DG Newsletter – March
Warning: Undefined array key 0 in /home/rid3450/www/dg-newsletter/wp-content/themes/cream-magazine/template-parts/content-single.php on line 33
District matters
Well, March has been a really rocky month for Hong Kong. The covid pandemic has been raging out of control, with both the total infection rates and fatalities reaching unprecedented levels. Most of our clubs have already refrained from physical meetings, but I am glad that most clubs managed to continue with their meetings through zoom. It is vital that we all stay vigilant and careful for the sake of our community, family members and work colleagues, as well as our fellow Rotarians. I sincerely hope that all our club members and your families are in good health and in good spirits. It is a really challenging time for all of us, in every aspect of daily life, from career and business issues to social, health and family matters. To those who are severely affected, I hope you will not give up, but manage to hang in there to fight another day, especially as things start to improve in the months ahead. Remember that we stand with you in these times of stress.
Rotary 117th Birthday
Feb 23 was Rotary’s 117th birthday.
The world’s first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on February 23rd, 1905 by Paul P. Harris.The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members’ offices. Since then, Rotary has connected over 1.4 million members worldwide. For more than a century, we’ve bridged cultures and connected continents. We’ve championed peace and friendly co-existence, fought illiteracy and poverty, helped people get access to clean water and sanitation, and fought disease throughout the world.
We are all very much aware that we need to preserve our planet and make certain our environment doesn’t suffer irreversible damage from human activity. This issue hasn’t diminished just because covid and the Ukraine conflict have removed it from the front pages of our newspapers. In fact, we are at a critical point in tackling this problem and it remains more important than ever. The damage done to the environment during the past two centuries is extensive, and it is critical that this deterioration should not be allowed to continue unchecked.
Therefore, Rotary has determined that our latest priority is to protect our planet and its resources. We hope we can all be more proactive in living in a ‘planet friendly’ manner including in how we consume energy, in controlling pollution, and in minimizing waste as much as possible. That this is the most challenging time for our planet is well understood by most of us. Now is the time for us to act in every way we possibly can.
As a club with global reach, and as conscientious leaders within our societies, we need to channel more of our professionalism and resources to promote this cause to the greatest extent possible. We can have a significant effect, most obviously through the education of the younger generation, as well as by offering encouragement and guidance to commercial entities on how to minimize the use of harmful and wasteful materials and practices in their businesses.
We are all aware of the problem of food waste, as well as the problems which wasteful food packaging methods create. Valuable resources are being wasted, while the problem of environmental pollution is growing exponentially. Much of this is due to thoughtlessness and carelesness. We urgently need to be working on projects that will make a positive impact on planet earth, and leave for our future generations a better place than we have inherited during our life time.
We all join Rotary because of what we have been able to achieve in our career within the community, and being a Rotarian is a pathway to share and give back to the community and the world. In this same way, I also joined Rotary to return some of what I have been fortunate enough to achieve, and Rotary gives me the opportunity to have a far greater impact than would otherwise be possible for an individual acting on his own. Rotary allows me to work with kind and like-minded people, all working towards common goals for the greater good. Let us all work to maximise the positive impact we can have on our world through our commitment to Rotary and its projects.
Special Pandemic Relief Fund
In light of the grave COVID-19 situation in our District (HK, Macao, Mongolia and Guangzhou, Guangdong Province), the District Grant has allocated an additional amount of USD2,800 per Area targeting projects relating to the pandemic.
Each Area is organising Joint-clubs projects related to the prevention or combating of Covid among those people in need of supplies or other assistance. Of course, our top priority always continues to be to avoid the spread of covid throught unnecessary social gatherings, and this also applies when we have to make preparations for or when delivering our materials to the community. We must remain vigilant to take every possible measure to avoid any contacts which might help the spread of Covid. Any of us may be unconscious carriers of this highly contagious disease. Of course, contacts of various kinds ARE unavoidable, so it cannot be stressed enough that those involved should be fully vaccinated to safeguard their own health and that of others, as vaccination has already been positively proven to be the most effective measure against disease and its worst effects.
All Clubs are urged to initiate any of their social service projects in accordance with this principle of safety. Our projects often involve caring for grassroots people who may lack the masks, sanitary wipes and other basic hygiene products and also they may lack awareness of covid safety guidelines. In consequence, we need to be doubly cautious and mindful of all preventive measures.
