PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Life begins when we are born. Then we grow; and as we grow, our values are influenced by various factors surrounding us.

To a great extent, these influences are our parents, our siblings, our peers (meaning those whom we spend most of our time with), our teachers and others who exist within our environment.

The stronger the influence, the earlier the moulding. Our mindset is fashioned by the very same forces that had their mindset influenced by their earlier environment. So the cycle continues. Decisions are commonly influenced by surrounding factors that create a mindset. It is based on this mindset that we set on our journey to become adults.

It is during this journey, that we take cognizance of our surroundings. Influenced by our surroundings and our mindset, we start to form opinions and personal views. Our mind is trained to accept and adopt a given set of values. Now we have a mindset and a belief system set for us without our knowing or permission. Our opinions and views have been dictated to us without our knowing. So we can generously conclude that such opinions and views are not really ours!

As we know, an opinion is not necessarily a fact as when an opinion is verified to be a fact, it is no longer an opinion. However, opinions have a very strong influence in our decision making process which was in the first place dictated to us without our knowing.

Our mindset is based on opinions, beliefs, facts and experiences. Do not forget and it must be borne in mind that the mindset was fashioned by the environment that influenced our childhood and formative years. This is a very important phase in our lives.

Next week, I would like to broach on our needs and wants and the factors that may dictate them.

Be seeing you for the First Club Assembly of the 2008-09 Board on Tuesday 6th May 2008 at 5.00 p.m. at Sheraton Subang.

ROTARY SHARES.

Nothing could match the hospitality of the RC Tampin. Over the weekend, the team of Rotarians from the RCPJ was invited to conduct Stage 1 of the CLE in A’ Formosa. It was food, food and more food the moment we arrived in Tampin. On Friday night, we were taken to Gemencheh to a Chinese restaurant that boasts of dishes that cannot be offered in any restaurant. The dishes, from the wilds of the jungles in Gemencheh and to the river, were pre-arranged. And on Saturday evening, fortunately the snakes and the tigers did not appear on the menu, the dinner was a more sober one. But it was plentiful and delicious. Oh yes, that evening was their 47th Anniversary that reminds us that their Club is as old as ours. The Anns were well looked after. The Tampin Rotarians chaperoned them to Malacca. 

The CLE was well conducted. Girija and I took the teachers through 1-1/2 days of the Lighthouse Project by exposing them to the activity-based and text-based lessons. The teachers have a number of problems related to teaching English. Many of them teach as many as five subjects at the primary level. This unfortunately has made them unable to focus in English language teaching and learning. Nevertheless, the principles of the CLE were a welcome change for all of them. They are looking forward to Stage 2.

Born in China on 29th September 1936, young Alfred Tsang Leung Yin emigrated to Malaysia with his father to seek a new life with the hope of a better future. Enrolled at Han Chiang High School in Penang he toiled to earn a place at Nanyang University in Singapore from which he graduated with a science degree. He joined the corporate world and spent years in Cold Storage, Celcure and Woodlander until his untimely death in Hong Kong on 20th April 2008. Alfred died with his boots on, still contributing to the corporate world, the Lodge, and several business, clan and management associations. And of course to Rotary. 

Alfred joined Rotary in 1979 and was an active member of the Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya, serving as President in Rotary Year 1993/94. He was also active at District level, held District positions and attended numerous District Assemblies, Conferences and other district events as well as RI Conferences worldwide.

Alfred leaves behind five significant impressions on those who know him. Collectively these impressions best describe the person he was and the legacy he bequeaths. It is a legacy that truly befits a Rotarian.

First and foremost Alfred possessed abundant love and devotion for those closest to him. His Ann Yoke Kee was his anchor and his three children, Charles, Peter and Theresa were his pride and joy. His was a very closely knit family, in frequent communication with his sons in Singapore and contact with his daughter in Kuala Lumpur. He took enormous satisfaction from their accomplishments as an associate professor and medical specialist at NUS, engineer and global manager and media director and creative artist respectively. I have been privileged to know his family.

Second is Alfred’s observance of the 4-Way Test. Of the things we think, say or do:
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Truth, fairness, goodwill and friendship were the guiding principles governing Alfred’s life. He fought for issues and defended those who had been loyal to him. He remembered good deeds and tried to reciprocate. Alfred was a true Confucian spirit, preaching and doing the right things, even at enormous time, effort and cost to ensure that everything is completed satisfactorily for good order’s sake.

