44 Volume 44 Issue 1 2003 7 July 2003 “Lend a Hand”. This is exactly what we RI President Jonathan Majiyagbe asks us Governor’s Message have to do and are doing right now. In to address these concerns to Lend a Hand our world today, unpleasant things to alleviate abject poverty, Lend a Hand Dear Fellow Rotarians, welcome you all happen everyday; we have natural to educate the illiterate, Lend a Hand to to my dream team as from July 1, 2003. disasters, famines, urban violence, illness, relieve the scourge of disease, and Lend a diseases, pollution, etc. Except for Hand of friendship to all of the family of Now, let me wish everyone of you good unpredictable natural disasters, the rest Rotary. health and in sound condition with were mostly man-made and therefore whatever around you. Since early should be resolved and controlled by So, my dear fellow Presidents, my dream March up to present, our District human. team, in this Rotary year, I would like to including Hong Kong, Macao, invite you all to Lend a Hand to Mongolia, Beijing and Shanghai has strengthen your own club by retaining been getting tortured from an outbreak current members and recruiting more new of the Severe Acute Respiratory good quality members, men and women, Syndrome (SARS) or known as to keep good friendship and fellowship in Atypical Pneumonia. Many of our the club, especially to the family of the routine and regular weekly meetings, deceased Rotarians; Lend a Hand to gatherings, seminars, annual balls and support District by involving and special events were either cancelled or participating all district events; Lend a postponed. The schedule of our District Hand to help your community locally and Assembly has twice been changed until internationally by getting involving with June 15. However, thanks God, the literacy and education, poverty situation is getting more stabled and alleviation, and health concerns; Lend a improving everyday. Whatever had Hand to up keep your vocational happened in the past we have to accept knowledge and professional quality to and take this as a good lesson. We get enable that we can enjoy a better to learn how to take care of our health, tomorrow; Lend a Hand to our world by to learn how to set hygiene standard, helping others beyond outside so that we and to help each other to improve our Many Rotarians have the good fortune to can make a beautiful and peaceful world. living environment. It is never too late live in relative comfort in relative Please do not forget to support the Rotary to do anything if we just make a start or developed countries. But millions of Foundation that has been providing us all action. If we all can do something people still subsist in abject poverty, their the programs for years and years in this together by joining hands to work stomachs empty and their hearts filled Rotary movement. together, to learn more about public with despair. In the world’s poorest health, to love your family, to help countries, men and women literally wear Please take good care of your health. I people in need, and to care all around rags because they own no clothes. need you all and “your hands” from now you, a beautiful better tomorrow will be Children run naked and are mostly with on. Thank you. awaiting for us. malnutrition. Without access to health care or education, disease and ignorance This Rotary year, RI President Jonathan fester and another generation grows up Jones C.H. Wong Majiyagbe gave us the Theme of the Year without hope for a better life. Governor The District 3450 of Rotary International provides support to the humanitarian services of 51 Rotary clubs: 42 clubs in Hong Kong SAR, 5 clubs in Macao SAR, 2 provisional clubs in Shanghai and Beijing respectively, and 2 clubs in the country of Mongolia. More information may be found on Website: www.Rotary3450.org. This Governor’s Monthly Bulletin is for internal circulation to members only and is not for sale. It is published by the Information Coordination Group. Any enquiry, comment, proposal, suggestion, contribution, or contrast to the contents 1 are welcome by the Managing Editor, WONG Chi Foon (Tolo Harbour), Tel: (852) 9866 1696 / Email: [email protected]. QQ sçäìãÉ=QQ fëëìÉN !"