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Redemptorist Social Welfare Center
celebrates Teachers Appreciation Day
 Opening Ceremony of the 12th Athletic Competition at the Redemptorist
Center.
Father Raymond Brennan, Director of the Redemptorist Social Welfare
Center, Father Michael Phichan Jaiseri, Director of the Redemptorist Vocational School,
and the School Principal, Suphorntham Mongkhonsawat, along with the teaching staff held
their Teachers Appreciation Day Ceremony and activities on June 17th.
 The school provides vocational training in
two major areas: electronics and computers. 182 handicapped students attend the school.
This year’s activities included the traditional ceremony of
students presenting flowers, joss sticks and candles as they displayed their respects to
the teachers. In addition, recognition with awards were presented to students attaining
high achievement in classes as well.
In the afternoon athletic events were held with students competing
against one another, preparing and vying for positions to compete in the upcoming Thai
National Handicapped Competition in Rayong in September. The events will decide which
athletes w ill represent Thailand in future international competitions during the Fesbic
and Phara Games.
Athletes
representing the students.
Chanyut Hengtrakul, Chairman of the Chonburi Administrative Council, presided over the
opening ceremony of the School’s 12th Athletic Competition. Sporting events consisted
of: ping pong, tennis, swimming, weight lifting, football, volleyball, wheelchair
basketball and takraw.
Miss Kamlai wins Teachers Day essay
contest
The custom of showing respect and appreciation for
teachers in Thailand is a very old custom that can not be pinpointed as to when it
actually began. It is only known that it was done before our grandparents were children.
 Miss Kamlai
Sameukid.
The Teachers Appreciation custom is performed at each and every level
of education and at schools of all academic subjects. The students gather together to
demonstrate their gratitude and show their respect towards the educators who give them the
required knowledge to pursue their individual dreams as adults. The custom is conducted at
the beginning of the school term, with the only requisite being the custom must be
performed on a Thursday.
The Pattaya Redemptorist Vocational School held their Teachers
Appreciation Day Ceremony on June 17th. The students at the Redemptorist School wrote
essays on Teachers Appreciation. Miss Kamlai Sameukid, a computer student, earned the
distinction of writing the most impressive essay on the subject.
Miss Kamlai described teachers as "role models, instructing and
advising young people. The first teachers are our parents, providing training and
beautifully looking after us. Then, as we grow older, our parents show their love for us
by sending us to school where we meet with our new teachers who are considered to be the
best providers of our next phase of learning."
"Teachers at the Redemptorist Vocational School have duties very
different from other teachers because the instruction they provide is given to handicapped
students. The teachers join in games, sports, and even eat their meals with the students.
The teachers do not intend for the students at our school to turn into better or brighter
individuals than those from other schools, but they have the desire and hopes for all of
us to be able to look after ourselves and pursue a life in society on our own. The
teachers not only put up with our stubbornness but they surely have problems of their own,
although they never let their problems interfere with the daily activity of teaching,
without even taking a day off to rest. What have we the students done for them today or in
the past? Maybe it doesn’t matter as long as we don’t let them down in the
future."
Miss Kamlai Sameukid, age 24, has been handicapped in her arm and leg from polio since
she was two years old. However, she was not discouraged from acquiring a degree from the
Chonburi Vocational College. She recently enrolled at the Pattaya Redemptorist School to
study computers, and is now in her first term.
American 4th of July
celebration
After a two-year hiatus, on Saturday, 3 July, the
traditional American July 4th family celebration of the birth of the United States is
back!
Place: The New International School in Thailand (NIST) on Sukhumvit Soi
15, Bangkok.
Time: 15:00 - 19:30. Ticket price: 60 Baht (Kids 12 and under free).
Organized by the Star-Spangled Coalition (I-Day), an all-volunteer
group of resident Americans and friends, with the support of the US Embassy, Veterans of
Foreign Wars (VFW), Joint US Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG), New International School of
Thailand (NIST), and the American Women’s Club (AWC), the celebration will be in the
family picnic tradition with hotdogs, hamburgers, ribs, chicken, beverages, plus field
games for all ages, prize drawings, the United States Marine Corps Color Guard, Dr.
Penguin, raffle tickets, including roundtrip air tickets to the US, an address by the
ambassador (message from the President), and fireworks.
Have fun with your family. Meet old friends. Make new ones. Get into
the Spirit of ’76, even though we are so far from home. Relax and play.
Support and participation are welcome.
Volunteer: If you want to get involved as a volunteer and help out on
the day of the event, please contact Bob Hull [email protected],
Tel 287-1036, ext. 331.