Third is his continuing search for excellence, fuelled by a powerful passion for kaizan. When most people his age would take it easy, Alfred enrolled for an MBA degree a few years ago, committing enormous energy and time to classes and assignments and successfully completed it together with classmates half his age. Because of his Mandarin background he committed himself to mastering English, jotting down new words, phrases and idioms for recall and painstakingly coming to terms with the complexity of the language. The same passion for excellence was applied to everything he did, his family, his work, his relationships and his pursuits.

Fourth is Alfred’s generosity. When many Rotarians are reluctant to be Paul Harris Fellows, Alfred subscribed to PHFs for his whole family, was a Major Donor and Patron of ROTAFOM and had always been the first to contribute to Rotary’s call for support, such as the tsumani and the recent Pahang floods. At anniversaries and dinners for Rotary, the MIM and other organizations he was always the first to take a table, while others were more inclined to book for two. His financial generosity was matched by his generosity of spirit as he devoted time and effort to help others and to contribute to causes he believed in. 

Finally, Alfred was a peoples-oriented man. If not for his strict principles he could have been a good politician as he built a powerful network of friends, associates and contacts from all walks of life. At any function Alfred could be seen mixing and talking to many people from table to table, reaffirming friendships and establishing new contacts. It is no wonder that those who bade farewell to him at his wake came from Rotary, the Lodge, MIM, Cold Storage, Celcure, Woodlander, old boys associations, clan associations, business associations and many more. 

PP Alfred Tsang exemplified what being a Rotarian is all about – he profits most who serves best. In leaving us Alfred has left a memorable and distinctive legacy and these five impressions will hopefully offer an example and a pathway for other Rotarians to pursue their own destiny. Thank you for being among us and may your soul rest in peace Alfred. 

PP Tarcisius Chin
Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya 

1st May 2008

Attendance Make-up events/activities 

The Board at its recent meeting has declared effective immediately the following event/activities of the Club as attendance make-up events & activities namely:

1. Golden Child Project on 8 May 08 at Sunway Lagoon
2. Super Camp (Interactors) from 24-27 May 08 at Trolak

Resulting from the above declaration attendance at any of the above events and activities qualifies as a make-up for absence from a weekly meeting, if it is within two weeks before or after the said weekly meeting. It is nevertheless the duty of an attendee who wishes to claim a make-up to notify the attendance chairman accordingly.

NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS 4 April 2008

ATTENDANCE – NOTICE OF MAKE-UP

For clarification to all members and for ease of reference, the attention of all members is drawn to the provisions of the Club Constitution relating to make-up for non-attendance at weekly meetings of the Club:

"Article VII Section 2 : Notice of Make-up. In the cases set out in sub-section (a)(ii) & (a)(iii) or section (b) of section 1 of this Article, the member shall only be counted as being in attendance if notice of the fact is given by the member personally to the club. In cases set out in sub-paragraphs (a)(i) and (iv), such notice may be given by the member personally or by the secretary of the club visited."

(Section 1 of Article VII sets out the various opportunities for make-up)

INTERPRETATION

1. It is the duty of the absent member to notify the Club (viz. Attendance Chairman or the Secretary). It is NOT the duty of the Attendance Chairman or the Secretary to chase an absent member for make-ups. Notice of make-up should be within the same month of the missed meeting but not later than 15th of the following month. No notice received by the Club means no make-up.

2. To constitute a valid make-up, the notice must contain the (i) name of the event claimed to be a make-up, (ii) date of that event and (iii) the date of the missed weekly meeting. These particulars are to determine whether there is a valid make-up. If either (i) or (ii) is not given, there is no valid makeup. If (iii) is not given, but (i) & (ii) are given, it will be assigned to the missed meeting nearest to the make-up date. The prior practice of the absent member just writing “make-up” in the attendance book will no longer be acceptable. Notice (in writing or verbally) given by an absent member stating MERELY that he has made-up for any missed meeting or for any period of time is not valid notice and hence not a valid make-up.

3. To avoid disputes, the notice must be in writing, which can be by letter or memo (typed or hand written), sent through the post, fax or by eMail or given personally to the Attendance Chairman or Secretary.

4. The 2 week rule applies for make-ups, meaning it is a valid make-up if it is within 2 weeks before or after the missed meeting. If the absent member is out of the country for more than 2 weeks, this rule is waived as long as the make-up is done out of the country and during the absence out of the country.

(Note: An absent member is one who has not physically attended one or more of the club’s weekly meetings.)

By Order of the Board
Liew Shou Kong
Hon. Secretary RCPJ