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Rotary forges into the 2010-11 year of
Building Communities and Bridging Continents
13 Rotary Clubs in Chonburi province install new presidents and directors
The new Rotary club presidents, (l-r) Peter Aistleitner
(Phoenix-Pattaya), Yuthana Kiratihatyakorn (Panas Nikom), Anamika Lee (Laem
Chabang), Pornpan Eiemla-or (Cholburi).
Rotary International President for 2010-11 Ray
Klinginsmith announced RI’s theme for the year, Building Communities -
Bridging Continents, during the opening plenary session of the 2010
International Assembly held in San Diego, USA earlier this year.
DG Thongchai Lortrakanon congratulates President Albert
De Wilde of the Rotary Club of Taksin Pattaya.
Klinginsmith said he arrived at the theme after reviewing
RI themes of years past. He noticed that only a few spoke to non-Rotarians.
“As a result, I decided to search for a briefly stated
theme that would fulfill two objectives: the first to explain Rotary to
non-Rotarians, and the second to validate our work for Rotarians,” he said.
“The words I have selected to describe Rotary’s current mission and to
highlight our achievements are what we do best: Building Communities -
Bridging Continents.”
Thitikarn Kaenthongcharoen is installed as President of
the Rotary Club of Plutaluang.
The timing of the theme announcement was a break in
tradition from past assemblies and a reflection of Klinginsmith’s
willingness to embrace change. He encouraged Rotarians to reexamine
traditional procedures that were no longer best practices and to begin new
traditions where appropriate.
And change takes place in districts and clubs on July 1
of every year. This year, District Governor Thonchai ‘Tony’ Lortrakanon took
over the reins of Rotary International District 3340, which covers the
entire northeast and the eastern part of Thailand with 58 clubs under his
wing.
Noppadon Saengma is the new President of the Rotary Club of
Pattaya.
During the months of May, June and July he travelled the
district, attending installation ceremonies of presidents and directors of
clubs in his jurisdiction and at the same time passing on the noble message
to Rotarians encouraging them to fly the Rotary flag high in adhering to the
principles of doing good in the world.
He quoted President Ray Klinginsmith, “Yes, we have
changed the world, and will continue to change it, in a positive way! Can we
do it even better in these financially troubled times? Yes, we can do it!
Yes, we will do it - together!
The formula is simple. For us to succeed next year, all
we need to do is to focus our best efforts on encouraging our clubs and
districts to do what Rotarians are passionate about, and what Rotarians are
the best in the world at doing, which is Building Communities – Bridging
Continents!”
Jurirat Kitkastkul (Ban Bung) and Kiewsajee Wongpakdee
(Sriracha).
PDG Premprecha Dibbayawan (2 nd
left) celebrates his 24th
(x3) birthday at the installation of Rotary Club Pattaya Marina President
Eric Labouillat (2nd
right) with the help of IPP Florent Pellegrin (left) and PDG Jin
Srikasikorn.
Old friends meet again, PDG Peter Malhotra
and PP Amorn
Kwatra (RC Sattahip)
Congratulations are in order for President Somchai
Supyinganan (Sattahip).
President Jan Koos Abbink (4th left)
with the directors of the Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard.
President Richard Haughton (4th right)
and the new board of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya.
Thai Model - Centara of attention at Lighthouse Club
Paul Strachan
Building on the success of their last few networking
evenings, the Lighthouse Club Pattaya (LHC) held yet another successful
event on Friday the 2nd of July. This time they chose the Zulu bar at
snappily named ‘Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya’ as the venue.
Paul Strachan (left), Pattaya Mail TV presenter, talks
with Jason Young from Iguana Company Limited.
It must be said straight off that the staff excelled
themselves, and there was no waiting around for drinks with the waiters
constantly offering red and white wine or beer and the finger food was of a
very high quality, especially the roast beef, all of which is included in
the entrance fee.
Speaking of which, entrance to the LHC networking events
are only 500 baht for non-members; however, if you are ‘the female of the
species’ this is discounted to the bargain price of only 200 baht.
(L to R) Kanyarat and Suwimon Chantajohn from dta international
(Thailand) Ltd.
You can imagine what this kind of pricing does in these
hard economic times: it attracts a large number of females which in turn
(nature being what it is) attracts a large number of males, that and the
LHC’s knack of choosing great venues signals their meteoric rise in the
business/social calendar in Pattaya.
A year or so ago it would be fair to say that the LHC
networking events attracted between 25-40 people and therefore it seemed to
be always the same faces. Now they find themselves in a situation where they
have to be very careful about their choice of venue, not because of the
quality but because of the sheer number of people who turn up to support
them. At this particular one I would estimate that there were in excess of
150 people at the Zulu bar, and of course that included a quite a few new
faces.
Tracy Cosgrove (left) from Melissa Cosgrove Children’s
Foundation and Russell Jay Derrell (right).
Centara was obviously the venue sponsor for the evening
and this gave them an ideal chance to show off their standards of service to
those who had perhaps not been to Centara before. The other sponsor was the
Iguana Group, a company that too has enjoyed great success in the property
market in Pattaya by offering fully furnished apartments at only one million
baht at their Park Lane Jomtien Resort, along with their other projects such
as Sunset Boulevard and Hyde Park 1& 2.
