PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

The highlight of this week was our District Governor’s visit to our Club. Thank you, Dr Rajindar Singh and the First Lady, Surendra Kaur for coming to see us. We most graciously welcome both of you. We also welcome AG S. Kulasegaran of the Rotary Club of Damansara.

On the 10th of November at 1.00 p.m. we had lunch at Sri Thai with the DG, the First Lady, the AG, our Club’s secretaries, our Treasurer and the PE. It was a friendly and warm atmosphere. To add to the warmth was the spicy Thai food that Rtn Ricky Ying specially selected. After the lunch, it was straight to business. The DG was briefed on matters of the Club.

The DG was particularly interested in the membership of the Club. He noticed that there was a decline of membership from about 60 to the present 43. This year, it picked up with a new lady member and two rejoining members. The DG was impressed by the Club Service’s initiative to increase the membership by 10% this Rotary year. The DG strongly encouraged the Club to contribute towards the Rotary Foundation. He identified some Rotarians who have not contributed to EREY and he also appealed to those to become PHF. The DG promised to look into a matching grant.

The meeting with the Interactors was impressive. The Interactors comprising the 6 Interact Clubs turned up in full force. Properly attired in their elegant uniforms, the Interactors were able to recite Rotary’s 4-Way Test, much to the delight of the DG. Every President of the Interact Club was given an opportunity to talk about his or her Club. The DG remarked that their projects were relevant to the needs of our society and he commended them on their good work. At 4.00 p.m. in the same venue at Sri Thai, the DG and the AG met the Rotaractors. The DG promised the Rotaractors that their teething problem of residency would be resolved. At the moment, there are more than 25 Rotaractors.

The Club Assembly was held at 6.00 p.m. at the residence of PP Goh Seng Chuan and Ann Nancy. It was more than one hour. The Directors were requested to brief the DG on their projects. The Assembly was chaired by the President. The DG was pleased to listen to the many projects that are carried out. A contentious issue about club attendance was raised. It was about the non-compliance of attendance for members who defaulted in the 50% requirement. The DG made it clear that the District had no authority to enforce the ruling of the MOP on attendance. It appears that the jurisdiction would rest on the prerogative of the club with regard to the attendance requirement.

After the heat, a good drink, a great dinner and a friendly and jovial fellowship were needed for the evening. The evening saw the giving away of a memento to the DG to mark his visit and a bouquet of flowers to the First Lady.

On behalf of the Club, I would like to thank the DG and the First Lady for graciously visiting our Club. I must also thank PP Goh Seng Chuan and Ann Nancy for their generous and kind hospitality for offering Rotarians and Anns to make use of their lovely home for the Assembly and the fellowship dinner. And to all Rotarians and Anns, Penny and I thank you for making the DG’s visit a very successful one.

We need to treasure water, a sacred gift from nature. It’s every person’s responsibility to ensure that we don’t abuse or misuse this element of life. Apart from this necessity of life, water has to be clean in order to control diseases.

“According to the United Nations Population Fund, more than half of the world’s population (3.3 billion people) in 2008 will live in urban areas. By 2030, almost 5 billion people will live in urban areas with much of the growth taking place in African and Asian cities. Critical to the health and well-being of these new megacities will be clean water and effective sewage removal. Governments must ensure that expanded, upgraded and innovative sewage removal and treatment systems are in place to meet the population and environmental needs of the 21st century.”

In Malaysia, people are indeed very much short changed with regard to the supply of water to homes. This is more apparent in the Klang Valley where many households need to use filtering equipment to remove the dirt before the water is channeled into the homes. It is also time that the pipes that carry the water need to be replaced. We need to have clean water. It is a human right.

We were indeed honoured to have our DG Dr Rajindar Singh to speak to us this week. After being with us for one whole day and evening, it was time for him to evaluate our Club.

Born in Ipoh but spent his early years in various parts of the country such Alor Star, Bahau, Kula Pilah, Gemas, Tapah and Ipoh. Dr Rajindar obtained his medical degree from India and then went to London to do his postgraduate studies. He was appointed consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in the District Hospital in Teluk Intan. Soon he started his own maternity hospital in Teluk Intan. He served as the Club President of RC Teluk Intan in 1992/93. He is married to PP Surendra Kaur and they have four children – 3 girls and a boy.

The DG gave an evaluation of our Club. In one statement he said, “It is functioning and very effectively.” He would like to see a membership increase. He appealed to the members to attend the 74th District Conference from the 2nd to the 4th of January despite our commitment to our fund-raising project. The DG also talked about The Rotary Foundation that is so important for the survival of Rotary. He urged our members to contribute to the EREY fund. He was indeed impressed with the Interactors.

At the luncheon meeting, he gave away awards and mememtos to PDG Dato’ Dr Low Teong for representing District 3300 at the Taipeh Rotary Institute and to the President.

We had a number of guests at the luncheon meeting. Dr Thomas Knirsche, AG Kulasegaran, Dr Joy and Mr Allan Kam were present.

Take a Cigar daily - You will die 10 years early.
Drink Rum daily - You will die 30 years early.
Love Someone Truly - You will die daily. 

Foolish Man/Wise Man

A foolish man tells a woman to STOP talking, but a wise man tells her that she looks extremely BEAUTIFUL when her LIPS are CLOSED. 

One GOOD way to REDUCE Alcohol consumption

Before Marriage - Drink whenever you are SAD 
After Marriage - Drink whenever you are HAPPY 

Three FASTEST means of Communication

1. Tele-Phone
2. Tele-Vision
3. Tell to Woman
Need still FASTER - Tell her NOT to tell ANYONE.