PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

As I journeyed with a passion in my quest across the uncertain new terrain, I sort of became a Discoverer by attempting to ask the best possible questions in order to obtain timely information and acquire the right knowledge about the critical elements of the environment.

I realized that:

During this period of Discovery, trusting, deep and rich relationships have been created, built and nurtured; and I drew sustenance from this fabric of human relationships.

It was a period when we came together to share our feelings and vent our emotions – a very valuable learning experience for me – and in that process, created a safe and somewhat cosy haven.

It was also a period when I noted that:

Why is it that actions only follow after disasters? Why can’t actions be taken in anticipation of disasters? I’m referring to the recent ferry tragedy where innocent lives were lost. Is this characteristic of Malaysians? Companies that provide transport services need round the clock monitoring. The managers of these companies must be committed to safety, otherwise they have no business to run such services. To my mind, it is the operators who must display commitment and integrity. No amount of regulations can replace this dedication towards responsibility. They need to employ people well trained and full of pride for their work.

By Harriet Modler 

Rotary International News - 22 October 2007 

Every Rotarian who brings a book to the 2008 RI Convention in Los Angeles will help boost literacy among schoolchildren in surrounding Rotary districts. The global initiative, called Rotary’s Wide World of Books, aims to collect more than 250,000 books in different languages.

The books will be donated to students in grades K-3 attending public elementary schools in the seven hosting Rotary districts, which cover parts of Southern California and Southern Nevada. Students in California rank among the lowest in the nation in reading skills. 

The donated books will form a “book mountain” in the atrium of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Seating will be provided around the display so that convention attendees can read to local schoolchildren.

“It is symbolic that the mountain of books will be built atop the world map in the atrium’s floor design,” says Ingo Werk, chair of the initiative and past governor of District 5280. “[Among students] in Los Angeles Unified School District alone, 97 different languages are spoken.”

Werk urges every attendee to join this historic event by bringing one or several books in the language of their choice. Organizers also hope the initiative will set a record for the world’s largest book drive. A judge from Guinness World Records in London will be on hand to verify the results. 

Since 2000, a number of Southern California clubs have participated in Reading by 9, a multiyear campaign established by the Los Angeles Times that helps students in kindergarten through third grade read at grade level by the age of nine. 

A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day.

A rabbit asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?"

The crow answered: "Sure, why not."

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested.

A fox jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:

To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very high up.