A reminder that you can better enjoy each story if you click on the title of a story in the bulletin where you'll be taken to the story on our website, displayed in easy-to-view full-page format. New this month, you'll see small display ads for each of our sponsors to the right side of each full-page story on our website. Welcome to our sponsors; see the "Our Lovely Sponsors" story below.
Throughout Rotary, May is designated as "Youth Service Month"; the idea is to focus on all Rotary activities that support the development of young people. Rotary International's structured programs for Youth Service are: Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and Youth Exchange.
Within Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC), Rotarian William Churchill is leading efforts to establish or affiliate with a Rotaract Club at a local university. Honorary CMIRC Member Stasha Malcolm is leading the effort to establish an Interact Club at a local international school.
Of course, we have other projects within our signature focus of “CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH, and EDUCATION". They fall within the broad definition of youth service. Our English Language Cultural Exchange Club program will return to BEAM in May and will resume assisting migrant youth studying to take the American General Education Development Test (GED). These young people do not have a Thai High School diploma and therefore are not eligible to apply for admission to university. A GED certificate will allow them to apply to many international universities.
We are joining with Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) and the Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Child Rights (CPPCR), Safe Child Thailand and other Community Based Organizations to help with birth registration for migrant children. I just spent a most informative day with representatives. Did you realize that children who have no birth certificate are in far greater peril than those who do? Learn more in “Birth Registration” below.
The Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) is an amazing organization comprised of wonderful people doing very difficult task with precious few resources! One of the many critical efforts is Birth Registration, ensuring that children who grow up in Thailand can gain access to health and education services. Having a recognized identity reduces the risk of human trafficking, child labour and exploitation. Yet, in Thailand and Myanmar many babies are born outside of hospital and their birth is not recorded. This situation fits exactly into Chiang Mai International Rotary Club’s (CMIRC) signature focus of CHILD SAFETY, HEALTH & EDUCATION.
CMIRC will help by supporting the Mae Tao Clinic who in turn works with the Committee for Protection and Promotion of Child Rights (CPPCR) and other organizations.
MTC has worked closely with the Thai government to ensure that all children born at Mae Tao Clinic have access to the registration process. Today MTC registers over 94 percent of the children born there. CPPCR registers babies born outside the clinic. In both cases there is 15-day window after birth in which baby’s birth must be registered in Thailand.
CPPCR also keeps a Child Record for all children under 15 years of age who do not possess any form of documentation. This network is critical for those children who are most vulnerable and may have been displaced, abandoned or orphaned during decades of unrest inside Myanmar. The provision of identification documentation for children with no family or kin protects children from trafficking, child labour, early marriage and other very serious forms of child abuse. This process is also important for these children’s futures and ensures that the potential for reunification of some of these families remains a possibility.
According to Thai law registration of children born before 2008 is possible if the children have approved documents. MTC and CPPCR partners are enabling their access to birth registration by helping to retrieve documents that prove birth at Mae Tao Clinic. Applicants can show the antenatal care records of their mother as proof; get the delivery record from MTC, or get a testimony from health workers present at time of birth to support their application. If deemed necessary, Suwannimit Foundation’s legal team can step in to provide legal support throughout the process.
MTC will collaborate with CPPCR to conduct meetings with the Myanmar government to advocate for the rights of Burmese children holding Thai Birth Registration to access Burmese citizenship. Typically, the government of Myanmar has not recognized these birth certificates claiming the mothers were in Thailand illegally when the baby was born.
MTC’s Pa Hite Clinic serves 86 villages in Eastern Burma. They have their own birth registration program. MTC also partners with Community Based Organizations in Myanmar to support birth registration there. Recent reports of renewed military conflict in Karen State makes their tasks all the more challenging.
Our hope is that you will help us support the Mae Tao Clinic through increasing awareness and participating in our fundraising projects and events. Look for announcements soon
CMIRC has been continuing to provide weekly support for Burma Children Medical Fund's (BCMF) Baan K. Kee Patient House in Chiang Mai throughout 2018. During our weekly visits, we continue to supply welcome kits for every new patient with toothbrushes, toothpaste and other toiletries. In addition, we supply fresh fruit and cookies for treats.
We have many small gifts for the children, thanks to generous donations from Teddy Trekkers (shown above left) of Australia and clothing from our club's winter clothing program. Many of the future projects mentioned in our December Bulletin story are complete and others are in progress.
