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FCC to Join May 2 March Over Dismissal of Ming Pao Editor

Dear FCC Members,

The FCC has expressed its concern about the dismissal of Ming Pao’s Executive Chief Editor, Keung Kwok-yuen, with the explanation that his departure was part of a cost-cutting exercise.

Mr Keung is a veteran journalist who has spearheaded the coverage of many controversial topics in Hong Kong, and there is public concern about his removal. We believe the public deserves a full explanation of the reasons for the decision.

As such, the FCC will take part in the rally organised by many journalist groups to the offices of Ming Pao at 2:30pm on May 2nd. We will show our solidarity with local journalists on this important matter that goes to the heart of Hong Kong’s press freedom.

Please join us if you can. The attached flyer provides details of the protest. Thank you.

Press Freedom Committee

April 29, 2016

Joint Statement on Dismissal of Ming Pao Editor in Hong Kong

We are deeply shocked and disturbed by the sudden dismissal of Ming Pao’s Executive Chief Editor Keung Kwok-yuen.

In the name of “cost cutting”, the Chinese daily dismissed Mr Keung at midnight Wednesday with immediate effect.  No reshuffle has been announced to fill his work.

The handling of Mr Keung’s dismissal is full of anomalies making it difficult for anyone to accept it as a pure cost-cutting move.  The management owes its readers and the public an explanation.

Mr Keung is a veteran journalist who has spearheaded the coverage of major controversies in Hong Kong in past decades.  Among them were the 2003 rally against the national security law; the 2012 campaign against national education as well as the death of mainland political dissident Li Wang-yang.  He was praised as the soul of the team by many staff members.

If a journalist as moderate and professional as Mr Keung cannot be tolerated, what does it say about the press freedom of Hong Kong?   We are deeply disturbed and worried.

The Hong Kong Journalist Association

The Independent Commentators Association,

The Hong Kong Press Photographer Association,

Journalism Educators for Press Freedom

The RTHK Programme Staff Union

The Next Media Trade Union

The International Federation of Journalists.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong

 

April 21, 2016

FCC Food & Beverage Committee

FCC Food & Beverage Committee

The FCC Food & Beverage Committee (F&B Committee) is made up of two Convenors, who are members of the FCC board, members and the FCC staff. The Committee meets once a month and is tasked with reviewing and approving the food and beverage selection on our menus, special food and wine promotions and events.

Current F&B Committee Convenors:

Juliana Liu (Correspondent Member Governor)

Current F&B Committee Committee Members:

Anthony Beaurain

Robin Howes

Walter Kent

Philip Nourse

Adrian Peirse

Cathy Yang

Suggestions, comments and feedback are welcome and can be sent to the FCC office at [email protected] (Contact person: Mr Gilbert Cheng).

FCC House/Food and Beverage Committee

The FCC House/Food and Beverage Committee (House/Food and Beverage Committee) is made up of Four Co-Conveners, who are members of the FCC board, members and the FCC staff. The Committee meets once a month and is tasked mostly with ‘back-of-house’ issues like service quality, staffing, building maintenance and some ‘front-of-house’ like entertainment (musical performances, the quiz, club celebrations) and members facilities (health club, workroom, pool table).

Current House/F&B Committee Convener:

Adam WHITE
Genavieve ALEXANDER
Andy CHWOROWSKY

Suggestions, comments and feedback are welcome and can be sent to the FCC office at [email protected] (Contact person: Mr Didier Saugy).

FCC Professional Committee

FCC Professional Committee

The Professional Committee invites newsworthy speakers to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, as part of the club’s core role of providing a neutral venue for discussions of local and international events and trends. The talks take place in the FCC’s main dining room, usually over lunch and occasionally over dinner. The speaker typically gives initial remarks for 20 minutes and then takes questions for 20 minutes. The events are on the record, and videos of them go up on the club’s web page. A list of recent speakers includes Hong Kong’s third Chief Executive C.Y Leung, former chief secretary and career civil servant Anson Chan, president of Britain’s Supreme Court David Neuberger and tennis Grand Slam champion Francesca Schiavone. Other past speakers include the CEO of Li & Fung Bruce Rockowitz, British actor and comedian Michael Palin, Wild Swans author Jung Chang and more.

A list of recent and upcoming speakers can be found here: http://www.fcchk.org/speakers-past/

Aside from organizing guest speakers, the Professional Committee plans and produces evening documentary screenings, educational workshops, debates, speed-networking opportunities and events that benefit FCC members and provide opportunities for correspondents and journalists to grow professionally. For a full list of all club activities, please visit the FCC’s events calendar with web link: http://www.fcchk.org/events/calendar/

Current Professional Committee Conveners:

Eric WISHART
Keith RICHBURG

 

For guest speaker suggestions please contact events coordinator Sarah Graham at [email protected] or the club’s general manager Didier Saugy at [email protected].

