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WCSCC Newsletter

October 2010

Musings from the Little Red Book

The 2010 winter season has been and gone as we hopefully enter a pleasant spring. It’s been a rather full and eventful year so far, the club and its members have been involved in a wide number of activities – which is really great to see. Although the sports season is wrapping up, there are still a number of activities going on – including the upcoming Christmas Party. The spirit of participation, sharing and unity is a core strength of the Centre, long may it continue.

A symbol of that Centre spirit is Peter Kohing who’s passing is a huge loss to Audrey and Justine let alone to the family’s many friends. The Centre will sorely miss his presence and huge input into the daily running of the Centre and myriad of activities and events Peter actively promoted or managed.

I’m writing this from a business lounge in Washington DC, home of the brave and the ginormous, a little bit further afield than usual, a challenge to reflect on the year so far. I am pleased that operationally we are well positioned financially – the rental income is strong this year projected to exceed last year’s rent, boding well for our ability to cover our fixed costs. Our cash position is such that we can consider and plan for building improvement and maintenance projects, ideally external assistance will reduce our cash

burn, but does not prevent us from proceeding with careful planning. Administratively we have made significant in-roads into our membership management and continual improvement means we have a much clearer picture of our active membership. Given the complexity of the Centre and the range of things we do or operate, an initiative is in place led by Justine to review and update our processes and operations.

Activity-wise the Centre’s broad range of activities continue to attract individuals and families alike, a big thank you to the organisers, coaches and helpers to develop and deliver the programmes, keep up the good work. The challenge will be to keep things fresh, of interest and relevance to maintain the momentum.

On behalf of the WCSCC general committee I would like to wish you all a safe and happy final quarter of the year - may you have a heartwarming festive break and we look forward to seeing you in the coming year - Year of the Rabbit.

This newsletter contains a number of stories from club members who have been asked to share their club experiences – please take the time to read and enjoy. I welcome your feedback.

Cheers

Chairman Mao

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BasketballBasketball has now finished for 2010. Highlights over the last few months: Goodwill Games, 15th August, WCSCC CentreHeld at the Centre a junior tournament was held inviting Dragons & ACM. A total of 13 teams participated with 4 from WCSCC. A very successful day with all of the kids playing their hearts out and getting 2 or more games each. The kitchen did a roaring trade and earned us a tidy profit to put towards upgrading the bathrooms.

The winning team for tiniball grade, WCSCC: from left-Jordyn Chin, Jacqui Dong, Annabella Wang, Oscar Szeto, Dylan Eftimov, Gary Szeto (Coach), Adam Yeo, Jasper James, Rory James, Cade Young, Jason Su. Absent: Greg Young (other coach!)

Karori Pool Party Junior Basketball, 25th September A great turnout with over 50 kids plus parents attended our end of year Pool Party and prizegiving for the year. Starting at 5pm all enjoyed the new hydroslide, bouncy dragon & kids pool followed by

a BBQ. Award winners for the grades were: Most Valuable Player Most Improved Player Tiniball Aaron Fawkes Paget ChungMiniball Rory James Raymond LiIntermediates Marran Young Nicholas Yeo Kapiti Hoop Club TripOn Sunday, 29th August a contingent of over 40 players, made up of Tiniball, Miniball, Intermediates and College Boys Basketball Teams along with coaches and supporters went to

Paraparaumu College as part of a sports exchange with Kapiti Hoop Club.

A bus was organised and departed from the Centre at 8.30am and then.............. halfway up the Ngauranga Gorge our bus broke down!! So we caused a bit of a disturbance by causing a traffic hazard on the middle lane of State Highway 1 for an hour, and had the excitement of a Policeman or two (Traffic) coming on board directing traffic and helping us to change buses (everyone stays within the cones right!). So we changed to an old retro school bus but managed to arrive up at Paraparaumu College about an hour later than planned. Fortunately our supporters who were travelling by cars due to the wonder of texting were alerted and managed to squeeze in a little pit stop (cafe breaks) on the way up. The exchange was a fairly informal affair and as soon as we arrived, teams went straight to games - first up were the tini-ballers, mini ballers and the intermediates – playing on the three available courts, then followed by the College Boys. The games were enjoyed by all who participated with wins for the tini-ballers, miniballers and college boys. We were also treated to a shared lunch with the Kapiti Hoop Club and look forward to repeating the exchange next year. Thanks to the supporters parents and grand parents who came to cheer the teams on and also to Uncle Greg (Shell Mana) for our second stop on the way up where we got our coffee and lolly fixes (Greg says thanks for helping achieve his monthly sales targets for the month). End of Season Wrap Up:For 2010 we’ve seen new players join the Miniball and Intermediates squad strengthening a very exciting group of young players. For some it has been a long year having participated in trainings for Easter Tournament since February, going on to successfully compete in our own Goodwill games, the Dragons’ Fun Day and more recently the games against Kapiti Hoop Club. Its very satisfying as a coach to see the kids develop both individually and as a team – so well done to all for a great 2010 season. Looking forward to seeing you all back for 2011 – ready to go and ready to play hard!!

