SECRETARY'S CORNERBy Secretary Andrei Bon Tagum
SERVING BEYOND THE CLUB LEVEL
Time really flies. We are almost in the halfway mark of the present rotary year and it never ceases to amaze that we have covered so much ground in so short a time.
However, our program of action for this year (and for the years past, for that matter) is such that our targets were set high. Even before Ondoy came to rudely interrupt our existence, we were set on accomplishing still so many major projects such as the Filipino on Time Project, the Governor Pros Crescini Cup, the Governor Pete Morales Cup, the International Project Fair and so on and so forth.
And now, a new challenge is upon us. Information reached us that recently, we were appointed to host the Presidents- Elect Training Seminar (PETS) on March next year. According to the Rotary International website (www.rotary.org), “the presidents-elect training seminar helps presidents-elect prepare for their year as club president”. The meeting is an opportunity for incoming club presidents to build strong working relationships with their district governor-elect and incoming assistant governors. Among the topics of that seminar are the RI theme, Role and responsibilities, Working with your club and district leaders, Club administration, Membership, Service projects, The Rotary Foundation, Public relations and Goal setting.
The President has issued a clarion call to the Club to accept this recent challenge as a great opportunity for training to serve beyond the club level. Indeed, the PETS is one of the major activities in the district. It may even be the most important as it can set the right tone for the incoming rotary year. Hosting the PETS is not only an honor but also a privilege as it bestows on us the golden opportunity to help in the formation and development of new Rotarian leaders among the president-elects. This early, the president-elects including our own John Simon are already casting their eyes and minds on the coming challenges. This is our time to help usher their presidencies into the right mold and direction.
Moreover, our Club members will be given the rare opportunity to be exposed in the hosting of a major district activity. Such exposure can translate into new information and insights on the rotary brand of service, stronger ties with other Rotarians and the district officers, better coordination with the district, and more opportunies for service.
As we are now almost through with the first half of the current rotary year, may I kindly remind and appeal to the Clubmen to pay their dues, especially the membership dues. It should be noted that proceeds from the payments will certainly go a long way in funding the Club’s projects. More importantly, our Club needs to remit to the Rotary International the Semi-Annual Report dues of our members.
