rossroads President Keith & 1 st Lady Rachel Proud of our Heritage, Committed to our Future

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1 C rossroads Rotary e-bulletin published by Rotary Club of Singapore Proud of our Heritage, Committed to our Future 5 February 2018 Volume 54 Issue No. 28 Chartered 6 th June 1930 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner for Best Bulletin in District 3310 President Keith & 1 st Lady Rachel 1 IN FOCUS The Presidency The First 6 Months By HM PP Raymon Huang 3 LAST WEEK Photo Album of 3 rd Club Assembly on Wed, 31 Jan MARK YOUR DIARY What s ahead? Don t miss the forthcoming events and Birthday / Anniversary celebrants and more

2 In Focus The Presidency The First 6 Months By: Honorary Member (HM) PP Raymon Huang HM PP Raymon Huang As SG s Big Ben at the Victoria Memorial Hall Tower struck its final Dong! at the stroke of midnight, December , and as thousands upon thousands of revellers thronged the Marina Bay area in the Countdown despite the drenching in the steady drizzle another momentous moment was taking place at our Club. Quite unnoticed. No meeting. Unheralded. No celebration. Midnight, December 31, 2017 marked the very end of the very first six months of President Keith Harrison as our Captain. It is customary that a leader s record and performance are put under some scrutiny by the people during the first 6 months, or 100 days, or 1 year. The people in our case is us! Members of the Club. The purpose of this exercise is not to criticize, but to know where we stand. Self-assessment and self-evaluation are always useful they lead to realization and improvement: of pitfalls and involvement and participation. They are beneficial. So I posed President Keith 5 questions. His responses are outlined below summarized where necessary in the interest of space; otherwise his words are in quotes. 1. PP Raymon: As President, you must be upbeat about your leadership. Please describe your feelings. Pres Keith: I am upbeat and I am excited and enjoying the experience. Until assuming the role one does not appreciate how influential one can really be. The enjoyment is something that every Rotarian has, of being a part of a group of people across the world that has the mission of making a difference. Comment: Well said and well put, Sir! 2. R: Problems: Any organization has problems. What were the more significant ones you encountered? Pres: (a) Organizationally, as a Club, it is important to get members buy in for the initiatives on Club affairs; (b) How to modernize our administration and try to get members to use the new tools a challenge we are slowly cracking; (c) On the personal front, the problem of limited time. Comment: Understandable. Please go slow on the oldies who are slow! 3. R: High Points: These too. Please cite a few, so members know. Pres: There have been many high points and he cited quite a handful: 1 C r o s s r o a d s

3 In Focus The Installation Dinner clearly a high point for me. My first Club Meeting as President. Attending other Clubs and Sister Clubs meetings and installations. Being Guest of Honour at many Interact Installations and meetings. The enthusiasm of my Board of Directors. The many Programmes and Projects, both local and overseas, carried out in particular the Eye projects; leadership camps; Friends of Mercy ; Kopi Friends ; the Cauayan and Malang missions; Lagos; the EYA iconic programme; etc. Comment: Touché, Mr President! Quite an array of high points. 4. R: We are usually deemed a Premier Club. There is, however, always room for improvement. What would they be, in your opinion? Pres: Several rooms Yes! 1) Improving the Club s strategy; 2) Attracting new members; 3) To excite better attendances at regular meetings; 4) Moving the administration and finances into the digital age; 5) Consolidating the Trusts to ensure sustainability of funding; 6) Raising the Club s public profile (PR) not for self-glorification, but for greater effectiveness and support. Comment: Indeed! 5. R: The Future: The next 6 months and beyond. Your thoughts, please. Pres: - A crazy travel pattern hectic and demanding with Rotary trips to Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Malaysia, China and Indonesia. - Back home: our Club Major Project helping people with disabilities, my pet project; the Swimarathon; the Succession Plan (Club). - Delivering the agreed strategy of the Club for the next 3 years and beyond. - And not enough time to do everything you want to do, but try, try, and try! Comment: But march on, you will; marching as to.. So there you are, my fellow Club members. The President has spoken. That President Keith has led by example there is no doubt. We have noticed how he has been, still is, in and involved in so many projects despite the demands of his own profession. A good President stands out. And that he did. The job at hand, however, is but half way done. The remaining 6 months of the Presidency will be even more hectic. With many of our programmes and projects needing tidying up and completing. There will indeed be a lot of loose ends to tighten. I am certain that hand in hand with such an enthusiastic Board and so many new young stalwarts who are real doers, the job will be done and dusted come June And all in all, another successful Rotary year for our Club is ensured. But then the kind of work we do in Rotary never ends. Serving Mankind has no real ending. So President Keith: Well done so far. We look forward to greater things and happenings these next 6 months. Your thoughts, so well put, will no doubt be translated into well-executed action. Rest assured, President Keith Rex Harrison, we are all on the same street where you live! 2 C r o s s r o a d s

