here. When we attend a function or event that we are not familiar, we tends to get some friend to accompany us. If it was not because of my friend, I would not have joined the association.

Last and the most importantly, if we compare our clan association with other organization like the LEO, ROTARACT, TOASTMASTER, JCI, etc... Why they can attract young people to join and clan association can not? What I found out is the youth empowerment is lack in clan association. Have you noticed the clan association's youth section head is normally age limitless? It was because they want to be able to appoint the head from the mother body, by selecting someone from the Mother body's General Council.

I dare say it is a serious problem to the association. Meaning if there is no youth member elected to the General Council, they will appoint a 60 year old uncle to head the youth section. Do you want to be in this youth section my dear brothers and sisters? To be mean, can the 60 year old uncle go to jungle trekking, go-karting, or ice skating with the youth? I think this is the most ridiculous act, and should be amended. If young member empowerment is not being achieved, the association is heading to a dead end.

As conclusion, Youth Empowerment is a must for Chinese Clan Association to continue another 100 years, 1000 years, and infinity years of existence.

Knowing Your Own Role in Meeting

Of all the training in an International Youth Organization that I am involved in, Parliamentary Procedure or Meeting Procedure is the one that I am well trained in, and proud to be trained in this area.

Yesterday after the Chess Competition of the Chinese Clan Association, that I was the Organizing Chairman, we had a post mortem meeting over the dinner. In attendance, there are assistant executive secretaries, executive secretaries, and the organizing committee team.

When I started to chair the meeting and say let us see what is going wrong with this event for the past 2 days. Then one of my assistant executive secretaries start to take over my chair. Ended up, he chaired my meeting for me for the whole night, and at the end of the meeting, he asked me: "Mr. Leong, do you still have anything to add on?"

Now, what is wrong with this? This has been going on from day one I joined the association until today. Respect given to the assistant that took over my chair was because he has been working in association for the past 24 years, and he knows a lot of things and history of events. Over the past few years, we respect him and ask for his opinion on certain things and before we make any decision for organization. However, incident like last night is not tolerable.

As an assistant executive secretary, he supposed to keep his mouth shut and let all the other organizing committee do the talking as if it comes to vote, assistant executive secretary has no voting right. This is about knowing your right in the meeting.

The meeting will be very efficient and effective if everyone in the meeting know they own roles, and get their preparation done before the meeting.

Election is Over, Now Start to Work!

Election is over, but it does not mean the end of our work. Instead it marks the beginning of our new assignments. 42 committees were elected, and only 1 new face were elected. The rest of the elected committees were either coming from the existing committee board, or previously had served in the board.

The new faces or first time contestants were not successfully getting into the committee board. However this is a very good experience for all of us, including myself. At least now, I see how the old foxes play the game and learn the tricks so I will not fall in the trap next time.

Major Chinese Newspapers has given wide media coverage for this election, and for sure they earn a lot of money from the 2 leaders who wants to fight for the President seat whom has advertise in the press heavily for the past few days before the election. Because of this ads, the media actually came to interview the event, and even NTV7 was there to cover the news on the day of AGM. Those who cares about the news sure will buy newspaper for the period of nomination till the election. This also will increase the sales of newspaper.

Overall, mixture of 2 camps candidates were elected and for sure there will be check and balance in the execution on projects and plans. There was 1 supporter who helps up in the campaign was suggesting "bi-partisan" idea to me, and after giving it a serious thought I strongly disagree with this idea. In Association, we are talking about UNITY. We are not against each other. It should be from individual whom interested to serve the association come together and work together. Association and the Clan's interest come first. Unlike Politic scenario, party's interest should come first. (Whether the country or the civilians' interest come next or not, I don't know)

As for the time taken for counting the votes, the election committee took 6 hours to count the vote, and I think It is ridiculous. Think about it, our country's General Election only took 6 hours to come out with confirmed result, and a small election which consist of 10,257 qualified voters, and voting rate was 26%, which only 2600 votes cast, but also took 6 hours. We still have room for improvements.

I only have one hope for this post election, dictatorship in the association shall be eliminated immediately. No one should has all the say even though he has been serving in association for 40 plus years. Majority must be heard.

Election Final Countdown II

3 days before election. Now the full list of the 2 camps has been released. The one who controlled (or have access) to the membership database uses the database for their advantage. (And now I know why they said membership database is not supposed to be distributed to the members) The one has lack of this advantage, fight back nicely, with Press Media campaigning! (Nice one) What is more amazing is that some names are appearing in both lists (These are people with high profile, and high capability).

Both teams are now ready to fight for the last mile. All out for the last minute calling of voters. They even prepared the transportation to fetch those voter to polling center. This is also my first voting and I even have this doubt, do i want to cast for myself? (laugh out loud)

For the news online read here

Now the prediction of votes in both camp will get has been started. Those who never involve in any election campaign, I can assure you there are ways to find out where their votes come from and where their votes lost to. They can predict, and at the end of the vote, analyze who voted and who did not. Experienced campaign manager will agree with me.

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With all the effort put in by those senior and with the blessing from God and Goddess, I hope those who suppose to win will win. God bless my association.

Election Final Countdown I

Never did I realized the power hunger in human being can be very ugly. Only through this involvement in the election then only I learn about this fact.

In my youth organization, the election is repeatedly happening every year, and I dare say I am already numbed with the campaigning activities. However, the past 2 weeks I see something really different in the Chinese Association's election. I felt that the tactics are dirty and it involves telling a lot of lies, and twisted facts.

Chinese Association's election strategy involves using Press Media to attack the different camp's leader. A leader even use black mail tactic to attack the other leader, and wants the rest of the people to think that it is done by somebody else (3 corner fight). To this candidate, I only have 1 comment: cowardice not suitable to become my leader.

Certain people in the organization, has been serving for 40+ years. I think everybody will thank him for devoting so much time and effort in building the organization and contribute to the community. However when he himself tell me about his intention is only to serve and has no personal agenda like the other camp's leader, that makes me think he got personal agenda.

6 more days the election will have a conclusion. Who to vote for? I think as a new generation youth, I have my own opinion and thinking. I will not be easily influenced and believe the twisted facts. Hail the democracy!!

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