2009-10: PP Peter Chu
“Service Through Fellowship, Fellowship Through Service”
It is almost six months since the beginning of the Rotary year and the tenure of the current Board of Directors.
At the beginning of the Rotary year, upon assuming office as your President, I proposed the following goals:
- A minimum net increase of 6 members, with every member introducing a potential member to the club.
- Increase and enhance fellowship among members through social events and hand-on service in the community, and to engage in international fellowship.
- Increase local community service, sustaining international service and to initiate the mentoring service for vocational service.
- Involvement & Participation by all members by
- Encouraging participation in District events
- Leadership & Succession planning – Every member is a future President
- Participation in Club activities and involvement in Committees – The future of your club is in your hands
- Support continual involvement from PPs
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Education
- Increase our knowledge about Rotary through workshops and training sessions
- And harnessing the resources of RIC
-
The Rotary Foundation
- Paul Harris Fellows – Permanent Fund, Annual Program Fund, Polio Eradication
- Bequest Society Members
- Tax Deductibility – Use it or loose it!
Without stealing the thunder form our directors who have worked hard and supported the club over the last few months, I have the pleasure to summarise as follows:
Our club, with the ground work laid by previous boards and Presidents, is doing well and growing from strength to strength. Membership has grown further from the increase last year to reach 46 active and 8 honorary members thus far. Our club’s goal of reaching 50 active members by the end of June 2010 is well on track. Attendance at weekly meeting averages around 23 for lunch meetings and around 30 for dinner meetings.
Your committees have been enthusiastic too. Over the last few months we had several fellowship events that involved the general membership, both new and existing. We have engaged in several new community based hands-on events including beach cleaning, essay writing competitions, school support projects, and more recently collecting clothes and food and delivering to those in need, while maintaining our scholarship programs and support for existing Hong Kong based institutions.
On the international front we continue to support the various projects in Indonesia, Thailand, and China. We look forward to our fellowship programs with our sister clubs overseas and also a contingent from our club to the RI convention in Montreal next year.
We continue to support the RCHKS – Leprosy project n Sichuan, China through the efforts of members of our club, both on the Board and on the general membership of RCHKS –Handa. We are engaging new projects such as the Shelterbox program.
At the district level, our members have attended various training sessions throughout the year and we look forward to more participation from other members, especially our new ones, as the district ole out the training schedule for the rest of the year. This will be particularly useful for the elected new board members for the next Rotary Year. It is gratifying to note that various senior members of our club have been elected to serve at District level in recognition of their longstanding contribution to Rotary.
We have not neglected the Rotary Foundation, and our members continue to walk the talk by generously contributing to the Paul Harris Foundation. So far this year we have committed at least four Paul Harris Fellow, and completed two Bequest Society Members. Members also supported the EREY program by voting to commit at least US$10.00 per year to the fund, while others have generously donating US$100.00 per month to the PHF program. In these unstable economic times, it is heartening to see that our club membership is looking beyond our individual needs.
On the financial side, we have been frugal in spending our administrative funds. The club is mindful of exerting extra financial obligations on our members, and to this end the club has not increased membership charges or lunch ad diner levies. The service project funds are also faithfully applied with frugality by applying only what funds we have on hand, leaving any funds raised this year for uncommitted projects thus making provision for future service efforts.
Our fund raising activities have maintained its focus on the Club 888 project. The committee is working hard to increase the level of prizes and ticket sales with a target to raise $500,000.00.
Club management has been smooth and our club’s focus is in fostering leadership and implementing and maintaining succession plans for the wellbeing and further growth of our club.
Fellow Rotarians, through your support of the Directors and members of the Board, much has been accomplished, and much have yet to be accomplished, particularly in reviewing our by-laws and improving on the governance of our club.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank you and ask for your continual support and to support the Board in waiting so that we close this year with pride and achievement and continue to lay the foundation for the prosperity of our Club in years to come.
President Peter Chu
Rotary Club Hong Kong South
Rotary Year 2009-2010
