PP PATRICK LASSU
Welcome to the Past Presidents’ Lounge, where we learn about our leaders the Past Presidents. Most of us are aware that they have contributed so much to Kampala South as a club, however we never dive deep into the specific ways, moments and events that made them who they are today. PP Pat Lassu says “Being the then Vice President, I was catapulted to President Elect and had only 5 months to figure it all out by July of that same year because the President Elect then opted to step down in January 2015.” In this interview, he further shares his personal journey in the club as President.Please tell us about yourself.
My name is Pat Lassu. A proud member of RC Kampala South since 2008. A husband to Henrietta and a doting dad to two girls, Mary and Christabel, and two boys, Christian and Caleb. I work with the Parliamentary Service Commission. I love golf and play as often as I can. Don’t ask about my handicap – I’m working on it. Soccer occupies a special place in my heart too – I support Express FC locally, Arsenal in the UK and Bayern Munich in Germany. I’m also a budding farmer and I consider Aggrey Kankunda a great inspiration in this regard.
How would you describe the club membership then? How many? How did you ensure you attracted and encouraged new members to participate?
I can say that the membership was vibrant and teeming with pride and purpose. We hosted the Boat Cruise as usual and it was great party with a good return from the fundraising perspective. As a result, together with our international partners, we were able to advance the Kikandwa Project which remains a Club flagship project to date. Besides, the boat cruise had and still carries the additional spin off of making the Club more attractive to potential members.
PP PATRICK LASSU
Welcome to the Past Presidents’ Lounge, where we learn about our leaders the Past Presidents. Most of us are aware that they have contributed so much to Kampala South as a club, however we never dive deep into the specific ways, moments and events that made them who they are today. PP Pat Lassu says “Being the then Vice President, I was catapulted to President Elect and had only 5 months to figure it all out by July of that same year because the President Elect then opted to step down in January 2015.” In this interview, he further shares his personal journey in the club as President.
Please tell us about yourself.
My name is Pat Lassu. A proud member of RC Kampala South since 2008. A husband to Henrietta and a doting dad to two girls, Mary and Christabel, and two boys, Christian and Caleb. I work with the Parliamentary Service Commission. I love golf and play as often as I can. Don’t ask about my handicap – I’m working on it. Soccer occupies a special place in my heart too – I support Express FC locally, Arsenal in the UK and Bayern Munich in Germany. I’m also a budding farmer and I consider Aggrey Kankunda a great inspiration in this regard.
How would you describe the club membership then? How many? How did you ensure you attracted and encouraged new members to participate?
I can say that the membership was vibrant and teeming with pride and purpose. We hosted the Boat Cruise as usual and it was great party with a good return from the fundraising perspective. As a result, together with our international partners, we were able to advance the Kikandwa Project which remains a Club flagship project to date. Besides, the boat cruise had and still carries the additional spin off of making the Club more attractive to potential members.
What are some of the important moments/decisions in the Club that defined your year as Club President?
I ascended to the RC Kampala South Presidency through an accelerated route much like PP Jackie Nansubuga. Rtn Lillian Bagambe was President Elect in the year 2014/15 and she opted to step down in January 2015. Being the then Vice President, I was catapulted to President Elect and had only 5 months to figure it all out by July of that same year.
The Rotary International President Elect K.R. Ravindran while at the annual Governors training in San Diego, California that year urged all Rotarians to ‘be gifts to the World’ which was our theme for 2015/16. District Governor Bob Nsibirwa also called on us to provide a world class Service and baptized that year’s presidents as the World Class Presidents. It’s a moniker that we embraced and one that galvanized us and has ensured that to date we are still working together on a few initiatives.
RC Kampala South also had the honour to host the “Pearl of Africa’ Night at the 91st District Conference & Assembly (DCA) in Entebbe. The 91st DCA was an intimate affair for RC Kampala South because of our depth of involvement in the organization. Aggrey Kankunda was the Chair for the Organising team and we had five or six members of RC Kampala South handling different aspects of the DCA. The Pearl of Africa Night which was hosted by us in the lush green Botanical Gardens on the shores of Lake Victoria, was for many, the highlight of that year’s DCA. Members of the Club collectively fundraised, organized, toiled and ensured that the Pearl of Africa night would live long in the memory of the attendees. And it did!
Which Projects did the Club carry out during your year, any key achievement?
Besides, advancing the Kikandwa Project, we got two Rotary Community Corps registered and operational on the slopes of Mount Elgon. These were Bumasikye and Bushikori championed by PP Richard Mayebo and PP Esther Mwambu. We started the ground work on the Kabulasoke RCC as well and the Club has gone on to make it a major project site.
We also strengthened our relationship with our twin Club RC Milimani by making the maiden visit to Nairobi where we got participate in some of their projects and got a first-hand experience of the breadth of Rotary in Kenya.
At the 91st DCA, we won the award for having the best collaborative relationship with Rotaractors and Interactors.
Do you have any key words of wisdom to the members/ Rotarians/readers?
I’ll take a quote from Albert Einstein – “Once you stop learning, you start dying!” We should embrace continuous learning and make it a part of our fabric!