PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

In Malaysia, no study has been done on how clean our water is. But in the Klang Valley, there is always criticism that much needs to be done in terms of water quality. There is justification to say this as many of the middle-income homes have water filters installed. What about those who cannot afford to buy these gadgets that can be beyond the reach of many lower-income people? Worse still, there are people in Malaysia who are deprived of clean water for the rest of their lives. There are the Orang Asli who live in remote parts of the country who depend on rain water, river water and water from the wells for their sustenance. We’re absolutely not sure how clean or how contaminated the water is. The Water & Sanitation Project of our Club addresses this urgent matter. The Club has identified an Orang Asli Settlement called Kampung Chawang in Sungkai. The Project was initiated by the Services Projects Committee. A well has been bored and water will be pumped up by a high-pressure pump to be stored in a tank about 20 feet above ground. Pipes will be connected from the tank to the homes. When this Project proves successful, it will be extended to other Orang Asli communities.

We need to learn from others about water and wellness. Rotarians are using something as simple as a bio-sand filter to change the health of the people in the Dominican Republic. Bio-sand filters, which cost as little as US$60, reduce waterborne pathogens by more than 90%. Invented by David Manz in 1990, the filters do not require maintenance. All the user has to do is to pour water in. Layers of sand and gravel trap parasites, and beneficial bacteria growing on the sand kill micro organisms. Rotary club members have helped instal 19,000 bio-sand filters in the Republic through the Rotarian-led Children’s Safe Water Alliance, reaching an estimated 100,000 people in 300 communities. What a feat!

Every time we drink a glass of the precious liquid, think of the people who may be taking in toxins.

Two months of the “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands” rotary year is over. Let me now review what we have achieved in the two month.

The weekly club meeting is the heart of any Rotary club. A strong club inevitably has a well-conducted weekly meeting. All our meetings have been well attended with attendance of consistently over 65%. The meeting room and the dining tables are completely occupied. There were even occasions where an additional table was provided. I believe we have not subsidized any lunch yet since 1 July. We are getting many visiting Rotarians and guests. Even some Rotarians who have not been very regular in the past are beginning to be regular at our weekly meetings. The Attendance Competition will surely improve the weekly attendance further.

For the month of July our club attendance as submitted to the district was 84.72%. Congratulations to the members of the club and to President Dr Eric Wong for his leadership. We have never seen our club attendance beyond 80% for many, many years.

The dress code introduced by the Club Administration Committee has been accepted by all our members. No more T Shirts, Slippers, etc, etc. It makes our weekly meeting so much more respectable and clsssy. Perhaps we may want to consider a jacket as the next level. After all many members are now attending our weekly meetings in their jackets.

Vice President Jack Lim is doing a great job (with a little help from the rest of the members) in providing the meeting with good and interesting speakers. Perhaps Jack could give the invited speakers some clear guidance on time allocation. We have gone past 2.00pm quite a few times. Please do not take this as a criticism but as a suggestion After all a well-run weekly meeting starts on time and ends on time.

Many members have enjoyed the weekly Rotary quote of the week instead of the often saucy thought of the day that former Rotarian Sunder provided last year. We have also involved the members in presenting the Rotary Quote of the week.

After having successful weekly meetings our other very important priority must be to increase the number of members we have. The Membership Committee under the Chairmanship of PP Dr Tarciscius Chin is very actively working on the project. I am so pleased that it is the younger Rotarians who are taking the leadership role in this project. As the host of the last Membership Committee meeting and with the consent of the President and Chairman I invited DGE Lim Kok Beng and PDG Dr Joseph Rajendren to attend the meeting. Both of them were very impressed at the approach our club is taking in membership development and retention.

Please give your full support to the Club in a Club project scheduled for 6 October 2009. Whilst the Membership Committee is providing the leadership the rest of the club must play its part for the project to succeed. Even though membership Month ends in August we need to work on our target all the year round.

The talk on The Week We Shared was presented by PP Tarcisius Chin and Rtn Kamarul Omar. Tarcisius, the Director of the Membership Committee of the RCPJ took us through the decades of fluctuating membership in the Club. At one time, the membership hit almost 70 but it declined. Five years ago, the membership was 58 but now it is 43. Of course, Tarcisius remarked that there is a need to be concerned. Perhaps the membership drive could be injected with fresh vigour from the younger Rotarians who may perceive membership development from a different perspective. This strategy seems to work well in the Membership Committee where we are very fortunate to have the newer Rotarians who are indeed passionate and enthusiastic about increasing our number.

Rtn Kamarul Omar is one of those younger Rotarians who are indeed committed to this cause. In his talk, Rtn KO emphasized the importance of membership. Without an appropriate number, the club cannot contribute to TRF and expand the social services within the community. The principle of each Rotarian is to reach one, keep one.

KO’s idea of CIC or Club in a Club is a proven program to attract new members to Rotary. It is a system that takes all those great ideas for starting a new club and uses them to bring a group of people into an existing club and this has, according to statistics, increased membership between 10% and 35% or more at one time. So what do we do? These are the following suggestions:

An interest meeting for our potential members will be held on 6th October in the evening. This will replace the luncheon meeting.

Thank you Tarcisius and KO for sharing with us your thoughts and ideas in membership recruitment. They are indeed very pro-active.

Rotary quote of the day:

“In the end, I believe that the best way to bring new members into Rotary is the way it has been done for generations: One member invites a carefully-chosen friend, client, or colleague to a meeting and, if the match is a good one, proposes that individual for membership. This is the way that our clubs remain harmonious; it is the way that new clubs become old clubs, and new members become Rotarians for life.”
John Kenny, President, Rotary International 2009-2010.

ATTENDANCE: 22/37 = 59.45%

PROGRAM FOR THE DISTRICT GOVERNOR’S OFFICIAL VISIT

Monday 14th September 2009

Tuesday 15th September 2009