The speeches were kept to a bare minimum so that people
could concentrate on swapping business cards and pose for photographs. And
the word was out that yet another Thai model would be gracing this month’s
LHC event.
Brazilian samba dancers Jociara Maria Alnues and
Elisabeth Dos Santos put on a show during the evening.
The model in question was ‘Emmy’ (Kamonrat Ladseeta) and
when she walked in flanked by another two beauties, every eye was on her, as
she certainly was very easy to look at.
She had a certain grace and compared to my previous
encounter with the diminutive Xanny last month, I found that Emmy was not
only very tall but also a highly successful entrepreneur in her own right.
She is the president of her own modeling agency in Bangkok, simply called
‘EM Modeling’. Her company provides models for commercials, fashions shows
and television.
She walked the room and was generous enough to take time
to speak to people and have her photograph taken with them.
(L to R) Janya Rattanaliam, international affairs
executive at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and Nattamon Puangkaew, marketing
coordinator for the International Marketing Department at Bangkok Hospital
Pattaya.
And the point of all this? Well the Lighthouse Club is a
global charity that focuses on helping children who have been disadvantaged
by the building trade; here in Pattaya the LHC utilizes the expertise of
Tracy Cosgrove who works closely with the kids in the workers’ camps and
provides safe play areas for them.
They have a new motto on their Facebook page: “We make a
living by what we get, we make a life by what we give! - Let’s come
together, to stand-apart!” And that is exactly what the Lighthouse Club has
done here in Pattaya.
I look forward to the next one which will be held at the
Marriott Resort & Spa Pattaya on Friday the 30th of July. It starts at 6
p.m. and the free drinks cease at 8:30 p.m. You don’t have to book, just
turn up, though you can help them by joining their Facebook page and
confirming your attendance. Hope to see you there.
(L to R) Por, Jason Young, Philip
Cruz and Somjai Rungkham.
(L to R) Dungduan Nakprom, Tim
Bunker and Arnunyar Yomanat.
(L to R) Su, Nan, Louis J. Van den
Bergh and Ae.
(L to R) Konstantin Lozbenev, Onie,
Jason, Seab, Irina, Nong, Jerry and Por.
(L to R) Tracy Cosgrove from
Melissa Cosgrove Children’s Foundation, Dave Buckley, managing director for
Real Estate Magazine Thailand, Cees Cuijpers, managing director of Town &
Country Property Co., Ltd.; Jason Young from Iguana Company Limited; Mark
Rogers, DJ from 96 FM and Gavin Perfect, managing director of Pattaya
Paradise City Property Co., Ltd.
(L to R) SAS Captain Deg
Lundesgaard; Banthita Sunthararak, sales manager at Centara Grand Mirage
Beach Resort Pattaya; Stuart Foulkes, and Pimvasa Rasmidatta, sales
executive at Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya.
(L to R) Kib, Paul Strachan, Emmy
and Aira.
Caring for Special Kids too
Jesters Care For Kids Charity Drive 2010 sponsored by Glencoure International, Canadian Jackalope Open and Devil’s Creek Development Project
A classroom in the new facility.
Lewis Underwood
In the beginning (1998), there was only the Fountain of
Life Center. It was our sole beneficiary and the very reason we formed the
Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drive. After all, they offered needy kids the
essential documentation, orientation and ultimately scholarships to go to
school. Moreover, these kids, often from the slums and broken families, were
provided with medical and dental treatment, nutritious meals, and meaningful
activities. In short, they presented the kids with all the tools to move
forward in life.
For the first 4 years, the Jesters Care for Kids Charity
Drive benefited the Center exclusively. It was not until 2002 that we
started to spread our wings to help other needy children projects too. In
that year, we also assisted the Eastern Child Welfare Protection Institute
in Huay Pong and the School for the Blind in Naklua. The latter added a new
dimension for us in terms of caring for kids not only in need, but also
afflicted with mental and physical impairments.
Since then we have cared for these ‘special’ kids under
the auspices of such organizations as the Camillian Social Center (children
living with HIV and disabilities), Chonburi Handicap Project, Sunganseuksa
Phiset 12 and Khao Baisri School for the Disabled.
We first got involved with the latter and the
ultra-dedicated director, Khun Boonchu, back in 2005 when she was running a
school for kids with autism, Down syndrome and other mental disabilities,
attached to the public school in Ban Khao Baisri. At that time, she was even
putting up some of the kids in her own home.
Back then, we provided 433,217 baht for classroom
renovation, new toilets construction, new furniture and safe playground
equipment. However, Boonchu’s real vision was to build a proper school, or
home, for her special kids. We told her that we would like to help her
realize that goal.
Last August, Boonchu came to us and said she had private
land that she was willing to donate for construction of the home. With the
backing of the Herrod Foundation, one of our Diamond Sponsors, we told her
that we would like to take on the project but that the land first had to be
transferred to the Educational Ministry before we could start.
