It's been a little late getting started this year, with pleasant temperatures and occasional rain showers lasting longer into the year than normal. Also the new provincial governor seems more serious about fighting the local population's desire to light fires in the forests to promote growth of valuable mushrooms in the cleared underbrush or to use fire to clear last year's crop remains from their fields.
Still, according to iqair.com and it's real-time reporting, the number of fires in the region is increasing and the air quality is decreasing. Sigh.
Sadly, COVID-19 cases remain high, although the deaths remain low as the Omicron variant has become dominant. This means that children are out-of-school and our school-based service projects have been scrapped for this school year, which ends soon. We hope to catch-up with double-duty activity when school starts again in May-June.
Pour your favorite beverage, settle in and review the many activities of Chiang Mai International Rotary Club, below. You may wish to view this Bulletin in an internet browser, instead of as an email for better effect.
What is Perseverance? I suspect every Rotarian understands this word at its core, because it means sticking with things. It means being hardworking and finishing what is started, despite barriers and obstacles that arise. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Rotary clubs around the world continue to persevere in challenges like child health and safety, education, and peace and conflict resolution. In that spirit, I’d like to challenge each and every member of our club to continue persevering in the work we do collectively to help people here in Northern Thailand achieve stability, good health, peace and happiness.
The Chiang Mai International Rotary Club celebrated its 8th birthday on February 21. From my perspective, the past twelve months certainly were another incredible year. Even though we had to operate in the absence of many dedicated club members because of COVID restrictions, we came back strong and achieved exemplary results. I want to express my sincere appreciation to all of our members both near and far, who selflessly helped us grow, evolve, and thrive in our efforts to support the Chiang Mai community. Our heartfelt thanks to our donors, project partners, and friends for their continuous support. We couldn’t have done it without you!
On February 15, District 3360 Governor Jirayuth Hirunyawat and Rotary Ann Kritikarn Hirunyawat visited CMIRC. They attended the CMIRC Board meeting first. The Board of the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club reported on our achievements in Rotary Year 2021-2022. Following the Board meeting, we treated the power couple to a delicious finger food buffet catered by Pern’s Foods. The evening continued with CMIRC’s regular meeting where DG Jirayuth spoke about the work District 3360 continues to do in supporting Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus.
A highlight of the evening was DG Jirayuth inducting Khun Phijitra Schorr (pictured, far right) as an Honorary Member into the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club. Rotarian Phijitra Schorr has been organizing and supporting our School Vision Screening Project (since inception), fundraising events, and so much more. This Honorary Membership is given to recognize true leaders in our community and was long overdue.
Every year, Charter President Roger Lindley selects one to two club members who embody the Rotary ideal of “Service Above Self” for the Paul Harris Fellow Award. The Paul Harris Fellow (named after Rotary Founder Paul Harris) is one of Rotary’s highest awards. The recognition acknowledges individuals who have made tangible and significant service contributions to their Rotary Club and community. This year, two individuals who champion some of the noblest projects of CMIRC that lift the spirits of sick children earned the recognition. On behalf of the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club, I would like to congratulate Nick Dale and Bill Pierce for joining the group of Paul Harris Fellows! As you may know, Secretary Nick is at the forefront of the Teddy Trekkers Initiative, and Bill Pierce is the Project Champion for the Burma Children Medical Fund’s B.K. Kee Patient House. It was a special honour to be recognized by the District Governor, and this took a lot of work from Roger to keep this secret for so long since the DG’s visit was delayed several times because of COVID.
Upon concluding the night, the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club gifted DG Jirayuth a Teddy Trekker wearing a T-shirt with our club’s logo. B.K. Kee House patients decorated the gift bag. We wanted to give the District Governor a true token of what the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club focuses on - child safety, health, and education in Northern Thailand.
In other news, Rotarian Bill and Nicha Trempus continued to work on the CMIRC “Free Food For The Poor” Initiative. (Part of February's donation is pictured, left.)
Club Secretary and Project Champion, Nick Dale, kept working on our “Teddy Trekkers” Initiative and has successfully placed more teddies into the arms of their new owners.
Patients at the Burma Children Medical Fund’s B.K. Kee Patient House celebrated Chinese New Year.
The Children’s Winter Clothing Appeal Project has wrapped up this year’s program. We distributed donations to 17 remote, hard-to-access locations in eight Northern provinces. In addition, the Burma Children Medical Fund delivered warm clothes on our behalf to newly displaced refugees in Mae Sot, Tak.
