Chartered 30th June 1954 - Club ID#16234
Meets every Thursday, 12.30pm at Sabah Hotel, Sandakan
|
Chartered 30th June 1954 - Club ID#16234
Meets every Thursday, 12.30pm at Sabah Hotel, Sandakan
|
|
Interact Gangstarz II Thurs, 16th August 2008
2008-2009 RYLA: The Sandakan Race
Sponsor-A-Child: Education Care Program Rotary District 3310: District Governor Edward Sung Burongoh 2008-2009
|
Passing the Baton Reviewing a recent chapter 27th June 2008: The stepping down of the first ever lady president, Cindy Mahsan, marked another new chapter in the history of the Rotary Club Of Sandakan. She left behind a legacy her successors and future presidents would find difficult to emulate. An older member of the club described her as energetic, resourceful and a magnificent leader who brought the club to greater heights. Having been a member for 5 years, her initial goals were to revive the Rotary spirit, increase membership and create more publicity for the club. Her luncheon meetings were filled with interesting programmes and activities that involved practically every member of the club. Now, one would get to see members returning to weekly meetings more regularly. During the course of her presidency, she inducted four new members into the Club. (Right Photo: IPP Cindy congratulating President Dusun).
IPP Cindy was very much involved in Interact activities. One of them, the Interact Gangstarz, is proceeding into its second year now. The activity was organized initially to attract new blood into the four Interact clubs sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sandakan and the two Interact Clubs sponsored by the Mandarin speaking Rotary Club of Sandakan North. But it turned out to be a grand family event that many Interactors and Rotarians would remember for a long time to come. The Interact club presidents reported to IPP Cindy that the event had attracted more students to join in the movement, that memberships in their Clubs had soared to more than 400, and that they were expecting more to join in soon. IPP Cindy also sent 3 Interactors to North India on a one month short study exchange. The three were the only youths selected to represent the District. (Left photo: Deputy Chief Minister cum Minister of Infrastructure Development Raymond Tan giving his address on politics and his future after complementing the club on its contribution the Sandakan community). Cindy accomplished two missions during the year of her presidency. One was designing and creating the Club’s website, another was the raising of funds for the Educare (Education Care) Programme, a project she inherited from her predecessor, PP See Yu Siong. She spent hours to ‘fine-tune’ the website, simultaneously adding more information on the Club and its activities. When she was not in front of her computer, she would be sitting with her committee members discussing fund raisings for the Educare Programme. She launched a donation collection campaign, and after an almost exhaustive effort, received a ten thousand ringgit donation from Tanah Emas Corporation. The Education Care Programme was initiated to look into and take care of local needy children. It started with 6 children and gradually increased to 20 students. Cindy posted the programme on the Club’s website, and as a result, donations came in not only from the general Malaysian public, but also from overseas.
Her successor, Dusun, acknowledged that with the two missions accomplished by Cindy, his work as club president would be much easier. Dusun need not worry because Cindy had pledged she would to continue to contribute. She had no plans to retire anytime soon, she said. She would retreat only when a knot is tied. Cindy received the Presidential Citation from RI President. (Right photo: The outgoing board members- from left: PE Dusun Chong, Abang Jorgy, Lo Sau Keng, IPP Cindy, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Raymond Tan, PP Vincent Chang, Chong Chang Hing, PP Tsen Hok Yin, and So Chee Ming). A new Chapter
1st July
2008: President Dusun Chong started his term with a board meeting just a week
after the installation. To continue the legacy of the past presidents, he had
signed in new blood that included Rotarians Eleanor Wong, Michele Wu, Danny
Tsang, Zairul Hijoo and Varien Chia. His board members and the various service
avenue chairmen were all young and dynamic people, all geared to take up and
discharge their respective responsibilities They included:- (Left photo: The
2008-2009 board members- from left: Abang Jorgy, Charles Chen, Zairul Hijoo,
Vincent Chang, President Dusun, Varien Chia, Danny Tsang, Michele Wu, Lo Sau
Keng, So Chee Ming and Eleanor Wong).
