DreamsWork! is the appreciation and celebration of what we have done for the past nine months and our solidarity with the rest of the Rotary world. Our past district governors tell me there is life after one’s term. As sure as the sun rises, I believe so, because the projects you and I started will need nurturing beyond this Rotary Year. All I have is great satisfaction and inner fulfillment for already we have attained most of our dreams for the year and that we can be proud of and will love to remember.
Let us revisit the months past and rediscover the power of what we do for others. What dream was realized because you were there? Imagine the face of the child whose dream became real because of your club… because of The Rotary Foundation. What do you call people who dream and make dreams real for others? Management gurus refer to them as imagineers and visioneers. What difference can over two thousand Rotarian imagineers and visioneers make in this world?
We hit the ground running with three pre-PETS. In the PETS we understood that President D K Lee’s call to “Make Dreams Real” meant mustering a lot of will power to reduce children’s diseases and deaths and sustain water, health, hunger, and literacy programs. For the first time, we took the District Team Training Seminar to our District 3860 in Davao in keeping with the 4th object of Rotary. In the DISTAS we articulated our commitment to build strong and effective clubs in the catch phrase ChiME FOr GOOD CITATION.
At the onset, we realized that clean air and water and good food combined with economic interventions reduce child mortality. And to make dreams real, collective accountability, will power and proper stewardship will be needed even beyond our term. As our mark of excellence and our distinct pride, we set these goals for the district:
- Be a premier district in Philippine Rotary which means
- Be No. 1 in membership. Achieve a 33% increase or 3000 Rotarians.
- Be No. 1 in TRF contributions or US$300,000.
- Encourage 100% of the clubs to get the RI Presidential Citation.
Membership and Club Service
Let us begin with Membership and Club Service. The attractiveness of a club for membership growth is founded on Good Governance. TheDistrict gave emphasis on club transparency and accountability. Membership is the heart of the club and the foundation of Rotary’s existence. We set out to strengthen club through membership development. We had Rotary Academy modules this year - Membership Recruitment and Membership Retention, which was further reinforced with the Rotary Information I shared during my visit to your clubs. Remember that?
A few more clubs have to achieve their net gain of 1 in membership and the district shall have achieved 100% compliance to the presidential citation requirements
- Of the 400 new members inducted by the clubs, some 330 members have been reported to RI or a 16% increase in membership, from 2,050 to 2,380 members.
- The Rotary Club Alabang Lampara is our 72nd club with 38 charter members.
- Our intensive campaign for more membership will bring about the chartering of 7 more clubs. Their charter presidents have attended the PETS this month. With the approval of their charter by Rotary International, the 266 members of these provisional clubs will bring the district total to 2646 or 27% growth
To date we are the second highest in percentage growth among the 10 districts in the Philippines.
We are number one in average club size at 32 members per club.
Clubs with less than 20 members was reduced from 36% as of July 1 to 22% as of end of February, 2009, that is, from 12 to 2 clubs.
I congratulate my real good presidents for this major accomplishment. Believing that we can be larger than our dreams, I trust that the 3,000 membership target is achievable.
Membership Recruitment and Retention
Fellowship among Rotarians remains one of the primary sources of unity and strength within our district. We have always kept this in mind and so we made fellowship and sports a vital part of our Rotary activities this year. To bolster club strengthening and retention, local fellowship groups were started : The Fellowship of Charter Presidents and the GSE Alumni Association.
To cap our activities for the first six months of this Rotary year, we held our Midyear Review on January 30-31 at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay. Having documented the collective good we have done as leaders, there we all felt good, so good. We came out with our second wind for the remainder of this Rotary year.
Rotary Image and Public Relations
Public Image is a support system to membership recruitment. The Districts efforts dwelled on both internal and external communication. The district website (www.3830rotary2008.org), governor's newsletter and e-group have been extensively used by club presidents and district officers as digital repositories of archives of club and district news. Our target was to have 100% of the clubs linked to the district website. To date, more than 50% of the clubs have their own websites and e-groups. Governor's newsletters contain club’s performance report and district news.