Cheers from Coaches: Kathy, Greg, Grant and Malcolm.

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Moon Festival Dinner

The Annual WCSCC Moon Festival dinner was held on Sunday, 19th September at the Grand Century Restaurant.

As with previous years this festival was a roaring success which was celebrated by many families and friends of the WCSCC – a total of 264 people attended!

It was fantastic to see so many children there – this year we had 47 kids aged under 12 sitting at their own tables which goes to show that this event is always a good opportunity for families to get together.

In addition to the banquet dinner, the evening also included a performance from the WCSCC lion team and a Cantonese hat dance from the junior girls

An amazing $1,468 was raised from the night and will go towards WCSCC property projects.

The WCSCC General Committee would like to thank the following raffle donors - Allan and Gloria Ngan, Victor and Josephine Wu, Audrey and Justine Kohing and the NZ Symphony Orchestra for the generous raffle prizes that were put up on the night.

Thank you to those who attended, we look forward to seeing you all again next year!

Lisa Dong

WCSCC Lion dance performance at the start of the evening.

Come to the

Centre Xmas Party

Well, its not long until the big fat guy in the red suit comes down the chimney with a sack full of presents for everybody!

Your General Committee has set the date for the annual Christmas party – complete with sports prizegiving and a visit from SANTA!

This years Christmas lunch will be held on Sunday 21st November at the Pines in Houghton Bay.

Santa will be arriving after lunch so parents please bring a small NAMED gift for your child (no more than $10 in value)

We look forward to seeing you all there – not just the young ‘uns! Members are welcome to bring friends along as well, it’s a good chance to catch up with everyone before the Christmas rush starts!

For more information or to book your seat, please contact either:

Lisa Dong: dongs@clear.net.nz 475 8281Rita Dong: rita@quay.co.nz 566 2088Justine Kohing: justinekohing@paradise.net.nz 021403667

Date: Sunday 21 NovemberTime: 11amWhere: The Pines, 50 the Esplanade, Houghton Bay Parents: bring a small named gift for your child (no more than $10 in value)Cost: 12yrs to Adults $28 each Children 5-11 yrs $14 Under 5, free

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Donors ...A big thanks also to the members who donated funds over and above the annual subs this year - it is hugely appreciated, and will be put towards our upgrading of the Centre.

In alphabetical order they are:

Graham Bing Stewart Chan

Clifton Chan Danny Chan

Jack Chan Ricky Chan

Darren Chan Joe Chang

Mary Chong Jocelyn Chong

Bridget Chung Mark & Marion Chiu

Rosalene Foo Roy Gee

Brian Gee Lindsay Joe

G Joe Emily Kohing

Derek Lim Keith Lowe

Woo Low Tom Moon

William Moon Tommy Ng

Martin Neylan Allan Ngan

Mollie Ngan Kee Bernard Sang

Vincent Sue George and Shirley Sue

Jonathan Sum David Tai

Sonny Tom Grace Won

Raymond Wong Fred Wong

Tom Wong Frank Wong

Nicholas Wong Ruby Wong Nam

Harvey Wu Donald Wu

Graeme Yee Brian Young

G N Young David Young

Dennis Young Murray Young

Thank you for your help on the working bee. We achieved a great deal, and wouldn’t have been possible without your help, so “Cheers” everyone!

Congratulations!

to the grandparents and parents and their families on the births of their wee babies “welcome to the world!”

Let us know if there are any other additions to add in for future newsletters.

• Charlie and Gwen Young, Fi (Carolyn) and Dave had Holly in Sydney.

• George and Shirley Sue, Ellen and Warrick had Mariska in Lower Hutt.

