It has been a year of progress and prosperity for the Chinese Club of San Marino and as he comes to the end of his term, President Dr. Hai-Sou Chen is equally excited about the future and proud of the past.
Chen is also reaching the end of his three-year term as one of the club’s 13 directors who serve on a rotational basis.
With another successful Mid-Autumn Festival in the books (the annual gala raises about $40,000 each year for San Marino’s schools), Chen reflected on some of the club’s many achievements during his administration.
“One of my goals was to better bridge the Chinese Club and the Rotary Club of San Marino,” said Chen, who is a dentist. “I encouraged the Chinese Club to help Rotary sell tickets for the San Marino Motor Classic. Last year, I invited Rotary to join in the Mid-Autumn Festival fashion show. Along with the PTAs, City Club, and Chamber of Commerce, it was an effort to reach out and unite the broader community.”
Two years ago, Chen encouraged the Chinese Club to support the creation of a mural on a commercial building adjacent to City Hall. The mural’s main sponsor was the Rotary Club of San Marino.
Chen was also influential in restoring the 9-1-1 Breakfast that honors the city’s first-responders (9-1-1) each year on Sept. 11 (9/11).
“We had hosted the event for more than 20 years and I wanted to bring it back,” said Chen. “It is a great avenue for bringing together the broader Chinese community while paying respect to the police officers and firefighters.”
In an effort to extend the Chinese Club’s outreach, Chen proposed hosting this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival kick-off party at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.
“I felt it was a way to make the event more notable and attract more fundraisers,” Chen explained. “The Huntington Library is a San Marino landmark.”
Since his appointment to the board of directors, Chen has championed the construction of a new, two-story community center at the Chinese Club’s current Huntington Drive location.
A former member of San Marino’s Design Review Committee, Chen has worked to create a set of plans, work with neighbors, coordinate a public hearing and obtain a Conditional Use Permit for the proposed facility.
“The board has been working on the strategic planning and how to fundraise for the community center,” he said.
Ironically, Chen isn’t the first in his household to hold the Chinese Club presidency. His wife, Linda Sun, held the gavel in 2012 and served during the dawn of San Marino’s Centennial celebration. She also led a contingent consisting of Chinese Club members and city delegates to Taiwan for a celebration with San Marino’s sister city, Tamsui.
“I have very much enjoyed my service to the club,” said Chen, who has vowed to remain active in its affairs.
