26. Brief History of NATPA – S CAL 北美洲台灣人教授協會南加州分會的介紹

北美洲台灣人教授協會南加州分會創會記

作者 何汝譜

一九八〇年二月十一日,在Washington Post頭版第二頁嚇然出現一則佔該頁三分之一的顯著大廣告,標題是:MASS ARREST IN TAIWAN,敘述一九七九年十二月十日發生在高雄的「美麗島事件」之眞相,並且呼籲美國政府公開譴責霸道又違反人權的國民政府。這篇有史以來首次在美洲報章上爲台灣人民伸冤、抗議的廣告,是由一百三十七名服務於北美洲六十多間大學及硏究機構的台灣人敎授、學者,集體出資並具名而刊出。五天後,亦即二月十六日,這群專業台灣人的代表在University of Chicago集合,決定正式成立「北美洲台灣人敎授協會」。値得慶幸的是這批無畏於高舉正義的NATPA「元老」中,有九名現今的「南加州分會」會員,他們是:陳玲津、朱耀源、何汝諧、李成奎、李英偉、林心智、孫昱、王秋森,和游正博。

南加州一向是台灣人在北美洲最密集的地方,同時,也是「台美人」在美洲內最錯綜複雜的海外新生地。在八十年代初,僅僅Greater Los Angeles就有四十幾個台灣人社團。一九八五年我擔任NATPA理事時深深感到,總會在Chicago,離南加州那麼遠,而且有事才聯絡,無事就不聞也不問,「槍子打到洛杉磯嗎冷去啊」,怎麼能夠在「台美人」最密集的地方發揮NATPA的創會精神?於是,決心設立「南加州分會」。

一九八五年在南加州才有二十五名NATPA的會員。顯然有許多服務於南加州諸大學或硏究機構的台灣人學者還不是會員;不過在缺乏Visibility之下,到底還是不容易勸導這些同仁來參加NATPA。於是,創設分會的決心就更加堅強了。同年十月初我開始著手籌備,首先約四位會友:陳昭俊、簡錦標、謝淸志和王秋森,到我家來討論。結論是:大家一致認爲應當儘早設立南加州分會。經過兩次會商後,我們五人連署,於十月中旬發出第一號通知給全體南加州會友,報告籌備設立分會的消息;同時也與NATPA會長林宗光聯絡,邀請他來參加分會的創設慶典。當一切準備事項就序後,籌備會於十一月八日發出第二號通知,邀請全體南加州會員,攜眷參加訂於十二月十四日在Monterey Park的Lincoln Plaza Hotel舉行之分會成立大會。

那一天,有二十六位會員和眷屬參加分會的創設宴會:陳昭俊夫婦、簡錦標夫婦、何汝諧夫婦、許正餘夫婦、洪肇奎、龔森田夫婦、李隆吉夫婦、李成奎夫婦、李瑞木、林宗信、盧桂雄夫婦、謝淸志夫婦、謝德明、孫昱夫婦,和王秋森夫婦。除了會長林宗光外,那晚還有四位貴賓:張展南、柯淸隆夫婦,和楊加猷來參加盛會。分會的成立大會於下午六點準時開始,由王秋森主持,經過一小時的聯誼、懇親活動後,與會人員紛紛入座,開始宴會。餐後,首先進行「鄰座會友介紹」,然後林宗光會長以“NATPA ~ Our Association”爲題,報告NATPA成立以來所完成的主要工作,並分析目前的情況,也說明今後應做的工作。接著由簡錦標主持,進行首屆分會幹部的選舉。結果是:何汝諧當選會長,陳昭俊當選副會長,而謝淸志被選爲秘書兼財務。之後,由新任分會長主持首次分會座談會;討論項目包括:⑴如何增加本分會在南加州台灣人社團中的知名度?⑵本協會是否繼續使用「敎授」爲會名?⑶分會的獨立性,聚會次數,以及會費等等。經過一番熱烈發言、討論後,與會人員的共識是:⑴儘速成立Speakers Bureau以便發揮各會員之專長於社團間之服務;⑵「敎授」雖然不是最恰當的名稱,但是沒有其他更妥當或完善的字詞;⑶NATPA在原則上不支持分會的開銷,會員必須另繳分會的會費(定每年十元);又每年至少要有兩次分會的大會,年中一次,年末一次。

當晚的壓軸戲是:林宗光會長代表NATPA的「馮著評鑑會」接受黨外雜誌「蓬萊島」贈送紀念品。原來NATPA的評鑑會於本分會要成立之前五個月發表「馮著評鑑報告」,揭發東海大學馮滬祥敎授確實剽竊、抄襲英文論著,致使國民黨於十年前無法積極下手關閉「蓬萊島」雜誌社。所以那天晚上的紀念品之頒贈,是該雜誌社要感謝NATPA對「蓬萊島誹謗案」所做的仗義除奸之努力。本分會從創會以來,經過歷屆會長的勤勉耕耘,幹部的努力協助,以及會員的全面支持,已經順利地成長爲NATPA十一個分會中,擁有最多會員,舉辦最多活動,和享受最多公聞的分會。我相信,當我們於紀元二千〇五年慶祝咱分會設立二十週年紀念時,一定會有更多的「最多」事項可枚舉。