We have worked with patients on adding photos of each and every patient within cutouts to a photo tree in the library. We have also provided additional toys and educational materials for the children.
We have replaced the outdoor latrine that was built with scrap wood and corrugated aluminum with a much more substantial concrete structure. The new bathroom now has electric lighting and an attached sink. Pictures of before and after are below.
We have provided some additional grates over drains that are more baby friendly in critical areas like the passageway between the shower room and dining area.
Our plans going forward include:
Painting the entire front wall, both sides in cooperation with patient families. (paint has been purchased)
Painting of the BCMF logo next to the entrance (We are looking for an artist)
Replacement of shelving in the storage room that was damaged by the roof problem.
Additional baby friendly grates for safety.
At the request of Kanchana Thornton, founder of the Burma Children Medical Fund, we will be restarting the English Language discussion group.
We visit the patient house every Thursday morning at 10:00 for a couple of hours. The house is located in the Suthep district west of Chiang Mai just beyond the canal near the Begin Again Café. Transportation is an easy ride by Grab, tuk-tuk or songthaew. CMIRC members are welcome to contact Gary Herman if they'd like to participate in the project.
On April 18, 2018, Rotarians who will be involved in the BEAM programme met at My Secret Cafe to plan for and put together curriculum for the upcoming academic year, which begins at BEAM facilities in May.
These were Rotarians Roger Lindley, Bill Kip and chairperson Linda Pfotenhauer.
Cultural exchange materials are being developed according to BEAM's expressed needs as to English language skills the students need to develop.
The three Rotarians will each teach one class per week, meaning that CMIRC presence at BEAM will involve 4.5 hours per week.
Our sessions for the new academic year will begin on May 9, 2018.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the activities of the BEAM Education Foundation.
On 3rd of April at our regular meeting the program was presented by Colin Jarvis (left) on the topic “How to Communicate with Thais Who Speak Little or No English”.
On 7th of April the meeting of Chiang Mai area President Elects to discuss possible joint project of providing used bicycles to schools for students to use who need transportation to school. The used bicycles, from Japan, are being provided by a Rotary club in D3350. A cost of 300 Baht per bicycle is needed for transport to Chiang Mai.
On 10th of April the the Membership and Public Information Committee met at the Hong Kong Lucky Restaurant.
On the 17th of April there was no regular meeting due to the Songkran Holiday.
On the 18th of April the CMIRC English Language Cultural Exchange Club Rotarian members met at Hong Kong Lucky Restaurant to discuss the program at BEAM.
On the 24th of April there was a CMIRC Board meeting.
On the 27th of April, there was a lunch social gathering of club members at the Lotus Hotel buffet celebrating “We Survived Songkran”.
On the 1st of May there will be a regular club meeting at Hong Kong Lucky Restaurant. Christa Crawford will present the program on the topic "Awareness and Action: Human Trafficking and Exploitation in Thailand/Myanmar."
The first Rotary Club in Thailand was the Rotary Club of Bangkok. On September 17, 1930, the first and organizing meeting of RC Bangkok was held at Phya Thai Palace, Bangkok attended by 69 founding members representing 15 nationalities. H.R.H. Prince Purachatra Krom Phra Kampaeng Bejra was elected the Club’s Charter President. On November 28, 1930, RC Bangkok received Charter No. 3392 from Rotary International. Phya Thai Palace, was the first meeting place.
(above) On December 23, 1931, H.M. King Prachadipok, Rama VII, graciously attended the banquet held at Phya Thai Palace Hotel with H.R.H. Prince Purachatra as President of the Club.
1955
(below) By letter received on September 15, 1955, on the occasion of RC Bangkok’s Silver Anniversary, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, graciously consented to honor the Rotary Movement by becoming the Royal Patron of Rotary in Thailand. On February 27, 1969, H.M. The King graciously presided over the gala fund-raising dinner of RC Bangkok.
After a hiatus that covered the years of the Great Depression and World War 2, the second club in Thailand was chartered on 25 June 1958, the Rotary Club of Dhonburi. Myth and folklore has it that The Rotary Club of Bangkok South was the next club to be chartered and is actually the third club in Bangkok. But in between, clubs were established in Chiang Mai (October 1959) and Nakhon Sawan (May 1960). So, when it was chartered on 6 August 1961, The Rotary Club of Bangkok South was actually the fifth club established in Thailand.