The district qualified for a PR Grant by Rotary International and has launched it Public Image during the Rotary International Week. There was the Polio billboard along EDSA. Clubs were featured in weekly TV shows and radio programs by our Rotarians-media practitioners. Additional 4 Way Test markers were unveiled, Clubs had their photo releases and advocacy journalism in leading broadsheets.
The Rotary Foundation
The Rotary Foundation allowed us to touch people’s lives through service and friendship across international borders. We are actively involved in Rotary’s International programs and those of The Rotary Foundation. We sustain our annual giving to the Annual Programs Fund. In November, we held our TRF Recognition Night to inspire more Rotarians contribute and find major donors, become Paul Harris Fellows and be eligible to the “Every Rotarian, Every Year” initiative.
A total of $180,000 was contributed as of early March by our members to the Paul Harris Fellows. We have Seven major donors this year and 190 Rotarians contributing to the matching PHF offered by PDG Alex Huang and DGN Raffy Garcia. We are now at $87 per capita. By the end of our term, we hope we can be a $100 per capita district before May this year. We congratulate two clubs -- Rotary Club Makati San Lorenzo and Rotary Club Muntinlupa Filinvest. They are now 100 percent Paul Harris clubs.
Matching Grants
We processed 32 matching grant applications equivalent to $1.2M. Two are 3H grants, totaling $555,423.
DSG Grant
The district simplified grant provides younger clubs training in stewardship of TRF funds, just as it enables a club to expand the scope and depth of its short term projects in the community. Of the 40 applications for District Simplified grants, 32 were approved amounting to P640,000.
International Service
This year started with the signing of sister District agreements for the environment were signed during the Handover and a fellowship with children for nutrition with Rotarians from Brunei. International Literacy Day was observed at 3 locations simultaneously with a pedia medical and dental mission, launch of nutrition programs, and literacy programs.
The Philippine Government through Executive Order 877 declared the week of February 23 to 28 as Rotary Week in the Philippines. The Annual Peace Awards were held in the two 2 Rotary Peace Cities in the District – Makati and Paranaque, and we launched the District ProjectLink, to kick off a local database of projects that will be linked to the World Community Service and Rotary Volunteers Program.
We sent a delegation to the Taipei Zone Institute and to the Asia Pacific Rotaract Regional Conference. Early registration to the International Convention was the purpose of our “On to Birmingham” Fellowship. With in our midst are the GSE teams from Korea and Pennsylvania, USA. Our clubs continued their tradition of visiting their sister clubs during their charter anniversaries. Youth tourism was initiated with District 3620 Korea.
The Model United Nations Assembly or MUNA remains to be the district’s favorite international youth service project for students and young professionals to instill a better understanding of foreign affairs, cultures, and the role of the United Nations in creating a peaceful and stable society. The National Oratorical Contest to Save Planet Earth was a multiple district undertaking.
Local Grant-seeking for Service Projects
The Rotary Club of Makati Foundation continued to support the various vocational and international service projects through the Partnership In Service Program Grants in the amount of P121,478.
The Gilda Lim Foundation is a new benefactor, which donated P1 million to support projects on child mortality and environmental protection. Total funds released as of today for 35 clubs is P875,000
Vocational Service
Given the magnitude of the change effort and the need for sustainability, Literacy took center stage. I am happy to report that through the close coordination of District Officers and the real good camaraderie of the club presidents, 100% of the clubs will receive tomorrow their District Literacy Awards. The year is not yet over, I am confident that our district will also achieve 100% Zone Literacy Awards.
Health literacy, dental health awareness, and nutrition education preceded the implementation of our child mortality reduction projects. The Mega Skills and Jobs Fair, facilitated employment by conducting in-school recruitment. We added opportunities for educating others to make decisions using the ethical standards embodied in the four way test. We even translated this to Pilipino in aid of our advocacy.
Vocational Service is the soul of Rotary and the Rotarians’ fountain of youth. Ethical standards are the elixir. In being exemplars to the youth, we remain youthful in outlook.
