It was a momentous and proud

moment for Rotary Club of Makati

Olympia (RCMO) last Saturday

evening, October 16, as it marked

its chartering with a ceremonial

presentation and induction

ceremonies at the AIM Conference

Center in Makati City.

It was a night to remember as the

54 members of RCMO were formally

inducted as charter members.

On hand to witness the event and

lend support to the newest member

of the Rotary family were members

of partner Rotary clubs in Metro

Manila, clubs from the provinces of

Bulacan, Batangas and Laguna, and

the Rotary Club of Namyang from

South Korea. Later they were part

of the signing of the Matched Club

Agreement with RCMO.

The night started with the parade

of colors then District Governor’s

Special Representative (DGSR)

Suzanne “Sue” Sta. Maria formally

opened the program. The prayer

and the singing of the National

Anthems of the outh Korea and

the Philippines were led by

members of Interact and Rotaract

Clubs of Teatro de Olympia.

PDG Wilfredo “Willy” Segovia in

his Welcome Remarks said the

chartering of a new club is an

international event thus it is only

fitting that he is giving RCMO an

international reception.

Governor Herminio “Sonny”

Coloma, currently Communica-

tions Operations Group Secretary

under the administration of

President Noynoy Aquino, led the

charging of charter members.

Cont’d at page 2…

Historic Night

RCMO celebrates RCMO celebrates RCMO celebrates RCMO celebrates charteringcharteringcharteringchartering

The

OLYMPIANS The Official Newsletter of the Rotary Club of Makati - OLYMPIA

VOL 01 NO 10 • OCTOBER 2010

The President’s Corner

My dear Fellow

Olympians,

Praise God for making

everything possible!

Indeed, the Charter Presentation is

something that we can always remember

with pride. It was how we meant it to be

but it went beyond our expectations with

His blessings.

The days before the event were quite trying

but thanks to the hands and disposition of

those in the working committee ably

chaired by CS Jay, the small kinks were

ironed out. How can we forget the threat

of the super typhoon and of the big

downpour hours before our program? I

received more than 50 text messages with

members and guests either saying that

they could not come or would be late. We

knew how strict we were on our time

consideration. We also knew our

reservation. I did not doubt for a second

that it would go as planned. I told PP

Amor that we had done our best and those

who were really interested to honor us

with their presence would be there come

hale or flood. True enough, by 5 pm, the

sky cleared and those who canceled arrived

one after the other. Our guests came from

as far as Bulacan, Batangas and Laguna

and they were in full force! By the time

the program started, all our reserved tables

were full and our program continued as

scheduled! How's that for God's grace?

RCMO is so blessed! The most important

blessing that it has aside from its members

is that we have DGN Sue as our DGSR. It

is said that we are not given someone or

something who or which is not the best for

us. We cannot ask for anyone other than

you, our dearest DGSR, for you are the

best! We are honored to have you in our

club. How can we be complete without

you?

RCMO Celebrates Chartering cont’d from p.1

� Citius, Altius, Fortius: Faster, Higher, Stronger! �

The President’s Corner cont’d from p.1

"For whom much is given, much is

expected." Our club has started with a

bang and is expected to do better. Our

charter presentation is a testament of

this. I have great confidence that it will

not be difficult if our hearts are in

everything that we do. Like what PDG

Butch said, Rotary is a vocation and as

in our individual profession, we achieve

much when we believe in what we are

doing and do the best we can in all

aspects of our work. So is Rotary. As a

club we can achieve much, meaning

serve best, if we believe in what we are

doing and are prepared to go beyond

ourselves to be able to make our

aspirations for others a reality.

Therefore, Rotary is a commitment of

ourselves. It is a big responsibility

beyond all the trimmings.

We are in the next leg of our journey.

We need to ask ourselves individually if

we are ready to carry on through the

long and winding road ahead. Your

response will be most crucial... to each

one, as individuals and to the club, as a

whole.

In closing, I commend all the hard work

done to make our Charter Presentation a

great success. This includes the

invaluable contribution by our youth.

They are the best kids around! We are

very fortunate to have them with us.

Please continue to build on that

passion. We have no other way to go

but to move forward. So, look back at

the history of our club with fondness but

look ahead focused on our goals with

resolute conviction that we are here to

last in service to humanity!

