On 1st July 2011, I took on being President of The Rotary Club of Pandan Valley for the Rotary Year 2011/12. On the evening of 2nd July 2011, we had the Installation Dinner at The Tanglin Club, in the august Churchill Rooom. I shared the following thoughts with the some 200 guests at the dinner, Rotarians and their family and friends. I said ...
"Rotary, as I have come to know it through my time in the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley, is a fine fellowship of men and women of substance, pooling together time, talent and resources to do good, making a difference to humanity, locally and globally.
This is my choice of 28 words to describe what Rotary means to me personally. You can find these 28 words among other 28-word selections contributed by all our active Past Presidents featured in our souvenir magazine. Please have a good look when you can.
To be in the midst of the many fine people that make up the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley is, in itself, already, a great privilege.
To be given the opportunity to serve as your President adds great honour to that privilege.
I thank all the members for entrusting me with the leadership of this distinguished club, a club which I believe to be one of the finest of Rotary Clubs in Singapore and District 3310. If you agree, let’s have a rousing applause for that.
I accept the responsibility that comes with it. It is the responsibility to continue the good work, and maintain the happy camaraderie that the club is well-regarded for, over the past 28 years of “Service Above Self”, and by our actions and work, to promote the good 100-over years old name of Rotary.
I would like to acknowledge the 14 other Rotarians who agreed to serve with me in the Board of Directors for the Rotary Year 2011/12. I’d like to introduce them all at the end of my address tonight. The group of 14 includes 7 Past Presidents, whose wise counsel we would do well to tap.
I am heartened and encouraged by their support, so readily given when asked for. Thank You! I know that ours is not a lonely endeavor. This is no one man show, not for the President nor for any of the service directors. Instead, it is the coming together of a wealth of experience, great wisdom and diverse strengths and vocational expertise.
With our combined time, talent and treasures, we can do great things.
In the new Rotary Year, we are called by the President of Rotary International, Kalyan Banerjee, to “Reach Within To Embrace Humanity”.
If you were to “Reach Within” now, and what will we find?
I believe that when we do that, reaching within, we will get in touch with our inner man, our own humanity. We will feel our heart and rediscover in our heart a deep desire to make a difference in the life of others. We will find a great capacity to love our fellow human beings, be they family, friends or friends whom we have not yet met.
We will then find it only natural to willingly dig into our treasure box, tap into our time - despite our already being busy with our life and work, and draw upon our respective talents, all for the purpose of doing good and serving others who make up the beautiful Humanity that we belong to, the Humanity that is the greatest Creation of God!
That is why those of us who are already Rotarians are in Rotary.
That is why some of our guests tonight, I believe, will find their way into Rotary, and put their life into the work of Rotary.
If that’s you, please come have a chat with us. Let’s have a conversation to confirm that we have a good fit. The Rotary Club, 47-members strong right now, is open to taking on a few new members this year, just as we have done in each of the past several years. We will never have enough good people. More hands, and more hearts, will make the great work, LIGHT.
In the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley, we do not need to fear hard work. Firstly, because we are doing only our heart’s work. Secondly, because with so many good people around, everyone needs to do only a little bit, and together we can do really a lot of good.
As a fitting close to my speech, it’s my great pleasure to present to you all the good people who have agreed to serve with me in the Board of Directors for the Rotary Year 2011/12. These are the good people who have agreed to step up to the call to Reach Within To Embrace Humanity, and make a difference to our community and the world we live in, through the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley.
Please allow me to present to you …..
1. Vice President, PP Peter Yap (away)
2. President-Elect, Rtn Tan Wah Yuan
3. Immediate Past President, Michael Loh
4. Hon Secretary, Rtn Anil Changaroth, concurrently Chairman of Club Administration
5. Hon. Treasurer, Rtn Alice Yim
6. Directors, Community Service, PP Choe Peng Sum
7. International Service, PP Jeffrey Seow
8. Membership, PP Dr Richard Guan
9. Public Relations, PP Cynthia Tan
10. Vocational Service, Rtn Elsie Chua, concurrently Chairman of Service Projects
11. Club Service, Rtn Rajamohan Munisamy
12. New Generations Service, Rtn Patrick Cheo
13. Sergeant at Arms I, Rtn Dennis Wee
14. Sergeant at Arms II, PP Pang Boon Seng (away)
Please give them all a BIG HAND!
Thank You!"
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