PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

In my last message, I expressed with much concern the threat of goodwill and harmony to our Club. Two unfortunate incidents have threatened the peace and harmony and we need to arrest them before they could spread to the whole Club. I have requested for a few senior Rotarians to meet up next week to seek some recommendations on how to put these matters to rest. With the recommendations, we’ll talk to the parties concerned. We’ll not dwell on the specifics of these incidents or decide on who is right or wrong. Instead, we’ll take a bold step forward in the right direction to remove ill-will. Please pray that we will always have peace and harmony among us. As the President of the Club, I would strongly appeal to every member not to use the platform of the rcpj group to express their views on these two matters. There’re always two sides to the coin. Any thing expressed openly would encourage greater animosity. And this will spread unabated. Nothing positive can be achieved out of it.

Our Club’s 49th Anniversary will be held on Wednesday, 6th January 2010 at 7.30 p.m. at the Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur. It will be a moderate affair but the traditions of an anniversary will be maintained. The Organizing Committee is saving the glamour for the 50th Anniversary. As in all our anniversaries, we express our appreciation and gratitude to our friends and well-wishers who have consistently supported us over the years. It is this support that has enabled us to survive almost half a century. The Organizing Committee, under the chairmanship of PP Albert Yong, has been holding meetings to fine tune all the necessary items in the program. The DG Leslie Salehuddin has been invited as the guest-of-honour and the First Lady Ziela has also been invited to grace the function. So far, more than 20 tables have been pledged. We count on your support again, Rotarians and Anns. This is another commitment to our friends of Rotary. Thank you.

The Group 11 Karaoke Competition will be held on Friday, 4th Dec. at The Party Box, SS 2, Caesar’s Palace. The 5 clubs are competing at this level before moving into the District Final. We’ve at least 6 proven singers who could lead our Club. We need support from our members. Please be present at 8.00 p.m. There’ll be at least 30 Rotarians from the 5 clubs who will be there for that evening.

Our Water & Sanitation Project has slowed down again. It is running into technicalities. The contractor has responded to our request for a breakdown for the estimated cost of RM36,000 but the finer details about the pipes and tank have not been identified. We’re working towards this. At the last Board Meeting, the members approved the sum of RM40,000 for this project. However, the question of indemnity and other red tape need to be sorted out with the officials.

The Redeeming Human Dignity Project is on track. There’re now 5 trainee chefs moving on to learn how to fry nyonya fried rice. They’re showing keenness. We’re monitoring their progress and have consistently talked to them to look for places to open up their stalls once their training is over and that will be December end.

Looking back the 6 months of the Rotary Year, I’m proud to say that we’re working hard to deliver. Let us work harder to launch the projects. Let’s practise the follow-through. We must commence all the projects that we have talked about in this Rotary Year. Then we can think of consolidating them in the next Rotary Year. So please help our Club to realize the dreams for the less fortunate in the community. I thank you.

Last week I wrote about the election of the District Governor taking place about two and a half years before they take office. Why? There are two main reasons. First it gives the District Governor Nominee time to plan the events and activities for the year, to select his district officers, and to reorganize his business/vocation/employment, involvement in other voluntary and professional activities and family commitments. Secondly to provide for the training for himself/herself and his officers. The first Training Session for DGN Dr Raveendra who will take office on 1 July 2011 was held in Manila last week. Rotary takes great pride in that we train all our officers from the Rotary International President to the President and Board members of our Interact Clubs.

Closer to home our Nominating Committee has worked hard to have the agreement of 12 Rotarians to serve on the Board of Directors in Rotary Year 2010-2011. PE Leong Yeng Kit, VP Jack Lim and President Dr Eric Wong have already been elected to their respective position for next year. A little bird tells me that there will be a blend of the experienced, the new and some continuing to serve the Board.

It is obvious that some positions in the Board require more effort and time than others. I have written in previous Editorials that the will to serve is not enough. A Director must also have the time to carry out the responsibilities that comes with the job without affecting his employment or business.