But before officially charging

them, he posed the question

“What is your purpose in joining

this new club?” even as he elicited

answers from some of the RCMO

members. He then urged the club

members to support Charter

President (CP) Rose Acoba who he

praised for her commitment and

hard work in serving Rotary and

leading its cause.

Also inducted were the charter

officers of RCMO. Aside from CP

Rose, other officers inducted were

Vice President and President-elect

Lorna Perea, Charter Secretary

and President Nominee Angerico

“Jay” Bataclan, Treasurer Amor

Isip, Sergeant-At-Arms Juvanni

Rajiv “Juju” Abdulcadir, Director

and Past President Faustino “Ting” Almendral, Director for

Club Administration Malu

Aristorenas, Director for

Membership Manuel Pintado,

Director-The Rotary Foundation

Edgar Bartolata, Director for Service

Projects Roger Alejo and Director

for PR and Public Image Joel

Adriano. PDG Jaime Cura led the

charging of Officers while Governor

Ed Alvarez Inducted them.

The visitors from Namyang gave a

special number as President Yoon

Hong Yeul played a saxophone

tribute to CP Rose.

The event was capped off with a

group song number by the charter

members and a night of fun and

dancing which lasted until past

midnight.

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Tanaka lone nominee for

Rotary International President

in 2012-2013

Sakuji Tanaka, a member of the Rotary

Club of Yashio, Saitama, Japan, was

selected by the Nominating Committee

as President of Rotary International for

year 2012-2013. Rotary International

President Ray Klinginsmith officially

declared Tanaka as president-nominee

last October 1.

For 32 years, he was president of the

Tanaka Company Ltd., a wholesale firm

that went public in 1995 and later

merged with other leading wholesalers in

Japan. Currently, he serves as vice

president of the Yashio City Chamber of

Commerce and adviser to Arata Co. Ltd.,

an animal feed and pet food wholesaler.

He also chaired the National Household

Papers Distribution Association of Japan

for 8 years. Tanaka studied business at

Nihon Management Daigakuin and Tokyo

Management Daigakuin.

A past trustee of the Rotary Foundation,

Tanaka said he would like to see Rotary

“continue its vital work as the force to

improve our communities.” To do this he

said, Rotary needs active and involved

clubs. “We are fortunate to have our

revised RI Strategic Plan to help build

strong clubs that are vibrant, action-

oriented and relevant in the changing

world.”

His other service to Rotary includes as RI

director, regional Rotary Foundation

coordinator, district governor and

member of the Polio Eradication

Advocacy Task Force among others. He

also established an endowed Rotary

Peace Fellowship. Together with his wife

Kyoko, they are Paul Harris Fellows. He

is likewise a recipient of RI’s “Service

Above Self Award” and “The Rotary

Foundation’s Distinguished Service

Award”.

Tanaka will formally be elected at the

2011 RI Convention in New Orleans,

Louisiana, USA.

MESSAGE OF GOV. ED ALVAREZ

(Speech delivered during the Charter

Presentation of the Rotary Club of

Makati Olympia, October 16, 2010)

Thank you very much, PP Ting Almendral, for your kind introduction.

Charter President Rose Acoba and Spouse Al; Past District Governors Joey Benedicto, Willy Segovia, Guiller Tumangan and Sid Garcia; Lady Maling of PDG Butch Francisco; DGN Sue Sta. Maria, who also happens to be my District Governor’s Special Representative to this newly chartered Rotary Club; Assistant Governors; other District Officers led by the hardworking District Secretary, PP Jay Tambunting; my lovely Lady Mariz; Global Presidents; charter members of your Rotary Club of Makati Olympia; Spouses, Other Rotarians and guests, especially for your foreign and local matched clubs. Good evening.

