A Well-Earned Lower Gear for PP John and Phijitra Schorr

Few people have shaped the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club as deeply and consistently as Past President John Schorr and Honorary Member Phijitra Schorr. As they move into a well-deserved and much-earned “lower gear,” CMIRC takes this opportunity to recognize their extraordinary years of service, leadership, generosity, and commitment to Rotary.

PP John is a charter member of CMIRC, a Paul Harris Fellow, and served two terms as President of the club. Over the years, he has been a driving force behind some of CMIRC’s most important service projects, including founding and championing the Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program. Together with Phijitra, he also helped champion the Child Vision Screening Program, bringing practical support to children and families in our community.

John’s service has reached far beyond individual projects. He was a major CMIRC participant and leader in securing approval for the Water and Sanitation Global Grant, a 330,000 USD project supporting clean water and sanitation in Northern Thailand. He has also been a tireless fundraiser, selling the largest number of tickets for the Annual Charity Golf Ball Drop, organizing multiple CMIRC fundraising efforts, and helping ensure that service projects had the support they needed to continue.

His Rotary leadership also extended to District 3360, where he served as both a member and Chair of the Rotary Youth Exchange Outbound Committee and as Assistant District Governor. The photo pages prepared for this tribute show PP John across many years of service, including Child Vision Screening, visits to Mae Tao Clinic, BEAM recognition, hosting a District Governor visit, work connected to the Water and Sanitation Global Grant, the Golf Ball Drop, the Duck Race fundraiser, and Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program activities.

CMIRC is deeply grateful to PP John and Phijitra for all they have given to the club, to children, to communities, and to Rotary. Their contribution is part of the foundation on which our club continues to build.