• Gloria and Allan Ngan, Nat and Te Whiti had Thomas in Wellington AND Gareth and Julie had Hamish in Auckland.

• Harvey and Barbara Wu, Michelle and Andrew had Keiran in Wellington.

• Victor and Jo-Jo Wu, Raymond and Sheryl had Jamie in Auckland.

CHEERS! to the following people/groups who have donated towards various activities of the centre:

Mr and Mrs Tom for donating two very large and yummy rice pots of fried rice to sell at the Goodwill games (August)

Fuji Xerox for printing our membership renewal forms for no cost (July)

Peter and Fei Young of Levin who donated all the Chinese vegetables and mesculan for the National NZCA conference (July)

Thank you!

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Oldies Dance GroupSunday evenings

Once upon a time a young lady called Julie sang ….” I could have danced all night” …. So whats that got to do with the price of fish you ask?

Well sit here on my knee Grasshopper and I will tell you a tale of times gone by when women were Sheilas and men were Daggs – when, on nights of the full moon, strange things took place down in the woods with much muttering, groping and giggling and um mumble mumble hmmm zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Huh ok ok Grasshopper I must have dozed off, I am getting on with it…. now what was I saying? …. damm Ive lost my train of thought………. and stop making those “toot-toot” noises young fool.

As dance teacher George sez “ if you can walk you can dance, ” Sounds easy hey but how come I keep falling over? Oh, forgot to strap on the wooden leg first………….. Lulu why are you tapping your head and rolling your eyes again?

So how does it go now…… Ah slow quick quick slow, heel, toe, toe, toe-heel, into a natural turn followed by a spin turn into a quick open reverse, then into the fishtail and forward lockstep then into three tipples, backward lockstep, running finish….. and so on, see its easy. What do you mean Lulu it would be easier in a bigger dustbin?

Anyway whats all this nonsense about? … well it’s a simple Quickstep routine, that’s what, and it will get you one complete circuit of the dance floor before you realise you are a year older than when you started . Even Lulu can do it and that’s saying something…… hey only joking Love, no dont ………. “biff: ooooh.

Grasshopper stop laughing , I will get to the fish tale soon. (hint fishtail, gedit?)

Want to know more, come to the dance lessons at the Centre on Sunday nights to see all this happening and join in so it is no longer a mystery. Just ask for Bobby to enrol, he is the one with the Mohawk in short pants doing the Hip Hop moves in the center of the Hall. Remember to talk slowly and clearly to him as sometimes it takes a while for the message to get thru.

Now Grasshopper get off my knee and run along ……… hey whats this wet spot on my leg? … … … … G r a s s h o p p e r r r r r r r r r g e t b a c k heeeeear…………………………………….

Ayatollah Wun Wet Nee

Line Dancing Tuesdays and Saturdays 10.00 am -12.30pm

Our Tuesday and Saturday line dance classes continue to grow from strength to strength and members thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie within the groups.

On Saturday October 2nd we held a “Bring a Plate” luncheon for members and friends of the Saturday and Tuesday classes. Dancing began at the usual time of 10.00am and lunch was at 12 noon. You could tell everyone went to a lot of trouble to make special dishes as the food was delicious. Members had a very enjoyable time. Dancing continued after lunch until 3.30pm.

Anyone who is interested in joining our classes is welcome to come to the centre and join in. There is no pressure for members to become experts at line dancing as our classes are held for people to enjoy themselves. Making contact with other people, to meet socially and do some exercise to music is the main aim of our line dance classes. We are most grateful to Avelyne Rowley our instructor who continues to give so much of her time to us and makes the classes so enjoyable.

The Line group enjoying lunch at a function at the Centre on Saturday 2 October.

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Viva las vegas

Two of the WCSCC’s College boys, Zach Young and Jah Wee Lee, travelled to Las Vegas in July to compete in two local tournaments - Canyon Springs High School and Center Stage. They were part of last year’s Wellington U17 National Champion team, and were coached by Mr Basketball himself – Kenny McFadden. Here are some thoughts from Zach (16 yrs old):

I started off playing basketball for the Centre and that was where I learnt the fundamentals of the game. Without the help of the Centre I would not be competing and playing how I am today. A big Thanks to the Centre for their donation – I was very grateful for this, and for their support.My trip to Las Vegas was a great experience. The lifestyle there was an eye-opener and very different to how it is here. During our down time, we visited many theme parks and even went to see the Grand Canyon which was amazing when you c o u l d s e e helicopters flying below you!The Americans are ve ry good a t basketball but we held our own, finishing with a total of 6 wins and 4 losses. All of the games were competitive as the games we lost were only within 10 points.

