February may be the shortest month of the year, but you wouldn’t know that by what our club accomplished this month! I will describe some of the club activities in my message. But, please read the project reports in this bulletin to learn more about how CMIRC has expanded and strengthened its focus on Child Safety, Health, and Education this month.
What happened in February:
The biggest news for CMIRC is our move. On February 21, we moved all of our banners, records, and equipment to the Hong Kong Lucky Restaurant in the Top North Hotel just a few steps from Thapae Gate. Our CMIRC 5th Birthday Party and Children’s Charity Duck Dive took place at our new location on the 23rd of February, and our first regular CMIRC club meeting in our new home will be on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, beginning at 7 pm! As at our previous location, a Chinese family dinner will be available beginning at 5:45 pm for those who reserve at tablecaptain@cmirotary.org . Please reserve by Monday afternoon for the Tuesday dinner.
The biggest news for CMIRC is our move. On February 21, we moved all of our banners, records, and equipment to the Hong Kong Lucky Restaurant in the Top North Hotel just a few steps from Thapae Gate. Our CMIRC 5th Birthday Party and Children’s Charity Duck Dive took place at our new location on the 23rd of February, and our first regular CMIRC club meeting in our new home will be on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, beginning at 7 pm! As at our previous location, a Chinese family dinner will be available beginning at 5:45 pm for those who reserve at tablecaptain@cmirotary.org . Please reserve by Monday afternoon for the Tuesday dinner.
Speaking of our club’s 5th birthday party, we were honored to have Past District Governor Chamnan Chanruang of the Rotary Club Chiang Mai-North and President Poonthip Andersen of the Rotary Club Chiang Mai there to help us celebrate. President John and President-Elect Colin blew out the 5 candles and we all sang Happy Birthday to Us.
We also conducted our first annual Children’s Charity Duck Dive on the 23rd using the waterfall and pool at the Top North Hotel. Top North very generously agreed to close their pool from 6:30 to 7:30pm, so our 170 ducks could dive and then race for the finish line in 9 heats. (Duck Drover Nick Dale, at right, launches ducks over the waterfall, bailing with a plastic basket to encourage the critters to gain speed.) The final race included the three winners from each of the previous heats. The winning ducks were: #221, 1st; #79, 2nd; and #160, 3rd. Two of our winners VERY GENEROUSLY donated their winnings back to the club. We appreciate the generosity of American International Tax Advisers in sponsoring the 2nd place prize and Chiang Mai's English-language radio station, Happy Radio FM 98.50 in providing free publicity of our event. We raised almost US$3,000 (90,000 Baht) this year and we learned a lot. Next year the ducks will race again and the goal will be 150,000 Baht!! Thanks to everyone who had a duck or a flock in the race this year! And special recognition to club members who sold ten duck tickets or more: CP Roger, PP Jerry, PP Shana, PD Clarence, Rtn Gary, Rtn Nancy and me!
This month we had Rotarians visiting and banner exchanges with Rtn Alexandria Sietz of the Foothills Rotary Club of Lakewood, Colorado, USA and Rtn Kiki Douwes of the Rotary Club of Leiden, the Netherlands. Our CMIRC Rotarians were also on the Road! PD Clarence was in Lopburi, and he had a banner exchange with the Rotary Club of Lopburi. PP Jerry was in Hua Hin and he had a banner exchange with the Rotary Club of Royal Hua Hin.
February also marked the official approval of our CMIRC-sponsored Rotaract Club of Payap University. Under the excellent leadership of CMIRC Rotaract liaison William Churchill we have the nucleus of an active group of Payap University students ready to join. (William is showing off the "Certificate of Approval", at left.) The first meeting of the club will be on March 13 at Payap University at noon. CMIRC sponsors an excellent Interact Club at Chiang Mai International School and we were ready, willing and able to welcome yet another international school seeking to give their students community service opportunities through the Rotary International Interact Program. The Unity Concord International School has already identified fifteen students who will form the new club, to be chartered and sponsored through CMIRC. Thank you CMIRC Interact Liaison Michael Gholson for coordinating this effort.
Finally, we are very happy to report that we have inducted two new members, Jianping (Cynthia) Song from the PRC (below left, with me) and Brian Poole from the USA (below right, with Past District Governor Chamnan and President-Elect Colin), in February. We welcome Cynthia and Brian, and we look forward to using the amazing talent and energy these two new Rotarians bring to our club for improving child safety, health, and education in Thailand!
How readers of our Bulletin can help:
I will end with an appeal. We are off to a very busy start for 2019. Our club’s mission to improve the lives of children in Northern Thailand through our club projects focusing on Child Safety, Health, and Education demands a great deal of effort and commitment from CMIRC members and friends. There is much to do, and if you would like to help us by joining the club, or if you know someone who might like to join, please let me know: john@cmirotary.org or 08 5030 2143 .
If you wish to make a financial contribution to the CMIRC, please contact treasurer@cmirotary.org .
If you wish to make an in-kind contribution: We especially need children’s toys, sports equipment, and school supplies. Please contact president@cmirotary.org or 08 5030 2143.