4 Photo Album of 3 rd Club Assembly on Pres Keith giving his report Pres Keith viewing the proceedings Members listening intently to the reports presented 3 C r o s s r o a d s

5 Presentation of Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) Recognitions on Photos from left: President Keith together with Rtn Suresh Keerthi warmly thanked the donors and presented PHF Recognitions to Dr Akhil Chopra, Mr Mahesh Sivaswamy and Mr Parthiban (each received a PHF+1 pin) Photos from left: President Keith further presented PHF pins to members Rtn Suresh Keerthi (PHF+8), PP Jimmy Ooi (PHF+5), VP James Lee (PHF+4) and CSC Dir See Mee Lee (PHF+4) Introduction of new member from Rotary Satellite Club of Singapore Centennial President Keith called on PP Jimmy Ooi who introduced Rtn Frederick Ee Han Siong, a new member of the Satellite Club. Rtn Frederick is a teacher with Tanjong Katong Girls School. 4 C r o s s r o a d s

6 Mark Your Diary Birthday Celebrants This Meeting Next Meeting There are no Birthday celebrants this week. Anniversary Celebrants 7 February 2018 Reception Desk duty: Peter Koh, Kannan Krishnan Sunshine Box: PP Jimmy Ooi, PE Mark Wang Speaker: Prof Dr Utz Claassen, Syntellix AG Topic: Scientific Start Ups 14 February 2018 Reception Desk duty: Alex Lega, Bharat Mandloi Sunshine Box: PP Dr Yap Lip Kee, Ronald Wong Speaker: Mr John Philip Louis, President, HOPE Worldwide (Singapore) Topic: Hospitals in Cambodia RC sends best wishes to Wedding Anniversary celebrants this week: Atul & Bella Merchant Vocational Service Meeting Vocational Service Committee Meeting will be held as follows: Date: Thursday, 8 February Time: 7.00pm Venue: Raffles Room, The Tanglin Club, 5 Stevens Road Hosts: Rtns Atul Merchant, Dir See Mee Lee, PP Dr Yap Lip Kee, Rtns S Mali Malaiappan, Astha Aggarwal International Service Meeting International Service Committee Meeting will be held as follows: Date: Thursday, 15 February Time: 7.00pm Venue: Moghul Mahal Restaurant, 2 Tessensohn Road #03-01 Khalsa Association S Hosts: PP Tapan Rao, VSC Dir /PN Deepak Nagrani, Dir Rajkumar Perumal Suppiah Coming Rotary Events February Peace and Conflict Prevention/ Resolution Month Feb India Eye Mission 23 Feb World Understanding & Peace Day Dinner at Orchard Hotel March Water and Sanitation Month Mar DISTAS Presidents-Elect Training Seminar, District Training Assembly at Holiday Villa, Johor Bahru 31 Mar Collective Tree-planting April Maternal and Child Health Month Minority Vocational School Mission Visit 7 Apr Rotary Walk for The Rotary Foundation 15 Apr Rotary Charity Run Kuching May Youth Service Month May District Conference June Rotary Fellowship Month June R I Convention, Toronto, Canada 5 C r o s s r o a d s

7 The Four-Way Test Of the things we think, say or do: The Guide to Daily Living Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendship? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Before doing the things we want to do, consider first, the Precepts of the guide. Ask ourselves these 4 questions and act upon them: First: Have I spent some time in self-examination? Second: Have I spent quality time with my family? Third: Have I given my best to my work? Fourth: Have I given some time to someone near and far? The Guide, in fact, encompasses the 4 parts of the Object of Rotary. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2017/2018 President Immediate Past President President Elect Vice President (Club Rotary Foundation) Vice President (Public Relations) Hon. Secretary (Administration) Hon. Treasurer (Finance) Keith Harrison Garry Taylor Mark Wang James Lee Andy Mankiewicz, OBE Deepti Lalchandani Reinhard Klemmer Directors Chair, Community Service Chair, Vocational Service Chair, International Service Chair, New Generations Service Director (Membership) See Mee Lee Deepak Nagrani Dr Rupesh Agrawal Dr Hoh Sek Tien Rajkumar Perumal Suppiah 6 C r o s s r o a d s