Community Service
Community Service is the “Heartbeat” of Rotary. Without Community Service, Rotary would have died a long time ago. It is service to others that has given more life and meaning to the organization in its past 104 years. It may seem funny but the public toilet that was the first Rotary project remains to be a need, that is why some clubs still construct urinals and refurbish toilets especially in public schools in the interest of good health.
We continued to improve the quality of life of the especially-abled.
The challenge of our RI President DK Lee led our district to give emphasis on child mortality for our service projects. He asked us Rotarians to work together and involve others to reduce the rate of child mortality in the world by focusing on Rotary’s emphases on water, health and hunger, and literacy. This was a tall order. We sought for every opportunity to combat these child hazards to save their lives through health and hunger, literacy, water
Health and Hunger
Prevention of mortality was addressed by educating would-be mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding, and by making prenatal and post natal care accessible to pregnant women. Milk banking is an innovation. Our medical vocabulary increased when we’re introduced to vascular birthmarks program and neural tube defects prevention. And of course, the Dancubator, a low cost incubator, invented by a Rotarian in our district, is a welcome development because it will soon replace the makeshift incubators in most public hospitals.
Life-saving surgeries gave hope and the gift of life. Improvement of treatment rooms ,donation medicines, vaccinations and new hospital equipment will extend life, the numerous medical and dental missions will result in well babies, energetic children, and responsible parents.
Moringa alfeira or Malunggay tree cultivation and organic farming are meant to result in healthy mothers and children. In the future, we hope that the seeds will be used for water purification. Our efforts extended beyond our district helping communities in Antipolo City, Tanay and Cardona in Rizal; Bataan; Quezon, Cavite , Batangas, Mindoro, Negros Island and Zamboanga.
I am certain that all club project put together will effect a change in the following statistics because we addressed the preventable causes, you see on the slide, not only for the short term but for the long term. I think you will also agree with me that because of the numerous health projects our own families will have healthier lifestyles with our leadership.
Water and Sanitation
One of the most basic ways we can greatly reduce child mortality is clean water. The lack of safe water is directly or indirectly responsible for preventable deaths of children under the age of five every day. Water and sanitation projects have been at the forefront of our community service activities this year. We continued the installation of water systems in communities. Now, we are proud of the inventions of our Rotarians for this cause:
- Installation of water systems to improve sanitation
- Water filter donation
- Invention of Washtube / UV light clean water
- Bio Brigs Sand filters
- Chlorinator (Herminator)
- Handwashing campaign
- Construction of toilets
Protection of the Environment
District 3830’s crusade against child mortality cannot be sustained without protecting our environment. Environmental protection is our second major advocacy. We believe that our children deserve a clean environment and should enjoy good health. It is our obligation to ensure that our children live in a world fit for human life now and the years to come. And this is one great legacy that we can leave to the next generations. As stewards and managers of God’s property, we sought to improve the life sustaining systems, especially and aquatic resources.
The Las Mesa Dam project has been with the district since year 2000 and has been supported by The Rotary Foundation and more took cudgels of many environmental protection projects.
Together we took the initial giant steps: We recruited more Rotarians. We mobilized the community and organized them into Rotary Community Corps, then mounted literacy and awareness-raising campaigns, provided capacity building training, and contributed to The Rotary Foundation as we sought matched clubs and grants. Let me reiterate that your decision to be in Rotary and be a Rookie Rotarian, a Rotivated Rotarian, major donor, Paul Harris Fellow, Sustaining Paul Harris, and active Family of Rotary is your singular and most significant contribution to the sustainability of the environmental projects..
At the beginning of this Rotary year, you witness the partnership agreement with the nine other Philippine districts and the World Wildlife Fund to participate Earth Hour, which will be on the 28th of this month, this hopes to save energy by turning off lights for one hour, gathered worldwide support in its first implementation in March last year.
The visible support of the Local Chief Executives of Paranaque and Taguig Another partnership agreement we signed on with Mayor Bernabe of Paranaque City for the rehabilitation of the Paranaque River (Save Paranaque River) to raise awareness on the need to rehabilitate the river and encourage responsible waste management. We also signed a partnership agreement with the Laguna Lake Authority for Save Laguna Lake Program with Rotary Clubs who co-signed the district MOA with city of Taguig to embark in the restoration, protection and maintenance of the watershed areas as well as the lake areas and tributaries of the Laguna de Bay. We identified the Bamboo Planting project in 9 Rotary Community Corps in the city of Muntinlupa. In their own capacity, clubs undertook various environmental projects extending to different areas of the country.
