Bulletin Issue 08 / Aug Inter-City Dinner Meeting on 28 th Aug 2013

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1 Chartered 13 August 1980 Meeting: The Singapore Cricket Club, Every Tuesday 12.45pm RI Calendar / SEPTEMBER: Youth Service month Bulletin Issue 08 / Aug 2013 Singapore kindness Movement Inter-City Dinner Meeting on 28 th Aug 2013 District Governor Chew Ghim Bok had the honour of welcoming RI President Ron D Burton to Singapore so early during his term of office. The event was very elegantly planned for the 300 Rotarians, spouses and guests. This Inter-City event was held at the Pan Pacific Hotel While the RI President Ron was escorted by DG Ghim Bok down the escalator, all Rotary club Presidents lined-up to the Grand Ballroom providing a befitting welcome to RI President Ron and his spouse Jetta. Various Rotary Clubs Presidents line up to welcome our Guest of Honour PDG Philbert Chin welcomed Rotarians and guests to raise a toast to the Republic of Singapore. DGE Andre Suharto proposed a toast to Rotary International and PP Stanley Low proposed a toast to our guests. President Shahul Hameed

2 organising RC Singapore welcomed all PDGs and their spouses from D3310 and Rotarians from other districts. District Governor Chew Ghim Bok gave an enthusiastic speech setting the mood for the evening. For the benefit of all he shared a brief history of Rotary in Singapore. Starting in 1930 with Rotary Club of Singapore, D3310 now has 62 Rotary clubs with 1,800 members. Moreover, there are 29 Rotaract and 135 Interact clubs. Many projects are undertaken within D3310 that spans over Singapore, Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei. Rotary clubs are also actively involved in projects undertaken in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, India, Philippines and Taiwan. Our District Governor closed his speech by pledging a dollar-for-dollar contribution made that evening up to USD 200,000. The ballroom was filled with the resounding applause that followed! While dinner commenced, forms were handed to Rotarians for PHF or Major Donor Contributions to Rotary Foundation. We could see the flurry of activities in-between the appetizer and camera flashes. Soon it was the Guest-of-honour Ron D Burton up on stage choosing to give the rostrum a miss. Using a cordless microphone he strolled across the stage connecting with his audience. He immediately put everyone at ease by sharing his personal experiences with a sense of humor. How he d been very busy since 20 June last year travelling for Rotary. Meeting so many good Rotarians makes it all worthwhile, he said. Rotary International President Ron D Burton delivering a truly inspiring speech Focusing on Rotary International s Theme for this year, he urged Rotarians to apply it to their own experience: Engage Rotary, Change Lives. He elaborated on the importance of member retention by sharing how he decided to leave Rotary within the first year of him joining a Rotary club in 1979 since he felt bored. Its only when he was asked to take on some responsibility did he feel engaged and has come this far.

3 While speaking about fund-raising, RI President Ron D Burton once again displayed his leadership and vision. A key point he made was not to be afraid of success. Before he met the District Governors from around the world to serve RY , he urged each one to contribute any amount to Rotary Foundation. He believed that only if a DG contributes can he encourage the Presidents in his District to contribute. He achieved 100% commitment just by asking his DGs and $676,000 was raised. By the time 2013 Rotary International Convention was held in Lisbon, USD 5million was raised. RI President Ron D Burton used the platform to highlight the importance of Membership Growth and retention. He said, We need more feet, hands and resources. Set that example, we owe that to Rotary. If you engage Rotary, something will happen. What will change the most is YOUR Life. While dinner continued and people were enjoying the delicious meal, Contribution Forms were being collated and handed over the District Governor Chew Ghim Bok. As numbers were tallied live the targeted USD 200,000 was soon crossed and settled at USD 394,000. Rotarians and guests were delighted to hear from the District Governor of Rotary D3310 that he would raise his contribution from USD 200,000 to USD 300,000 together with his good friend PP Teo Pok Zin. An amazing USD 694,000 was raised in one evening! RI President Ron D Burton also presented a certificate or a memento to each Rotarian who pledged to contribute to Rotary Foundation s PHF or Major Donor levels of recognition. Rotary International President Ron D Burton was visibly overcome by emotions as he welcomed a nominee to the prestigious Arch C Klumph Society, DG Chew Ghim Bok. Tokens of Appreciation were presented to the GOH by DG and the host club President Shahul Hameed. RI President Ron & spouse Jetta Burton took their leave at 8.30pm and fellowship continued amongst Rotarians from far and near. A truly memorable evening indeed! RI President Ron D Burton & spouse Jetta with senior Rotarians of District 3310 (Report by Rtn Nidhi Swarup; full article to be featured in District Newsletter)