#$ OMMP T gìäó=OMMP Installation Statement Back from Anaheim - Governor Jones C. H. Wong - The Governor "Rotary is an organization of business and poverty. An important area of emphasis will The International Assembly is an annual professional persons united worldwide who be the family of Rotary. The other emphases festival for Rotary, attended by very provide humanitarian service, encourage high are poverty alleviation, health, literacy and special people. They came from Evanston ethical standards in all vocation and help build education. goodwill and peace in the world" - the ever faithful and hardworking RI Our District 3450, including Hong Kong, Secretariat staff; and they came from all The above 31 words are worth remembering Macao, Mongolia, and two provisional clubs over the world - the dedicated past RI when someone asks, "What is a Rotary club?" at Beijing and Shanghai in China, has been Presidents and the serving RI Directors enjoying great fellowship while giving and RI Trustees of the Foundation. Rotary International traces its origins to 1905, continuous services to the communities when a young Chicago lawyer established a addressed as needed for over 72 years. Training leaders from all over the world club with three other friends. The aim initially also attended the event. Some of the was to combat big city anonymity with a club Now that the evolution of the geographical Rotary Senior leaders joined this that captured small town friendliness and limit of our District 3450 is extending to Assembly year after year to share their camaraderie. The four friends, consisting of Beijing and Shanghai as from February 2003, knowledge and experience. an attorney, a coal dealer, a merchant tailor we have to strengthen our force of new Rotary and an engineer also sought to use the group leaders today to offer more services to our as a means of expanding their personal and communities and communities in other All the other people came to celebrate and business contacts. countries. support the single largest contingent at Rotary’s International Assembly including The name Rotary was derived from their RI President Jonathan Majiyagbe named us myself, the district governors elect, who will habit of rotating their weekly meetings the Dream Team. Our founder Paul Harris between each other's offices. As the society was a dreamer. In his autobiography, Paul be serving in the Rotary Year 2003-04. grew however, it developed into more than Harris wrote: "There were moments while just a social club. Members began pooling indulging myself in daydreams on the On 26th January, Shirley and I made a their resources towards community mountainside when my conscience rebuked long trip to Anaheim USA to attend this programs, birthing the charitable ethic that me for not being up and doing many things to International Assembly for training. It has become Rotary's hallmark worldwide. be done in this busy world and there was so Since its quaint beginnings, the club of four little time in which to do them - and then the was a 7-day intense training for all the 529 people has grown to a community of 1.2 thought came to me that perhaps men have to governors elect from over 160 countries. million leading women and men in business dream..." Most governors elect came with their and community whose programs address spouses. The total participants were 1,407. poverty, illiteracy and violence - amongst With my whole heart I welcome you all the other social problems. new Club Presidents, Club Officers and District Officers to join force of out team - Most of us, the governors elect together Understanding that "Rotary" is the name of The Dream Team. Let us join hands together with spouses were the first time of many our organization, meaning that all our Club to work for betterment in our Clubs, in International Assemblies that we Presidents and Club Officers are to be Vocations, in our Communities and in our attended, only for a few perhaps not the renewed every year. This rotation system is World. You are the Dream Team, the first. Therefore, we treasured every also applying to Districts, Zones and dreamers, and the visionaries of Rotary. So International. dream and dream, and then Lend a Hand to minute that we learned from the Plenary the people of the world. Speakers, and the experienced Training RI President Jonathan Majiyagbe chooses his leaders, and of course, the friendship and Theme "Lend a Hand" for this Rotary Year Rotary has reached its 99th year and on fellowship that we encountered. 2003-04. He encourages Rotarians to help the way to celebrate its 100th meet the basic needs of the many people who Anniversary at 2005. Let us enjoy our live in desperate circumstances today and to Rotary year and to celebrate the 100th We started our learning everyday from 8. use literacy as a key tool for alleviating Birthday next year. 30 am to 6.30 pm. There were 2 plenary 2 QQ sçäìãÉ=QQ fëëìÉN OMMP T gìäó=OMMP Governor Elect Column !"# President Sophia Chan of Bayview Sunshine. Like MUNA, this was quickly regarded by Elect Training many Rotarian as a Alexander Mak crazy suggestion. However, some sessions and 3 to 4 discussion groups I would like to take this opportunity to thank presidents considered this as a good idea and you for giving me the opportunity to serve refused to drop it so easily.