Category: News

District Rotary Foundation Committee 2020 – 21 Update

Created on 22 January 2021 Monteserrat

I just read a message from Foundation Trustee Chair PRIP K.R. Ravindran in December Rotary Magazine and I would like to share it with you.

“HUMANKIND IS OUR BUSINESS“

On a foggy Christmas Eve in Victorian London, the old miser sits at his desk. Bitter and disillusioned with the world, Ebenezer Scrooge has only one interest: his bottom line. He declines his nephew’s invitation to Christmas dinner, refused to support the poor and deprived, and reluctantly grants his underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit, time off for Christmas Day.

After he arrived home, strange things begin to happen. Jacob Marley, his deceased business partner, appears as a ghost tethered to a chain, telling Scrooge to change his self-centered ways, lest he meet the same fate. That is the premise of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ classic tale of a man’s transformation from hardened recluse to generous humanitarian.

To me, it offers valuable lessons for all, regardless of belief or time of year. In one of my favorite passages, a spirit magically transports Scrooge to the Cratchit household. There, he sees his clerk from a new vantage point, observing a humble but heartfelt holiday gathering. Scrooge then understands that gifts like friendship, family, and gratitude can’t be recorded into any ledger. By the end of the story, Scrooge has learned the most important lesson of all: that as long as we are still alive, it’s not too late to devote ourselves to serving humankind.

The year-end holidays are upon us. It is a time of giving and sharing, but it is not limited to our loved ones. It is also for the people we have never met and will never see, for those who are not so fortunate as we and could use a helping hand. The miracle of giving that Scrooge discovered on Christmas Eve is exactly what The Rotary Foundation does 365 days a year. Our Foundation serves simultaneously as charity and performer in the field; Rotarians are on the ground, volunteering their skills and business expertise in support of grants that are funded by you. In this way, we carry out some of Rotary’s most important work, such as projecting mothers and their babies and helping communities recover from the shocks of COVID-19.

Please remember The Rotary Foundation during this season of generosity. Remember that your gifts to the Foundation amplify our work in all areas of focus. They are perpetuated, not just today but long after we are gone. And the Foundation will continue to work its miracles in service to others tomorrow as long as we keep supporting it today. On behalf of The Rotary Foundation Trustee, I thank you for sending your generous contribution before 31 December.

K.R. RAVINDRAN, Foundation Trustee Chair

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Now we can see why we have been telling the Rotarians keep making contributions of all kinds to support The Rotary Foundation all year round. Your generous contributions to The Rotary Foundation will definitely help people in need in your community and in other parts of the World. Although it is a tough time worldwide with the Global COVID-19 pandemic, we are still striving to succeed some nice reports in our District.

Up to November, we have 10 clubs achieved with 100% PHF Club status including RC Kowloon Central, RC Mandarin HK, RC Queensway, E-Club Tamar, RC Golden Bauhinia HK, RC Penha Macao, RC Causeway Bay, RC Happy Valley, E-Club Lantau, and RC Amizade Macao.

We have also made a new record on achieving 310 new PHFs, and a new record on achieving 8 new Benefactors.

End of November, our Annual Fund is US$388,746.65, Other Fund is US$164,335.50, Endowment Fund is US$11,000.00, Totally US$564,082.15.

by PDG Jones Wong

Relocation of Mail Server for District email system

Created on 20 October 2020 Monteserrat

Our new email system is cloud-based and runs under GMail as *.ric3450.org. We switched to this several years ago as our RIC emails were so large at over 25Gb per year.

However, the old system is still active and costing our sponsor an unnecessary amount of money to maintain about 200 email accounts. Individually they are not too expensive but many are redundant, forgotten, or underused.

Our solution is to move them to a new server and offer limited space and mail forwarding services. By moving them we will relieve our sponsor of this burden, reduce our reliance on an outsourced server, remove the obsolete accounts and still be able to offer timely and realistic service for those who need it. For example, we intend to offer the service if needed to our Rotaractors FOC, whereas Rotarians may need to be made aware of the costs. Others are on a case by case basis.

Users can expect an email release this week to advise the account holders that they need to let us know their intentions and the possibility of data loss should they keep all their data on the server. It is not possible to transfer the data. This would be a huge security risk if it were possible.

Interestingly enough, as this affects all accounts under *@rotary3450.org
dg@rotary3450.org is one such account.

Once relocated service should proceed as normal.

David Shelton-Smith

D3450 IT Committee

Vice-Chair 2020 – 21

Rotary Opens Membership Opportunities Forum

Created on 31 July 2020 Monteserrat

Rotary Opens Membership Opportunities Forum

Rise to the Challenge, Opening Opportunities

August 22, 2020 2:00pm – 5:30pm
Opening Session on Youtube
Breakout Sessions on Zoom
Registration: Completed

This forum brings together proven membership practices and resources that Club Presidents and Membership Chairs can put into actual practice in our clubs. It is an afternoon of presentations and breakout sessions.

Who should be at the Forum? District Leaders, Assistant Governors & Deputy Assistant Governors, Club Presidents, Club Membership Chairs, Rotarians & Rotaractors, and Potential Rotarians!