Charter President Roger Lindley, Treasurer Nancy Lindley, Sergeant-at-Arms Bill Pierce, and Rotarian Bill Trempus continued their work on the CMIRC Foundation. It’s coming!
At present, the COVID-19 vaccination rate in Thailand is over 70.8%, which puts us well above the world average at 55.4% and higher than the United States at 64.9%. We are following the COVID-19 guidelines by the Chiang Mai government and continuously evaluating the situation to see whether CMIRC should hold its meetings in person or on ZOOM in March.
The Chiang Mai International Rotary Club has concluded its 2021 Children’s Winter Clothing & School Supplies Appeal. The response from the public has exceeded our greatest expectations and wildest imagination. We recorded 10,173.2 km (6321.33 miles) distributing the generous donations made by our incredible community. We collected and delivered 9,993.13 kgs (22,031.08 lbs) of warm clothing, blankets, shoes, jackets, school supplies, and toys.
Our last destination was the Ban Posor School in Mae Sariang District of Mae Hong Son Province. President Dylan knew it was the right choice when soldiers at a military checkpoint shook their heads in disbelief when he told them he was heading there with his fully loaded truck. The school boards more than 200 students who are from out-of-the-way villages where the daily commute would be lengthy and dangerous.
This year, we have distributed donations to seventeen remote, hard-to-access locations (marked with red hearts) in eight Northern provinces, namely Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Tak, Nan, Phayao, Mae Hong Son, and Uttaradit. Amongst the beneficiaries are refugees, hill tribes, migrants, and local villagers - people of Lua, Palong, Lahu, Lisu, Karen, Shan, Thai, Burmese, Kayan, and Mien origin. In addition, the Burma Children Medical Fund transported donations on our behalf to newly displaced Burmese refugees in Mae Sot, Tak.
We have delivered donations to
the remote Lua village of Phou Khe in Nan Province near the Laos border;
a 300-member Palong hill tribe on Doi Ang Khang mountain in Ban No Lae, Fang District in Chiang Mai Province;
a 500-member Lahu hill tribe in Ban Huai Ya Sai, in Mae Suai District of Chiang Rai Province, on the dangerous Myanmar border;
Mae La Refugee Camp with over 50,000 ethnic Karen residents, in Tha Song Yang District of Tak Province along the Burmese border;
the Ban Huai Muang Nursery School in Mae Na Wang, Mae Ai, Chiang Mai Province;
Ban Pong Noi Kao, a Karen village of 300 residents in Mae Win, Mae Wang District, on Doi Inthanon;
a 100-member Kayan Long Neck tribe and the nearby Baan Mai Naisoi Temporary Shelter Area (a refugee camp with 8,000 ethnic Shan residents);
Ban Pang Tham Sakha Ton Phung, a Mien village of 90 families in Rom Yen, Chiang Kham District of Phayao Province;
the Thai Ban Pang Makham Pom School, in San Sali, Wiang Pa Pao District of Chiang Rai Province;
the isolated Lisu hill tribe village of Ban Doi Chang with about 120 residents, located at 1,700 meters above sea level in Pai District of Mae Hong Son Province;
recovering patients of the Burma Children Medical Fund in Mae Sot, Tak Province;
the ethnic Lahu Ban Pha Pheok village in Pang Mapha District of Mae Hong Son Province;
the waterfront Thai community of Ban Huai Ta, in the middle of the Queen Sirikit Reservoir in Tha Pla District of Uttaradit Province;
the Ban Ko Jadsan School, floating in the Ping River, in Li District of Lamphun Province;
the Ban Mae La Ma School in Sop Moei District of Mae Hong Son Province;
Northern Thailand’s hardest to access village, Ban Mo Khi in Sop Khong, Omkoi District of Chiang Mai Province; and
the Ban Posor School, boarding 200 children, in Mae Sariang District of Mae Hong Son Province.
Watch the video of our deliveries in Northern Thailand:
Kudos to our supportive friends, families, and fellow Rotarians - in no particular order: Nick, Clarence, Roger, Bill P, Colin, Bill T, Nicha, John, Niwatchai, and Myrna for participating in this truly community project. Dylan has earned some serious brownie points for his stamina and driving skills this year. Well done! If you still have clothes to donate, we suggest that you take them to the Free Bird Pre-Loved Charity Shop and Donation Center that aids Burmese refugees and internally displaced persons along the Myanmar border.
Our donation boxes will go out again on October 15, 2022. See you again then!