The first big project in focus would be the Bandar Kim Fung community overhead bridge project which IPP Cindy initiated. She had obtained funds from three major corporations to start up the project but because approval from the various authorities was not forthcoming she had to hand-over the project to President Dusun. There would be a lot of ground work to carry out before the construction, and with meticulous planning, construction could begin as early as March next year. President Dusun also planned to increase the number of Educare sponsored students to thirty and raise more funds to keep it going. To achieve this, he would have to increase the number of volunteers to help run the programme. Currently, are ten non Rotarian volunteers are assisting the board. On the increase of club membership, President Dusun has indicated that two new members will be inducted in July. They are Anne Tan (a retired English teacher) and Chua Fui Ming (a manager of the HSBC Sandakan Branch). President Dusun is expecting at least two more new female members to join the Club. With youth exchange, RYLA, SINDEX and the regular annual projects in store, 2008-2009 Rotary year will indeed be a very busy year for the new president. But the Presidential Citation is always in the offing, and like in all the previous years, these projects will, no doubt, be completed on and in time – though, of course, the pace of each differs, depending on how much time each club member could chip in to help. (Right Photo: Induction of the new Sergeant at Arms, Rotarian Varien Chia) Unfortunate children in our backyard
Sandakan: Sandakan: You do not have to look to other countries to find the poor and the unfortunate. Dig a little deeper into our backyard and you will find hordes of unfortunate children who are victims of circumstances. The Rotary club of Sandakan has found such children scattered around Sandakan, and who live as far as mile 30. They were born poor. Four children were found living in a small wooden shed by themselves under the care of relatives. They have no choice but to do adult chores like washing clothes, ironing, cleaning, etc with their small bare hands. Fortunately, food is still available. Others are not so lucky. The everyday menu often only comprises steamed rice, topped with Maggie noodle to taste. On good days, they will be served the occasional fish, which is often only sufficient for a cat’s tummy. Going to school is no luxury. Two siblings, one is twelve years old and another, in Standard One, have to wake up at four every morning and walk to the bus station by 5.00 am to catch the public bus to school. The journey to school takes an hour. These children are not orphans but owing to their family’s financial constraints and more often chaotic parent relationship, they have been neglected and deprived.These students have been recommended by their respective school principals to be put on the Education Care programme. It is a project, initiated by the Rotary Club of Sandakan three years ago, to nurture and look after financially unfortunate children. Its funding though relies solely on public donations in cash and in kind. Each selected genuine unfortunate will not only have their educational expenses paid for, they will also receive monthly pocket money, free medical consultation and treatment, free quarterly education tutoring and assistance, basic food supply, etc for a year. Over the three years since its inception, the number of students sponsored has increased from 6 to 18. It costs the Club more than RM1,000.00 to meet the annual expenses of each of these students. But the Club has been fortunate because donations have been pouring in from generous donors. Principal of these donors is Tanah Emas Corporation who donated RM10,000 to the project at the beginning of Rotary Year 2007-2008.
The Club will introduce a sponsor-a-child scheme next year. To participate in the programme, the public can choose to ‘adopt’ an unfortunate child for a year and receive reports on their academic progress and living standards. On the list of the 2008-2009 programme are 18 children comprising Chong Vun Teng, Petronlella, Annabelle Soh Xiao Wei and Vincent Kong (SJK Pei Ying); Lai Qiao Keo, Tee Han Jin and Fong Pui Yee (SJK Lok Yuk); Tai Shin Yi, Esther Chow Sook Fuen, Wong Sai Yan, Wong Chun Kit and Wong Khin Chiun (SJK Tai Tong); Saziah Tan and Tan Yau Chung (SJK Pea Hwa); Vieatreas Lai Pui Pui and Chung Ga Yuan (SJK Syn Hua); and Patrick Liau Wui Loong and Liew Ming Chung (SJK Ming Chung). The Club has proposed a minimum sponsorship fee of RM500 per child, but nonetheless, will still accept any donation less than the minimum amount. HAPPY FACES - A memorable Childhood
The 20 sponsored kids under the Education Care programme (EDUCARE) of the Rotary Club of Sandakan had a blast week during the recent school holidays. Visiting the STC Equestrian Centre at Mile 7 for the first time in thief life, they were naturally scared at the sight of some ponies which were almost as big as horses. But after a few try-outs, they could not wait to line up to ride the tallest pony. Apart from the outing and the pony riding, the kids were also given a 5 day free English and Malay educational workshops. To top these up, each child took home an abundance of food supplies which included rice, milk, milo, biscuits, etc. The aim of EDUCARE is to nurture and offer unprivileged kids in Sandakan a normal and happy childhood. Although academic improvement is one condition which ensures continuity of sponsorships, the club does not expect these children to be geniuses.
|
Send mail to
taraptree@yahoo.com
with questions or comments about this web site.
|
