PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

The Interactors are a very independent lot. They like to do things on their own. Their ideas reflect their values of their time. These could be seen in the way they handle their club projects, the Charity Concert and the SuperCamp. Indeed, they care for their schools and the community. Quite a number of projects within their schools are identified with helping their less advantaged schoolmates, maintaining and improving the facilities in the school premises. They also care for the community in visiting children and old folks’ homes. They bring food and cheer to these children and adults. These actions fulfil one of the 8 goals of Interact and that is ‘To encourage and practise thoughtfulness of and helpfulness to others.’

What is more discerning in their behaviour is seen in the Charity Concert when they display their talents in dancing and singing. They have a strong desire to dance and sing, regardless of gender. They feel proud too in their dresses designed by themselves. However, the dances and songs are mostly in line with western music just like in the programme MTV. Whatever said and done, it is a great time when they very much look forward to.

The annual SuperCamp is seen as an opportunity for them to develop leadership skills. The Interactors take this time to fellowship. It is without doubt that they have a healthy interest in the opposite gender. They spend hours, even foregoing their sleep, to talk and talk right into the night. It is a trend today among young people to engage in ‘small talk.’

Rotarian advisers are very experienced and they know their roles. They only advise the Interactors. This stand is to allow them to develop as young people so that they can think on their own. The 6 Interact Clubs in Petaling Jaya are the pride of the Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya.

The District Governor’s visit to our Club is the highlight of the week. The purpose of his visit is to evaluate our Club in terms of projects and matters related to the District. It falls on the 14th of September when he meets our Club’s officers, Interactors and Rotaractors. The 2nd Club Assembly will be scheduled in the evening, followed by a fellowship dinner. On the next day, the Governor will address our Club at the luncheon meeting. I would like all Rotarians to respond positively to the DG’s visit as it is a matter of courtesy and respect. The First Lady Ziela will also grace our function in the evening.

Thank you, Rotarians.

The comments made by Rtn KO about the Rotary Foundation Seminar during our weekly meeting on Tuesday 15 September 2009 is worth commenting on. Basically KO commented on three issues:

1. Some of the presenters were not well prepared and their facts were not up to date

2. The Seminar could have been completed in half a day

3. The jokes presented were excessive and not in good taste for an event like the District Rotary Foundation Seminar.

The President concurred with what he said. I was not at the Seminar but heard quite an earful about it from other sources.

The District Membership Seminar and District Rotary Foundation Seminar are events every District Governor has organized from as long as I can remember. They are certainly important activities of the district as it is important for Rotarians to be knowledgeable about membership and the Rotary Foundation. The Membership Seminar was rated as very useful by KO and many of us present would agree with him.

The sole purposes of district seminars are to provide information to the Rotarians attending. Hence they need to be informative (with up to date information) and accurate. The information provided must be in accordance with RI and TRF. Fortunately or unfortunately (not sure which) these seminars are now becoming number games. Every organizer wants to set “records” of attendance and in order to achieve this embark on extensive promotions. Club Presidents respond by persuading the club members to attend. Whilst many attend just to pacify the persuasion, there are others who do take these seminars seriously and attend to learn something. This is when they get disappointed.

Many district officers lobby to be presenters at these district seminars and other training events in the district like the Assistant Governors Training Seminar, Pre-PETS 1 and PrePETs2, Group Discussion Leaders Training seminar and the District Assembly. Whilst the majority put in a lot of effort to prepare good Modules for their presentations, I am sad to say there are some who do not bother. There was an occasion I gave a past Module to one of the presenters as a guide to prepare his Module. He not only did nothing to improve the Module. He did not even change the name to his own. He only realized it when it was being presented. There was another occasion when a presenter had his Module in Words and was annoyed when he could not project the Module.

Apart from not preparing their presentation we also have the problem of presenters preaching their own views on the topic they are covering. It must be a rule that all presentations must reflect the official stand of RI and TRF. This will avoid confusing the newer Rotarians and those who are not so knowledgeable.

