This is my last monthly Presidential Message for our bulletin before handing the baton over to my beloved wife, President-Elect Viki Thomason. As many of you may know, since Rotary club leaders change annually, every club needs a continual supply of leaders. When I assumed office last July, I listed one of my goals as being that our club takes steps to expand female leadership. I'm incredibly proud that our next two Presidents are my wife Viki and Nancy Lindley; I know our club is in very good hands with them at the wheel.
That said, while we both nominate and vote for our club President eighteen months in advance, the presidency is just one role in club leadership (maybe even the smallest role). Please continue to think about what you can be doing to help lead our club now and into the future.
In May, Rotarians Bill and Nicha Trempus continued to deliver dry food donations to the Urban Light Foundation in Chiang Mai. They also provided food staples to vulnerable migrant labor in Fang District and other areas of Chiang Mai Province as part of the Free Food For The Poor Initiative. Sadly, they have decided to relocate to Phuket but will remain active in Rotary there.
Treasurer and President Nominee Nancy Lindley, Youth Programs Director Raphael Djemal, and Incoming Membership Chair Myrna Muyana participated in the District Training Assembly (DTA) in Phrae on the weekend of May 21-22, 2022. Our very own Charter President Roger Lindley led one of the English language workshops. Roger spoke about "Developing Goals & Case Studies."
Project Champion Bill Pierce reports that Burma Children Medical Fund’s B.K. Kee Patient House held its first party with club members in attendance since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, the new normal sees more and more new patients arriving.
Secretary Nick Dale (aka Teddy Foster Dad) has big dreams of expansion for our club’s heart-warming Teddy Trekkers Initiative. This month, the teddies received CMIRC-branded scarves to make them more recognizable.
Past President and Project Champion John Schorr shared the exciting news that generous donors helped fully funded our two school-based projects for Rotary Year 2022-2023 - the Children’s Water Safety & Drowning Prevention Program (CWSDPP) and School Vision Screening Program (SVSP).
An A-team of CMIRC members, Charter President Roger Lindley, Past President John Schorr, Youth Programs Director Raphael Djemal, Incoming Membership Chair Myrna Muyana, Niwatchai Suknaphasawat, and Gary Herman visited the site of the CMIRC-funded Sustainable Cocoa and Areca Palm Project in Chai Nat. Project Champion Dr. Narong Tongsuk organized the trip. These resilient Rotarians traveled over 500(!) km in two days. What spirit!
I want to express our appreciation to the Chiang Mai Orchid Hotel, which provided excellent meeting facilities for our club for three months. In June, we will still hold our regular meetings there on the first and third Tuesday at 7 PM. However, as of the beginning of July, we will return to our headquarters at the Royal Peninsula Hotel.
If you are attending any CMIRC function, please remember that you must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, you have to self-administer an ATK test on the day of attendance. Free Antigen Test Kits (ATK) are available to club members, to take home and use on the day of the next CMIRC event.
As we enter a new Rotary Year, some of our long-time Committee Chairs and Project Champions graciously decided to give an opportunity to fellow club members to lead, inspire, and shine. In the coming months, you will hear new enthusiastic voices in the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club Bulletin.
In closing, I want to recognize the CMIRC Board of Directors, Project & Initiative Champions, and Club Members for their impeccable, dedicated service throughout Rotary Year 2021-2022. My heartfelt thanks go out to our Donors, Project Partners, and Friends of Rotary, all supporting our work for Child Safety, Health, and Education here in Northern Thailand. It would not be possible to achieve so much without your help.