Programme

2:00pm – 3:00pm Opening Session

Welcoming Remarks by Forum Chair PP Amy Leung
Opening Remarks by DG Eric Chak
Power Talk by RI President Holger Knaack
Breakthrough & Leapfrog in your 30s by Guest Speaker Cara Steenstra
Rise to the Challenge, Opening Opportunities by PDG Kenneth Wong & PDG H.W. Fung

Breakthrough & Leapfrog in your 30s by Guest Speaker Cara Steenstra

Our guest speaker, Cara Steenstra, an experienced performance coach, will share with the audience her insights in the journey through career and life transitions when you are in your 30. This is indeed a presentation suitable for all ages – If you are in your 30s, find out what may give you a leapfrog in your life and your career. If you are, however, beyond 30s, join Cara to see how you can coach someone to live his/her life to its fullest. Cara Steenstra is an experienced performance coach focusing on coaching talents to reach their ...

3:15pm – 4:15pm Breakout Sessions – Round 1

– Breakout Sessions 1 to 3 (Chinese)
– Breakout Sessions 4 to 6 (English)

4:30pm – 5:30pm Breakout Sessions – Round 2

– Breakout Sessions 1 to 3 (English)
– Breakout Sessions 4 to 6 (Chinese)

Breakout Sessions

1: How to grow membership organically?

3:15pm – 4:15pm _Chinese 4:30pm – 5:30pm _English
Let’s learn about effective practices to retain and recruit members

Convenor: DGE Keith Chow,
Panelist: PP Michael Chan & PAG Munkhjargal Ayurzana

2: Satellite Clubs – Myths & Success Stories

3:15pm – 4:15pm _Chinese, 4:30pm – 5:30pm _English
Let’s see how Satellite Clubs can open opportunities for both the Host Club and the Satellite Club Members!

Convenor: PDG H.W. Fung
Panelists: AG Anna Or, P Candy Cheung, Chairman Terence Lau

3: Why Rotaractors become Rotarians

3:15pm – 4:15pm _Chinese, 4:30pm – 5:30pm _English
Let’s find out more about Elevate Rotaract and look at the journey of Rotaractors turned Rotarians!

Convenor: DRC Anita Chan, DRR Alan Yip
Panelists: DDRC Deegii Bayarsaikhan, PP Andy Li, PP Sam Ip

4: Attract Members via a Digital Platform

3:15pm – 4:15pm _English , 4:30pm – 5:30pm _Chinese
Let’s get creative and explore how we can use digital platforms for service, for events, for fellowship and more!

Convenor: DGN Norman Lee
Panelists: CP Joseph Leung, PP Brendon Wong, IPP Elsa Wong

5: Embrace Synergy between Rotarians & Toastmasters

3:15pm – 4:15pm _English , 4:30pm – 5:30pm _Chinese
Let’s explore the synergy and collaboration between Rotary and Toastmasters!

Convenor: PDG Kenneth Wong
Panelists: Mr. Wilson Yau _{District Director of Toastmaster International D89, South China including HK and Macau}
PP Agnes Lau

6: Opportunities for Rotarians to Connect the World – Virtual Rotary Exchange Program

3:15pm – 4:15pm _English , 4:30pm – 5:30pm _Chinese
Let’s find out more about the new initiative Virtual Rotary Exchange and how it may attract young people to participate more in Rotary!

Convenor: PDG Y.K. Cheng
Panelists: PP Silva Yeung, PP Stella Kan, PP Helen Or

扶輪開創社員機會論壇

迎難而上開創新機

2020年8月22日下午2 時至 5時半

開幕典禮: Youtube

分組專題討論: Zoom

報名: Completed

一個輕鬆的下午，一個融合了嘉賓演講和專題討論的論壇, 為參與者帶來豐富的社員拓展內容，亦為扶輪社社長及社員發展主委帶來新的社員拓展機會。

誰應該參與此論壇? 地區領導，助理總監及副助理總監，社長，社員發展主委，扶輪社員，扶青團員，及有意參加扶輪社的人士!

論壇議程

下午2時 – 3時開幕典禮

論壇主席前社長梁愛梅致歡迎辭
地區總監翟慶聰致開幕辭
國際扶輪社長Holger Knaack 演講Power Talk
嘉賓Cara Steenstra分享「30前後, 突破飛騰」
前地區總監王國林及前地區總監馮興宏「迎難而上開創新機」

嘉賓分享: 30 前後, 突破飛騰 Cara Steenstra 女士

憑藉Cara多年的績效教練 (performance coach) 經驗, 她將分享在人生30歲前後, 要突破人生瓶頸, 在人生和職場上都讓自己的潛力得以發揮, 並讓能力和表現飛騰的關鍵因素。無疑30歲的你應該聽聽Cara 的分享。但40歲或以後的你, 也可從Cara 的分享中體會時下年青人所遇到的困惑, 並瞭解如何引導他們活出更充實的人生。 Cara Steenstra 簡介Cara Steenstra 為一名績效教練(performance coach), 在企業培訓和個人指導方面擁有多年的經驗。Cara 精通英語、粵語和國語。