Invitation for Tender- Music Consultant (Tender closed)

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong (FCC) is looking for a suitable individual or company to carry out the following project:

Music Consultant

Contract period: 1 October 2016 – 30 September 2017 (12 months)

Deadline for tender: Friday 12 August 2016 at 6pm

 

MISSION

Bringing live jazz music by arranging weekly and monthly Jazz performances or other music events to the Club.

 

BACKGROUND

The late Bert Okuley was a distinguished jazz pianist foreign correspondent and former FCC President. He brought live Jazz music to the FCC and since his death a bistro in the Club has been named “Bert’s”.

To commemorate the late Bert Okuley, “Bert’s” features Hong Kong-based and international jazz artists three nights a week. Artists from around the globe grace Bert’s stage. Bert’s has now become Hong Kong’s only dedicated jazz-bar venue.

 

ROLE OF THE MUSIC CONSULTANT

  • The Music Consultant will be engaged as an independent contractor for providing music consultancy services for the FCC and shall be fully responsible for planning music events, arranging performances, directly engaging performing musicians, staging, managing and coordinating musical events when they are happening.
  • The Music Consultant may or may not be a performing musician, although it would be an advantage if they were.
  • The Music Consultant will report directly to the FCC’s House Committee and will liaise logistically through the Club’s management. Each month, the Music Consultant will present to FCC’s House Committee a program for the coming month(s) with a detailed production budget for the performances being recommended for prior approval. The production budget will include the cost on  the Music Consultant’s engagement of its own performing musicians, stage design, scheduling and promotional costs of the event.
  • Subject to the monthly agreed performance schedule and the pre-approved budget, the Music Consultant shall have full liberty to engage and arrange its own performing musicians and be fully responsible for all acts and performances of its own performing musicians. The FCC reserves the right to withhold and/or refuse to make any payment in the event that the performing musicians fail to perform and/or show up to any performance and the Music Consultant shall be fully responsible for the FCC’s loss.
  • The Music Consultant shall at all times be fully responsible for all acts and performances of its own performing musicians including but not limited to ensuring that all performing musicians have the right to perform in Hong Kong and are not in breach of any rules and regulations including any immigration rules and regulations; to acquiring and arranging all necessary insurance coverage for the performing musicians, ensuring full compliance with all rules and regulations including but not limited to the filing of any tax return, any tax payment, contributions of Mandatory Provident funds and compliance with any other rules and regulations under the laws of Hong Kong at the sole expense and costs of the Music Consultant.
  • The FCC holds all copyrights on all materials that are recorded on its premises and retains final approval for all content before any future release. The FCC also reserves all rights to add, edit and remove any content before and after such release.

 

EXPECTATION ON THE MUSIC CONSULTANT 

  • The musical equipment provided by the Club is solely for convenience of the Music Consultant and/or the performing musicians’ performances’ usage at the Club. The Music Consultant holds full responsibility for maintaining the musical equipment in good condition whether under his/her usage or that of the performers arranged and engaged by the Music Consultant, beyond normal wear and tear.
  • In the event that any equipment fails to function the Music Consultant should report in detail to the Club Manager not later than the next working day.
  • If Bert’s is closed on a scheduled performance date for either a private function or a public holiday, two weeks’ notice shall be given to the Music Consultant, who will be expected to re-schedule performances to another day (within the following 60 days), subject to prior consultation with the Club Manager.
  • Upon submission of monthly invoices of any personal performance fees from any personal performances from the Music Consultant, payment will be made within 15 days to the Music Consultant, subject to completion of an agreed monthly performance schedule.

 

Project Description

The Music Consultant is required to:

  • Maintain the musical equipment in good condition.
  • Maintain the CD collection or other reproduction technology used for background music.
  • Focus on the jazz club’s events, but also assist with other musical events held at the Club.
  • Assist in promotion of the scheduled events.
  • Provide an annual budget for new and/or replacement of musical equipment to avoid ad hoc purchase.
  • For weekly performances the Music Consultant is expected to:
  1. Arrange bands and/or performers up to three nights per week
  2. Set up the sessions on each weeknight
  3. Submit the weekly performance schedule at least one month prior to the performing month
  4. Perform, if appropriate
  • Submit a monthly Saturday performance schedule to the House Committee, to be accepted by them, at least two months in advance of anticipated performances. No Saturday performance is required in December and Chinese New Year month, however there should be not less than 10 Saturday performances within the contract term.
  • Submit a report of the work undertaken during the contract period to the House Committee through the Club Manager no later than 15 September 2017. The report should include a list of all equipment under the usage of the Music Consultant.
  • For New Year’s Eve entertainment the Musical Consultant will:
  1. Submit a New Year’s Eve proposal to the Club by the time of the House committee meeting in the 2nd week of October. 2016.
  2. Arrange for  and engage band(s) & DJ(s) to perform..
  3. The band should be not less than a Trio and a singer who will perform not less than 6 hours between 2000 hrs and 0200hrs. There should be 6 sets of performances with each set lasting at least 45 minutes and 10 minutes break between each set.
  • For both the weekly performances and the New Year’s Eve entertainment, the Music Consultant shall include any associated expenses, including payments or extra holiday payment to all its assistants, performers and musicians in the project sum.