Tonight is a very special night as our newly born baby will be officially presented to the Rotary world, and it is with a big bang. Imagine a club with a charter strength of 54 and a seasoned Charter President in the person of CP Rose Acoba. I also saw some past Rotary Club presidents in your roster

of charter members. Thus, I have no doubt at all that you will have a great year this Rotary Year. Our PDGs present, please correct me if I am wrong, but as I recall, this 54 charter members may be the biggest club ever formed in my twenty one year history as a Rotarian. Prior to this, the record may be the 51 charter members of the Rotary Club of Makati Dasmarinas which was incidentally chartered by our club, the Rotary Club of Makati West when I was President in Rotary Year 1994 – 1995. For the charter members of the Rotary Club of Makati Olympia to appreciate how lucky you are to start with charter members, 25 of our 85 Rotary Clubs in our district were still below charter strength of 20 at the start of this Rotary Year although some of them have eventually reached charter strength very recently. This also means that with your membership size, you have the potential to do a lot more than these existing clubs. For the benefit of the audience, let me mention to you what this new club has already done considering that they were just officially chartered last August 9, 2010. Madaling tandaan yung charter date nila; 8 – 9 – 10. Your club has religiously published your club bulletin known as “The Olympians” and to date, you already had nine issues. Please take note that they were just chartered nine weeks ago. This is far beyond my request of at least a monthly publication kung hindi kaya yung weekly. Besides, your weekly club bulletins are complete with the activities undertaken the previous week plus enough Rotary information like the Core Values of Rotary which are Service, Fellowship, Diversity, Integrity and Leadership, which was featured in last week’s issue. It is also amazing that you have already lined up your activities all the way up to December 21. Congratulations, Rotary Club of Makati Olympia.

Gov. Ed’s Message cont’d from

p.3

Let me, however, remind President Rose that as Charter President, you play a significant part in developing the fellowship and service efforts of your club. You will not be doing it alone as you will have the help of your fellow officers, directors and members in the task of building a strong club. In addition to the talent within your club, please remember to call upon the following for support: your District Governor’s Special Representative in the person of DGN Sue Sta. Maria; members of your sponsoring clubs, the Rotary Club of Makati Urdaneta and the Rotary Club of Makati Central; myself, of course, as well as my Global Team; plus members of your Club and District Support or CDS team in Parramatta composed of Joy Walker, Deslyn Maher and Mary Jayne Desmond. If their names don’t ring a bell to the Global Presidents, this means that you have not been asking for their assistance in the fulfillment of your chores as Rotary President.

I am also urging CP Rose to register in the “Member Access” section of our Rotary website www.rotary.org. This is a vital resource. Another valuable tool for the new clubs would be The Club Leadership Plan. This publication gives you ideas concerning the best practices used by effective clubs and can aid you in establishing a strong club infrastructure and strategic plan. Knowing CP Rose well and having worked with her in the past, however, I am almost sure that all these have already been done. Besides, your line up of officers will already reveal that you have complied with the Club Leadership Plan. Inasmuch as membership is the least of your problem, let me now focus you attention to TRF contributions. The clubs are expected to support The Rotary Foundation in terms of contributions, and my goal for this Rotary Year is for all the Rotary Clubs in our District to give a per capita contribution of US$100. This means that I am hoping to raise US$5,400 from your 54 charter members. This may be in a form of Paul Harris Fellow contributions of US$1,000 each or TRF sustaining membership of US$100 annually, and this is more popularly known as EREY or Every Rotarian Every Year. Yung US$1,000

may be difficult to extract from new Rotarians as you are not yet familiar with the service we have been extending, especially the financial assistance available for The Rotary Foundation for our many service projects. Pero yung US$100 may be easier to get from all of you. As you are aware, we are a developing country and our Rotary Clubs benefit a lot from The Rotary Foundation. We receive a lot more, maybe ten times or even more, than what we actually give. I suggest that you already identify at this point your most significant project needing financial assistance and apply in the earliest possible time for a matching grant. You can also immediately apply for a District Simplified Grant and I already asked PP Rene Aguirre to reserve an amount for your new club. And on March, we are having our District Conference which is actually the culmination of our activities this Rotary Year. We are now doing our best to ensure that we will have a very successful District Conference and I am encouraging you all to participate as you will learn a lot from the plenary sessions we have lined up, and will have great fun from the evening activities we prepared. It is also a chance for you all to meet the rest of our District as we expect at least 1,000 Rotarians and spouses to participate in our District Conference. We are now accepting early registration of only P3,500 for Rotarians and P2,500 for Spouses up to January 31, 2011, but if you register on or before 9pm on December 18, you will also be entitled to an early registration raffle, the grand price of which is airline tickets for two persons (one winner) to New Orleans, which is the site of our next Rotary International Convention come May 2011. Believe it or not, we even brought a swiping machine meaning that you can register using your credit cards. Other Rotarians may also register later tonight, and may approach our District secretariat at the back. Allow me now to end this message with a quote from Past Rotary International President Almon Roth who said and I quote “Our success or failure will not depend upon the machinery of Rotary or its physical growth, but upon the extent to which Rotary’s ideal or objectives are translated into positive, tangible results in personal, business, community and international life. We shall be known by our works” End of quote. Mabuhay ang Rotary Club of Makati Olympia. Maraming salamat po.