Statistics
Total volunteers: Hundreds (Community members, donors, fellow Rotarians, friends, and family)
Total hours: Over 1,000 hrs between 9 October 2021 – 21 February 2022 (President Dylan alone spent at least 780 hrs on this project)
The complete hours are hard to estimate since hundreds of people were involved in this project, designing/printing stickers, flyers, posters and donation boxes; went through their wardrobe sorting and packaging clothes; driving to drop them off at donation boxes; picking up and delivering donations, organizing campaigns in their neighbourhood or their school to promote this initiative, interpreting, translating, editing promotional videos or writing articles for the CMIRC Bulletin.
Total distance driven: 14,673.2 km (9,117.5 miles). This figure includes driving to pick up donations from our boxes. It’s is the equivalent of driving from Los Angeles to New York City and back, and then driving almost up to Portland, Oregon.
Total weight of donations: 9,993.13 kgs (22,031.08 lbs). This is the equivalent of the weight of five Toyota pickup trucks.
PDG Mike Andritch of RC Fig Garden (Fresno) reports that fund raising has reached USD 88,000 and he fully expects to be over $100,000 by the end of February.
This breaks down as:
Rotary Clubs in District 5230
Visalia County Center Rotary Club: $15,000
Fig Garden Rotary Club: $21,000
Salinas Rotary Club $1,000
East Fresno Rotary Club: $15,000
Fresno Rotary Club: $15,000
Marina Rotary Club: $1,050
Visalia Breakfast Rotary Club: $15,000
Rotary Clubs in District 5300
Arcadia Rotary Club: $5,000
And the most recent contribution is $5,000 from the Rotary Club of Madras, India. They plan to discuss a match with their Rotary District 3232.
PDG Mike is confident that they will surpass the goal to raise $100,000 from clubs matched by Districts and the Rotary Foundation to reach the ultimate goal of $280,000.
Firstly we have to say big huggee thank you to Gary Herman who has donated to our Teddy Initiative.
We have packed off three teddies to the Burma Children Medical Fund B. K. Kee House for new patients and their caregivers, with two boxes going to the clinic at Mae Sot.
As you know, teddies are very important playing significant roles in everyone’s lives, giving, joy, peace, friendship and love. Teddies have played a national role in the Netherlands. Below is a story from DutchNews.nl.
A Teddy in Every Window: Dutch Children Take Up Bear Hunting, from DutchNews.nl, March 27, 2020
Ground floor windows in Utrecht, Amsterdam, Delft and elsewhere are filling up with teddy bears as their owners join a craze to keep children busy during coronavirus crisis.
Inspired by the popular children’s book ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, the bears are meant to cheer up young children and their parents who are being kept indoors.
‘I read about the success in Belgium, and I thought we have to do it in the Netherlands too,’ Petra van der Stelt, from Delft, told Trouw. Now more than 9,000 people have registered their bears on the Facebook page Van der Stelt set up.
You can also follow the bears on Google maps and work out a bear-spotting route in advance, if their owners have registered them. The aim is to give children some fun while out for a walk, says Van der Stelt. However, she warns, families should be careful to keep to the official guidelines and not go hunting in groups.
Watch this space for the next update when I will share about another important responsibility Teddies have nationally.
There is news in this Bulletin of a very important person who received a Teddy in February; see if you can find it.
You can help the CMIRC's Teddy Initiative by donating a Teddy or funds to the CMIRC Bangkok Bank account.
Name of account: Mrs. Nancy Long Lindley and Mr. John Keatley Schorr Account Number: 531-090222-5, Please send a notice of your funds donation to the club treasurer, NLLindley@msn.com for proper credit.
This month we made visits to the Burma Children Medical Fund B.K. Kee Patient House delivering our normal supplies and some Teddy Bears to newly arrived patients and caregivers. With some new patients and caregivers coming and going, it does feel a bit more normal, which is a nice feeling.
The project to replace three bathroom doors as well as purchasing a new whiteboard is underway.
Some new sewing projects have been enthusiastically completed, using the “Hello Kitty” fabric, making children’s tops and bottoms as well as face masks.
We have been contacted by Interact students at Chiang Mai International School who are anxious to support the patients and caregivers. We have started a dialogue with director Kanchana Thornton about the prospect of the students selling sewn items, artwork and other crafts, all made by the patients and caregivers, on campus and giving all of the proceeds back to the (BCMF) B.K. Kee Patient House.