We should also all be cheering for and encouraging the hard-working front line medical and essential personnel working so diligently for our community. It will still be a long combat, during months to come, to finally bring down the number of infection cases. So we all need to do our part in adhering to the government’s policies and guidelines as well as assisting others where-ever we can. There are many NGOs at work that are part of the team aiding people in need, including volunteers who are helping to call the elderly by phone to check on them and to ensure that help is available where and when it is needed. Clubs could find such NGOs, some of whom may urgently need monetary or physical assistance in their efforts to help the many elderly living on their own and completely dependent on such organisations in their times of need.
Special thanks to TRF team for the quick turnaround time for approval.
Thanks DTRE & PDG Belinda Yeung for their quick response.
Special thanks to Area 1 support service project in Hong Kong.
Vaccination Campaign – RC of Kai Tak
Rotary Covid Pandemic Campaign at Kowloon East. We have a club which is actively promoting the benefits of the vaccination in the community, and supporting efforts to bring vaccination to the elderly by offering health consultations and essential testing kits. Teams of medical professionals from among our members are actively visiting area with high-dense elderly population and elderly homes and working on the spot to encourage and explain to more people about the urgency of the elderly being vaccinated. Our medical team will give the vaccine jap for eligible elderly after medical consultation. The elderly are by far the most vulnerable to the severest effects of covid, as the massive rise in covid fatalities among the elderly since February has clearly demonstrated. Many of the elderly remain unvaccinated due to the lack of proper understanding within the community about vaccinations, and this is particularly true of those living in elderly homes where they are often very frail while being even more exposed to infection. Our impact on the community with this sort of activity can be immediate and crucial, literally a matter of life and death.
I hope that our medical members as well as other members will continue to put together projects to help the community with these particular issues as they are so urgently necessary at present.
Thanks PDG YC Ho, IPDG Erick Chak, AG Isaac Yip, CP Rainbow Li, IPP Francis Fong, P Ivan Choi, P Lily Yong, P Ankie Mak, PP PC Fong, PP Book Kwok Shing and many members who are in the team to be part of this task force.
PI
Serve to Change Lives Radio Program Series
Rotary New Generation
#DS Alexander Cheung #DDS Sally Luk #DDS Elvo Sou
Look into Future
– DG Keith Chow #DGE Norman Lee #DGN Andy Li
The 11 episodes of the Serve to Change Lives series have been completed sucessfully. It is a breakthrough for how we promote Rotary to the community, and undoubtedly a suceessful PI tools to expand our reach. It is also useful training materials for new members. Feel free to revisit the interviews and learn from the sharing of experienced Rotarians.
Thanks PI team and speakers for organising all these fruitful sharing.
62nd District Conference
The OC team of District Conference has kicked start the preparation. Due to the current fast-changing situation, the committee shall decide whether the conference will be held physically or virtually on 3 May 2022. Thank you Chair DS Elizabete and her team for their hard work.
We hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
2021 Co-Create Smart Park Challenge Seminar 網絡研討會-構建智能公園
SmartPark is formed of “smart” (technology) & “park” (a place for leisure). Both have to be taken into conaideration when students are designing their ideal SmartPark. The committee conducted a seminar for all the participating students, highlighting aspects that shall not be overseen.
Can’t wait to see their design in real life.
Speakers’ Pool
Speakers’ Pool is formed to gather experienced Rotarians for sharing their experience in Rotary as well as on specific topics such as Rotary Opportunities; Rotary Protocol; Digital transformation, etc. Each Club has to invite three members from the speakers’ pool list as their meeting guest speaker to fulfill Rotary citation.
As of March, around 71.6% clubs achieved this criteria and both clubs from area 6 & 8 all completed.
Area of the Month
Area 9 is the Area of February. The interview is in Mongolian. For non-Mongolian speakers, you may refer to the Mongolia Newsletter published on the Rotary Day (in English). Let’s learn more about our Mongolian buddies!