 

Submission of Tender

  • Interested parties are required to submit their tenders together with a CV and a recording of a recent jazz musical performance [not shorter than three minutes which may be submitted by email or on a CD] along with a copy of their business registration form.
  • The tender should include the required monthly fee to be paid by the FCC to the Music Consultant.
  • The tender should also include a projected monthly budget for hiring musicians and performers.
  • Submissions should include a one-month performance plan (assume it is October 2016). The plan should showcase the kind of performers the applicant would bring to the FCC. Assume performances in Bert’s take place on each Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and one Saturday night in the period. In this plan, anticipated payments to performers and musicians should be itemized.

 

Apply before the deadline to:

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong
North Block
2, Lower Albert Road
Central, Hong Kong

Please quote reference code “Music2016” and indicate “Tender for Music Consultant” on your tender submission.

Upon successful tender, the Music Consultant to be engaged by the FCC shall enter into a formal contract for services as an independent contractor for the music consultancy services to be rendered to the FCC.

Any questions should be directed to the undersigned General Manager or to Joanne Chung, at 2844 2830 or by email in care of [email protected] .

Gilbert Cheng
General Manager
Tel: 2844 2844
Email: [email protected]

July 2016

 

 

FCC AGM 2016

TO ALL MEMBERS,

 

NOTICE IS hereby GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting of The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong will be held at the First Floor, North Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong on Thursday, 26 May 2016 at 6:00 p.m. for the following purposes:

  1. Approval of the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 21 May 2015;
  2. Approval of the President’s report;
  3. Approval of the Treasurer’s report;
  4. Approval of the audited financial statement for the year ended 31 March 2016;
  5. Appointing auditor of the company to hold office until the conclusion of the next annual general meeting at a fee to be agreed the Board;
  6. The inauguration of the new Board of Governors for 2016-2017 as per results of the election.

The meeting is open to ALL MEMBERS of the Club.

You are entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote on your behalf at the AGM. We enclosed a proxy form for your completion. Please make sure your proxy attends the AGM with a completed original proxy form, and identification document, and hands it in to the relevant member of staff.

By order of the Board of Governors,

 

Neil Western

President

April 15, 2016

Professional Contacts

Professional Contacts appear in every bi-monthly issue of The Correspondent. For more information email [email protected] or call +852 2511 1511.

Nominees for the Election of The Board of Governors 2016-2017

Note:
a. Please indicate your vote by putting a “✓” in the appropriate bracket. Any mark other than a “✓” shall invalidate this Ballot paper.
b. If vote(s) casted exceed(s) the number allowed in respective capacity, this Ballot paper shall be invalid.
c. Bio & policy statements of the candidates are available at the FCC website <www.fcchk.org>
d. The completed Ballot paper must be received by the Club, either by mail or in the Ballot box, not later than 3 pm on Wednesday, 25 May 2016.

Ballot Closed


Candidate


PRESIDENT:
(The position of President can be voted by Correspondent members only)
(Vote for not more than one)
1. Tara JOSEPH – Reuters
FIRST-VICE PRESIDENT:
(The position of First Vice President can be voted by Correspondent members only)
(Vote for not more than one)
2. Keith BRADSHER – The New York Times
SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT:
(The position of Second Vice President can be voted by Correspondent, Journalist or Associate members)
(Vote for not more than one)
3. Wyng CHOW – The Standard
4. Timothy HUXLEY – Wah Kwong Maritime Transport
CORRESPONDENT MEMBER GOVERNORS:
(The position of Correspondent Governor can be voted by Correspondent members only)
(Vote for not more than eight)
5. Ryan Christopher BROOKS – Thomson Reuters
6. Florence DE CHANGY – Le Monde and French National Radio
7. Nicholas GENTLE – Bloomberg News
8. Stewart HAWKINS – Bloomberg News
9. Nan-Hie IN – Freelance
10. Juliana LIU – BBC News
11. Paul Stephen MOZUR – The New York Times
12. Carsten SCHAEL – Carsten Schael Photography
13. Kate WHITEHEAD – Freelance
14. Eric WISHART – Agence France-Presse
JOURNALIST MEMBER GOVERNORS:
(The position of Journalist Governor can be voted by Correspondent or Journalist members)
(Vote for not more than two)
15. Clifford BUDDLE – SCMP
16. James GOULD – RTHK
ASSOCIATE MEMBER GOVERNORS:
(The position of Associate Governor can be voted by Correspondent, Journalist or Associate members)
(Vote for not more than four)
17. Paul CHRISTENSEN – Retired telecommunications executive
18. Kevin Barry H. EGAN – Baskerville Chambers
19. Jonathan Gordon HOPFNER – New Narrative Ltd.
20. Elaine PICKERING – Vision 2047 foundation
21. Simon PRITCHARD – Gavekal Research
22. Nigel SHARMAN – Clifford Chance

 

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