As to the cracking of jokes during such important and serious events I have tried to get some consensus from the many professional trainers I know. The general view is maybe one at the start to break the ice, one sometime in the middle when participants are loosing interest and maybe one at the end to round up the day. But they all stress it must be related to the event, the subject matter or on a topical subject. Crude jokes are a no-no to all of them. 

We had two speakers today, AG Farouk Nurish and PDG Dato Dr Low Teong. AG Farouk was on his official visit to our club in preparation for the Governor’s Official Visit next week. He had very little to comment on the preparation for the visit as our club is well ahead in all the areas that other clubs need action-like TRF contribution and EREY, membership and polio plus contribution. He did request for support for the forthcoming District Conference and Assembly.

PDG Dato Dr Low Teong explained on the purpose of the Governor’s official visit, the program for the visit, the preparation and documentation. The Governor is the RI Officer of the district and the visit is to evaluate the status of the club and its performance for the rest of the year. Hopefully the highlight of his visit next week is the re-admission of our two former Past Presidents.

PDG also suggest that we do not discuss our club problems in his presence and seek solutions from him. This is because the Governor will not get involved in club politics. If any member is unhappy with anything the proper place for it to be brought up to the Governor is during his meeting with the President, PE, Secretary and Treasurer. However clarifications and comments on district matters can be raised during the club assembly.

Rotary quote of the day presented by Rtn Ryan Ho:

“The days of our youth truly are days of our glory – but through Rotary’s youth programs those days become the glory of all of Rotary.”
Rotary International President John Kenny

ATTENDANCE: 21/34 = 61.76%

1. All members of the Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya must pay for their lunch when they attend the weekly meeting irrespective of whether they take the lunch or not.
2. All Rotarians must pay for the lunch of their guests, including non-members involved in club projects. Only potential members and guest speakers (and their accompanying guest) will be exempted.
3. The President has expressed concern that some Rotarians who have confirmed attendance at Committee meetings have either fail to turn up or cancel their attendance on the day of the meeting. Such actions will only discourage members from hosting meetings.

Kalyan Banerjee is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International in 2011-12

Kalyan Banerjee, a member of the Rotary Club of Vapi, Gujarat, India, since 1972, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International in 2011-12. Banerjee will become the president-nominee on 1 October if there are no challenging candidates. 

Banerjee said he would like to see Rotary "blossom from being the world's most recognized service organization to being the most important NGO [non-governmental organization] in the world. 

"Rotary, it is said, has the strength of a government and the tenderness of a parent," he added. 

Banerjee is a director of United Phosphorus Limited, the largest agrochemical manufacturer in India, and the chair of United Phosphorus (Bangladesh) Limited. He is a member of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society, a past president of Vapi Industries Association, and former chair of the Gujarat chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry. He earned a degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, in 1964. 

Banerjee has served Rotary as a director, Rotary Foundation trustee, committee and task force chair, International Assembly group discussion leader, president's representative, and district governor. 

The chair of the Southeast Asia Regional PolioPlus Committee, Banerjee has served as a member of the International PolioPlus Committee for many years and has attended international meetings with the World Health Organization and UNICEF in that capacity. 

Banerjee is a Major Donor, Benefactor, and Bequest Society member, and has been awarded the Foundation's Citation for Meritorious Service and its Distinguished Service Award. 

Banerjee also serves as a trustee of Rotary club-sponsored trusts that support many educational and community development programs in India, including a 250-bed hospital. 

He noted that Rotary's strengths include its ability to attract leaders from different vocations around the world, as well as its role in promoting peace. "Rotary needs to become the preferred organization for today's generation to join and participate in, to make the world better and safer and happier," he said. 

Banerjee's wife, Binota, is a social worker and Inner Wheel club member. The couple have two children and four grandchildren.