4 Photos of meeting on 28 Aug 2013 RI President Ron Burton & spouse Jetta being welcomed by local Rotary dignitaries RCRC members in attendance Recognising PHF contributors from RCRC

5 Pan Pacific Hotel Ballroom & an exuberant DG Ghim Bok President s Column PRESIDENT S BLOG 26 AUGUST 2013 Dear Members, I have penned this early as I have an eye operation on Tuesday 27Aug. It's on my right eye, which is my good eye. My left eye has been bad for some time. So I may not be able to see well for the next few days. Certainly I will not be able to read or write. This week we cancelled our weekly club meeting. This was to enable and persuade our members to attend the Inter-City Meeting on Wednesday evening in honour of the short visit of R I President Ron Burton to Singapore. This was a rare privilege for Rotarians in this little red dot. President Ron is in Singapore for only a few hours. Yet he set aside time to meet and speak to all of us. An Inter-City meeting is a gathering of Rotary Clubs for important Rotary occasions. It enables Rotary Clubs who are within driving distance of each other to gather for a time of fellowship and networking. This facilitates the ability to identify areas of need and opportunities for service. District and Rotary International events also have this element. As a rule of thumb, it is often said that 30% of the membership of a Rotary Club should be participating in each of these events. This KPI is hardly ever reached. For the 28 Aug Inter- City meeting, barely 15% of the membership of RCRC, not including spouses, signed up. This is not surprising. Members of clubs with strong fellowship such as RCRC often look to each other and perhaps their sister and friendship clubs for their Rotary experience. They do not see the need to look elsewhere. But we must not forget that when we joined Rotary, we joined an international Movement and not just a club. Our club is one element of a vast global structure that encompasses other Rotary Clubs, our Rotary District as well as other Districts, the different Rotary Zones and at the apex, Rotary International. To fully enjoy the Rotary experience, each of us should try to engage Rotary at all levels. The base level would be the club itself. Participating in Inter-City and District events is a

6 short progression from that. It would be good indeed if more RCRC members avail themselves of forthcoming Rotary opportunities. Among these are the many District events which have been publicised; the Rotary Flag Day in October; the Rotary Fun Fair in Nov/December; the Feb 2014 World Understanding and Peace Day; the 2014 District Assembly in Johor Bahru; the District Conference in Penang, and, of course, the RI convention in Sydney from 1-4 June That together with our club's own projects and activities would make for a truly satisfying Rotary year. Jeffrey Chan President, R C of Raffles City Members Column Please note that IPDG Lee Kong Hwee is from our own district 3310 and not neighbouring district as stated by you in our newsletter. PP Wee Koon San Editor: Thank you for pointing out error. IPDG Kong Hwee was our DG & hails from RC Pontian PP Alfred Shee Past President s group 20 th Anniversary celebration on 16 Aug 2013 Our PP Alfred Shee was President of RCRC in He shared his recent fellow past presidents class of that year when they celebrated their 20 th Anniversary with a trip to Kulai, Johor for fellowship meals, shopping & serious durian feasting. It seems like their party of 18 people consumed 60kg of choice Malaysian durians.

