Thanks to all the Rotarians who attended last week's long and interesting Zoom meeting with speaker William Furniss and for the contributions to the KGM CSF. I hope William managed to open up a new universe (i.e. metaverse) to explore into. As Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge.Knowledge is limited.Imagination encircles the world." NFTs have indeed let imaginations run wild (literally!). Hopefully you will find your version of Monalisa somewhere in this new verse.
On to business, our fellow Rotarians have been busy serving the needy of Hong Kong to cope with the cold weather spell. Special thanks to our PP Silva who managed to respond to an urgent call for 300 sweaters to Caritas within 24 hours. This is what Rotarians do best.
There will be NO Lunch meeting this week.
Next Regular Lunch Meeting will be on: 9th March, 2022 (Wednesday)
Hopefully it can be a physical instead of a virtual meeting. Details will be posted in due course.
Do Rotarians receive special business benefits from their Rotary membership? Should Rotarians expect a special discount or some preferential service just because they are dealing with a fellow Rotarian? The answer is clearly “No.” The Rotary Manual of Procedure expressly states the Rotary position on this matter. The policy, originally approved by the RI Board of Directors in 1933, is that in business and professional relations “a Rotarian should not expect, and far less should he ask for, more consideration or advantages from a fellow Rotarian than the latter would give to any other business or professional associate with whom he has business relations.” Over 50 years ago the concept was expressed that “True friends demand nothing of one another, and any abuse of the confidence of friendship for profit is foreign to the spirit of Rotary.” On the other hand, if new or increased business comes as the natural result of friendship created in Rotary, it is the same normal development that takes place outside of Rotary as well as inside, so it is not an infringement on the ethics of Rotary membership. It is important to remember that the primary purpose of Rotary membership is to provide each member with a unique opportunity to serve others, and membership is not intended as a means for personal profit or special privileges.
Stay Safe and Stay Healthy. Have a Great Week Ahead!