Tomorrow, May 30, 2009, around 700 men and women — leaders in their respective businesses, professions and communities — who have chosen to dedicate a good portion of their time, talent and treasure in the service of their less fortunate fellowmen will assemble at the Quezon City Sports Club starting at 7:30 a.m. to plot out how they could be stronger and more effective in achieving their humanitarian goals. These are the presidents-elect of about 90 Rotary Clubs in Quezon City comprising District 3780, and their club members assigned by them to serve in key leadership roles in the coming Rotary year starting July 1, 2009 until June 30, 2010. The purpose of this one day seminar aptly denominated as “District Assembly” (DISTAS) is to prepare the incoming Rotary Club leaders in the district for their roles and responsibilities.
This kind of activity is another attractive aspect of this worldwide service organization eminently known as “Rotary International” (RI) that undoubtedly makes it the biggest and most durable global institution. Its universal appeal evidently lies in its solid organizational structure that is preserved and enhanced year in and year out with leadership training programs like the DISTAS. Even if it is a purely service oriented club, it is so akin to a well managed, efficiently run and highly profitable private business corporation complete with board of directors, corporate (club) officers and committee chairs.
All Rotary Club activities revolve around a very inspiring motto, “Service Above Self”, carried out through avenues of service fixed and set forth in a Reference Manual or some sort of “Road Map” guiding every Rotarian. The first avenue involves members’ actions within the club to help it function successfully. This is called Club Service. The second avenue: promotes high ethical standards in businesses and professions pursuant to Rotary’s principles with Rotarians themselves showing the example; recognizes the dignity and worth of all occupations; and fosters the ideal of service in the pursuit of all vocations. This is called the Vocational Service. The third avenue known as Community Service comprises various efforts that members exert sometimes in conjunction with others, to improve the quality of life of those who live within the club’s locality or municipality. The fourth avenue known as International Service concerns activities of members to advance international understanding, peace and goodwill by fostering acquaintance with people of other countries, their cultures, customs, accomplishments, aspirations and problems through constant correspondence and communications and international meetings and exchanges. The fifth and newest avenue is known as Service to the New Generation which involves fostering the Rotary ideals among the youth.
Hence when the district and club officers meet tomorrow, the usual topics they will discuss are “Roles and Responsibilities, Policies and Procedures, Team Selection and Training, Development of Annual and Long Range Plans, Resources, Case Study Exercise, Team-Building Exercise and Problem Solving”. They are expected to discuss these topics painstakingly and seriously because they are fully aware of the motivating and stirring theme that RI adopts each year which for the coming Rotary year so appropriately tells them that “The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands”.
And the future of Rotary indeed looks bright and beautiful especially in District 3780 as the torch is passed by District Governor Alex Cureg on to the hands of its incoming officers led by a young, attractive, level-headed, caring and generous lady Governor with a first name that fittingly describes her personality, “Dulce” de Borja Coyukiat. Dulce will be among the few (around 50) women in the world who will be at the helm of their respective districts as she brings with her a wealth of experience in the corporate world where she runs a family business together with her husband Dave who is the president and CEO of Pioneer Insurance and Surety Corp.
To be sure, the future of Rotary District 3780 remains bright even beyond Dulce Coyukiat’s term as another young, articulate, amiable, “gorgeous” and very capable lawyer in the person of District Governor Nominee Pablo “Ambo” Gancayco succeeds her at the helm. What makes Rotary really solid is the continued support of past district governors (PDGs) like: Gil Divinagracia, the District Trainer; Bobby Viray, Danny Espinosa, Mar Nery, Nemie Peralta, Oca Innocentes, Sr. Danny Reyes, Hermy Jarin, Tony Sibal, Jess Laxamana, Benjie Bacorro, Danny Fausto, Manoling Monroy, Tony Pascual and Mo Libunao who all have speaking parts in the DISTAS aside from two other PDGs in District 3830, Sonny Coloma Jr. and Jimmy Cura.
Tomorrow’s DISTAS is more interesting because two of the invited speakers are known Presidential candidates in the 2010 elections. Senator Mar Roxas will talk about “Putting Rotary to Work in a Global Economic Crisis followed by MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando who will speak on “Creative Leadership in Our Time”.
The DISTAS is hosted by the Rotary Club of Cubao Central led by its President Pete Murao, also a Training Team Member and Chairman of the DISTAS Executive Committee with Maning Cabarroguis, Joe Baradi, Mar Cancio as members and Efren Lim and Dan Espinosa as Advisers. Other members of the DISTAS 2009 Training Team are Chito Borromeo, Manny Ferrer, Del Caragan, Ed Lagdameo, Noel Santos, Dick Mangasi, Badong Viari and Rolan Antono.
There are many other speakers and participants in the DISTAS whose names can not be mentioned any more due to space limitation. But even if they are not recognized here, I am sure they still have that deep sense of fulfillment because at the bottom of their hearts they sincerely believe that, after all, we live in this world and serve our fellowmen mainly for God’s eyes only. And so, at the end of the day with all these Rotarians contributing their bit whether mentioned here or not, the future of Rotary looks bright and clear indeed because it is truly in good hands.
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E-mail at: jcson@pldtdsl.net