7 Many of our PPs continue the friendship with presidents of other Rotary Clubs in their Rotary Year long after their time of service. Another example of the strong development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service through the Rotary movement. Events Report Visit to Jamiyah Home for the Aged, 31 Aug 2013 The Annual RCRC Hari Raya visit to the Jamiyah Home for the Aged at Tampines was held on Sat 31 Aug RCRC Rotarians and family members were present, together with more than 30 Rotaractors from the Rotary Club of Raffles City and their friends, who included the NUS Silat Group. The Rotarians present were President Jeffrey and First Lady Susan; Tengku Sri Indra, his spouse Jamilah, their daughter and granddaughter ; William and spouse Ruth; CP Siew Joon; Mohit; Vincent; Ron, Aaron; Brian and Steven. More than 130 of the 178 residents of the Home attended the event which was held at the main hall of the Home. The others were either bed ridden or unwell. A programme was put up for the resident featuring silat performances, sing-a-longs and ketupat-making. Speeches were delivered by Tengku to commemorate the occasion and by President Jeffrey who emphasized that in Singapore we delight in celebrating each other s festivals and that we also recognise our Senior Citizens like the Home's residents for the contributions that they have made to our nation's progress. The very enthused residents joined in heartily in the programme and some even went on stage with our Rotarians and Rotaractors to join in the sing-a-long. The event concluded with President Jeffrey distributing "zakats' (ie. monetary gifts) from RCRC to the residents. The zakats for those unable to be present were handed to the Home administrators to be given to them later This yearly visit is one of the highlights of the RCRC Community Service calendar. In his speech to the Rotaractors at the end of the day, President Jeffrey expressed the hope that this project will continue for a long time more.

8 Photos of RCRC visit to Jamiyah Home for the Aged

9 RI / District Announcement Next Rotary International President: The next President of Rotary International is Gary C K Huang of the Rotary Club of Taipei, Taiwan. President Elect Gary is well known to Rotarians in Singapore and in our District and has visited us many times. A Rotarian since 1976, Gary has served as RI vice president, director, Rotary Foundation trustee, district governor, International Assembly training leader, regional session leader, task force member and coordinator, and committee member and chair. Gary was also Convener of the 2000 Hong Kong, 2011 Kuala Lumpur, 2002 Manila, and 2003 Singapore Rotary Institutes. He also served as chair of the 2002 Taipei Presidential Conference and chair of the Council of Past District Governors in Taiwan. In his business life, Gary has served as the chair of Taiwan Sogo Shinkong Security Co., Ltd., Shin Kong Life Real Estate Service Co., and P.S. Insurance Agency, Inc. and director of Federal Corporation and managing director of Taipei Life-Line Association. He is a past president of Malayan Overseas Insurance Co. and charter secretary general of the Council for Industrial and Commercial Development in Taiwan. We in Raffles City look forward to Gary s term of office as R I President. RC Tanglin Dinner Meeting Date: Mon 2 Sep 2013 Time: 7.30pm Venue: Tanglin Club Cost: $25 AG Johnson Tan has passed down dinner invitation from RC Tanglin for support at their forthcoming dinner meeting. Guest speaker is HE Stefan Rozkopal, the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Singapore.

10 Rotary Leadership Institute Seminar & Graduation Date: Sep 2013 Venue: Johor Baru (final venue to be confirmed) Reg fee: RM80 / day event with optional fellowship dinner at RM50 Cheque to RC Kulai The RLI is part of our district Strategic Plan to provide further Rotary knowledge and facilitation skills for Rotarians in our district and also to specifically groom groups of RLI Faculty members as Facilitators for PETs & DTA and other district training seminars. Kindly indicate your attendance soonest possible to PP Joseph Chua jojo1811@streamyx.com and President Brown Pereira browndkm@gmail.com who are the coordinators for Johor and Singapore respectively. Please note that the deadline for registration will be 2nd September, 2013 District Membership Development Seminar (Singapore leg) Date: Sat, 21 st Sep 2013 Venue: Function Hall of Botany Centre, Singapore Botanical Gardens Time: 1.00pm 5.30pm Reg fee: $20 per person URL link: Programme PM Registration PM Welcome Address by Organising Chair, PP Lai Bou Leong PM Opening Speech by District Governor Chew Ghim Bok PM District Membership Statistics and Goals by District Membership Development Chair, PP Tan Kay Hui PM Membership Case Study by Rotary Club of Singapore PM Dispelling Muslim Misunderstandings about Rotary by PDG Haji Zainie Aucasa PM Coffee / Tea Break PM IPDG's Perspectives - A Radical Look at Membership by IPDG Lee Kong Hwee PM Club Merger Case Study by Rotary Club of Serangoon Gardens Orchard PM Q&A and Open Discussion with Panelists PM Closing Remarks by District Governor Chew Ghim Bok