SPEECH OF CP ROSE ACOBA

District Governor Ed and Lady Mariz Alvarez, DGN Sue Sta Maria, DGSR of RCMO, Past District Governors, Distinguished Guests, fellow Olympians, My Family, Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen, In the wee hours of December 15 2009, four of the six founders had an after party coffee at Swiss Inn. Discussing important matters that beset them at that time, they jokingly simulated a club meeting, banged the water goblet/ and declared it to be the first organizational meeting of “the Rotary Club of Makati Olympia”. The gods must be playing a trick on them and must have been laughing but little did they know that that would be prophetic. Tonight, we have banged the gavel to signal the official chartering of the Rotary Club of Makati Olympia! Is it fate or destiny or serendipity then that brought us here tonight? Let me just give you another trivia… We found out much later that Swiss Inn is at Olympia Tower! Seriously though, a group comes into being out of a dream of one or more persons that is so strong that it inflames them to action. As days passed into weeks and months, the compulsion to put a face into the dream became more and more intense for the founders. It was no longer just a dream for them but a vision. To PPs Ting, Ed, Amor and I together with Directors Juju and Malu, it was clear that we wanted to have a club anchored on the basic tenets of Rotary where each individual member is hands on in doing service to the community using his profession with passion and fervor. We wanted a club that makes Rotary accessible to all professions found in the community with focus on the youth for we believe that their passion can even surpass ours. Then, we knew that the magical home of the gods and goddesses, Olympus, already had a face in the Rotary world. Rotary Club of Makati Olympia had been conceived. I say though that it is not born out of a myth but a blessing of our Lord. By end of January 2010, RI President Ray Klingingsmith unveiled the theme for this Rotary year: Building Communities, Bridging Continents.

It is our vision too… that is, have a club which goes back to the community and build it imbued with the values of Rotary. The second part of the RI theme is Bridging Continents. Almost at the same time last January, our Korean friends came over for a visit. We shared our aspirations to them and they readily took our hands to help us in our endeavors for the community. Building Communities, Bridging Continents … Our past Rotary experiences were much enriched by the youth partners that we had. From the start, we knew that the youth will be an integral part of our aspirations for the new club. By April 28, through the decision of the Council of Legislation, Service to New Generations became the 5

th Avenue of Service.

Many of us who come to our crossroads pray and ask for signs. Yes, we all prayed for God’s guidance and our faith needed no better signs than the above circumstances. We were on the right track and God was leading us through. So when we got chartered on an auspicious date of August 9, 2010 – 8,9,10 it was like He was saying, “My child, go as you have asked. Serve humanity through Rotary for you will be serving Me! On behalf of Rotary Club of Makati Olympia, I humbly accept this calling. Gov. Ed, your Special Representative in the person of our dearest DGN Sue and our mother Clubs Rotary Clubs of Makati Central and Makati Urdaneta have ably helped us put together our dreams into a tangible and living club. We are ready to carry out your aspirations for our club, the District and Rotary International. Allow us please, however, to strengthen our foundation more this year so that in the years to come the seed that you have planted will grow into a verdant and productive tree in this sturdy and strong club. It is for this that I beg the understanding of my Global Classmates. If I cannot join you, it is simply because I am otherwise engaged with my fellow Olympians cementing our foundation. As a dutiful child however, we shall fulfill all the requirements in the Presidential Citation especially in Membership and TRF. My Global Governor Ed, RCMO will not only strive to get more new members but we shall see

to it that we will retain them this charter year and beyond though we

CP Rose Acoba with Charter Secretary and President Nominee Jay Bataclan

know that it is a difficult task especially as a charter club. We are fully aware that there will be attrition but we shall put in place a working retention program for our Club.