Footnote: Following another successful season in this year’s U17 B’Ball Nationals, where Wellington retained the championship, Zach was named in the tournament team. He was then selected for the national NZ U18 Team, who are competing in the FIBA Oceania Youth Tournament in November, to be held in New Caledonia, Noumea.

Congratulations also to Zach’s younger brother Connor (another WCSCC College player who has come through the Tini/Mini/Int ranks), who was the only player from Wellington to be selected for the NZ Korus U16 tour of Albury, NSW January 2011.

We wish both boys all the best in their upcoming international tournaments!Photo above: “The Team”! Zach 2nd from left, Jah Wee 2nd from right.Photo at top of page: Canyon Springs GYI, the stadium which the boys played in at Vegas.

NZCA Leadership and Development Conference 2011

CALL FOR APPLICANTS

Now in its fifth year, the NZCA Leadership & Development Conference (LDC) is a national initiative which brings together the next generation of outstanding leaders between the ages of 18 and 30 to discover their unique identity as Chinese New Zealanders.

The conference is aimed at those who have an interest in making a positive impact in the local Chinese communities, now and in the future. It is an enriching experience that will deepen the personal and professional outlook on life, develop leadership potential, provide insights into their heritage and equip them with practical life skills. Applications close on Sunday 7 November, 2010. Successful applicants will be notified by Wednesday 8 December.

To attend all applicants must be a member of a branch of the NZ Chinese Association.

For Wellington applicants, please send your completed application form to either Justine Kohing – justinekohing@paradise.net.nz OR Kirsten Wong – wongkirsten@gmail.com by Sunday 7th November so your application can be endorsed by the Wellington Branch.

An application form and more information about the 2011 conference can be downloaded from http://www.nzchinese.org.nz

Dates: Sunday 6 - Friday 11 February, 2011Location: Willow Park Conference Centre, Eastern Beach, AucklandAccommodation and meals: Provided for the duration of the conferenceAttendance Fee: $120 per personAge: Applicants must be aged between 18 and 30 (as at 1st January 2011)Email: nzca.ldc2011@gmail.com

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Hip-Hop Hooray!EMERGE made history by being the first girl Varsity crew from Wellington to represent NZ in the Hip Hop International World Championships in Las Vegas. Nicky Lim, Jess Loh & Steph Lee were part of the team that competed in Vegas and Kim Wong, (also a member of Emerge but didn’t travel with the team to Vegas) are long standing members of the Centre having come through the ranks of YYY & Cantonese classes, Chinese & Lion dancing and basketball. Nicky, Steph and Kim are currently part of the Centre’s Dragon Dance Group. EMERGE are managed by the Centre’s own Lenny Loh, whose drive and commitment with basketball hoops is now being put to great effect with hip hop!

Congratulations to EMERGE for a fantastic placing of 9th in the world. Here are some thoughts from Nicky, Jess and Lenny.

Jess Loh - “Having the opportunity to be able to compete at the World Hip Hop champs has been a dream of mine for a long time, and it didn’t hit me until one week before we left that this dream was about to become a reality. We were so focused on perfecting our routine that we didn’t have the time to get excited about it…. until we boarded that plane to LA!!

Las Vegas was an amazing place to visit, when we flew in at 9pm, we could see all the hotels on the Strip ablaze with lights… a city that never sleeps. On the plane, all the girls screamed with excitement. The journey had begun….After a few days of focusing and practice , we were finally ready to compete. The opening ceremony was overwhelming with 20 countries all entering the venue one by one.

The competition was nerve racking to say the least. In the heats, we came 12th but knew we could do better - we really wanted to make finals and be top 8. We performed much better in the semis jumping up 3 slots to 9th, but missing a place in finals by 0.12. After we got over the tears and disappointment, we realized that 9th in the World was an amazing result, and we vowed to come back next year and improve our position.Thanks to all the parents and supporters who made this journey possible.”

