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Message from the President
 12 months ago I changed office from Treasurer to Secretary. At the Induction I could never have imagined that tonight I would be inducted as President of the Club.
Sometimes things happen which cannot be foreseen. Situations change and President Elect Ethel Poley has since found that it is logistically impossible for her to carry out her duties as President, due to her husband working, and living away. So here I stand as Club President, a little nervous but preparing for my term of office, well aware that eyes are on me being the First Lady President of the Club. Fortunately I do have the pledged support of our Charter President and Past Presidents, but I know that anything I may say tonight can come back and bite me next year, therefore I must be careful in what I promise.
3 years ago my Husband, Past President Dave, in his Induction Acceptance address mentioned the importance, the positives and negatives of words beginning with the letter “P” appertaining to Rotary. During my time as Treasurer and Secretary I have realized the importance of words beginning with the letter “F”
Firstly, Rotary International is a Fraternity which means that we are all Brothers and Sisters with 1 goal to help those less fortunate than ourselves within a four way test.
Secondly and equally importantly we need Funding and Finance to support our ambitions. Our annual contributions are only P7,000. therefore Funding and Financing are important to us as a Club to realize our goals. I would like to re-introduce weekly fund raising in the Club, beginning with a raffle tonight. Please support generously because the prizes have been donated.
The third very important “F” word is for The Foundation. The Rotary Foundation is there to provide a fund for a Global Project, which presently focuses on the Eradication of Polio in the World. I will encourage Members and friends to contribute to the Foundation,
Either by direct donation or contributions in the cans through the“Million Peso” project.
Every Rotarian Every Year or E.R.E.Y. as it is known is something we hear about with regularity. To encourage Members to make donations to the Annual Giving Fund I will personally match all donations made by non Paul Harris Members during my term.
Another “F” word is Fellowship. It is time we bought back the same Fun in Fellowship that we used to enjoy, and remove the Feuding and Fighting in the Club that has decimated our Membership during the past 3 years. This is, however, not the time to dwell on negativity.
There are projects ongoing which were initiated during the time of Past President David Poley. The Feeding program, known as the “The Meal Dream” will enjoy our sponsorship until May 2011, by which time the project will have received around P45,000.
Likewise our successful “Million Peso Project” to support The Rotary Global Polio Eradications Project, jointly with local community projects will be extended during my term. To date they have collectively supported these projects by nearly P7,000. Both ongoing projects are attributed to Past President David Poley.
There are many other words beginning with the letter “F” that are beneficial to the Rotary Movement.
However, I will finalize by saying that we need to move Forward, but in going Forward we must Foster all that has proved to be positive and turn away from that which has been negative and damaging to Rotary.
I hope that in 12 months time I can hand over a Club which is both greater in Membership and more financially secure to my successor.
Thank you all for your attendance this evening and Thank you all for listening to me tonight.
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