As our humble contribution to your campaign for the Rotary Foundation and because our vision is also to bridge continents through the TRF, your baby will be an EREY club. As for our Service endeavors, we have already started most of them as you have seen in the AVP shown earlier. We have vast resources in terms of warm bodies. We also have the passion and intensity to make things happen. If our knees wobble sometimes, we have our youth who works side by side with us in everything that we do. Our beneficiaries have been identified and are waiting. As a charter club, though, our financial resources limit us to serve more than we are serving now. I beg your indulgence. For all of you, who believe in the causes that we have taken, please help us in this regard. Our Interactors and Rotaractors have pledge forms with them. Two of our members, Renny Harman and Roger Orobia are artists. Your patronage of their work will benefit our club financially. Your help, in any way, will be most welcome. To our dear Sister Clubs, one of our advocacies is to help Tuloy sa Don Bosco. We have coin banks available. The coins that may not matter to you and your members or your families will go a long way for the wards of Tuloy sa Don Bosco. One can is equivalent to 1 sack of rice. Tuloy has helped many streetchildren transform their lives to be responsible citizens of society. Let us help more change their lives. I thank you, in advance, on their behalf. To my fellow Olympians, we may experience many birthing pains but let us take courage and hold each other’s hand as we continue our journey. Let us take care of each other as a family and move forward always going for the gold even in the littlest things that we do. What really counts is the heart and love we put in our work. That is service in the real sense of the word – that which our Lord wants us to do. It is our key to go the distance and last. RCMO and I thank all of you for this wonderful evening. At this point, let me specially mention you whom we owe

so much - the distinguished mentors who were part of the

Rotary Information sessions done during our organizational period – DGN Sue, PDG Jimmy, PDG Willy, PDG Guiller, PDG Joey, PDG Boyet, PDG Butch and PP Dennis; the Global Membership Committee headed by PDG Jun Tambunting; PDG Sonny for taking time to charge us tonight, IPDG Sid for inducting us as Rotarians; PDG Jimmy for encouraging us to serve selflessly as officers; PP Mar for doing the honor of introducing our guests tonight, my Lead Classmates, DS Jay and DDS Lilibeth who were always there during and after our organization; AG Chochit; our mother clubs. Rotary Clubs of Makati Central and Makati Urdaneta, through my Global Classmates Jojo (represented by PE Ver Angelo) and Butch, respectively, to our sister club from Korea, Rotary Club of Namyang and our local matched clubs; President Christine and RC San Nicolas Makati who gave us a home when we were homeless; my other family, the Francisco Center for Social Entrepreneurship and its Board of Trustees – Maling, Bing, Rey, Techie, Charlie, Ces, and of course my Lead Gov Butch, who continuously support me and my Rotary aspirations; my beloved family Al, Ron and Alvin, my assistant Armie, and all of you who are sharing this evening with us. On your behalf, RCMO shall donate 10 sacks of rice to Tuloy sa Don Bosco as our special way of saying, “Thank you, we appreciate you very much.”

In the true fashion of the Olympics or shall I say the Olympians, I shall end by paying tribute to the men and women whose spirit we admire and inspiration is a guiding light for RCMO. We have learned from you and we shall look up to you as we continue our journey in Rotary. May I invite you to come up front to be recognized? DG Ed Alvarez – you are a man whose vision we identify with. You are after all our Chartering Governor. PDG Willy Segovia of RC Makati Central – you inspired us to aim high and charter big. Although it was a difficult challenge, we were able to attain it through your constant guidance.

PDG Joey Benedicto of RC Makati Central – Your words of wisdom still reverberate. You are truly inspiring. PDG Guiller Tumangan of RC Makati West - You are very passionate about Rotary. It is our hope that we will be able to emulate you as we continue our Rotary journey.

PDG Butch and Maling Francisco of RC Makati Central - You were there when RCMO was just a pipe dream. If not for both of you, I do not know if I will be here tonight. I also don’t know if RCMO will be what it is now. You have given us support then and now.

