Newsletter No. 38

CUHK Newsletter No.38 January 1993 The Mace being carried before the Chancellor The arrow shows the position of the Mace Bearer on stage (Picture taken at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall) Ten categories of procession members in the 44th congregation: 1. Representatives of student unions 2. Lecturers and staff of this grade 3. Yale-China Association representative 4. Senior lecturers and staff of this 5. Readers and staff of this grade 26. Chairman of the Council 27. Vice-Chancellor 28. Pro-Chancellor 29. Mace Bearer 30. Chancellor may give readers some idea of how an academic procession is marshalled. The longest procession ever marshalled consisted of 124 members, and was formed on 15th October 1987 at the 34th congregation for the installation of Prof. Charles Kao as new vice-chancellor and the conferment of an honorary degree on Prof. Ma Lin, the retiring vice- chancellor. The shortest procession, consisting of 71 members, is also the University's first academic procession, formed on 17th October 1963 at its inauguration congregation. Bearer of the Mace The University Mace is the symbol of the Chancellor's power and office, and is carried immediately before him in any ceremonial procession. As the Chancellor is always the last to enter the congregation site and the first to leave, the bearer of the Mace, his ‘forerunner', is therefore always the second last in the academic procession on its march to the ceremonial ground, and the head of the same procession on its march back. While carrying a mace does not require too much dexterity, it takes not a little physical strength to uphold a substantially solid staff above one's head and walk a distance of, say, 288 metres, which is the full length of the University Mall. It is therefore worth while finding out who in the past were chosen to perform this admirable task. The University Mace made its first appearance in the second congregation, and since then it has been borne 44 times by 11 staff members, two of whom for nine times each, which is a record number. The list below shows their names and their posts when they were first handed the staff. Mace Bearer Post Congregation(s) involved 1. Mr. T. R. Liu Asst. Registrar, UC 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 9th 2. Dr. John T. S. Chen University Registrar 4th, 5th, 7th, 10th 3.Dr. L. S. Chuang Lecturer, Dept. of Physics 8th 4.Dr.C. L. Choy Lecturer, Dept. of Physics 11th 5. Mr. Stephen T. Y. Tiong Deputy Registrar, NAC 12th, 14th 6.Mr. Andrew Y. Y. Chan Deputy Registrar, UC 13th 7.Mr. William H.C. Wan Asst. Registrar (Student Affairs) 15th to 23rd (1974-81) 8. Dr. Lee Kam Hon Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Marketing & International Business 24th to 30th (1982-85) 9. Dr. Christopher W. K. Lam Senior lecturer, Dept. of Chemical Pathology 31st to 39th (1986-89) 10. Dr. Archie C.C. Lee Lecturer, Dept. of Religion 40th to 43rd (1990-91) 11.Dr. C. P. Kwong Senior lecturer, Dept. of Information Engineering 44th to 45 th (1992-) It is not difficult to notice that a dividing line can be drawn after the 14th congregation, which was held in 1973. Before that, mace bearers were chosen year by year from among academic and administrative staff. But from the 15th congregation onwards, mace bearers had longer terms to serve, the longest being eight years from the 15th congregation in 1974 to the 23rd congregation in 1981. Be it coincidental or deliberate, all mace bearers appointed after 1974 are also graduates of this university. 8