Intern update: Last month I prematurely reported that Nursing Student Intern David had completed his volunteer hours. At the time of this writing, he has two more weekends to spend up at the Patient House. Nursing Student Intern Diana also continues her volunteer time at the house, providing Literacy and Health education to the patients and caregivers. At this time, we are still making supply drops every other week.
Rotary International has announced that the highly regarded Rotary Youth Exchange Program is returning for 2022-2023.
On Saturday, February 19, a group of five CMIRC Rotarians participated in the English language interviews for District 3360 students going abroad next year. PP Elsie Choy (Honorary Member), David Fagerlie, Gary Herman, Myrna Muyana, and PP John Schorr, member of the District Youth Exchange Committee interviewed Thai students hoping to spend the year abroad in the USA, Germany, and Taiwan. They are a very impressive group of students and it was a very enjoyable opportunity to meet our Rotary District colleagues volunteering to conduct this excellent project.
There is also an opportunity for Rotarians to be host families for international students coming to attend high school in Thailand in 2022-2023. If anyone is interested in learning more, please contact me at johnkschorr@gmail.com .
Unfortunately, the schools where we conduct our CWSDPP remain closed due to Covid-19. Since we are a school-based program, we have not been able to teach water safety, but there is still much to report for February.
It now appears that we will be able to restart our programs in Chiang Mai and Phrao when the new school year begins in May. Our swim instructor teams and facilities in Chiang Mai and Phrao are ready to teach survival swimming and water safety when they do! We are hoping to find additional funding, so that the 4th grade students who missed the program this year can be included in next year’s program.
Even though we have not been able to teach survival swimming this year our committee has been busy building new relationships and planning for possible program expansion in Hua Hin under the leadership of the Rotary Club Royal Hua Hin and now Kabinburi in Prachinburi Province near Bangkok, with the help of a local donor whose family recently experienced the drowning death of an 11-year-old girl on their property.
Our goal continues to be the reduction of the number of these tragic and preventable drowning deaths by helping partner NGO’s and Rotary Clubs build children’s water safety and drowning prevention programs in their communities. CMIRC provides the model, the training, and we do initial program assessments. Then the programs operate independently.
We have successfully expanded to Patong Beach under the leadership of the Rotary Club of Patong Beach and to Phrao with local coordination from the Warm Heart Foundation. We hope Hua Hin under the leadership of the Rotary Club Royal Hua Hin will be next.
Good news, we are now re-establishing our relationship with The Global Aquatics Project based In Brisbane, Australia. We had suspended our collaboration due to the Covid-19 restrictions in both Australia and Thailand. This program has led the efforts for our swim instructors to receive advanced on-site training and international accreditation. Director Eve Fraser is now retired and devoting her full-time volunteer efforts to The Global Aquatics Program. We look forward to future collaboration with The Global Aquatics Program in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
Finally, we’d like to take this opportunity to recognize the generous support of our partners, sponsors and donors, so here is a list of these generous organizations!! This year we want to especially thank them for their patience as we have faced so many delays.
Special thanks also to individual donors Richard Murray and an anonymous donor, and for the continued support from Ian Bushell. If you wish to help, please contact Project Champion John Schorr at johnkschorr@gmail.com for more information.
CMIRC Member Volunteer Hours for the Month of February: Total: 20 (Chair: 15, Committee Members: 5).
CMIRC Children’s Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Team and Sponsors:
We are making real progress in building a very professional team for our CMIRC School Vision Screening Project! But, unfortunately, due to the continued resurgence of Covid-19 in Chiang Mai, we are facing delays in restarting the screenings this Rotary Year.
We are now planning to resume our school-based screenings during the 2022-2023 school year. We hope to screen all 3rd and 5th graders at the 11 municipal schools and the Wat Suan Dok School in partnership with Ophthalmologist Dr. Nickie at Saint Peter Eye Hospital, Optician Khun One at Chom Jun Optic, the Rotary Club of Chiang Mai Wattana, and, if pediatric ophthalmological surgery is needed, the Rotary Club of Chiang Mai North’s Eye Service Foundation.
The new school year begins in May, but we feel it best to wait to start the screening until the year is well underway. So, we plan to train our volunteers in July and begin the screenings in August. We hope to have one screening per week for a period of twelve weeks, so that all 11 municipal schools and the Wat Suan Dok School can be screened before the end of December.
Good news about future funding for the CMIRC SVSP, Fred Peck our good friend at the Rotary Club Spokane 21 has informed me that his club is seeking a Rotary District 5080 Grant for our SVSP!!
