A message from our New President - Tom Louie

Posted by Jason Suttie 
on Jul 09, 2015
 
Paul Harris started with a simple goal; create a club of professionals and business men for friendship and fellowship and later realized that Rotary needed a greater purpose that of ‘public service’. Over time Rotarian ideals have expanded to include vocational ethics and international understanding. For me, this was truly demonstrated in 2007 when I attended the Rotary International Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. I saw the world Paul Harris imagined it; a world where men and women from every corner of the globe come together, to build peace, to serve others, and simply to enjoy one another’s company. Difference of back ground, politics, culture and religion woven together in one bright tapestry.
What is Rotary? Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build good will and peace in the world.
Why join Rotary?  Rotary will help you become a good citizen in your community and in the world. It will help in your business and personal development, in leadership and public speaking skills. Rotary emphasizes ethics in business and will hone your sense of ethics. You will find long standing friendships.
What Rotary needs? We are looking for people like you. People who want to connect with other leaders in the community to use their expertise for good, people whose sense of responsibility inspires them to give back to the community, to change the world.
Goals for this year:
  1.  Increase membership to 24 members
  2. We want every members to contribute to the Rotary Foundation
  3. Support fundraising events such as Tip ’N’ Taste, Taste of Langley City, Cruise-In, Strawberry Sale and Rams Football Beer Sale
  4. Participate in Community Service projects and have FUN doing them
  5. Support Polio eradication
What is expected from member? Although we want you to participate fully in our Club you don’t have to come every week. There are many different types of members. Some members come every week and others volunteer their help where it is needed. It is also good if you just support our projects when you are able. Some support us financially but cannot be deeply involved. Some members have young families. They help when they can. Membership is about commitment to get engaged in a vibrant club. As a member you do not have to feel guilty for not participating in Club events.
Richard King said at our President-elect training conference in March 2015, “Government can’t do what we Rotarians do when we get together and volunteer. Government can be like a machine stifled by bureaucracy – where the answer is “no”. We Rotarians can say yes and get it done, at much less cost than Government in many cases because we are volunteers.”
 
Be a Gift to the World: I had the pleasure of meeting Rotary International President, KR “Ravi” Ravindran at our President-elect training in March 2015. He talked about each of us have been blessed with many gifts and talents ; we now have an opportunity to take our gifts, talents and everything that we are and can become – and Be a Gift to the World. In Rotary we can make a difference to those who are without. We are volunteers who encompass 187 countries.
 
Tom Louie
President 2015-16