三月份地區總監月報–（二月回望）
扶輪117周年
2月23日為扶輪誕生117周年的日子，一個值得全球扶輪社友慶祝的日子。保羅．哈里斯在1905年2月23日創立芝加哥扶輪社，成為全球第一個服務社團。當時輪流在社員的辦公室舉行會議，是以“Rotary(扶輪)”命名。經過百年的歷煉，扶輪日益壯大，地域涵蓋全球各大洲，會員達140萬人，是連接世界文化的橋樑。多年來我們致力締造和平，積極扶貧助學，並在改善衞生及提供潔淨飲用水上作出大量的貢獻。我們當前的重點項目在於保護地球的資源。
周業基總監：「我加入扶輪，讓我取諸社會，用諸社會，得以更充實地回饋社會。」
支援疫症大流行特別基金
因應3450 地區（香港、澳門、蒙古國及廣東省）的新冠肺炎肆虐狀況，地區獎助金撥款予各地域作疫情援助專項服務，每地域可獲2,800美元 配對基金。
目前各地域的扶輪正如火如荼地推動聯社項目。鑑於疫情嚴峻，我對各社發出勸喻，提醒他們無論在集結物資或進行地區派發過程中，均必須緊守限聚令，避免人群聚集。除了支援草根階層外，亦期望各位不要忘記對前線醫護人員的辛勞，並積極構思相關項目，支持並感謝他們的辛勞付出。
衷心感謝扶輪基金委員會主委前地區總監楊碧瑤及各委員會成員的迅速回應，作出適時的審批，而第一地域（澳門）十分關注香港的疫情發展，並決定籌募捐款，連同地區的配對基金，與鄰舍輔導會合作與受影響的大埔區小商戶及食肆，以現金券形式援助受疫情影響的大埔區低收入家庭。 感謝澳門社友對香港社區的關懷，在「疫境」下雪中送炭更是彌足珍貴。
啟德扶輪社– 推廣疫苗接種項目
扶輪抗疫大行動在九龍東區全方位推行。香港爆發第五波疫情，各區對注射疫苗的需求急增。扶輪社員中不乏醫療界的精英，啟德扶輪社快速作出應對，與醫院管理局相關部門溝通，召集擁有專業資格的扶輪社友，於九龍東多區設立疫苗站，協助區內長者接種疫苗，並於接種前提供免費的醫療資詢，助長者釋除疑慮。隨着項目推展，義務醫療人員更拓展至其同樣擁有專業資格的朋友，擴大受惠人數。
感謝李婉華創社社長、方陽剛卸任社長、 何汝祥前地區總監、 翟慶聰剛卸任地區總監、 翁海芬社長、 葉沛霖助理總監、 麥皚淇社長、 方平正前社長、 卜國成前社長和蔡文俊社長。
扶輪公眾形象推廣
「服務改善人生」電台廣播系列
扶輪的年青新一代
張宇靈地區秘書，蘇桂龍副地區秘書與及陸慧姸副地區秘書出席分享他們參與扶輪的所得。
前瞻未來
周基業地區總監，李德利候任地區總監，李兆民地區總監提名人出席分享他們對扶輪未來的前瞻及服務的願景。
衷心感謝地區公眾形象推廣團隊的安排及出席講者的參與，讓新城電台「以服務改善人生」一連11集的節目得已順利完成。是次系列是甚為有效的宣傳，鼓勵新加入的社友重温訪問，由淺入深認識扶輪的精神和服務項目。
地區年會
籌委會已經展開前期工作，並會在5月3日公佈將會以實體或是網上形式進行。感謝籌委會主席馮青薇地區秘書的傑出領導。
2021 網絡研討會– – 構建智能公園
智能公園比賽委員會舉辦網絡研討會，講述構思時需列入考慮的事項。智能公園是結合「智能」(科技)及「公園」(優閒空間）的精髓而成，兩者互相配合方能相得益彰。期待各位參賽同學的設計。
扶輪知識講者智庫
各扶輪社邀請資深的扶輪社員作為例會的主講嘉賓，藉此分享他們的扶輪點滴及心得，並對一些特定的主題作專題演講，例如：在扶輪中獲得的機會、扶輪應有的禮儀、扶輪如何進入數碼新時代……
每個扶輪社在本扶輪年度內需從智庫的講者表列中，邀請一位至三位講者，作為三次例會的主講嘉賓，才能符合條件獲得本年度的地區嘉許獎。目前大約71.6% 的扶輪社已經完成最少三次講者分享，其中第6及第8地域內全數扶輪社經已完成。
每月地域介紹
二月份介紹的地域為第9 地域
傳媒的專訪在蒙古舉行，對不諳蒙古語文的扶輪社員可以參閱在第9地域於扶輪日出版的蒙古月報（英文版），好讓我們好好地認識我們蒙古的扶輪社友。