Once again, we’d like to take this opportunity to recognize the generous support of our partners, sponsors and donors, so here is a list of these generous organizations, beginning with the Rotary Club of Spokane 21 whose donation of $2,500 this year will be rolled over to fund about 80% of our program next year !! THANK YOU ROTARY CLUB of SPOKANE 21!!!
The total program budget for next year is estimated at about $3,500 US dollars, so even with the rollover we are still a little short. If you wish to learn how you can help, please contact Project Champion John Schorr at johnkschorr@gmail.com or tel.: 66 (0)8 5030 2143, US Skype # 386 490-8100
CMIRC Member Volunteer Hours for the Month of February, 2022: 10 hours (Chair - 5, Committee Members - 5).
It is a tragic and sad time for the people of Ukraine and the world.
At Rotary, we are deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and the escalating loss of life and humanitarian hardship there. Continued military action against Ukraine will not only devastate the region, but also risk spreading tragic consequences across Europe and the world.
As one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations, we have made peace the cornerstone of our global mission. We join the international community in calling for an immediate cease fire, withdrawal of Russian forces, and a restoration of diplomatic efforts to resolve this conflict through dialogue.
In the past decade, Rotary clubs in Ukraine, Russia and nearby countries have transcended national differences and have actively engaged in peace-building projects to promote goodwill and to marshal assistance for the victims of war and violence. Today, our thoughts are with our fellow Rotary members and others in Ukraine coping with these tragic events. Rotary International will do everything in its power to bring aid, support and peace to the region.
The WHO (World Health Organization) South-East Asia Region has eleven member states - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.
Access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is essential for the health, well-being and dignity of all people. The World Health Organization South-East Asia Region has made considerable progress in WASH provision during the past two decades.
However, compared with increases in coverage of improved drinking water, in some parts of the region, access to adequate sanitation remains low, with continued prevalence of open defecation.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have set ambitious targets for WASH services to be achieved by 2030. Examples of major health outcomes that would benefit from meeting these targets are diarrhea and nutrition status. Although the total number of deaths attributable to diarrhea declined substantially between 1990 and 2012, inadequate WASH still accounts for more than 1000 child deaths each day worldwide.
And, despite the reductions in mortality, morbidity attributable to diarrhea remains unchanged at around 1.7 billion cases per year. It has been known for decades that repeated episodes of diarrhea increase a child’s risk of long-term undernutrition, reduced growth and impaired cognitive development.
Nutritional effects of inadequate WASH also include environmental enteropathy, leading to chronic intestinal inflammation, malnutrition and developmental deficits in young children.
Inadequate WASH also contributes to iron deficiency anemia resulting from infestation with soil transmitted helminths (parasitic worms). The cross-sectoral emphasis of the SDGs should act as a stimulus for intersectoral collaboration on research and interventions to reduce all inequities that result from inadequate WASH.
CMIRC members were not able to have their regular every other Sunday morning visits to the patients and their families at Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) B.K. Kee Patient House here in Chiang Mai where members socialize, play games, bring food and engage in craft projects with the patients and their families. The Patient House remains closed to visitors during the upsurge in Covid-19 cases in Chiang Mai. Basic supplies are dropped off there every other Sunday.
CMIRC members Bill T. and Nicha organized the donation of 200 survival food packages to migrant workers in Doi Saket and Chiang Dao.
February was the wrap-up of the Children’s Winter Clothing Appeal by President Dylan (and family) to people of people of Northern Thailand in need of warm clothing for the winter.
Tuesday, February 1, the first Tuesday of the month regular CMIRC meeting on ZOOM. The program was presented by Sombat Tapanya Ph.D. on the topic: "Peace Culture Foundation – What We have Been Doing so Far”.
Wednesday, February 9, we had our 9@9 ZOOM meeting to stay in touch with our club members wherever they may be in the world.
Tuesday, February 15, third Tuesday of the month regular meeting was moved to Thursday, February 17 to accommodate the District Governor’s schedule.
Thursday, February 17, the annual visit by the D3360 District Governor Jirayuth Hirunyawat and his spouse to the club. Two new Paul Harris Fellows were recognized (Nick and Bill P., pictured right with the DG and P. Dylan) and a new Honorary Member inducted (Phijitra Schorr).
Friday, February 18, the Chiang Mai Expats Club (CEC) breakfast was held at The Dukes at Maya Mall, where we promote CMIRC and swap "Change for Children" owl banks. The club was represented by Rotarians Dylan, Ken, David, Nancy, Gary and Roger.
