2019-20 District Governor’s Message

Dear Fellow Rotarians, 

It is truly my great honour and privilege for being appointed to succeed as District Governor of Rotary International District 3450 in the year of 2019-20. The excellence of the Immediate Past District Governor, Dr YC HO, and his team of elite leaders in driving the District forward with flying colours in the past year really deserves a big applause from all of us! 

For this District Installation, we are indeed grateful for the kind attendance of the Secretary for Food and Health, the Honourable Professor CHAN Siu Chee, Sophia, JP to offer us such a great spiritual support! The proceedings to be followed will mark the official commencement of the new term of leadership in District 3450. To all the incoming dedicated Advisors, Assistant Governors, District Officers and Presidents, may I present my warmest congratulations and heartfelt appreciation for your commitment to your respective advisory or leading roles. All of you would be relied upon to join hands in steering District 3450 to new horizons! 

‘Rotary Connects The World‘ is the Rotary Presidential Theme in 2019-20. As elaborated by Rotary International President Mark Maloney, it actually stemmed from the incredible networks, friendships, and professional links that have been evolving since the Rotary inception back in 1905. All Rotarians are encouraged to strengthen the many ways that Rotary Connects the World, building connections that enable joint talents, joint effort and generosity from various sectors for providing meaningful Rotary services. The enormous wealth of professionals and talents being connected together through the Rotary membership over the years has constituted a very strong force to change the world and lives in communities for good by helping those needed people.

The Rotary motto of 4-Way Test, as reminded in the Installation Programme Book, readily comes to mind as the most valid principles in the pursuit of the new Rotary theme. The goals of all the actions to be taken aim to help making a better world through assistance to those needed people. With due regard to Truthfulness, Fairness, Goodwill and Better Friendships, and Beneficial to All, our endeavours for Rotary work would surely bear fruits!

To guide us in our work, Rotary International President Maloney emphasizes, amongst others, on the need to grow Rotary. By growth, we shall focus on the impact of our projects and most importantly to grow our membership so as to achieve more. Membership growth should be complemented with proper member engagement that could bring in new members, not just for replacing the lost ones. 

It may be necessary to adapt certain conventional approach so as to create new membership models and open new paths to Rotary membership. The past decade saw an encouraging membership growth in District 3450. It is great that the Rotarians in our District have now exceeded 2,600 while the number of Rotary Clubs has crossed the 100 mark! The dedication of all the Rotary leadership and individual Rotarians in the period for laying such significant milestones deserves another round of big applause!

This year, Rotary International simplifies the grouping of suggested goals of Rotary work into two, namely ‘Unite People’ and ‘Take Action’. In other words, we would endeavour to link up individual effort and resources, and then put plans in action for the goals accomplishment. Our success depends on the devotion and application of every individual and entity behind that execute the action plans. It is my firm belief that the key to our success lies with the harmony amongst the Rotarians and parties involved. Working in harmony and maintaining cohesion within the District would enable us to sail through difficulties and hard time easier thereby heightening the spirit, efficiency and effectiveness in delivering our services.

I am truly fortunate and honoured to be able to inherit the impressive success of all the Past District Governors of District 3450. I take pride in shouldering the challenges of steering the Rotary development and work of the District in this new term. During the recent Rotary International Conference in Hamburg, I picked up a wisdom that ‘the Greatest Leaders make others Greater than themselves’. May I therefore appeal to all District leaders and Rotarians for your continued dedication and energy for accomplishing your Rotary goals for the benefit of District 3450! Any advice or guidance from you would be food for fulfilling my functions. It would be appreciative if you would continue to excel yourselves in the Rotary spirit in the months ahead!

Let’s CONNECT ourselves in harmony, and work closely together to materialize services of impact that would be beneficial to those who need help in the communities in not only District 3450 but elsewhere as well! 

Yours in Rotary, 

Wilson Cheng 

District Governor
Rotary International
District 3450
Rotary Year 2019-20