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

Pres. Vic Austria's Message

July 1, 2009

More thanks to now-IPP Klink and to his supporting cast of officers and directors for a job well done. Needless to say, IPP Klink’s exemplary leadership truly deserves recognition and I am fortunate to be following his footsteps. Indeed, I have much to learn from Klink’s down-to-earth nature and low-key leadership approach and I am only deeply reassured by his constant generous words of support and encouragement.

To RCMN, I give you my own reassurance that I will try my best to fulfill the role you entrusted me and I am also confident that the club could count on the rest of the incoming officers and directors to help run the club in their own smart and creative ways. Of course, we also expect unselfish support, better cooperation and active participation from the rest of the members.

To the incoming leadership team —- let’s get down to work and let’s have fun doing it. We have two weeks remaining to tie all loose strings before we’re formally handed our designated responsibilities:

1. Annual dues and souvenir program ad sponsorships. It’s time to walk the talk. Now is that critical time of the year when we all could help the incoming officers start on good footing by promptly paying our club dues and assisting with ad sponsorships. 2. President Nominee (PN.) It would also be nice to determine our president-nominee before July 15 and we ask four of the five (5) ‘blessed’ candidates to give way to one. 3. Sister Clubs. Some members of our sister clubs in HK and Singapore have confirmed their attendance and we thank PP Ric de la Torre for making the preliminary arrangements of the visitors’ itinerary. 4. Mamma Mia! We’ve also planned a special entertainment number on the 15th, thanks to Anns Vicky Magadia and Daisy de la Torre for arranging the necessary preparations with other Anns and members of the Inner Wheel Club of Makati. Rehearsal schedules are in place. 5. Emcees. Thank you Larry Bortles and Michelle Washington, our MCs for the night. (Michelle is our club director Christophe Bellinger’s better half.) 6. Eat, drink, dance and be merry… Let’s all work for an exciting July 15 evening —- starting on time, shorter speeches, faster pace, good food selection (we’ll have buffet) and most important —- plenty of wine and dancing. We remind members to bring the usual 2 or more bottles of wine to share with guests and to brush up on your dance moves. 7. Spinning like a top. Thanks to Betty and staff who are obviously in overdrive mode lately.

For other club business (details for discussion in upcoming meetings and email exchanges):

* Org. Chart. We’re adopting the Rotary’s new org. chart. * Club meetings. More than just improving the food selection and getting more

interesting speakers, we will discuss other proposed/possible changes to our weekly meetings following some variations experienced during IPP Klink’s term. One thing is certain —- we’ll do more to have a friendlier club this incoming year and we want each of our members and guests to feel it.

* ‘Ang Magiting’ and RCMN.org website. Let’s utilize our weekly publication to know more about our members and their classifications and we’d update our website on more ‘real-time’ basis. * Recruitment & Retention. Let’s take advantage of the district’s offer to bring member(s) of the governor team to RCMN to help us with recruitment and retention. Weeks ago, we’ve also been promised by each visiting member from the district governor’s advance team visit of prospective new members. I guess there’s no harm in pursuing the offer. * ‘Soul searching’. We shall continue the process of ‘self-examination’ started weeks ago by the club if the RCMN is to evolve as a much better club relevant to the eyes of current and potential/future members. I expect the incoming leadership team to lead —- perhaps be the catalyst to successfully ferret out/identify weaknesses, strengths —- then apply corrective and improvement measures.

Good luck to all and I wish the best for the RCMN!