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The saying goes that “Time flies”. Already a month has passed of Rotary Year RY 2021-22, leaving only 11 months for us to fulfill our hopes and goals. I have had the great pleasure of settling into my new role as Rotary DG, but I remain nervous and excited about the challenges and the prospects before us, as District 3450 begins its recovery from the trauma of Covid during the past 18 months.

Membership Month – August

As I stated in my District Installation speech, we need to think about  understanding the strengths and weaknesses of our Clubs, and then how to take advantage of the strengths to overcome the weaknesses.  In this ‘Month of Membership’, I would hope to call on each of our member to personally promote the mission of ‘Each One Bring One’; to actually put it into action by bringing a friend, a relative, a colleague, a business associate, or members of another organization you are related to, to your Rotary meeting. Let them understand the good work your Club is doing within our community, take part in the enjoyment of fellowship among members, and experience firsthand the Rotary ethos, striving for a better world through our joint efforts.  

Without the growth of membership, Clubs would become less efficient and moribund. By admitting new or potential members to meetings and projects, we can motivate more capable and suitable people to join the Rotary’s force for good, bring in fresh ideas and enthusiasm, and bring out the best in all our members. As per this year’s theme/motto, when you introduce a new member to your Club, you are serving to change lives, because becoming a Rotarian is a life changing experience. The Rotary platform allows so many of us to strive to be better human beings, excel in bringing meaningful projects that can benefit all sectors of the community. The same applies to members’ contributions to the Rotary Foundation which increases the funding for all avenues of Rotary International’s efforts into the coming century.

Show to your friends, why becoming a Rotarian brings life changing experience to us, even though we are in the most difficult times that the world has experienced within our life-times. Through it all, we can find moral support among fellow members, as well as finding common cause to help our community and to bring light to the needy ones in the society.

Let them know, they are not alone, there are people who care, and Rotary Clubs of District 3450, are striving to give back even during the hard times. There is a saying that ‘giving means taking’, because whatever we seemingly give away, we all gain something that fulfills us with the caring of humanity, and that is what Rotary is all about.

We urge all Presidents and Membership Directors to set a target for the number of people that members should try to bring in to meetings, for the 1st quarter of the Rotary Year, followed by a review of the results, to assess how we can keep moving forward and improving. Bringing in new members is a measurement of our commitment to the cause of Rotary, because, with growth, comes greater opportunities.

We also would strongly hope that all Club Presidents would lead by example by bringing at least one friend within the coming months to attend your meetings.   The personal example is always strongest motivation and inspiration – leading from the front. The same applies to District Officers, because no matter what committee you are in, I’m sure you all understand the urgency and the significance of introducing new potential members to join the Rotary work.  Even if some guests do not follow on by actually joining the Club, they will carry the message of Rotary’s good work, its fellowship and hospitality with them back out into the community. It is all valuable work in Rotary’s cause, and that means humanity’s cause.

Summary of activities : June to August

A. DI

As one of my first duties, it was my great  honour to attend the District Installation ceremony at the HKCEC on July 10 2021, in fellowship with 650 Rotarians and guests, as well as numerous others who joined us online. I would like to thank everyone who took part for their enormous work in making the event memorable in the true spirit of Rotary.

B. Club Installation

The month starting on 31st May, 2021 was also a very busy one for me, as I was able to attend 63 Club installations. It was a privilege and pleasure to meet so many fellow Rotarians at the start of the new Rotary year, and I hope to see everyone again as we all dive into the projects and plans for the forthcoming year.

C. District Membership Seminar

On the 24^th of July, 135 fellow Rotarians participated in the District Membership Seminar, held at CCC Kwei Wah Shan College. The Seminar was attended by over 60 Clubs represented by their Presidents, Club Membership Chairs, and PEs.

Attending Rotarians No.: 135

b. Club Presidents No.: 45 (including 2 Satellite Club Chairs)

c. Club Membership Chairs: 32

d. President Elects and Members: 73

e. District Officers: 10

f. DG,PDGs and Future DGs: 7

g. No. of Clubs: 67

Membership growth

This year we have welcomed and registered one new Rotaract Club, 7 Interact Clubs as well as 1 Satellite Club, as per the table below:

We have thus started the year off on a high note, but this leaves no room for complacency, and should only inspire us to even greater efforts in the months ahead.

D. District Learning and Development Academy (DLDA)

E. Health

• District Dementia Project (扶輪健腦樂同行) -Mid-Nov 2021

•Blood Donation Week (扶輪扶青捐血) -Early 2022

•CPR/ AED Education Project (心肺復甦及去顫法教育計劃) -Mid-Nov 2021

•Organ Donation Week (扶輪扶青器官捐贈週) -Late Sept 2021

•Rotary Vaccinated Club project (扶輪疫苗推廣計劃) -Ongoing

F. The Rotary Foundation

The District has always supported The Rotary Foundation. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to President Samuel Poon and the members of Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour for their generosity of donating US$250,000.

總監八月隨筆

2021/22扶輪年度 7月1日開始，我忙碌的日程隨即開展。時間飛逝，轉眼接任月餘，適逢東奧舉行期間，我的心情雙倍的緊張及興奮，除了跟所有香港人一樣關心香港各代表的比賽，更興奮他們獲得空前的好成績。另一方面，雖然我已為總監一職悉心籌劃超過一年多，對帶領「以服務改善人生」團在此扶輪年度內取得成績滿懷信心，但興奮的心情仍難掩緊張。

7月10日在香港會議展覽中心舉行了地區交職典禮，在疫情仍然嚴峻的情況下，交職禮團隊眾志成城，迎難而上，650 位扶輪社友出席，知法守規地渡過莊嚴且歡愉的交職禮。藉著科技網絡，澳門、蒙古、大灣區數以百計的社友則以視像形式出席，同樣地感受到氣氛的熱烈。

從5月底開始，我帶領著區職員穿梭各社的交職禮，屈指一算，至今已經出席接近70個社交職禮，確是充實而愉快的經歷。

7月24日舉辦了「地區社員發展研習會」，在「中華基督教會桂華山中學」禮堂內，135位扶輪社友上了寶貴的一課。

除了我以總監身份出席，特別感謝包括前總監及未來總監等共7位領導的出席支持。135位社友來自地區上67個扶輪社，45位社長（包括2位衛星社主席）、32位社員發展主委、73位候任社長及10位區職員。我撮要地報告一下社員增長的概況：1個新的扶青社成立；7個扶少團成立；1個扶輪衞星社成立。

我們在社員增長上著實取得一些成績，但我不敢稍懈，當繼續奮力前行。

「地區學習及發展學會」即將舉行第一次講座：

日期：2021年8月28日

時間：下午2時至5時

地點：香港會議展覽中心

大會邀請3450地區傑出的扶輪社友作主講嘉賓並挑選扶輪社友感興趣的題目作專題演講。

因應世界疫情的危機，我今年著眼於健康衞生的課題：

-扶輪疫苗推廣計劃（全年）

-扶輪扶青器官捐贈周（2021年9月底）

-扶輪健腦樂同行（2021年11月中）

-心肺復蘇及去顫法教育計劃（2021年11月中）

-扶輪扶青捐血周（2022年初）

地區對扶輪基金會的支持，一直不遺餘力。衷心感謝香港海港扶輪社潘承進社長及社友們的秉力支持，承諾捐贈25萬美元。