Support: If your company or organization wants to provide direct
financial support; to donate goods, services, or prizes; to sell raffle tickets; or to
otherwise participate, please contact the following people:
Finance/Donations: Barent Springsted, [email protected], Tel 266-6677.
Raffle Tickets & Prizes: Tom Whitcraft, [email protected], Tel
391-5567. (20 Baht per ticket; 1 book of 25 tickets = 500 Baht).
Food & Beverage: Bill Hudson, [email protected],
Tel 01-319-1752.
Entertainment: Byron Bales, [email protected],
Tel 258-6615.
General Information: Alex Mavro, [email protected]; Fax: 285-3985; Tel:
285-3512; Mobile: 01-811-8016.
We look forward to seeing you and yours for this special day.
For further information, contact: Alex Mavro, Tel: 285-3512, Email: [email protected], Website: www.iday.net.
Proceeds go to scholarships for children of AIDS victims.
Flying free like a bird - Birthe Kjær
by Elfi
Every year, "The Cliffters", a famous group from Denmark,
comes to Thailand to give charity concerts for the Pattaya Orphanage (the previous two
times were at the Thai Garden Resort on December 31st 98 and on 2 Jan. 99 at the Moon
River Pub). The group also strongly promotes the Orphanage in Denmark and usually collects
a lot of money for it during their many performances there.
Birthe Kjær, one of the most famous singing stars in Denmark, heard
about this charity and gave Cliffters bandleader Johnny Reimers a call. Birthe, after 30
years on top of the charts, was ready to take a one year break and wanted nothing more
than to spend part of this time as a volunteer at the Pattaya’s Orphanage.
 Birthe surrounded
by volunteers, staff and Father Brennan at the orphanage.
Pattaya Mail caught up with Birthe and asked her why she, a superstar
back in Denmark, intended to do devote 3 months of her rest time as a volunteer. "I
believe it is the duty of every human being to do some charity work, no matter the
position, name or money. In Denmark, all people are well taken care of by the government
and there’s not much I could do to help. When I heard about the Orphanage in Pattaya
and about the great work Father Ray Brennan is doing, I didn’t have to think twice.
But I didn’t do it only to do some charity work, but for my own sake as well,"
Birthe said.
She applied for the job and arrived very quietly in Pattaya. In the
same quiet way, she worked here for three months, working long days, 6 days a week and
living at the orphanage. Nothing was too dirty or too hard for her and everybody at the
orphanage said that she was a great volunteer. None of the staff there would have ever got
the feeling that Birthe is a big star back home, except when busses with Danish guests,
who liked to visit the Orphanage, would arrive and people would go crazy over her.
"After the first few times, I would disappear when I heard a bus coming. It was no
problem for me to handle the Danish tourists in town who would recognize me when I went
shopping, but to handle a busload of people with cameras is a different thing,"
Birthe explained.
Despite her fame, Birthe Kjær is truly a very humble and down to earth
person. She started singing at age 12, giving public performances, but her real career
started in 1968 when she immediately hit the top ten in Denmark with the pop song
"Arrivederci Franz", her very first record. This song went like a huge wave
through all of Europe, being translated in many different languages and featured by
countless singers. But, singing pop songs was not all Birthe did. She also performed in
big revues - one of the most famous being the ‘Circus Revue’ - and at theaters
in leading parts in musicals ("I’m getting my act together and taking it on the
road again"; "Landmansliv" and "Harry and the Butler"). One of
her songs, loosely translated as "I’ll never again go to dance without my
pants", which she sang at her revue debut in 1972, showed her great talent as a
comedian.
 Birthe working at
the Orphanage.
Television soon came calling. 22 times Birthe hosted the "Dream
Wedding", a very famous show throughout Europe. She had her own regular TV variety
show with many international guest stars.
Birthe Kjær also sings Chansons with a touch of classical music and
has produced two albums with two classical musicians. One was called "In another
way" - using old Danish songs and making them exactly in another way, and the second
was called "Film music in our way".
Birthe Kjær sang three times in Denmark for the Grand Prix Eurovision,
finally winning in 1989. With the song "VI MALER BYEN RØD", she went to
Lausanne to represent her country - and came back home with the trophy for the second
runner up.
In 1991, Birthe received the precious "Joy of Life" award by
the Simon Spies Foundation. In 1994 another big award, the Revue Maren was presented to
her for the best show part in the Holstebro Revue. Birthe, already a superstar for thirty
years, received her first gold CD in 1996, followed by a platinum CD in 1998.
