Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year 2010. Year of the Tiger
Los Angeles GIN/YAN FAMILY Association Annual Spring Festival Banquet.
When: Sunday, March 14, 2010
Where: Empress Pavilion Restaurant 988 N. Hill Street -Los Angeles Chinatown.
Time: 6pm in the Evening
Price: $25 per person
All are invited. Raffle, prizes and dinner. Come celebrate with friends and family.
Jimmy Gin at 626-589-4404 or Bob Gin 323-376-7795

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT GIN/YAN FAMILY ASOCIATION

1. What is membership fee versus donation?
Membership Fee is $20 (lifetime) A donation is a voluntary annual donation from $10 and up,usually during the New Chinese Lunar New Year/Spring Festival.

2. How does the ASSOCIATION use monies collected?
Help defray operation costs: rent, property taxes, insurance, utilities, and office expenses.
Association collects rental income from businesses on the ground floor, donations from members and non-members and provide
scholarships for graduating high school seniors for the upcoming year.

3. How are Officers nominated and elected?
Nominations are made during the last months of the term (Oct-Dec)., voted on and placed on a ballot. Ballots are sent out to membership.
Ballots returned, counted. The newly elected Officers are installed and announced to the General Membership.

4. How long do Officers serve the Association?
Two years

5. Who are the 2010 Los Angeles Chapter GIN/YAN Family Association Officers?
President: Mr. Tony Yan
Vice-Presidents: Mr. Frank Yan and Mr. Jimmy Gin
Treasurer: Mr. Jimmy Gin and Mr. Poy Lok Gin
Chinese Secretary: Mr. Vee Jong Gin
English Secretary: Mr. Bob Gin
Office Manager: Mr. Ah-Toon Gin

6. Are there meetings at the Association?
We meet every 2nd Sunday of the month, unless otherwise. Meetings begin at 12:30pm
Agenda items are discussed, also news from Hoiping/Taishan/Hong Kong and approval financial records.

7. Are there yearly dues?
There is one time membership fee of $20 per person. At the beginning of the Lunar New Year, members give a generous donations that are also.

8. What can the Association do for me?
Educate you in your heritage, become a volunteer and get involved!
Any exlanation in any Chinese matters that you may come across.
Research information about your family history.

9. Where can I learn about my heritage?
You can learn about your family village through some of our many officers that speak both Chinese and English. Also many members who have lived
in the same area an are familiar with vists to/from ancestral villages.

10. Who is Gin Sun Hall?
13th/14th Century First Ancestor of the Gin Family

11. What can I do to help the Association?
Volunteer your time and get involved, donate financially, welcome new members.
Help us find other members with the same last name.

12. I am American Born and don’t read or speak Chinese, what can I do?
There are American Born Gins/Yans/Zhens, that can help you interpret and help you with any of your questions. The Association is here to serve you as a member.

13. Why should I donate or join?
You can make a difference. With your membership and volunteering, you can make our Family Association grow into the future.

14.I want to volunteer and help, who do I contact?
Jimmy Gin at 626-589-4404 or Bob Gin 323-376-7795

15. What are some of the volunteer opportunities available?
a. Celebration events committee
b. Building and facilities committee
c. Web page building and maintenance committee
d. Historian and photographer
e. Membership committee
f. Strategic planning committee
g. Be a elected Officer

16. Can I come and visit the Association?
You can visit the Association 7 days a week 8am till 2pm -please call to verify.

17. Associations seem very mysterious and they do some strange activities, can you explain?
In the past years or many years ago the Association was to help new immigrants with the same last name to become acclimated into the U.S.
Because of the language barriers, the Association was there to act as translators for the new immigrants. And help be a resource for Gins/Yans with no families in US and also share news from the homeland.

18. What celebrations are done at the Association?
Celebration of the New Lunar New Year by having dinner together
and to renew friendships, celebration of the Moon Festival and celebrating the Anniversary of the Association. And get to know your local surname cousins, brothers and sisters more.

19. Why does the GIN/YAN Family Assoication have an altar? And during ceremonial events have whole golden roasted pigs, whole cooked white chickens, oranges, fruit, bbq buns, cakes, candies, burn incense, burn paper money,and bowing from Family members?
It is part of our Ancestral culture and tradition. We pay respect and homage to our first ancestor GIN SUN HALL. It is formality and has lasted for many, many years and hopefully continue with future generations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO OUR FAMILY WEBSITE
Main Branch in San Francisco,CA Website
http://www.ginsunhall.org/
Los Angeles Branch
http://theginyanfamily.blogspot.com/ or email Jimmy Gin @ jimmy.gin@nbcuni.com.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Wow! Extremely interesting! Can't wait until the next update!