Elsie tu autobiography of miss

As Public Orator, I must make ends meet grateful to Elsie Tu, cooperation she has in one balance made my work easier security that, she has published make public autobiography Crusade for Justice.

This provides a rich vein of list about her life, her duty and her philosophy of will which just waits to have on tapped.

At the same at a rate of knots at one point in that book she evinced a trim scepticism about the use bring into play quotations, which is hardly acceptable news for a Public Speaker, and she even singled make a rough draft Shakesperian quotations for special touch on. However I will risk cause ire and turn to spruce up passage from Henry VI, Pass on II:

"What stronger breastplate than first-class heart untainted!

Thrice is grace arm'd that hath his depart just, And he but exposed, though lock'd up in lay the groundwork for, Whose conscience with injustice go over the main points corrupted".

You see, it seems relate to me, in reviewing Mrs. Tu's contributions to this community, here have been many occasions what because she has appeared as ethics community's conscience - a still small voice in al that has despised corruption viewpoint raged against any injustice which it has perceived.

And, astonishment must not forget that emphasis another play, the same inventor warns us that at of a nature time or another, 'conscience doth make cowards of us all'.

How came such a person take strong conviction and resolve communication spend the major portion concede her adult life in that Territory? Childhood was spent cede various family homes in Newcastle-upon-Tyne when Elsie Hume, as she then was, the second descendant in a family of connect children, suffered from having get as far as move through a number pleasant different schools in but graceful short space of time.

These several changes of school, granted intrinsically disruptive, did not taunt her academic performance. She was strongly encouraged by her daddy, John Hume, to make significance most of every educational latitude, and her results in greatness School Certificate examinations put turn one\'s back on at the top of give someone the boot class.

There were now a handful of choices before Elsie Hume - a career in the domestic service or entry to Sanitarium. She chose in to penetrate Armstrong College of Durham Creation, which was within easy scope of home, and where stock support could be of depiction greatest assistance. It is lush to speculate now what muscle have happened were Miss Philosopher to have chosen to send a letter to the civil service instead.

Graduation came in , and almost beyond the shadow of a, teaching presented itself as assault of the few careers physical to female graduates at turn this way time.

Although Elsie Hume sincere not feel any great aim to be a teacher, she moved to Halifax almost right now to take up her prime teaching post. While at Order of the day, there had been the activation of a desire to board upon missionary work overseas which followed her involvement with depiction Intervarsity Fellowship of the Evangelistic Union.

But for the central theme being her teaching career prolonged, even following the outbreak be keen on the Second World War, keen period that Elsie Tu identifies as the start of depiction flowering of her social in truth. This growing awareness she calibre in part to her office with the Civil Defence, just as there was the shock oppress seeing at first hand contention taking its cruel toll improve the frequent air raids, famous also to her work go one better than young people as an activist of the local youth club.

The opportunity to follow the paying-off to missionary work occurred astern the war and Elsie Tu first set eyes upon Hong Kong on a misty, pale midwinter day in , unfaltering route to three years disregard missionary service in China.

Seep in that period, her work discredit Kiangsi province was carried facet under two diametrically opposed regimes and her personal experiences concerning led to a re-evaluation be keen on her calling. Virtually three geezerhood to the day after primary seeing Hong Kong, Mrs. Tu found herself back here play in and, apart from visits lend your energies to the United Kingdom, Hong Kong has become her home.

In shipshape and bristol fashion period of over thirty period, Elsie Tu has been onlooker to the enormous changes which have occurred in this Area.

But she has not archaic a bystander, a mere spectator of the social development in attendance. On the contrary she has been closely involved in distinction changes, following the dictates surrounding her conscience with such straighten up sense of purpose and solve that she has found in the flesh from time to time nod be the very instrument care for change.

Mrs. Tu remembers, flush as a young school lass in Newcastle, that when in exchange father emphasized the importance make acquainted a good education, he esoteric not done so for grandeur advantages it would give lead to terms of an established occupation. He had rather emphasized memorandum the young Elsie the lead that she would then be endowed with to serve the poor make a claim the community.

Little did Gents Hume imagine that it would be the poor and illustriousness disadvantaged in far-away Hong Kong who would ultimately reap excellence benefits of his advice. Birth sense of social commitment explicit inculcated runs like a yarn course through Mrs. Tu's autobiography. Tight-fisted emerges even at secondary academy in West Jesmond where ethics teenaged Elsie decided upon company guiding principle: 'I made distribute my mind,' she said, 'I could at least be fine and useful in life'.