Then there is the perpetual issue of when do we get a new member involved in the Board of Directors. Here again my personal opinion is that it depends on the individual concerned. I was made the Director of Youth Service (now called New Generations) seven months after joining the club. I think I did reasonably well in my job. There are many cases of members being made the President of the club a few months after joining the club. Here the results are mixed. Some have done well and went on to serve the district. Others had a lot of problems and left Rotary immediately after their presidency. Of course there were others between the two categories.

Personally I believe the performance of the new Rotarians in the Board depends on the training they receive and the guidance and encouragement provided by the President. The advantages of encouragement and good guidance are obvious to all. The advantage of good training may not be so obvious. Training will help the Board member understand his or her role, duties and responsibilities, and opportunities for exchange of ideas with his or her peers in other clubs.

The next training event designed specially for members of the InComing Board from the President down to the Directors is the 76th RI District 3300 Assembly. InComing President Yeng Kit should get his entire Board to attend the Assembly.

There are over 4000 varieties worldwide with only 4-5 varieties marketed in Malaysia. We all know potatoes as table potatoes, crisps and fries. It is also used to make dehydrated potatoes flakes and granules and animal feed. There is no wastage as every part of the potatoes is used.

The best potatoes are grown in Saudi Arabia by water irrigation making it very expensive unless subsidized. Many countries impose export or import restrictions on the crop depending on their needs. The Irish potatoes famine of 1845-1852 resulted in 1 million deaths and the emigration of 1 million. Most European varieties are named after girls. For example Desiree, Nicola, Charlotte. These girls and the potatoes, the Editor was told, have something in common: they are all spuds.

Rotary quote of the day presented by Rtn Pancha Abdullah: 

“I am a Rotarian because, although I am only ‘one’ I can be of service to others, the opportunities are present everyday, and my life is richer through the friendships it has created.”
Past RI Director John Carrick, 1994-1996

ATTENDANCE: 23/40 = 57.50%

On behalf of Rotary Fellowships Committee, I would like to make some announcements on the past, current & upcoming events that are coming along our way.

As you may have noticed members of the committee as per district book page 146 to 148 are working hard to ensure that at least many of the those events would take place in accordance to DG Leslie’s wish, in which he wanted to have as many fellowships as possible in his year.

1. Past Event: Bowling Fellowship organized by Rtn Raymond Chin of RC Gombak/RC Cheras.
2. Current: Healthy Walk Fellowship organized by Pres Robin at Taman Tasik Perdana on every Saturday & Sunday morning at 6.30am. Please call him at 012 2382389 for further info.
3. Near future: 30 January 2010 - District Karaoke Fellowship Competition organized by PP Edward Pon of RC Kelana Jaya together with the host club, RC Bukit Komanvel, Pres Hari & the Organizing Chairman, PP Kana & AG Darul of RC Melawati. All interested parties are required to ctc your group's AG. PP Edward will soon furnish all these details. Pls contact 1. PP Edward Pon 012 3350618; 2. PP Hari 016 3649788; and 3. PP Kana 012 3027366.
4. 7 March 2010 - RC Sri Petaling will host District Hiking Fellowship at Gasing Hill. Interested parties, pls contact IPP Lawrence at 012 3827877.
5. All the other events, we will keep you updated once the dates are confirmed.

PP Ridz Yang 

District 3300 Bowling Fellowship

The event was held at the Megabowl, Sunway Pyramid last Sunday 22 November 2009. A total of 40 teams took part in the fellowship to raise funds for the District Disaster Fund. Our club sent one team represented. The competition was won by RC Cheras.

District Karaoke Competition

This will be organised by the Group 11 clubs and will be held on Friday 4th December 2009 at the Party Box, Caesar’s Palace, SS2, Petaling Jaya. Who are representing RCPJ? Contact the President.