Monday, February 21, the 8th birthday for chartering of the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (yummy cupcakes, above left).
The needed protection measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have caused the cancellation of many events. We have resumed in-person meetings at the Royal Peninsula Hotel, but please remember the situation is extremely fluid and things change daily. Some of our scheduled speakers may be willing to participate in online meetings. The latest news for CMIRC events is at: https://cmirotary.org/events/calendar
Here are just a few of the important dates for members of Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC). These are opportunities to meet some of us and to meet other Rotarians from around the world!
Every other Sunday visits by club members to Burma Children Medical Fund's (BCMF) B. K. Kee Patient House to socialize, play games, do crafts with the patients and their families has been put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions. Interested for the future? Contact Rotarian Bill Pierce.
1 March 2022 CMIRC Club Meeting Meeting, 7 pm., at the Royal Peninsula Hotel. Program: "James Leyson Topic: Chiang Mai food waste, a solution" Masks, social distancing and submission of vaccination records to the club secretary are required. If interested in bringing guests or if more information is needed, please contact secretary@cmirotary.org.
3 March 2022 Joe Evans and Cesar Lopez's birthdays.
4 March 2022 Clarence Shettlesworth's birthday.
9 March 2022 CMIRC "9 at 9" 9 pm Thai time. A ZOOM social meeting for members in and out of Thailand. Contact president@cmirotary.org
15 March 2022 CMIRC Club Meeting Meeting, 7 pm., at the Royal Peninsula Hotel. Program: Matthew Jenkins, Karen Hilltribes Trust (KHT). Topic: "Combining evidence-based research and participatory methods to the KHT Access to Education programme." Masks, social distancing and submission of vaccination records to the club secretary are required. If interested in bringing guests or if more information is needed, please contact secretary@cmirotary.org.
Rotary is not free; we give our hearts, we give our time and to some extent we give our money. Most of our heart, most of our time and most of our money goes to support our children’s projects. Yet we have operational expenses, for example, our website with its powerful tools such as this bulletin. We ask that you consider our sponsors for your needs.
The Lila Thai Massage Ex-Inmate Employment and Skill Development Center was established in 2014 by "Naowarat Thanasrisutharat" to help and support women being released from prison. The ladies receive a massage training course from certified massage instructors (ex-inmates who work for Lila Thai Massage); these programs are endorsed by and meet the requirements of the Chiang Mai Public Health Department. This project reduces the women conviction rates in Chiang Mai and helps to solve the societal problems that perpetuate the situation, bringing about our long-cherished dream for a better community. The quality of massage at Lila Thai Massage is consistently superb.
Royal Peninsula Hotel is an excellent international standard hotel located in the heart of Chiang Mai. They have 150 guest rooms with all amenities including free wi-fi. There is ample onsite, covered parking. The outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi are available to guests. There is both an indoor restaurant, featuring Thai cuisine and outdoor beer garden next to the swimming pool. The Royal Peninsula Hotel has two conference and banquet rooms, well decorated, with good acoustics. The staff at Royal Peninsula are very accommodating. The Chiang Mai International Rotary Club meets at the Royal Peninsula at 7:00 PM on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, with many members and guests gathering about an hour before the meeting in the hotel's restaurant for fellowship and an optional meal, ordering from the restaurant's menu of reasonably-priced Thai food.
Our sponsors donate money that supports our operational expenses, freeing funds for the projects we love. Please give them your support.
A highlight of the evening was 
In other news, Rotarian Bill and Nicha Trempus continued to work on the CMIRC 
The Chiang Mai International Rotary Club has concluded its 2021 Children’s Winter Clothing & School Supplies Appeal. The response from the public has exceeded our greatest expectations and wildest imagination. We recorded 10,173.2 km (6321.33 miles) distributing the generous donations made by our incredible community. We collected and delivered 9,993.13 kgs (22,031.08 lbs) of warm clothing, blankets, shoes, jackets, school supplies, and toys.
Rotary Clubs in District 5230
A Teddy in Every Window: Dutch Children Take Up Bear Hunting, from DutchNews.nl, March 27, 2020
Thursday, February 17, the annual visit by the D3360 District Governor Jirayuth Hirunyawat and his spouse to the club. Two new Paul Harris Fellows were recognized (Nick and Bill P., pictured right with the DG and P. Dylan) and a new Honorary Member inducted (Phijitra Schorr).