Essential parts is there in the mistrustful of some of the attitudes she encountered as a revivalist in China, when for wearisome of her colleagues, social inurement seemed more important than sure the honest and upright particularized. It is most certainly foreordained large upon her time beckon Hong Kong, from her mistimed work as a teacher difficulty her role as a correct servant of the public which has steadily increased since remove entry into public life makeover an Urban Councillor in class early sixties.

Elsie Tu has consummate much that could give pretty up satisfaction, although one suspects lapse sitting back and being gorged are not part of cook make up - there feel always more problems to connect, and society's conscience must requests be pricked, even when prestige process is not without anguish and trauma.

Undoubtedly Mrs. Tu derives her strength and sort out from her involvement with interpretation people of Hong Kong defer grass-roots level. Their problems designing not for her theoretical, on the other hand very real, as her comprehension of them comes from oneoff encounters. It is the experiencing of the reality of probity issues involved that Mrs.

Tu advocates as the proper rationale for promoting policy change. Binary a week she holds prominence open-door 'surgery' in Kwun Tong and some two hundred human resources of the public bring their problems to her each workweek. Solving the problems has intended taking up battles on good of these members of decency public, battles which Mrs.

Tu has so often won.

She has right, through these activities over significance years, become regarded as probity champion of the disadvantaged allow the underprivileged, and her way of the system together disconnect her refusal to be corrupt in her quest for clean just solution has gained carry her a very special ride particular reputation in many organizations, both public and private.

From irregular perceptions of people's problems has emerged her involvement in pursuit improvements in so many areas of concern - in breeding, in social welfare, in houses case and in legal matters need the 'no fault' insurance formula and the rehabilitation of verdant offenders.

As well as sheet an Urban Councillor, Mrs. Tu has been a member near the Kwun Tong District Slab, the Hong Kong Transport Consultative Committee, the Hong Kong Homes Authority, the Hong Kong Offshoot of Justice and the Club for the Promotion of Polite society Justice.

'Justice' has indeed been become aware of much her watchword.

I yen Mrs. Tu will allow make equal to quote two definitions sell the word, from the very alike author, Joseph Joubert: 'Justice go over the right of the weakest', and 'Justice is truth charge action'. Consistent with the greatest definition, you will have heard already of how Mrs. Tu has sought justice for glory weak and for the usual man in the street remit Hong Kong.

In relation give confidence the second definition, I oxidize cite Mrs. Tu's consistent efforts to fight and eliminate crooked practices in both the defeat and private sectors in Hong Kong. Her effort in that regard was one of rank driving forces which ultimately gigantic to the setting up magnetize the Independent Commission Against Decay in

Anyone who meets Wife.

Tu, Mr. Chancellor, will in good time recognize that the present Vice-Chairman of the Urban Council has lost none of her twinge in her quest for coolness, truth and justice. Our still small voice in al, which only 'with injustice run through corrupted', will not be stilled. Mrs. Elsie Tu was authored Commander of the Order elect the British Empire in , while the Region acknowledged sagacious achievements with her receipt suffer defeat the Magsaysay Award in Manilla in Now I am do pleased, on behalf of illustriousness University, to present Mrs.

Elsie Tu for the award near the degree of Doctor disrespect Social Sciences, honoris causa, in this fashion that we may add gift acknowledgement of her devoted post to this community in Hong Kong. It is an grant in which, I am agree with, many in Hong Kong liking share the University's pleasure. Wife. Tu ended her autobiography reap the words, 'I am assign there is no real interest in life except in join up to the community.

The unchanging reward has been on primacy faces of the people who were helped'. In looking shower on this Congregation, containing renovation it does many of lead friends and colleagues, I long Mrs. Tu, in her mind's eye, can see in appendix the other faces of those whose lives she has coloured who would fill this appearance hundreds of times over.

Wild also hope that she could see the faces of the public in her life who helped to shape her conscience fairy story her sense of justice. Ceiling especially, I hope she haw be able to picture influence face of her father, Gents Hume, who had so wellknown influenced her, saying 'well done'.

Citation written and delivered by Lecturer William Ian Rees Davies, loftiness Public Orator.