I may be a hopeless optimist, but indeed, September 2022 is off to a great start! At long last, The Chiang Mai International Rotary Club Foundation has been registered. We are ecstatic!
Our CMIRC School Vision Screening Project has also kicked off for the year. Our diligent team screened students at the Wat Ket Karam, Wat Gu Kham, and Wat Puak Chang Municipal Schools in August. Our club takes the safety of our volunteers and the children we serve very seriously. All our members and external volunteers are fully vaccinated and tested with Antigen Test Kits (ATK) on the day of the event. Our crew uses disposable face shields and rubber gloves. We screen every child with a thermal scan and sanitize their hands regularly. In addition, we clean our screening tools after each use.
The CMIRC Children's Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Program training by Kru Payu is now going swimmingly at the Bronco Kids Sport Club. Students from Wat Wok Chang and Wat Sri Donchai schools had survival swimming lessons last month. Natthasak Thawudom (aka Kru Payu) has just become a Charter Member of The Global Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Rotary Club in Australia. Congratulations!
The Chiang Mai International Rotary Club has donated a new garden pavilion to the Burma Children Medical Fund B.K. Kee Patient House. Project Champion Project Champion Gary Herman organized the handover.
The Duke’s held its annual Pizza Party for local orphans in and around Chiang Mai to celebrate Mother’s Day in Thailand on August 12, 2022. Charter President Roger volunteered to help at The Duke's Maya Mall branch.
The Water & Sanitation Project Committee of CMIRC participated in two productive meetings with the Rotary Club of Fig Garden, California, and the Integrated Tribal Development Foundation regarding the joint Global Grant application. Past President John Schorr as Project Contact, Foundation Chair Roger Lindley, President-Elect/Treasurer Nancy Lindley, Immediate Past President Dylan Thomason (aka Hubby), and I represented the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club, the Host Club.
Eleven impressive Rotary Youth Exchange students arrived from USA, Mexico, Brazil, France, Germany, and Spain. District 3360 Governor Supaluck Lohajoti, District Governor-Elect Wathit Tangrapeeleart, District Governor Nominee Apisak Jompong, and John Schorr of Chiang Mai International Rotary Club, a member of the Inbound Students Sub-committee, attended the welcome ceremony chaired by District 3360 Youth Exchange Chair Siriluck Chaiyawong.
CMIRC has updated its Child Protection Policy and is organizing a bilingual child protection training/workshop for our members and volunteers. The session will take place in October 2022.
I am delighted to announce that District 3360 Governor Supaluck Lohajoti is planning to visit the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club on Tuesday, September 13, 2022. The District Governor will first meet the Board of Directors. Then she will join our regular meeting at 7 PM. We would love our members and interested guests to join us and show support. If you wish to attend, contact secretary@cmirotary.org. Please remember to dress smart casual or wear your Rotary shirt and follow our updated COVID safety protocols.
Since we moved our first meeting of the month to September 13, please note that we will NOT have a CMIRC meeting on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. Our following meetup will be a casual pizza lunch at the Royal Peninsula Hotel on September 20, 2022, from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
Would you like to learn more about our projects or get involved? Come and see us! Contact secretary@cmirotary.org for an invitation.