11 Joint RI District 3310 & 3300 Seeing Eye to Eye Seminar & Free Medical Screening, Date: 11th 13 th October, 2013 Venue: Bayu Marina Resort, Johor Bahru Host Club: RC Pasir Gudang Refer to link for registration details: p=vah&safe=1&zw&saduie=ag9b_p- AFDuYP4reVmihGnIKYifx&sadet= &sads=qg gh8d4abwvh5wtdurbaczq1i District Vocational Service Seminar in Singapore Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 Time: Reg from 11.30am, Seminar 1.00pm-5.30pm, Fellowship 5.30pm-6.00pm Venue: NUSS Kent Ridge Guild House Host Club: RC Pandan Valley Cost: $45 per person before 30 Sep 2013, $50 after 30 Sep 2013 The signature feature of the seminar is the two panel discussions moderated by PDG Dr. Philbert Chin. Refer to link for program details: Club Announcements (in Sep 2013) RCRC Hari Raya Fellowship Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2013 Time: 6.45pm Venue: Sari Ratu Restaurant (Authentic Indonesian Padang Food) 20 Pahang Street (Off Jalan Sultan) Singapore Tel:

12 Board of Directors Meeting Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2013 Time: 7:30 PM Dinner / 8:30 Meeting Venue: Percy Jeyapal s Residence at 32 Jalan Peradun -Seletar Hills Estate (CTE Exit Yio Chu Kang Rd.or TPE Exit Jalan Kayu and come by Seletar Road - Left to Jalan Joran Park along Joran walk to Jalan Peradun.) TEL / The meeting will be preceded by a sumptuous roti prata dinner hosted by PP Percy Jeyapal; all Board members and spouses are invited. Lunch Meeting on Tues 3 Sep 2013 Speaker: Mr Ku Swee Yong on Singapore Residential Market: Will there be a Crash? Our speaker is the CEO, International Property Advisor Pte Ltd. in Singapore. He was also the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Savills Singapore and the General Manager at Far East Organization s Indonesia office. He is regularly frequently interviewed by Media Corp and SPH for his opinion and views on Property matters/issues (featured in the Straits Times, Business Times, ZaoBao, Channel News Asia, Radio 938Live, etc.) His books on Singapore s property market, titled Real Estate Riches and Building Your Real Estate Riches, are both Sunday Times Bestsellers For the lunch, the SCC will, at the request of our members, be presenting one of its all time favourites: Indian mee goreng with mutton. This is of course in addition to other dishes such as grilled chicken salad, Caesars salad, salmon, mixed vegetables and vegetable curry. There will be the usual array of desserts. Community Service Committee Meeting (postponed) Date: Tues 10 Sep 2013 Time: 7.00pm Venue: Residence of Dr Chin Koy Rochalie Drive Lunch Meeting on Tues, 17 Sep 2013 Speaker: Chua Ser Lee, Youth Activist, to speak on "Gen iy"

13 Chua Seng Lee has been volunteering actively and inspiring numerous youths by giving talks, providing counseling and leadership in various projects both locally and internationally since He has served as a Council Member of the 9th and 10th National Youth Council (NYC), the national co-coordinating body for youth affairs in Singapore and actively promotes overseas youth exchanges, mentorship, youth development and the youth voice. In 2008, he was appointed as Chairman, National Youth Mentoring Steering Committee, by NYC, to roll out the test bed and pilot phases of the mentoring plan. The plan is completed in A formal report would be published for public learning. Currently he is the program director of Bethesda Care and Counseling Services Centre. He has also authored a book on "My Voice: Overcoming" to highlight the state of depression in Singapore. Rotary Club of Makati North event: Le Cabaret Our sister Club, the Rotary Club of Makati North, is organising a fund-raising event entitled Le Cabaret on 14 Sep 2013 at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati, Manila. This is for their project Feed a Child, Build a Nation. About 19 of our members & spouse members will be attending this event. Pres Jeffrey & First Lady Susan will lead our RCRC delegation. The amount donated by our club is already nearing 200,000 Philippine pesos. This is before topping up by the Club. In addition, some other members who are not going have also donated generously to this cause. There is still time for those who would like to attend this fund-raiser to join in. Please let PP David Ong (our Philippine country specialist) and Rtn Luis Coronado (our International Service Director) know if you would like to join in. Venue change for lunch meeting Tues, 24 Sep 2013 For 24 Sept, the venue of our meeting will not be at the SCC but at the 1819 Jayleen Hotel at 42 Carpenter Street. The time remains the same but the cost for that lunch will be $15 per person payable upon entry directly to the hotel. Please note venue for other Tues lunch meetings on 3, 10, 17 Sep remains unchanged at SCC

