Proud to be a Rotarian
I have written about this topic already twice. When my “permanent life in the Philippines” as an expatriate started, I kept on looking for several tasks and commitments. I joined several ‘clubs’, expat gatherings and many different associations.
Since more then a year, I am a member of Rotary International – here in Rotary Club of East Davao. Yes, I feel like being in a big family – and, I must confess, I am really proud to be one of only more or less 1,2 million members worldwide.
Rotary is a global network of community volunteers. Rotary members are business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Some 31,000 Rotary clubs in more than 165 countries carry out service projects in their local communities and abroad to address such critical issues as poverty, health, hunger, illiteracy, and the environment.
Sometime early last year, when I started teaching German in the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City, my director of the Institute of Languages Professor Dr. Pattie Elbanbuena introduced me to her husband Efren, past president of RCED. Efren (Government Information Service) invited me to join Rotary.
Already after only a few months I realized, that i have joined an organization of professional men and women dedicated to service to others, high ethical standards, and international fellowship and cooperation. Yes, even on our club, we speak many languages and we’re coming from many backgrounds – but all of us are working TO MAKE DREAMS REAL for children and others in need throughout the world.
I really discover the many ways that Rotary brought me closer to my own community – even being (only?) an expat living in the Philippines. And, being an active member, one is blessed to meet Rotarians from every part of the globe – people who share your commitment to helping others. These contacts really open up the world of international friendship and service. Rotary Club of East Davao is an ideal mix of professionals and businessmen of Filipinos and nationals from Japan, U.S.A., U.K., Australia, New Zealand and – Germany.
Meanwhile I became the Vice Chairman Public Relations and a member of Special Committees. I am the Event Chairman of the Classical Music Concert in Davao City on December 5, 2009 – a fund raising event for Polio Philippines. I wrote about it some days ago here in LIP. Even being very busy sometimes I enjoy being a volunteer for a service project and serve on a committee.
For some of us it’s time to prepare for the District 3860 Seminar in the Cebu Grand Convention Center August 21 and 22. In our regular meetings we are able to listen to really outstanding guest speakers, like during the last weeks to Mr. Manuel Orig, Davao Light and Power, or Lt. Gen. Raymundo B. Ferrer, Commander Eastern Mindanao Command, Armed Forces of the Philippines. I was honored to to deliver the introduction speech for him.
Offering my vocational talents to provide opportunities for young people, to work for the relief of the special needs of others, and to improve the quality of life in my community. What a wonderful commitment also for an expat living in the Philippines.
Hello my Rotarian Brother!!!!
I will be bringing a dental mission to General Santos City next March just in time to attend the GSE conference on the 4.5.6 of March
Will you be attending…can I buy you a drink???? A coffee?? A pastry???
My club and a neighbouring club are sponsoring this Dental Mission.
We are almost finished with the details and will soon just be waiting to board the plane.
I have been spending time gathering supplies to bring with us.
Bob mentioned that he was going to come down from Davao to help us on the Mission for a couple of days.
You are too most welcome in between your duties at the Conference.
I am sooo looking forward to my Rotary experience overseas.
Hi Klaus,
About 6 years ago I gave a presentation to one of the Gen San Rotary Clubs, About the Crown of Thorns Sea Star and what came out of that presentation was that the club, and a sister Japanese club donated funds and we remover 128,000.00 Crown of thorns from the area near Glan at the mouth of Sarangani Bay!A great success!
About 4 years ago I gave presentations to several Rotary Clubs about our 5,000 Artificial Reef Dome Project and they gave funding to that project also!(Thats a future article of mine)!
So far, The Rotary Clubs locally can be seen doing all kinds of good work for the community!
Hi Klaus, That is one of the more noble groups with a great sence of community involvement and equal focus on the most deserving causes kudos to you for being involved
Hi Klaus, As Tommy said, it does sound like a group that really does a lot of good works. Do you have to be a businessperson to be a member? Are the Rotarian clubs mostly to be found in the larger cities? In the province, the closest thing we have to that are the “Knights of Columbus”, the catholic fraternal groups.
Klaus,
Kudos for your dedication to help out communities in the Philippines. As a mother, one thing that really caught my attention when it comes to giving back like volunteering for the community when i come home for good is to do something with child pornography and missing kids, not that active here in the US, but i do post banners of missing children on my website, hoping someday i can do more be it here or there in my home country. Just make me sick and sad watching the headlines about kids being raped, force into protistution, child labor and kidnapping. It haunts me even in my dreams. I heard there is a law now there in PI about child pornography, having the society to be more aware of it is still a long way to go. Education and implemenation of the law is a must for it to be effective. Harsh penalties should be highly acted upon by the authorities otherwise it’s a dead end cause. When i was growing up or even until i finish college, i am not really aware of it, i know you go to jail if caught but educating families all over the country is minimal. I know most of it are driven by poverty, but we just can’t simply ignore it can we? Children are precious they don’t deserve to be put into this kind of nightmare and abuse. Thank you for helping out our communities Klaus.
Klaus,
Kudos for your dedication to help out communities in the Philippines. As a mother, one thing that really caught my attention when it comes to giving back like volunteering for the community when i come home for good is to do something with child pornography and missing kids, not that active here in the US, but i do post banners of missing children on my website, hoping someday i can do more be it here or there in my home country. Just make me sick and sad watching the headlines about kids being raped, force into protistution, child labor and kidnapping. It haunts me even in my dreams. I heard there is a law now there in PI about child pornography, having the society to be more aware of it is still a long way to go. Education and implemenation of the law is a must for it to be effective. Harsh penalties should be highly acted upon by the authorities otherwise it’s a dead end cause. When i was growing up or even until i finish college, i am not really aware of it, i know you go to jail if caught but educating families all over the country is minimal. I know most of it are driven by poverty, but we just can’t simply ignore it can we? Children are precious they don’t deserve to be put into this kind of nightmare and abuse. Thank you for helping out our communities Klaus
Thank you also Vanessa
Hi my fellow Rotarian Tyleen, yes, sure, I’ll be attending this meeting in Gensan next March. Let’s meet there personally. I am looking forward to it very much. No problem with a coffee or beer… I am always very interesting to talk to people like you too. Stay safe meanwhile and let’s keep in touch… .
Hi Gensan Chris, wow,that’s really amazing. Congratulations to you and the Rotary Clubs of Gensan. I really enjoyed my last stay in Gensan with the other Rotarians. Maybe we have a chance to meet next time, if I am in Gensan. Cheers!
Hi Tommy, thanks a lot for your kind words.
Hi queeniebee, honestly, it’s true what Tommy and you said. Today, after the luncheon meeting we’ll hand over wheelchairs for example.
Most of the members are business people – of course, there are a lot of different classifications. Mine is: foreign media. But there are also doctors, professors, lawyers, politicians, (honorary) consuls and a lot more.
District 3860 of the Philippines, where Rotary Club East Davao belongs to, “starts” in Northern Visayas (Catarman and Calbayog for example, even Siquijor Island) and goes down South to Mindanao. Of course, mostly in large cities, but also, for example, in Polomolok or Mati.
Thanks for dropping by queeniebee.