Last January, after the transfer of land had been
confirmed, we commenced construction. The project was to be a building that
included a classroom, physiotherapy room (which doubled as a dormitory for
the boys at night), sensory room for the autistic, and toilets. With the
building nearly finished last spring, Boonchu wasted no time putting it to
use. In fact, from April onward they were holding classes there while we
still applied the finishing touches not only to the building, but also the
landscaping outside.
The official opening took place last Thursday, July 8th
with the Chonburi governor in attendance along with many of the parents,
supporters and sponsors. At this juncture, we have invested 869,060 baht
into this home for the disabled, 95% of which came from funds raised last
year and the remainder from this year’s donations. We plan to keep an eye on
this project and maintain the premises.
We would like to thank the following sponsors for making
this project possible: The Herrod Foundation, Sint Josef Church in Zaandam,
Holland, Mike Koerner, Club Nevada, Lolita’s Pattaya and Pattaya Sports
Club.
If you too would like to help us care for special kids,
please visit our website at www.care4kids.info, or email us at jesterscd@care4kids
.info. We can do so much more when we work together!
Please remember that our Children’s Fair is on Sunday,
September 12th or less than 2 months away!
The official opening took place on July 8 with Chonburi
Governor Senee Jittakasem
(left, holding sign) in attendance, along with many of the parents,
supporters and sponsors.
Music, laughter headline Father Ray charity talk show
Vimolrat Singnikorn
More than 1,000 people turned out to watch two well-known
Thai talk show hosts emcee a day of laughter and music at the Royal Cliff
Beach Resort.
Students from the Redemptorist School for the Blind
exhibit how typing Braille is done.
The July 3 “Providing Love, Sharing Smiles” fundraiser
was hosted by Sukhum Nuansakul and Jatupon Chomphoonit, who mixed jokes and
impressions with views on daily life and politics. Students from the
Redemptorist School for Blind performed a musical number and the show also
featured a wheelchair dance exhibition from Redemptorist Vocational School
and a performance of the Jo Louis Puppet Theatre.
Money raised from the sale of tickets went to the Father
Ray Foundation, which operates the blind and vocational schools, along with
the Pattaya Redemptorist School and Father Ray Children’s Village. More
funds were raised from the sale of hand-made goods at stalls in front of the
exhibition center, which the Royal Cliff donated for free to the charity.
“The political crisis in Bangkok has affected all
businesses, including the Father Ray Foundation network,” said Rev. Peter
Srivorakul told an audience that included Chanyuth Hengtrakul, a former MP.
“Even though Father Ray passed away in 2003, his work continues with the
Father Ray Foundation caring for 850 children and people with disabilities.”
Additional donations to the foundation are being taken
via foundation bank accounts at Bangkok Bank (account numbers 342-3-04125-4
and 232-3-02275-2).
Sukhum Nuansakul co-hosts the “Providing Love, Sharing Smiles”
charity talk show. |
Jatupon Chomphoonit co-hosts the “Providing Love, Sharing
Smiles” charity talk show. |
Students from the Redemptorist Vocational
School perform a magical
wheelchair dance.
Students from the Redemptorist School for Blind perform a musical
number.
Royal British Legion Thailand visit to Malaysia
Bert Elson and
Bob Myers with their respective wreaths at “Gods Little Acre”.
Bert Elson
The Malay Emergency was called that simply for Insurance
purposes, for had it been called a war the tin mines and rubber plantations
would not have been able to claim insurance.
However, to the young men, mainly conscripts who fought
and died there, it was a war, a war fought in dense jungle, intense heat and
never ending sweat. It was also a war they won.
I first got involved with the Malay Remembrance Service
four years ago, the same time that our branch was formed. I was contacted by
a former member of the Coldstream Guards (my old regiment) who had heard
that I lived in Thailand. His name was Reg Councell and he served with the
2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards in 1948.
The Roll of Honour at God’s Little Acre.
Age was now catching up on Reg and he asked me that; if I
should ever be in Malaysia would I lay a wreath for his boys at “God’s
Little Acre”. I had never heard of this place but on checking found there
was a Remembrance Service there every June. A short meeting was held in the
bar and two months later five of our newly formed branch were on parade in
Ipoh Malaysia. We have attended every year since; this year there were 17 of
us including many wives, for after the three days of parades we spent four
days on holiday in Penang
It is an honour for me to represent Reg and the
Coldstream Guards. I am also proud to say that our branch also represented
the Royal Marines this year. There is no cap badge rivalry here, only
respect.
We, as always, attended four services spread over three
days. Our standard bearer, Richard Holmes being the centre of attraction at
all events. We met old and new friends and were invited to a number of
functions and dinners.
Malaysia is now a fantastic country to visit and we have
many good friends there. We look forward to meeting them and attending all
the services again next year. Although we are the Thailand branch we have
taken God’s Little Acre to our heart, and whilst many of the veterans may
become too frail to attend, our small branch will keep the flame of
remembrance alight in Malaysia.
Last post at the Gurkha cemetery.
Some of our members at the cenotaph.
We dined well!
The Malay Rangers Guard of Honour with our standard
bearer.
We present one of our plaques to the Hong Kong Bar in
Penang.
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