Bulletin Number Three 1983

As the Old-timer Retires A graduate o f Lingnan University o f Guangzhou, Mr. K.C. Young joined the University as an Admini­ strative Assistant in 1965. After eighteen years o f faithful service, he has impressed most colleagues as a busy bee. The development o f the two-men Business Section into a full-fledged unit is the result o f his hard work. Mr. Young, now Senior Assistant Bursar, is a Jack o f all trades but not a master o f none. One has only to see his job description when he first came here. Besides assisting in keeping accounts and attend­ ing to the business and general affairs o f the University, he was also responsible for security, fire-prevention, transportation, telephone installation and even supervision o f office decoration works, etc. That was, o f course, before the Buildings Office, the Security Unit and Transportation Unit were established. It is not un til recent years that he can narrow his scope to the following: mailing service, printing and supply o f stationery, purchase o f equipment and furniture, booking o f air-tickets, and insurance. The planning and setting up o f the Benjamin Franklin Centre Staff and Student Canteens, Barber Shop, University Book­ store and supermarket, now under the supervision o f respective committees, also owes much to him. No wonder he can say w ith considerable complacence, 'I am proud to see that the University has tru ly become a self-sufficient University town'. Mr. Young is retiring this September. Knowing that this humorous old-timer has not only toiled and moiled for the whole University community, but also witnessed the stunning growth and development o f the University, the Editor has requested him to recount some o f his interesting experience. Growing w ith the University ‘How time flies. Eighteen years passed in just a twinkling. The development o f the University in these years has been amazing. 'When I first came here, there were only some twenty or th irty staff, and each had to take up a wide range o f duties. Tea-time then was often made used o f for discussing problems we encountered in our work. I can never forget my first tea-break: empty- handed I went, but returned w ith a pile o f documents measuring more than half a metre. They included documents about the medical scheme, together w ith the consultation records o f all students, staff and their dependents, the University's accounts books, the Personnel Section's correspondence on air-tickets and hotel-bookings, bills o f furniture and sundry items purchased; all requiring prompt attention. Well, to put it simply, I was to manage all these general affairs (even including con struction projects). It is fortunate that division o f labour comes asthe Univer sity expands and develops. Now not only do we have an independent Buildings Office w ith a total work force exceeding 110 ， we also have a Security Unit w ith over 60 guards and fire-fighters. As for the Business Section o f the Bursary, its staff has grown from the original two to the present fifteen. And a van has also been purchased to facilitate internal and outgoing mailing service. So you can gather from this how rapid the University has really been developing.' Anecdotes ‘The University has got its own fire-engine. To many this is no news. But I bet few know that it needs no licence. Well, why? It all dated back to 1971 when Sir David Trench, Governor o f Hong Kong then, came here to officiate at the opening ceremony o f the Benjamin Franklin Centre. Just a few days before the ceremony, a fire broke out at the University Administration Building construction site; and the fire-engine did not arrive un til th irty minutes after the alarm was sounded. On seeing the burnt air- conditioner spare parts lying waste at the construction site, Sir David made an exception by granting the University to have its own fire-engine and no licence is needed for it. Having purchased the fire-engine and adding to it guards who have been trained in fire- fighting techniques, the University can now save more than forty-thousand dollars a year as the insurance company grants a deduction o f 0.75 percent from our annual fire insurance premium. 'Talking about fire insurance, there is yet another anecdote which is known to few. Some years ago, an auditor asked me why on earth should the swimming pool be insured against fire. Rightly so he asked. The swimming pool is. situated at mid-levels and landslides and typhoons may cause damage to it. So my original plan was to insure it against landslide. But the insurance company would only accept land­ slide and typhoon insurance as an additional insurance to fire insurance. That is why our swimming pool is now insured against fire !' PROFILE 19