Nicky Lim - “Hours and hours of practises, deathly sore muscles, going into social hibernation, sleepless nights, subconsciously running through the routine 24/7, pain, frustration, numerous bruises, blood, sweat and tears. Anyone who argues that dance is not a sport has never

The Emerge team in Action! Nicky first from left,Steph 3rd from left, Jess 2nd from right.

prepared for a world competition. But I’m not complaining because in July this year my friends and I that have become my sisters had the opportunity to compete in the Hip Hip International World Dance Champs in Las Vegas.

The competition was one of the most memorable experiences I will ever have. From watching incredibly talented dancers on the world stage on YouTube to being on that stage yourself was completely surreal – no words can describe it. To be on stage doing what you love with and for all the people that have supported you is amazing. It’s a life changing experience and one that I will treasure and remember forever!”

Steph Lee - Dance. Eat. Shower. Sleep. Dance. Eat. Shower. Sleep. This was how I spent my life during June/July building up for what was soon going to be a dream come true. This July/August my dream to compete at the World Hip Championships in Las Vegas became a reality. It had been a dream for me for so long that it didn't actually kick in until we were all on the plane to LA! The competition was so much more than what I had expected, it was the best experience of my life! When we had our first rehearsal on the stage, it was just an amazing feeling to be dancing on the World stage with your sisters and knowing that our dream had become a reality that words can not explain how happy I was. The road to Worlds was hard work but it was all worth it. I'm proud of the girls and how well we did as 9th in the World is more than I imagined. This has been one of the best things that have happened in my life, I felt blessed to have this opportunity and it is something I will cherish forever and never forget.

Lenny Loh - “It all started when Emerge came 3rd at the National SDNZ competition in April this year. This qualified them to compete in the World Hip Hop comps in Las Vegas in August, and was a dream fulfilled to perform on the world stage. There was never any question of them going to

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Hip Hop Hooray continued ...

Vegas, but it was through sheer hard work and support from the parents and supporters that turned this dream into a reality. While the girls concentrated on perfecting their competition routine, the parents worked tirelessly to fundraise for all the money that was required. In the end, with each dancer paying for her own airfares, the total fundraised was about $24,000 and this paid for all the accommodation, transport and food costs over in the States.

The experience over there was truly amazing, with 20 countries competing in 3 age categories. After 3 days of preparation and practice, the team competed and placed 9th out 37 teams - a wonderful achievement for their first time in the world competition.

I was extremely proud of the team; they prepared well, were very focused on the comp and performed exceptionally. It was an experience that they will never forget and I felt privileged to be a part of their journey as did all the parents.

It just goes to show that dreams can come true, if you work hard enough!!”

Dragons Basketball Tourny

The Dragons Tourny was held during 11-12 September, the Centre entered a record 10 teams: 4 x mens open, 2 x womens open, 1 Mens U18, 1 x Womens U18, 2 x intermediates. This year’s draw was very full with different formats for each grade which made for an interesting draw. The Mens A team played a best of 3 games series, with the rest of the Mens teams playing in a second chance format after their first game. All other grades had section play. WCSCC Orange Womens Open team: Veronica Thompson, Monica Mercury, Katie Ng, Victoria Young, Tina Young, Brenda Hughes, Teresa Gen, Liane Young were winners of the B Grade Womens in a tight match - congratulations on a great win. Mens Open WCSCC B, WCSCC U/18 Mens, WCSCC U/18 Womens and Intermediates WCSCC Black teams made the finals of their respective grades. Overall a good effort and it was great to have so many of our members participating in the tournament.

Intermediate Basketball comment on:

Kapiti Hoop Club exchange

Josh Dong

On the 29th of August, The Wellington Sports and Cultural Centre sent 3 teams to participate in the Kapiti Hoop Club competition, but little did they know that they sent the kids on a bus that would soon prove useless. While the bus was driving along the Ngauranga Gorge the bus grinded to a halt. The bus had no fuel, and no battery. After an agonising hour the second bus finally arrived. By then we were half an hour late and the other teams were waiting. Each team played one game against the Kapiti teams. After the games there was food and then we left. Good thing the bus coming back didn’t break down! This tournament was a good experience because we played against teams not just in Wellington (and not just Chinese!)

SHOULD HAVE HITCHED A RIDE

Nick Dong

I don’t trust buses anymore! Before the Kapiti Hoop Club tournament, we left the WCSCC by a bus. Not even halfway through our trip the bus driver realised that he hadn’t checked the fuel tank before leaving. Why was this important? Well, he realised it when we ran out of fuel in the middle lane of the motorway, surrounded by cars passing us (of course, we eventually called the police for help). Everybody on the bus had different ways of coping with the wait. Some played games on their electronics, some watched cars pass us by, played hand games with each other, ate their snacks and some simply twiddled their thumbs and waited.

After about an hour and ten minutes, the police finally came to help us get ourselves out of the mess. We transferred on to another bus and we were on our way again. Fortunately, when we got to the gym to play, the Kapiti Hoop Club had waited patiently for us, so we could still play some basketball. The best part of all, in my opinion, was at the end, WE GOT FOOD!

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Wassup...?Annual Centre Sleepover

Nick Yeo - 12 years old

At the sleepover I had a very good time while being there. It was very different from other sleepovers that I’ve been to like school camp. There were a lot of people there and lots of people brought lasers, Nintendo DS and Ipods. That was the best part of the sleepover for me, having a good time with technology.

I also liked some of the games everyone played in the basketball court like spotlight and practicing shots. It was great to have the court next door to where we were sleeping.

The dinner I had was really yummy as we had pizza, chips, soft drinks and a lot more. It took a long time for everyone to get to sleep as they were all playing on their Ipods or Nintendo DS or just talking!

Overall it was a very good sleepover, mostly because I could go in and practice my shots in the gym. Mum said to thank the poor parents Greg, Glenn and Denis who volunteered to stay over with us that night. They really looked like they needed a good rest and timeout the next morning when we went down to Newtown McDonalds for breakfast.

Tara Young - 11 years old It was a lot of fun playing games like

spotlight and hide & go seek. We watched

a movie on the big screen, and some

people had their Nintendos out playing

Picto Chat. Everyone was running around

having fun. We had pizza and fish & chips for dinner and then went to McDonalds for breakfast. I encourage people to come

next time because you’ll have a blast!

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Zara Sue - 6 1/2 years old:

On the day of the sleepover I was very excited because it was my first sleepover at the Centre. We got there early as my dad (Vince) had dragon practice. While everyone else was arriving I played with my cousin Shayla who was early too. We found a cool spot under a table for our beds. There were also two stools to put our sleeping bags under. Once we finished laying out our beds there were games like 'cops and robbers' and 'hide and go seek', I didn't join in but my sister Yasmin had fun. For dinner there was fish and chips and Hawaiian pizza - yum!! I played for a bit after dinner then we all got into our pyjamas, brushed our teeth and got to watch the movie "How to train a Dragon" - now I can help daddy train the dragon... After all that it was bed time and I went to sleep but we moved out from under the table because our pillows wouldn't fit. In the morning daddy came up and took Shayla, Jaiden, Yasmin and me to McDonalds for breakfast. I had a fabulous time at the sleepover and want to go again next year.

Everyone waiting patiently for their MacDonalds breakfast!!

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CulturalYau Yih YunWednesdays or Saturdays 10-12pm

YYY had an enjoyable visit to Te Papa to view the ocean exhibits, and to attend our own session at Storyplace as part of the Term 3 curriculum. The children have focused on learning ocean animals & Mandy reinforced her teaching whilst showing the children around the ocean exhibitions including meeting the Colossal Squid. The visit was well attended with over 25 participants who all stayed for an informal food pit-stop at Te Papa’s cafeteria afterwards.

We celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival on Friday, 24 September with a ‘bring your own dinner’ family event. The children ate moon cakes (& jelly &

cake!!!) and enjoyed a disco atmosphere with their very own lanterns lighting up the classroom!

We are currently looking to increase the numbers of our regulars attending YYY in both the Wednesday and Saturday sessions! All the children really enjoy their learning time – learning both Cantonese and Mandarin through song & dance, and games as well as more traditional teaching methods. The children have a chance to play together in the play area and make a craft each week. Parents also have the chance to socialise at morning tea time. For more information please contact Kim Lau.

Lion and Cultural DancingThe Lion dance troupe recently performed at the Centre’s Moon Festival, and the Mayoral Concert. Two groups of the dancing girls performed at the Asian Moon Festival in Soundings Theatre, Te Papa to a packed out audience. The ‘Dragons’ dancing girls group also performed at the Centre’s Moon Festival Dinner, and at another Dance

workshop with Capital E “Dancing Feat” programme at Te Papa during the first week of the school holidays. Lead by Nicky Lim the girls then taught moves to the audience - they all had loads of fun!

As we move towards the end of this calendar year, the cultural group begin to prepare for Chinese New Year. We are now calling for interest in any of the cultural groups. These are: Chinese Dragon, Chinese Lion (boys and girls), Chinese Dancing (boys and girls aged from 5 yrs to 12yrs).

NOTE: There will be a 5 day training workshop where new dances and routines are learnt. This workshop will be held either Late December or January (to be confirmed).

Please register your interest by end November with Bron Tims: btims@.xtra.co.nz

Dragon Dance Troupe

The dragon troupe had a busy weekend in September. We were asked at late notice to be the half time entertainment at the Wellington Richter Roller Derby held at the TSB Arena in front of an almost full house. This was followed up with a luminous performance on Sunday at Te Papa's Sounding Theatre as part of the Asian Moon Festival celebrations. Despite a very small stage the team performed very well especially our 4 debutantes and those with positional changes. Planning and training is underway for the Dragon troupes involvement in next years Chinese New Year celebrations and also WOMAD. Two big events which are fast approaching. We have a number of new members who have started in the last few months and we are looking for more. From October 11th, training moves to Sunday morning 10 - 12. If you are keen to get involved (as part of the dance or percussion team) or just try it out, please come along. We cater for all skill levels. If you would like any further information, please contact Vince Sue.

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Peter KohingIt is a privilege to give this tribute to Peter.

Peters involvement with the WCSCC has been since it’s inception over 30 years ago. I’m sure the Centre was his second home and second life. He was proud of his Chinese Ethnicity and did what he could to advance matters Chinese. Most of us know that he was the prime organiser, cajoler and leader in organising the Centre’s many successful functions including market days, wedding, gourmet dinners where one sitting I think we had 600 guests. We were the recipient of many accolades. It was certainly not easy for Peter to organise these functions. He had to deal with organisers, prepare the menu, order the food etc etc. Then he had to gather together us workers. Due to his special qualities and high moral standards of honesty, straight forwardness and integrity plus the respect we had for him, we heeded his calls for help. At all the functions he was always supported by Audrey. His commitment to these functions was total - he seemed to be the first in and last out.

Although the functions were hard work, a very successful by-product was that they became social occasions for us and our families. We became one great big extended family, socialising, having a good time and enjoying each others company. This became a strength at the Centre. Apart from the functions, Peter took part in every other facet of the centre, some unseen.

He welcomed new members encouraging their participation, he helped set up Yau Yih Yun, he took a major role in the building works. He waltzed into organising Ballroom and Line Dancing classes and dances, and set up Cantonese language class

for older children. He made a substant ia l cont r ibu t ion towards the 25th anniversary celebration. The list goes on. The Centre recognised Peter’s hard work, dedication and commitment at its 25th anniversary, making him a life member. This embarrassed him as he modestly considered he did not deserve the accolade as he felt he was just one of the many workers.

The Centre will miss Peter’s work, dedication and commitment. I trust that his work will be emulated and continued by his successors. On a personal note, Peter was a great friend of our family. I considered him an older brother. He has always been helpful, supportive and interested in us.

“Peter, it has been a real privilege, pleasure and honour to have known you and humbling to be called your friend. You enriched our lives which are now poorer through your premature departure.” Audrey, Justine, family and friends we extend to you our genuine and sincerest condolences. We share your grief in losing a husband, father and friend who although gone shall be forever

remembered for h i s s m i l e , g e n e r o s i t y , friendship and support.

Mark Chiu.

Key ContactsChairman/Stadiuim rental enquiries: Malcolm Young - malcolm.young@airways.co.nz

Cultural - Dragon/Lion: Vince Sue - vymz.sue@xtra.co.nz

Cultural Dancing: Bron Tims - btims@xtra.co.nz

Membership/Address changes: Karin Won - wcssubs@gmail.com

Ballroom Dancing: Bobby Ng - ng@xtra.co.nz & Eric Sue - eric.sue@xtra.co.nz

Line Dancing: Yvonne Chew Lee ph 476 8382

Yau Yih Yun: Kim Lau - kimjit@gmail.com

Basketball: Grant Young - grant.young@bayleys.co.nz

Fundraising/Events: Justine Kohing - justine.kohing@paradise.net.nz

Lisa Dong: dongs@clear.net.nz & Rita Dong - rita@quay.co.nz

Newsletter articles/Website: Bronwyn Chin - dunwell@paradise.net.nz