Other clubs then followed in rapid succession, and at 31 December 2014 there were 317 clubs in Thailand in all, with a total of 7,994 members. Today there are approximately 346 clubs in Thailand with about 8,420 members.
There are English-speaking clubs, as well as ones using Chinese, Japanese, French and German.
Initially Thailand was part of a Rotary District that encompassed clubs in several countries. An indication of the strength of Rotary in Thailand is that the country now has four Rotary Districts:
R.I. District 3330, covering Kanchanaburi/Nakhon Pathom down and the South
R.I. District 3340, covering the east/south-east and the north-east
R.I. District 3350, covering the central plains up to Nakhon Sawan
R.I. District 3360, covering the north above Nakhon Sawan
Other indications of the strength of Rotary in Thailand are the facts that, in 2002-03 Khun Bichai Rattakul was the President of Rotary International, the first Thai to hold the position (and the only one…so far), and that in May 2012 the annual Rotary International Convention was held in Bangkok. This brought tens of thousands of Rotarians from all around the world to Thailand and showcased the achievements of Rotary clubs here.
At its January 2017 meeting, the Rotary International Board of Directors adopted a new zone structure for Rotary clubs.
Rotary bylaws require the Board to complete a comprehensive review of the 34 Rotary zones no less often than every eight years to ensure that each zone has an approximately equal number of Rotarians. The Board’s previous review of the zones occurred in 2008.
The Board earlier approved the creation of three regional workgroups to develop rezoning proposals for Asia, Europe/Africa, and the Americas. These workgroups comprised one representative (either a current director, incoming director, or immediate past director) from each zone in the region. The regional workgroups submitted their proposals to the Zones Review Committee, chaired by past Rotary Vice President Michael K. McGovern, which consolidated them into a single, worldwide plan for the Board’s consideration.
“I think the regional workgroups did a great job,” said Rotary President John F. Germ. “Rezoning is always an emotional subject for some Rotarians, but the workgroups and Board acted courageously in an effort to be fair to all concerned.”
Current Rotary International Zone Structure:
ZONE 1: Section A: Japan (northern) Section B: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan ZONE 2: Guam, Japan (central), Micronesia, Northern Marianas, Palau ZONE 3: Japan (southern) ZONE 4: India (western and northern) ZONE 5: India (southern), Maldives, Sri Lanka ZONE 6: Bhutan, India (eastern), Nepal ZONE 7: India (central and southern) ZONE 8: Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands ZONE 9: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Taiwan: ZONE 10: Section A: Philippines Section B: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam 3330, 3340, 3350, 3360 Section C: Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore 3300, 3310 ZONE 11: South Korea (northern) ZONE 12: South Korea (southern) ZONE 13: Section A: Andorra, France, Monaco Section B: Belgium, Luxembourg ZONE 14: Italy, Malta, San Marino ZONE 15: Germany (northern and central) ZONE 16: Section A: Germany (southern), Israel Section B: Switzerland, Liechtenstein ZONE 17: Section A: Latvia, Sweden (northern) Section B: Aland Islands, Estonia, Finland, Russia (western) ZONE 18: Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden (southern) ZONE 19: England (northern), Ireland, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales ZONE 20: Section A: England (southern), Channel Islands, Gibraltar Section B: The Netherlands: Section C: Portugal, Azores Islands, Madeira Islands, Spain ZONE 21: Section A: Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine Section B: Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Cyprus, FYROM, Georgia Greece, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Palestine, Serbia, Slovenia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, UAE ZONE 22: Africa ZONE 23: Section A: Brazil (southern) Section B: Antarctica, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay ZONE 24: Section A: Brazil (central) Section B: Brazil (northern) ZONE 25: Section A: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela Section B: USA (TX) ZONE 26: USA (AZ, CA, CO, HI, NM, NV, TX) ZONE 27: USA (CA, CO, ID, MT, NE, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY), Canada ZONE 28: Canada, Russia (eastern), St. Pierre & Miquelon, USA (AK, ME, MI, NY, WA) ZONE 29: USA (IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, ND, NE, OK, SD, WI), Canada ZONE 30: USA (AL, IN, KY, OH, TN) ZONE 31: USA (AR, IL, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, TX) ZONE 32: Bermuda, Canada, USA (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT) ZONE 33: USA (D.C., DE, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV) ZONE 34: The Caribbean (except Dominican Republic), Bahamas, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Turks and Caicos Islands, USA (FL, GA)
Some Upcoming Rotary Zone Institute Meetings
Rotary Zone Institutes are a great way to travel the World, make new friends and get inspired by learning what fellow Rotarians are doing. All Zone Institutes offer side-trips and special outings. Plus, the Zone Institutes are always in very nice hotels at special rates. Nancy and I have enjoyed several Zone Institutes and are looking forward to going to Yogyakarta later this year.