And, as with the Grand Prix Eurovision, the number three seems to be a
magic number for Birthe. She was nominated for the Grammy three times, and finally won
earlier this year for her CD "Flying Free Like a Bird".
Working at the Orphanage, she received the phone call about her victory
and could only take part in the presentation celebration via telephone. She recorded the
CD knowing that she was going to take a one year break from the music and theater scene,
and she wanted to express her intentions and feelings about it to her millions of fans.
After her three months volunteer work at the Orphanage, Birthe went
back to Denmark with the intention of traveling around the world for a while. Yet, it was
only two months before she came back to Pattaya, this time not living at the orphanage but
at the Thai Garden Resort. "I became very fond of the children at the orphanage and I
missed them very much. Especially the 11 months old boy whom I am sponsoring for as long
as he needs it. When I left the first time, it was very hard for me and I thought it would
break my heart. I just had to come back! Yet, this time not as a volunteer, but just as a
visitor, to get accustomed to not being around them too much. I think I can now get over
it. Besides, I know I can always visit them in the future. I am ready to accept that fact.
You know three months living with the children is a long time and I needed this visit to
be able to say goodbye to them in my heart. I go there every day, but each day for a
shorter while - and that helps!"
Birthe’s fantastic looks, her good heart, her generosity and her humbleness, which
is a big part of her charm, makes this big star a very special person. I am sure that
neither the children, the staff at the Orphanage, nor I will ever forget Birthe Kjær!
Rotary Club Pattaya donates 25,000 US
Dollars to the Pattaya Orphanage with the help of Rotary International Foundation
by Elfi
Last Saturday, the Rotary Club Pattaya had the great pleasure to invite
many Rotarians to join the auspicious occasion of the presentation of a Children’s
Opportunities Grant in the amount of 25,000 US Dollars to the Pattaya Orphanage.
 Surrounded by all
the children, as well as many Rotarians, Father Michael Pichan, on behalf of the
orphanage, accepts $25,000 US Dollars from District Governor Khun Prasert Euprasert and
incoming District Governor Khun Somchai Chiaranaipanit.
This money came from the Rotary International Foundation in Chicago
which had granted 800 funds of this amount of money, totaling $20 million US Dollars for
the fiscal year 1998-1999 ending June 1999. 7000 Rotary Clubs all over the world applied
for these funds. The Rotary Club Pattaya, District 3340, with the help of one of their
members, Past District Governor Khun Som Indra-Payoong, was the 2066th applicant, and yet
the club was still fortunate to receive the grant. It was only the only second in
Thailand. The "Children’s Opportunities Grant" proposed to cover the costs
of food, medicine and educational training for 180 orphans and 50 deaf students, totaling
230 children at the Pattaya Orphanage.
Father Michael Pichan, the assistant director of the Orphanage,
received the check from the present District Governor Khun Prasert Euprasert and incoming
District Governor Khun Somchai Chiaranaipanit. This generous act was witnessed by Father
Ray Brennan, many Rotary presidents, Rotarians of the district and several other guests.
Father Ray Brennan and Father Michael took then the opportunity to express their
appreciation to the Rotary International Foundation. Their real heartfelt thanks went also
to the Rotary Club of Pattaya and all the Rotarians taking part in helping the children of
the Pattaya Orphanage by acting according to this year’s Rotary theme: "Follow
your Rotary Dream".
Bancha Mungchana installed as new
Rotary President
At a glittering evening ceremony held in the Ballroom of
the Royal Cliff Grand, local business identity Bancha Mungchana was installed as the new
President of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya for the year 1999 - 2000.
 The old and the
new - Rotary celebrates another new year of camraderie and benevolence.
With over 120 people attending, including the Mayor of Pattaya, Pairat
Suthithamrongsawat, and Rotarians registering from all over the world, it was a truly
cosmopolitan evening and demonstrated the ideals of international understanding, a
principle that is promoted by the Rotary movement.
Outgoing President John Richards spoke on his pride that the club had
been involved with so many charitable projects during his year of presidency. The fact
that the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya was a forceful member of the United Charities of
the Eastern Seaboard (UCES) was highlighted with both the outgoing Chairwoman, Catherine
Bond, and the incoming Chairman, Don McLachlan, being present at the installation night.
 District Governor
Somchai Chiaranaipanit (left) officiated at the handing over of the PresidentialCollar to
the incoming President Bancha Mungchana (right) from the now Past President John Richards
(center).
