PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

The youths of today will shape the direction of the Rotary Clubs of tomorrow. Their commitment to Service Above Self is not incidental but purposeful. What ideals they have as young people will continue to have the same when they are Rotarians. This is the time when we need to capture them and impress upon them that our community needs so much assistance.

Our Club commits itself to youth training, thanks to IPP Dato’ Kevin Yong and Rtn Pua Boon Yee who have been the stalwarts of youths in our Club. Our 6 Interact Clubs are fully active in their respective projects for their community. They have been advised to focus on their school environment that includes their school mates before moving on to other community projects. Our Club trains the Interactors every year in the very established SuperCamp that provides leadership training and the opportunity to fellowship with the other Interactors. Not forgetting our Rotaractors with our capable adviser Rtn Pua Boon Yee. The Rotaract Club of Petaling Jaya is impacting the Interactors to join the Club as a continuity to service. Our Club participates in the RYLA every year. But there is a need to re-look at our youth training programmes so that they can be at tune with the needs of our community.

Rotarians, let us encourage our youths. The future could be in their hands.

The momentum is picking up in our Club. This week promises to be hectic but exciting. We have met up with the physically-challenged of the Beautiful Gate in Kepong. A band comprising 7 or 8 has been tentatively formed under the direction of our former Rotarian, Johnny Thean. We are now sourcing the musical instruments and practice sessions will commence on Saturdays with musicians from Glad Tidings. This is indeed a project that allows for the physically-challenged to immerse in creativity and talent. We must not forget that they are also people who need diversion such as music in their lives. Thank you, PDG Dato’ Dr Low Teong for initiating this project which I think will be a boost to our Club in looking after the physically-challenged.

The TRF Seminar this Sunday will open doors to new ideas about our Foundation that requires more attention under the CLP structure. The President together with PP Chris Ng and Rtn Kamarul Omar will represent the Club at this seminar. There will be a presentation of monetary support to the children of poor patients from the NKF. It will be held on Saturday. The money is sourced from the Endowment Fund contributed by our members. A meeting for the 49th Anniversary Celebration was held on Thursday. A lot of matters were discussed. We will ensure that our tradition of Anniversary Celebration will continue. The DG’s visit on the 14th and 15th is also a tradition that we need to uphold. The DG visits our Club only once a year, so let us join efforts to make his visit an encouraging one. We need many members to be present. Please invite your guests as well on the 14th for the fellowship dinner.

Rotarians, the momentum has arrived. Let’s keep it up!

Last week in my Editorial I wrote about the Weekly Meeting and membership development. I would like to continue a little more on membership development as well as retention. Rtn KO and his team in the membership committee are working very hard on the CIC (Club in a Club) project scheduled for Tuesday 6 October at 7.00pm. But I do not see the rest of the membership sharing their enthusiasm. Up to last Tuesday I am reliably told only 5 Rotarians has provided them with 11 names. Come on members of the RCPJ. Lets put in our best effort to make sure that the CIC project succeeds.

The notice announcing the rejoining of Former PP Battchoo Ratilal and Former PP Harjit Singh has been circulated following the approval of the Board of Directors With their return our membership will be 45. The guest of PE Leong Yeng Kit, Ms Olivia Lim has indicated that she is keen to join the club and a proposal for her membership has been submitted. Please make an effort to get to know her.

On retention only two members were in difficulty with their attendance in July. One of them is working in a company undertaking major restructuring and he has applied for leave. The Board at its last meeting has approved his leave. I am still trying to sort out the attendance of the other member.

The fellowship both at the club level and away from the club with the family was a strong feature of our club in the past. This year President Dr Eric and the Club Administration Committee are working hard on this area of club activities. Hence a Family Weekend and the RCPJ Closed Golf Competition for the PP Ong See Seng Trophy is being organized for 6-8 November 2009 at Cameron Highlands. Once again the response has not been fantastic. The Organising Chairman PP Albert Yong has prepared an interesting program for the outing for the golfers and non-golfers. I hear comments that the golf course in Cameron Highland will not be at its best at that time of the year and that the balls (I mean golf balls) of the good golfers will be plucked. But it is good news for lousy golfers like me that don’t hit the ball very far and the ball usually just run on the grass and hence will not get plucked. Maybe this year one of the not so good golfers will have a chance to be the club champion. So lets all support the event for the fellowship and friendship and not just to win the championship.

The District Governor, Leslie Salehuddin and First Lady Zeila will be Officially visiting our club on the 14th and 15th of this month. The Official Visit is for the District Governor to evaluate the performance of our club and to get to meet and know the members of the club better. I am sure we will pass the evaluation with flying colours. But I am not so sure we can do so well with the second purpose of his visit. I hear members travelling, busy with their job etc., etc. The District Governor only comes to the club once in a Rotary year. Surely we all can make a special effort to be there for his visit. PP Chris Ng is collecting the attendance. Cancel everything else and confirm your (and your spouse) attendance with Chris early so that PP Goh Seng Chuan can finalise the catering. From the list that PP Chris has circulated it looks like those who need to attend most are not there. It is the usual familiar faces whom the Governor already knows very well who have signed up. The program for the visit is on page 6 of this issue of the PeeJay Pos.

The speaker of the day was PP Arthur Yeong from the Rotary Club of Kinta who is also the District Rotaract Chairman. Whilst the topic of his talk was “Youths” he devoted almost the entire session to Rotaract. The message of his address were as follows:

Rotary quote of the day presented by PDG Dato Dr Low Teong:

“A youth without fire is followed by an old age without experience.”
Charles Caleb Colton, British Author & Clergyman, 1780-1832

ATTENDANCE: 20/35 = 57.14%

Monday 14th September 2009

Tuesday 15th September 2009

Attendance Rules for 2009-2010

There are now three attendance rules for this Rotary year

1 – Attendance Competition
2 – 100% Attendance Award
3 – 100% Attendance

Attendance Competition

The club is divided into 4 groups. Attendance Exempt members and those on leave granted by the club and during Ramadan are excluded. The details are as follow:

NOTES 

1. ONLY ATTENDANCE AT THE CLUB REGULAR MEETING OR A MAKE UP AT ANOTHER ROTARY CLUB WILL BE COUNTED FOR THE COMPETITION.
2. THE OBJECT OF THE COMPETITION IS TO ENCOURAGE ATTENDANCE AT REGULAR MEETINGS.
3. THE TWO WINNERS TO BE ENTERTAINED TO A FELLOWSHIP DINNER BY THE 3RD AND 4TH RANKED TEAMS.
4. THE COMPETITION PERIOD IS 1ST AUGUST 2009 TO 30TH JUNE 2010.

100% Attendance Award

This recognition is for club members who achieve 100% attendance of meetings of the Rotary Club of Pealing Jaya or make up at regular meetings of other Rotary clubs or attendance at District Conference & Assembly, Zone Institute, RI Presidential Conference or the Annual Rotary Convention.

Only the attendance of club members from 1 August 2009 to 30 June 2009 will be taken into consideration. 

100% Attendance

This recognition is for club members who achieve 100% attendance of meetings of the Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya or make up at regular meetings of other Rotary clubs or attendance at District Conference & Assembly, Zone Institute, RI Presidential Conferences or the Annual Rotary Convention and Board & committee meeting, Interact & Rotaract meetings, club projects and district meetings.

Food for Thought

MOTHER IN LAW -- when you rearrange the letters -- WOMAN HITLER