Zone 6B, 7A and 10B: Yogyakarta, Indonesia, November 30-December 1, 2018
Zone 8: Hobart, Tasmania, September 14-16, 2018
Zones 15 and 16: Vilnius, Lithuania, September 12-13, 2018
Zone 20a: Lagos, Nigeria, September 13-15, 2018
Zones 21b and 27: Boise, ID USA, September 2018
Zones 24 and 32: Montreal, Canada, September 20-22, 2018
Zones 25 and 26: Reno, NV USA, November 15-17, 2018
Zones 30 and 31: Montgomery, Al USA, October 11-14, 2018
Zone 33 and 34: Norfolk, VA USA, November 15-18, 2018
Here are just a few of the important dates for Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC). These are opportunities for visitors to meet us and and for us to meet Rotarians and friends from around the world.
01 May 2018 – Regular CMIRC Meeting, 7 pm Hong Kong Lucky Restaurant with program by Christa Crawford, PhD on fighting human trafficking.
15 May 2018 – CMIRC Club Assembly, 7 pm Hong Kong Lucky Restaurant – Members only.
16 May – 18 May 2018 – Service and Informational Tour of Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, contact Jerry Nelson for details.
19 May – 20 May 2018 – District 3360 Training Assembly, Top Land Hotel, Phitsanulok, contact Jerry Nelson for details.
07 June 2018 – CMIRC Recognition Night 5:30 p.m. at River Market. By invitation only.
07 June 2018 – Whim 'n Rhythm concert 7:00 p.m. at River Market restaurant. Charity fundraising concert to benefit CMIRC's Children's projects.
23 June – 27 June 2018 – Rotary International Convention, Toronto Canada (www.riconvention.org/en).
30 June 2018 - Chiang Mai Rotary Club Presidents Installation, 6 pm Empress Hotel, Chiang Mai.
2 October 2018 – District Governor’s Official Visit.
1 – 3 March 2019, Multi-PETS, Hat Yai.
1 – 5 June 2019, Rotary International Convention, Hamburg Germany (www.riconvention.org/en).
6 - 10 June 2020, Rotary International Convention, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
12 - 16 June 2021, Rotary International Convention, Taipei, Taiwan.
04 – 08 June 2022, Rotary International Convention, Houston, Texas, USA
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 such as our website with its powerful tools such as this bulletin. It’s not free but it’s worth it.
Our sponsors donate money that supports our operational expenses, freeing funds for the projects we love. In turn, we support them by trying to make sure that their presence on our website and in this bulletin brings them to the attention of the potential customers.
Currently we have three sponsors and are hoping to find a fourth and final sponsor soon.
Our criteria is unique in that we don’t accept paid advertising but instead accept donations from our previously vetted sponsors. The business must be Chiang Mai-based, must be of good reputation and not a competitor of our other sponsors. We ask only 12,000 THB per year.
Lanna Lawyers is a Thai law firm with a heart for pro-bono work, especially when it concerns the marginalized people of South East Asia. Their Expat Division can serve the needs of resident expats with native English speaking law partners.
Fashion King is reputed to be the best tailor in Chiang Mai. The owners Frank and Vanita are the sponsors of the famous Chiang Mai fundraising event called Bollywood Night. They do much to help the poor and the needy.
Hong Kong Lucky is a unique Hong Kong Chinese dining experience. The food is wonderful, and they host our Rotary meetings at their location in the Old City.
We ask that you consider patronizing our sponsors as your needs dictate.
CMIRC has been continuing to provide weekly support for 
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