John Richards also presented tokens of appreciation to those people who
had assisted both him and the club during his period of presidency. There were two
outstanding awards amongst these. The first was to a young man, Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, who
had maintained the Rotary web-site and had also done all the design and layout of the
club’s Year Book. To do this required an enormous number of hours of labour, often
stretching into the middle of the night to complete the book in time for the installation.
What made this award so notable is the fact that Chinnaporn is physically handicapped, and
instead of the more usual Rotary help for the physically challenged this was a case of the
handicapped helping Rotary.
The highest accolade in the Rotary awards is the Paul Harris Fellow,
named after the founder of the Rotary movement. To be nominated for, and awarded one of
these, requires a great sense of dedication and selflessness. One of the club’s most
tireless workers, Community Services Director Peter Thorand, was honoured with this award.
Peter has now joined a very committed group of Rotarians as the newest Paul Harris Fellow.
A vote of thanks was given by the District Governor Elect Premprecha
Dibbayawan to John Richards for his year’s work and a token of appreciation presented
to him by the club itself.
However, the most important part of the evening was the installation. The newly
appointed District Governor, Somchai Chiaranaipanit, officiated at the handing over of the
Presidential Collar to the incoming President Bancha from the now Past President John. New
President Bancha spoke on his hopes for the forthcoming year and his determination to
continue the worthwhile Rotary projects for the benefit of the underprivileged. President
Bancha was also congratulated by the Mayor of Pattaya, who expressed his personal good
wishes to Bancha and pledged his administration’s support for the year ahead.
Is your country ready for the Y2K bug?
Part 4
The global travel & tourism industry is looking
at the prospects of the turn of the Millennium being anything but a financial bonanza. As
the nigh nears, and so does suspense over the impact of the Y2K bug, holiday-makers will
be asking potential destinations: Is your country ready for it? Those who can say
"yes" are going to make a heap of money. Those who are not sure, well, wait and
see...
From Imtiaz Muqbil,
Executive Editor,
Travel Impact Newswire
Medical devices
What could go wrong: Embedded chips and
noncompliant software in some patient monitoring equipment, external defibrillators, EKG
equipment, ultrasound equipment, and kidney dialysis machines could compromise their
reliability. In one extreme example, when a director of clinical engineering for a New
York medical center hooked himself up to a electrocardiograph to test its Y2K reliability,
the machine correctly determined that he was normal in 1999. But when its date was
advanced to Jan. 1, 2000, it indicated that he had atrial fibrillation and a pacemaker;
when the date was further advanced to Feb.29, it diagnosed ventricular fibrillation.
Manufacturers have been slow to provide information about which products have Y2K bugs;
many have also been uncooperative in helping owners of the devices fix problems.
What to do: Check the Food and Drug Administration’s web site for
a listing of device-compliance status from manufacturers. Not all devices are listed, and
the vast majority that are listed are described by their manufacturers as compliant. The
FDA, however, hasn’t independently confirmed that information. Some manufacturers
have listed the Y2K status of their products on their company web site. Though problems
with devices in hospitals and in doctors’ offices are out of your control, don’t
be afraid to ask questions. And do follow sound medical advice.
For more information: See the Food and Drug Administration on-line
clearinghouse (wyvyvjda.gov). For insight into Y2K
readiness of the health-care industry generally, see the web site for the Rx2000 Solutions
Institute, a non-profit industry-supported information resource (www. rx2000 org).
Doctors’ offices
What could go wrong: Physician practices trail
most other segments of health care in Y2K preparedness; most have not even begun to assess
the extent of possible problems. Patient medical records, still kept by hand in nine of
ten offices, won’t be affected. A likely impact will be on scheduling and billing
computer systems and on medical devices such as blood analyzers.
What to do: Check with your doctor’s office about its Y2K
readiness. Starting in mid-1999, keep paper copies of all appointments and bills. Schedule
elective visits before December 1999 or postpone these appointments until well into 2000.
Health insurance
What could go wrong: Large private insurers and
the Medicare system are spending millions to prepare for Y2K, but most, including
Medicare, weren’t fully compliant as of the end of February. Huge interdependent
computer billing and payment systems will be vulnerable to disruption if even one link is
not Y2K ready. Problems could crop up at any point - from checking eligibility of plan
members to claims submissions and processing to final billing and payment.
What to do: If possible, schedule any elective surgery before December
1999 or until well into 2000 (or at least until computers have demonstrated that they can
recognize Feb.29, 2000, as a leap day). Keep backup paper records of all information you
exchange with your insurer, and make sure you understand your plan’s eligibility and
payment rules. Be prepared to pay cash for emergency care in the event of a system
breakdown, but keep all paper receipts for reimbursement.
