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

More GK Partnerships in the Works

August 12, 2009

RC Raffles City Induction, Aug. 1. PP Joe Reano and myself, together with our spouses, Choi & Lourdes respectively, attended our sister club’s installation of my classmate Pres. Steven Teng and his team of officers and directors for the new Rotary year.

The following day, August 2, Steven also invited us for an overnight stay at Batam, Indonesia, 45 minutes by ferry from Singapore where RC Raffles City Rotarians hosted fellowship golf and dinner for the delegates from its various sister clubs.

In Batam, I had a one-on-one session with Steven and he enthusiastically accepted my invitation to participate in certain RCMN projects for this year. He committed his club to donate five (5) houses (worth $7.5K) to our GK Ave Maria and also to help finance (with $2K contribution) our planned RCMN’s vision exam and corrective lenses program with the students at our two adopted schools, F. Benitez Main & F. Benitez III.

Taking the GK donation one step further, Steven added he will also try to arrange Rotaractors from Singapore to build the houses in Tanay. He says a similar arrangement with his club was done recently in Thailand with much success. We’ve discussed the logistics involved and if the Rotaractor plan pushes through, I assured Pres. Steven that RCMN would provide the necessary assistance.

Gawad Kalinga Fund Raiser. Last Thursday, I met with Bobon Topacio, our partner GK Ave Maria coordinator. PN Mac Maclean also joined us. Bobon had organized a golf tournament fund raiser slated for Sep. 9, 2009 at the Valley Golf Club (VGC) and he is asking for RCMN golfers’ participation and possible members’ sponsorship. Proceeds will be used to cover operational and other non-house construction expenses (e.g. on-site workers allowances, etc.) as contributions intended for a house could only be used for items that goes directly to building the house.

RCMN’s commitment to GK Ave Maria. Also in the discussion, Bobon gave me a background about RCMN’s earlier ‘commitment’ to build a particular number of houses at GK Ave Maria that is yet to be fulfilled. I invited Bobon to present the golf fundraiser and his concerns about RCMN’s supposedly lagging schedule himself at the Aug. 12 club meeting and he welcomed the idea.

GK build visit. We have scheduled a build visit in Tanay on Saturday, August 29 and I’m counting on the usual participation from members. Meeting place and time is at Starbucks, White Plains at 7:45 am. The visit will proceed, rain or shine, unless there is a typhoon in which case we will re-schedule the date.

Other than building houses, we’ve also scheduled tree planting activities and I may invite other clubs to join us with our planned visit.

We’ve earlier contacted our GK coordinators and they do need basic tools: buckets, picks, hoes, shovels, masonry tools, wheelbarrows, and a grass cutter.

Recognition time:
We give our thanks to the following RCMNers:

* To our PN Mac Mclean for representing the club to the launching of “Every Reader a Leader” last Aug. 4, 2009 at the Peninsula. (RCMN is a co-sponsor of this district project that responds to the RI thrust on education & literacy.) * To our Dir. Ben Sy Chu for joining me last Aug. 6 in a meeting with DG Sid Garcia, PDG Ato Magadia & PDG Tony Quila. We were able to finalize the programme for the RCMN-sponsored TRF Testimonial Dinner on Nov. 13. * District Rotaract/Interact Assembly (DRIA) last Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009. I was at the function for a few hours in the morning together with Cris of our secretariat staff. Our presence was a big boost to the morale of our Rotaractors/Interactors from our two adopted barangays.

Quotation: “You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” – Albert Camus

Humor:

Gas is getting quite expensive again. In Los Angeles, if you call 911, they ask you if you can meet the ambulance halfway. – Jay Leno

The price of milk has gone up 36 percent. Here’s what happened – the cows have joined OPEC. – David Letterman

Scientist say taking Viagra may help travelers overcome jet lag… and help them return to their original upright position. – Conan O’Brien

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.