14 Oktoberfest & Rotary Fund Raising event Date: Thurs, 26 Sep 2013 Time: 7.30pm onwards Venue: Brotzeit at Somerset An endeavour initiated by RC Queenstown & suggested to members by Rtn Luis Coronado. The owners (one of whom is a Rotarian) of the pub restaurant have offered to support fellowship cum fund raising event. All proceeds received during the dinner & drinks will be donated to the a scholarship fund to support Ms Lam Wan Yee. She is a promising young Singaporean student with an outstanding academic track record & wish to take up the Master study of Science in Environmental Engineering with specialization in Urban Water Management & Ecological Systems Design & Waste Management at the renowned Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. More details forthcoming on cost & associated information. Installation Banquet of RC KL Di-Raja Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 Venue: Shangri-La Hotel, KL Our sister club will be having their 86 th Installation Banquet. They have extended an official invitation for RCRC members to join in their dinner celebration. Confirmation of attendance to Director Luis Coronado / Pres Jeffrey Chan Club Announcements (beyond Sep 2013) RCRC Events to note SEPTEMBER: Sun 1 Sep RCRC Hari Raya Fellowship at Sari Ratu Restaurant Mon 2 Sep Board of Directors Meeting, roti prata dinner at residence of PP Percy Jeyapal Tue. 3 Sep Speaker, Mr Ku Swee Yong -Singapore Residential Property Market update Sat 14 Sep Le Cabaret- RC Makati North event in Manila, Philippines Tues 17 Sep Speaker, Mr Chua Seng Lee Youth Engagement- Gen iy

15 Tue. 24 Sep Speaker, Mr James Soh, Chief Executive National Youth Achievement Award Council speaking on "National Youth Achievement Awards" Sun 29 Sep th Installation Banquet of RC KL Di-Raja in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia OCTOBER: Tues 8 Oct Speaker, Mr Barry Desker, Dean of the Rajaratnam School of International Studies speaks on "Non-traditional security: Food and Energy" Sat 12 Oct: Joint Districts 3300 & 3310 Seeing Eye to Eye Seminar ; Bayu Marina Resort; Johor Baru, Malaysia Tues 15 Oct, No lunch meeting due to Hari Raya Haji, public holiday Sat 19 Oct: Rotary Flag. In aid of the Foundation of Rotary Clubs of Singapore. This is a club bonding event, a fund raiser and also an effort to create public awareness of Rotary in Singapore. PP Eugene will provide further details. Please volunteer to help out. Tues 22 Oct Speaker, VP Thomas Graf: speaking on "Development of Private Banking in Singapore" Sat 26 Oct : District Vocational Service Seminar (Singapore leg) Tue 29 Oct Speaker, Mr Harry -Hakusi Kesata -BEEN THERE- DONE THAT. NOVEMBER Tues 5 Nov Speaker, COL Lyndon Buckingham speaking on "The Salvation Army in Singapore" DECEMBER: 6-8 Dec: Taipei Rotary Zone Institute, Taipei Grand Hotel, Taipei, Republic of China (register online)

16 Month Next Week: 3 Sep 2013 Desk Duty Jimmy Daruwalla (Team Leader) 10 Sep 2013 Billy Lee 17 Sep 2013 David Lee Fong Lit 24 Sep 2013 David Lee Kay Tuan Members Celebrations in September Birthdays Wedding Anniversaries 4 th Wee Koon San 7 th Steven Teng 21 st Percy Jeyapal 11 th Chin Koy Nam 24 th Tengku Sri Indra 25 th Vincent Chen 28 th Alfred Ong

17 Before We End SEPTEMBER: YOUTH MONTH (Contributed by PP Ron Pereira) End of Bulletin