For more information: Contact your health insurer. The Health Care
Financing Administration, the payer of Medicare reimbursements, posts Y2K information at
www.hcfa.gov/Y2K.
Prescription drugs
What could go wrong: Global pharmaceutical firms
were the first in the health-care industry to address the Y2K problem; many have nearly
completed upgrading their internal systems. The prescription drug industry is organized to
function under adverse conditions such as natural disasters or epidemics, and the
distribution chain for pharmaceuticals is short and can function largely without
computers. Large drugstore chains are readying themselves for Y2K, but smaller chains and
independent stores may not be. Large-scale hoarding could disrupt suppliers even if all
systems function.
What to do: Check with your pharmacist about your local
drugstore’s Y2K readiness. With the co-operation of your physician and pharmacist,
try to arrange to begin 2000 with a 30-to 60-day supply of any essential prescription
medicines you take regularly. If possible, stock up well before the fourth quarter of
1999; if hoarding does occur, that’s when manufacturers and distributors could decide
to place curbs on purchases. Be sure to observe the expiration dates of all medicines.
Countdown to Y2K
The effects of the millennium bug won’t
strike all at once at midnight next New Year’s Eve. Most likely, the effects will
arrive in stages throughout the balance of 1999 and potentially linger well into 2000. In
fact, the first of these dates - April 1, the start of fiscal year 2000 in Canada, Japan,
and New York State - is already behind us. Here are other key dates to watch:
July 1, 1999: Forty-six state governments begin their new fiscal year.
Sept. 9, 1999: Some programmers worry that computers may have trouble
processing this date. That’s because the common designation for this Thursday in late
summer is 9/9/99, a variant of a computer code that signifies the end of a data field.
Most experts think this is not likely to be a problem.
Oct.1, 1999: The beginning of fiscal year 2000 for the federal
government. According to a recent appraisal by a congressional subcommittee, 13 to 24
Washington agencies may have trouble meeting this Y2K deadline.
Dec.31, 1999: Potential Y2K problems arrive at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time. That’s when computers synchronized to Coordinated Universal Time, measured by
an atomic clock in Europe, welcome the New Year.
Jan. 4, 2000: For many, the first scheduled business day following the
New Year holiday weekend.
Feb. 29, 2000: This date marks 2000 as a leap year. According to the conventions
established by the Catholic Church in 1582, an extra day is added every four years except
at the turn of a century, in which cases an extra day is added only once every 400 years.
And yes, 2000 is such a year.
Critical Success Factor - Power
from Richard Townsend,
Corporate Training
First: a definition: The ability of a person or group to influence the
thoughts or behaviour of another person or group, so that he/she or they do something they
would not otherwise do, assuming that the recipients of the power have some personal
discretion over what they do.
The Five Types, Groups or Points of Power
A) Legitimate, Authority, Position, Access to
Formal Communication (the boss in all his or her various positions or forms).
B) Expert, Knowledge, Technical Superiority, Communication Skill, Task
or Job (the MIS manager & the head of engineering)
C) Coercive, Fear, Take Away, Negative Control of Resources or
Information (purchasing, financial control & the HR director)
D) Referent, Personal Attractiveness, Relationship, Groups, Charisma,
Sex (the boss’s secretary, the top salesperson, the lovely young thing from PR and
the office stud)
E) Reward, Positive Control of Resources or Information, Money,
Benefits (the boss, the supervisor, the project manager & most of the above)
To be truly "powerful" all five groups should be used,
reliance on one group will ultimately lead to loss of power, i.e., authority can be
withdrawn, knowledge becomes outdated, fear creates subversion, we all get old (and ugly)
and our ability to reward can be hampered by the vagaries of the business climate and
company edicts.
Power can be perceived as personalised or socialsed
Personalized power infers that only the Power
User will benefit and if used a negative impact on the receivers will occur.
Socialized use of power is when the receiver perceives both the power
user and the receiver will benefit and is more likely to gain acceptance and a positive
outcome.
Important Point - the recipient of power will always be the one who
decides if the power user is using socialized or personalized power.
Critical for Power - Maintaining Dependency
The receiver’s relationship or dependency on the holder of power is only effective
when the holder posses something that the receiver wants. The more dependant the receiver
is the greater the power of the holder. Critical to dependency are; the importance of what
is controlled, the scarcity of the resource and the potential for substitutes or
alternatives. (i.e. scarcity of jobs, limited chance of promotion, total salary increase
budget, staff resources, purchasing budgets and funds for R & D).
Copyright 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Updated by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek. |
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