ROTARY OF PERTH PRESIDENT UPDATE - 21ST AUGUST 2018
Some thoughts from my recent visit to another Rotary Club...
While visiting Singapore for a family event (mum-in-law’s 80th), I took the opportunity to visit the Rotary Club of Singapore to renew old friendships and build new ones. During the lunch meeting, we reaffirmed our Sister Club status. What does that mean? Very simply, we’re saying that we will look for opportunities to build greater friendship between members of both clubs and to support each other in projects where possible.
(From left: RCS President Mark, ROP President Wesley & RCS ISC Director Dr Chan Siew Luen)
Some thoughts from my recent visit to another Rotary Club...
While visiting Singapore for a family event (mum-in-law’s 80th), I took the opportunity to visit the Rotary Club of Singapore to renew old friendships and build new ones. During the lunch meeting, we reaffirmed our Sister Club status. What does that mean? Very simply, we’re saying that we will look for opportunities to build greater friendship between members of both clubs and to support each other in projects where possible.
(From left: RCS President Mark, ROP President Wesley & RCS ISC Director Dr Chan Siew Luen)
The Singapore club is very similar to the Rotary Club of Perth. The only difference I could see was that they had twice as many members and everyone (plus family) attends the changeover! Otherwise, in terms of quantity and diversity of projects, membership issues, attendance at meetings, etc.…, we’re almost identical. Interestingly, there were as many overseas visitors as there were members at lunch; and the guest speaker was a familiar PDG Danny Low, from Sydney, who has attended many of our lunches because his son lives in Perth.
I did feel a little disappointed initially by a small matter brought up by the Singapore club. A few months back, I had forwarded a request for help with organising a meeting room for a group of Rotarians visiting from Perth. The Rotarians in Singapore were prepared to help. However, about a month before the event, communications went dead from the WA end and nothing else was heard. This left the Singaporeans wondering what went wrong. I believe that if we are to fulfil our goal of building goodwill and friendships (ref: “4-Way Test”), keeping our friends informed of what’s happening is not just courteous but important. I shall have to follow this up with them later but decided for now that this was a good reminder for us all to RSVP promptly whenever our programs committee put together any event, even if the answer is “no”, and not leave them wondering.
After that initial setback, a couple of exciting events too place that afternoon over lunch. A doctor who treated a Perth patient directed his patient to make a $3,000 donation to Rotary in WA instead of charging his usual fee. The patient was already home in Perth but had no idea where to start. By divine intervention, I was at the right place at the right time. I was looking to the next table where Dr Yap Lip Kee was sitting. We greeted each other with a smile and then he asked, “Would Rotary Club of Perth accept a small donation towards any of your projects?” The patient's family has since been in contact with Kirstin.
With an over-endowment of medical professionals in their club (and their affiliated Rotaract Club), Director for International Service, Dr Chan Siew Lun, stood up and reported to their members that they’re looking for projects in Cambodia in the area of health. So I introduced him to the Nokor-Tep Hospital for Women in Cambodia that Rotary Club of Perth has sponsored. Let’s see if we can get a Global Grant from Rotary International for this.
Right through lunch, I was constantly tapped on the shoulder and greeted by different members coming over to say hello. It made me feel very welcome. I kept wondering if visitors to Perth felt the same. Although the attendance at lunch was small, I came away from the meeting with a good feeling that I have just witnessed “Join Leaders, exchange ideas, take action” in motion.
Yours in Rotary,
Wesley Sim- President - Rotary of Perth 2018/2019
I did feel a little disappointed initially by a small matter brought up by the Singapore club. A few months back, I had forwarded a request for help with organising a meeting room for a group of Rotarians visiting from Perth. The Rotarians in Singapore were prepared to help. However, about a month before the event, communications went dead from the WA end and nothing else was heard. This left the Singaporeans wondering what went wrong. I believe that if we are to fulfil our goal of building goodwill and friendships (ref: “4-Way Test”), keeping our friends informed of what’s happening is not just courteous but important. I shall have to follow this up with them later but decided for now that this was a good reminder for us all to RSVP promptly whenever our programs committee put together any event, even if the answer is “no”, and not leave them wondering.After that initial setback, a couple of exciting events too place that afternoon over lunch. A doctor who treated a Perth patient directed his patient to make a $3,000 donation to Rotary in WA instead of charging his usual fee. The patient was already home in Perth but had no idea where to start. By divine intervention, I was at the right place at the right time. I was looking to the next table where Dr Yap Lip Kee was sitting. We greeted each other with a smile and then he asked, “Would Rotary Club of Perth accept a small donation towards any of your projects?” The patient's family has since been in contact with Kirstin.
With an over-endowment of medical professionals in their club (and their affiliated Rotaract Club), Director for International Service, Dr Chan Siew Lun, stood up and reported to their members that they’re looking for projects in Cambodia in the area of health. So I introduced him to the Nokor-Tep Hospital for Women in Cambodia that Rotary Club of Perth has sponsored. Let’s see if we can get a Global Grant from Rotary International for this.
Right through lunch, I was constantly tapped on the shoulder and greeted by different members coming over to say hello. It made me feel very welcome. I kept wondering if visitors to Perth felt the same. Although the attendance at lunch was small, I came away from the meeting with a good feeling that I have just witnessed “Join Leaders, exchange ideas, take action” in motion.
Yours in Rotary,
Wesley Sim- President - Rotary of Perth 2018/2019