PP Robert Kuan of RC Makati – You have touched us when you showed your concern and volunteered to mentor to us despite not knowing any one of us. As a new club, we need all the encouragement and care especially from esteemed Rotarians like you. Charter Pres. Pae, Pres. Henry Yoon, PP Thomas Hong, PP Kim Jong Goan of Rotary Club of Namyang, Korea - What better testament of friendship than what you have shown us? You surely are a true friend! Last but certainly not the least – our very own, our dearest, DGSR, DGN Sue Sta Maria of Rotary Club of Makati Urdaneta - Is there a child without a Mom? RCMO will not be and is not complete without you. Fellow Rotarians, Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together for the Honorary Members of Rotary Club of Makati Olympia. You shall forever be enshrined in our history and in our hearts. Lady Mariz, please join us as my fellow members of the Board give the Honorary pin to our elected Honorary Members. Mabuhay po kayo. And to everyone, thank you! To God be the Glory!

CHARGING OF OFFICERS - PDG Jimmy A. Cura

Together with all the guests and friends who have been invited to this historic occasion, let me, at the onset, congratulate all those who have had a hand in bringing about the birth of a new Rotary club in our district – beginning with DG Ed Alvarez himself, DGN Sue Sta. Maria who was the special representative of the governor in overseeing the organization of the new club, past presidents, Rose Acoba, Ting Almendral, and other Rotarians who took part in inviting the recruits, orienting them on the basics of Rotary, stoking and nurturing their initial interest and enthusiasm, formally organizing them into a functioning Rotary club, and making sure that what began as an interesting possibility several months ago is now a joyful reality. In particular, I am grateful to Charter President Rose Acoba for inviting me to be part of the program for this occasion as the charging officer for the first set of officers of this new club. For those not familiar with Rotary, the charging message is a ritual last-minute reminder to the officers about the significance of the oath they are about to take. Given the historicity of this occasion, one is tempted to bring out a litany of concerns and dispense a plethora of advice and suggestions, at least for the record. I shall not do this. Having been witness and having taken a small part in the first meeting of this new club, I am certain that the basics for joining and serving Rotary have been more than adequately explained by the eminent Rotarians you have invited to your weekly meetings and repeatedly clarified and exemplified by DGSR Sue and CP Rose and the veteran Rotarians among you.

Let me, therefore, focus on the special burden or privilege that you as the first-ever set of officers of this new club will be carrying for the rest of your lives. By June 30, 2011, or by the end of your first Rotary calendar year, will there still be 54 members in good standing in this club? Will your weekly meetings still be as interesting, as carefully prepared for, as worthy of coming back for from week to week, as they are now? Will each member have a clear and enjoyable assignment in any of the service projects that you have begun to carry out in your chosen beneficiary communities? Will the 54 continue to discover each other even more and develop deeper friendships with each other – friendships that are forged by fellowships and service projects that bring out the best in each of you, help you continue to grow as individuals and leaders, give you a sense of genuine personal and professional fulfillment and relevance in the things that you do together, and enable you to make a real difference in the lives of others? Will the Rotary Club of Olympia gain the respect, admiration friendship and partnership of other Rotary clubs in our district, in the Philippines, and the rest of the Rotary world? Will it begin to take its place – and secure it – among the most effective, stable, respectable and dependable Rotary clubs in the world of Rotary service? The answers to these questions depend to a large extent and in a special way on each and everyone of you. You are the charter members. You are the charter officers. There will never be another set of charter members or officers for this club other than you. You are the founders. Such is the special character of the roles you have so generously and so courageously accepted to take on for this Rotary club. The questions that I posed to you earlier may sound awesome and intimidating.

CHARGING OF CHARTER MEMBERS - PDG Sonny Coloma

Gobernador Ed Alvarez, mga Kapwa Rotarian, mga panauhin, mga lakambini at ginoo: Magandang gabi po sa inyong lahat! Sa gabing ito, saksi tayo sa pagtatatag ng Rotary Club of Makati Olympia. Ang Olympia ay pangalan ng isang barangay sa Lungsod ng Makati.

