Ang Magiting - The Official Web Site of Rotary Club Makati North

Once a President… Always a President!

The Week That Was, March 29
By: Treasurer Ian Alas

I do recall a line from one of the movies of Steven Spielberg that says “Once a President… always a President!” That sums up our special guest speaker (former) President Alejandro Toledo of Peru. He’s presence embodies the dignity, honor and passion to help the poorest of the poor to escape from poverty. He’s going around the world preaching that we need to help our fellow brothers and sisters get out from the poverty way of life. He said, “The Philippines doesn’t stop at Metro Manila…”

Our guest speaker spoke in a jam pack ballroom at the Manila Polo Club. There were 28 Rotary clubs in one sitting. Maybe if not for the many formality procedures, we could have more time asking questions and getting answers from our distinguish President.

Actually the first and last question came from our President Porong Herrera. President Toledo answered that for the medium and long-term strategies, we need to focus on Quality Health and Education and its benefits will greatly reduce poverty in the next 10 to 20 years. But for the short-term strategies, he sited that to focus on the poorest areas in the region by providing livelihood programs, micro-financing. Coincidentally, we are also doing the same thing like our Gawad Kalinga project were we provide houses to the poorest of the poor in our nation.

Even though Peru and the Philippines are many miles away, we do both share the Pacific Ocean, our nation starts with the letter ‘p’ and we have the passion to help our fellow countrymen escape poverty.

President's Corner

Your club is what you want to make of it

My dear fellow Rotarians with RC Makati North:

Let’s focus on the District’s Annual TRF Testimonial Dinner & Ball, one of the District’s premier Rotary event, that is fast approaching. Again —- the event date and time is Nov. 13, 2009, Friday at 6 pm and venue is at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Peninsula Manila. Tickets to the event: P1,000/guest to cover dinner, raffle, & entertainment.

The following information should give you an idea of the extent of RCMN’s participation, so far, in the coming days and up to the actual date of the event:

Member's Section

Work is My True Passion

KARL STUART McKINNON McLEAN

Born in Gibraltar , August 1, 1955 where my dad ran Shell refinery then moved with my family to Hamburg, then London , followed by Holland where I spent 8 years of my life as my father was on the main board of Shell in London.

I went to a Dutch school which was fabulous as the Dutch are the “freeist” nation in the world. As class prefect I sat on the school board with teachers and parents and my vote had the same power as the teachers.

I played a lot of soccer and earlier cricket.