摘自北美洲台灣人教授協會南加州分會十周年紀念冊 / NATPA-SCAL /-/1995/

A Note on the Celebration of NATPA – S CAL’s Pearl Anniversary

Ho, Ju-shey 何汝諧(Founding President, 1985-1986)

NATPA (North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association) was founded on February
16, 1980 on the campus of the University of Chicago through years of efforts exerted by the late Prof. Dr. Shutsung Liao. The central tenets of the association are: (1) to promote scientific and professional knowledge and its utilization; (2) to facilitate international understanding, educational exchange, cultural contact among people in Taiwan, the United States, and other countries; (3) to sponsor scholarly research and education on subjects related to Taiwan; and (4) to further the general welfare of Taiwanese communities in North America. The Association
currently embraces 11 regional Chapters. They are (in order from northeast to southwest): New England Chapter, Baltimore/DC Chapter, New York/New Jersey Chapter, Cleveland Chapter, North Central Chapter, Michigan Chapter, Great Plain Chapter, St. Louis Chapter, Houston Chapter, Northern California Chapter, and Southern California Chapter.

In the fall of 1985張富美,a member serving on the Board of Directors of NATPA, called me one day and asked me to plan for the establishment of a NATPA Chapter in southern California. I accepted her suggestion immediately, because in the greater Los Angeles area one finds the highest concentration of Taiwanese Americans. Accordingly, an Ad Hoc Committee was convened consisting of five NATPA members residing in southern California. Those five members are 陳昭俊, 簡錦標, 何汝諧, 謝清志 and 王秋森. After meeting three times in November of that year the Committee produced a notice about the founding of S Cal Chapter and mailed it to all NATPA members residing in the following five counties: Ventura County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, Orange County, and San Diego County. The founding date was set on December 14 and a celebration with general meeting followed by a banquet was planned. The venue was set at the Lincoln Plaza Hotel located in Monterey Park (also known as “Little Taipei” among the Taiwanese Americans). The NATPA members presented at the S Cal founding meeting were (in alphabetical order):陳昭俊, 簡錦標, 何汝諧, 許正餘, 洪肇奎, 龔森田, 李隆吉, 李成奎, 李瑞木, 林宗信, 盧桂雄, 謝清志, 謝德明, 孫昱, and 王秋森. These 15 founding members and their spouses attended the celebration banquet. The guest of honor at the celebration was 林宗光, the President of NATPA at the time.

With the diligent cultivation and close cooperation of our chapter members over the past three decades, S Cal Chapter has grown from the original 15 members to nearly 100 members today. Consequently, it has become NATPA^ largest and most active chapter. We are proud to have sponsored three past annual conferences of NATPA, respectively, held in 1996, 2001 and 2013. This year’s annual conference on board an ocean cruiser is the first of its kind for NATPA We are pleased to be the chapter initiating this new convention venue.

At the time S Cal Chapter was established, there were 45 active Taiwanese associations, or organizations, in the greater Los Angeles area. In the spirit of one of our major tenets to promote on scientific and professional knowledge and its utilization, a “Speakers Bureau” was established by S Cal Chapter to provide speakers to those Taiwanese associations and organizations at their respective gatherings. Later in 1995 the “S Cal Tribune” [南加學壇] was established and over a two year period provided one article a week for publication in two Taiwanese newspapers 國際日報 and 太平洋時報.

In the beginning our chapter was set to have three meetings a year. In addition to an Annual Conference (with election of officers in addition to seminars and banquet), a Winter Retreat and a Spring Gathering were also held. Over time, an emphasis was placed on informal family gatherings among Chapter members. With the advent of the millennium, through the enthusiasm and hard work of Dr. and Mrs. 龔森田, fellowship among the S Cal Chapter members was further fostered via traveling together – on land tours, river cruises as well as ocean cruises. This tour activity has been going on every year since 2002.

A list in chronological order of those members who served as President of S Cal Chapter is as follow:

何汝諧(1985 – 1986),簡錦標(1986 – 1987), 簡錦標(1987 – 1988), 盧桂雄(1988 – 1989), 顏裕庭(1989 – 1990), 顏裕庭(1990 – 1991), 龔森田(1991 – 1992), 蔡振水(1992 – 1993) , 王寶田(1993 – 1994), 李英偉(1994 – 1995), 林茂修(1995 – 1996), 吳和甫(1996 – 1997), 程孟郎(1997 – 1998), 徐新宏(1998 – 1999), 鍾正明(1999 – 2000), 許正餘(2000 – 2001), 洪有才(2001 – 2002), 鄭英松(2002 – 2003), 賴青山(2003 – 2004), 杜武青(2004 – 2005), 鄭龍光(2005 – 2006), 周信結(2006 – 2007), 蔡芳洋(2007 – 2008), 謝堯洋(2008 – 2009), 葉榮茂(2009 – 2010), 黃根深(2010 -2011), 陳榮昌(2011 – 2013), and 許宗邦(2013 – 2015).

The prodigious work and magnificent leadership carried out during their tenure of the Chapter Presidency are instrumental to the success of our chapter – the S Cal Chapter.

Source from 北美洲台灣人教授協會南加州分會年刊 12/2015

Posted in 10/2017