Ang Olympia ay pangalan din ng lumang sangtuario sa bansang Greece. Sa Olympia nilunsad ang Olympia Games, ang pinakamataas na antas ng paligsahan sa larangan ng palakasan. Olympia is the symbol of athletic excellence. Similarly, the challenge to charter members is to make this new club a symbol of excellence in Rotary service. To you, the Charter Members, I ask this important question: What is your purpose in joining this new club? Ano ang inyong layunin sa pagsali sa bagong club na ito? In my many years as a Rotarian, there is one element that cements a Rotarian’s commitment: the willingness to dedicate oneself to a cause bigger than oneself. Batid ko na bawa’t isa sa inyo ay handing mag-alay ng sarili para sa isang dakilang layunin na higit pa sa inyong mga sarili. That is the essence of being a Rotarian: to be willing to serve above one’s self interest. Iyan ang pundasyon ng pagiging tunay na Rotarian: ang kahandaang maglingkod sa kapwa ng higit sa sariling kapakanan. As you embrace the challenge of being new Rotarians, I urge you to follow the sterling example of your Charter President Rose Acoba. This is the second time she is leading a Rotary Club as she served previously as President of the Rotary Club of Makati Legazpi. She was a Lead President because during her year of service, RI’s theme was: Lead the Way. Hinihimok ko kayong sundin ang halimbawa ni Charter President Rose. Siya ay isang kahanga-hangang Rotary leader dahil sa tatlong mahahalangang katangian: She is humble. She is hard-working. She is passionately committed to Rotary.

Humility is a mother of all virtues. Without humility, it is difficult to have any other virtue. Kapag ang tao ay mapagkumbaba, madali niyang makamit ang ibang mga katangian.

Siya ay modelo ng kasipagan sa lahat ng kanyang tungkuling ginagampanan: Club President. District Officer at Rotary Institute Training Leader.

Above all, she is passionately committed to serve. She is a servant leader, a model Charter President who will lead

the way for all of you in becoming, like her, humble, hardworking and passionately committed Rotarians.

With Charter President Rose leading the way for all of you, the Rotary Club of Makati Olympia may well be an exemplar of the Olympic spirit as

applied to Rotary’s motto: Citius, Fortius, Altius --- Faster, Stronger, Higher in serving humanity above self! Maraming Maraming Salamat at Magandang gabi sa inyong lahat.

editorial team adviser Rose Acoba ���� editor Joel D. Adriano

We’d like to hear from you.

Write us your ideas and thoughts or contribute articles that you think is interesting and will be beneficial to our organization. Contact us at (0917)545-6171 and (0917)891-4695.

Charging of Officers cont’d from p.7

The questions that I posed to you earlier may sound awesome and intimidating. But those among your fellow Rotarians who are here this evening, who have had a similar experience some years ago and have remained in Rotary long enough, I assure you that the burden and responsibility that comes with your roles is not an impossible one.

For instance, I was one like you 31 years ago when we established my own home club, the Rotary Club of Rizal West. I barely understood what Rotary was really all about. Every other one of the charter members and officers began as a complete stranger to me and I to them. But, at our charter presentation, we, together, began the

process of making new friends of each other and expressing this friendship in the form of service to other people in whose lives we wanted to make a difference. By God’s grace, 31 years later, the Rotary Club of Rizal West is still very much around and is, I am told by many, considered one of the most respected, trusted and admired clubs in Rotary circles.

There are other clubs represented here this evening who have done even better. This is why, in our hearts, we are full of hope and prayers that your club, the Rotary Club of Makati Olympia, will take gradually its place among the great clubs of Philippine Rotary in the coming years.

And so, let me ask you two simple but important questions that I will request you to answer loud enough for everyone to hear: 1. Do you accept the responsibility to become servant leaders of the Rotary Club of Makati Olympia? 2. Will you work together to lay the strongest foundations for your club as a service organization and as a member of Rotary International?

As a Rotarian engaged in a business or profession, I am expected to:

1) consider my vocation to be another opportunity to serve;

2) be faithful to the letter and to the spirit of the ethical codes of my vocation, to the laws

of my country, and to the moral standards of my community;

3) do all in my power to dignify my vocation

and to promote the highest ethical standards in my chosen vocation;

4) be fair to my employer, employees, associates, competitors, customers, the

public, and all those with whom I have a business or professional relationship;

5) recognize the honor and respect due to all occupations which are useful to society;

6) offer 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;

7) adhere to honesty in my advertising and in all representations to the public concerning

my business or profession; 8) neither seek from nor grant to a fellow

Rotarian a privilege or advantage not

normally accorded others in a business or professional relationship.

DECLARATION OF ROTARIANS IN

BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS