27 March 2020
Dear Members of the Auckland Zhong Shan Clan Association
I trust you are keeping well in your “bubble” during New Zealand’s Alert Level 4 lockdown. By staying home, we can stop the spread of COVID-19, which transmits easily from person to person. Thank you for your cooperation in combatting COVID-19.
COVID-19 has caused major dislocations everywhere: the New Zealand economy, the world economy, businesses, schools, sports and recreation, social interactions, and, of course, our Association’s activities. The purpose of this communication is to inform you of two events that have an immediate impact on our Association.
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Our AGM is scheduled for Sunday, 19 April 2020. We are cancelling this meeting because we will be in the lockdown period. There is no urgency to hold our AGM as long as we schedule it, as specified in our Constitution, by 30 June.
In the unlikely event that we are still in lockdown by 30 June, it would then be reasonable to schedule our AGM when it is prudent to hold a meeting. We will keep you posted on the date.
36th Anniversary Dinner
Our 36th Anniversary Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, 30 May 2020; this is cancelled.
The present Alert Level 4 lockdown is from “11.59 pm on Wednesday, 25 March, and will remain in place for at least four weeks”. https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/faq-parliament-during-covid-19-alert-level-4/
Our decision to cancel this function is guided by the uncertainty around the end date of the lockdown, which is for “at least four weeks”, and this means it could be longer. Further, even if the lockdown concludes before 30 May 2020, we are cautious that members, especially our elderly members, should minimize social interactions at close proximity in case COVID-19 has not been completely curbed.
Conclusion
Our Committee is sorry that we have decided to defer the AGM and to cancel our 36th Anniversary Dinner. Given the difficult and uncertain times we live in, we believe these are the best decisions for all of us.
Take care and stay safe.
Regards
Jilnaught Wong 黄志诺
Professor Jilnaught Wong, Chairman