New Generations
The future of the new generations remains a vital part of Rotary’s community service. Rotary has always called on every Rotarian to work for and with the youth in building a bright and happy future for the children of the world. Towards this end, we have pursued with renewed enthusiasm our programs for the youth and instituted new ones to train the new generations on their roles as future leaders in our communities thru the Rotaract District Assembly attended by 300 youth leaders. And with the inspiration derived from other activities for the youth, 48 Rotary clubs are supporting at least one youth club. Our clubs have formed 11 new Interact clubs. Our clubs have chartered 11 Rotaract clubs.
Our youth participated in the New Generation Conference which addressed the issue on health and hunger, environment, education and children’s welfare.
The Voice of Youth Impromptu Speaking Contest and the District 3830 Singing Idol encouraged our youth into sharing and shaping their talents.
We held the 11th MUNA or Model United Nations Assembly, a project launched in 1997 under the Youth and International Avenues of Service
The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards through a camping activity was successfully attended by youth who will be future community leaders of tomorrow.
The Eloquence of our Youth National Oratorical Contest nationwide competition stimulate deeper appreciation among Filipino youth of the value of protecting our environment.
Before I conclude my talk, I would like to share two things.
First. To my real good presidents, I thought of starting my talk with this short story. But I changed my mind because I think this is the appropriate time to share it to convey my sincere appreciation of who you are, what you have become and what you have accomplished.
As Thanksgiving Day grew near, a class of first-graders was assigned to draw a picture of something to be thankful for. Some drew a house or a car; others drew a turkey or food or toys. But one little boy drew something different; he drew a hand.
The class tried to figure out whose hand it was. Was it God’s hand? Was it the policeman’s hand, for keeping the peace in the community? Or was it the farmer’s hand, for producing food for all? But no one could guess, and the little boy would not tell. When the bell rang for recess, the children all ran outside, leaving the boy alone in the room. The teacher came up to the boy and asked softly, “Whose hand did you draw?” The boy looked at the teacher’s hand and said, “Yours!”
“Mine?” the teacher said in surprise. But when she held up her hand and looked at it, tears came to her eyes as she recalled all the times she used her hand to guide the boy’s pencil, or lead him across the street . . . for he was lame and oftentimes needed someone’s help.
Your hands Real Good Presidents – raised during the PETS, raised when you took your oath of office, raised each time you banged the gavel, clasped in warm handshakes, extended to help others, pointed to the heavens in prayer – created this legacy, with the support of the District Team and the club members.
Second. Fellow Rotarians, you have heard me enumerate some of the many wonderful ways we have turned dreams to reality. We did not only help make mommies and babies healthy, but we also improved the vocational and spiritual health of the men folk. But more importantly, we have made our clubs healthier and planned for its continued wellness so that our district will be in a better position to serve.
As you can see, our district is alive and well. We gave our level best to contribute significantly to TRF, membership development, to good health and hunger alleviation, literacy, and water conservation and quality in order that children will live.
My real good presidents and my district officers, you and I have worked as a team. We mustered all our resources to make the difference and win this fight for the future of our children.
But if it feels like we have not done enough, it is no reason not to be happy. There is time to make up for it. For, what is success? It is a journey, not a destination. Success, in fact, is measured in many ways. In one of his beautiful thoughts, Ralph Waldo Emerson measures success as:
To laugh often and much,
To win the respect of intelligent people and attention of children,
To win the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends,
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others,
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition,
To know our life has breathed easier because you have lived,
This is to have succeeded. As we continue to serve together until the end of this Rotary year and beyond, let this be the distinctive trademark of service excellence that all the Rotarians of all the clubs of our District 3830 will proudly affirm:
WE MAKE DREAMS REAL!
WE MAKE DREAMS WORK!
Thank you. Let this celebration of our Rotary dreams made real begin! |
