ROTARY CLUB OF VACOAS

OUTGOING PRESIDENT’S SPEECH, 8th JULY 2006.

DISTRICT GOVERNOR RANDHIR RAMLOLL & JULIE

ADG Rajesh Bucktowansing & VEENA

PRESIDENT TINANDA & CHRYSTELLE – R.C CITADELLE

PRESIDENT JACQUES ANQUETILE & KLAREN –R.C MAHEBOURG

INCOMING PRESIDENT JUGDISH BUNDHOO & VIJAYA

PRESIDENT OF ROTARACT CLUB OF VACOAS NILMA DHOOKY & SECRETARY NIRVANA DHOOKY

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,  LADIES  & GENTLEMEN
FELLOW ROTARIANS & CHARMING SPOUSES

 

Before I summarise what we have accomplished for this Rotary year, I would like to recall who we Rotarians are; very briefly; “We are a group of business and professional people who have decided to join hands together to serve society”.  In order to serve, Rotary has a number of structures within which we operate to preserve our brand, our uniqueness, our image, our efficiency in serving.       

 

We are all leaders in our occupations and Rotary’s success is largely due to its recruitment standards in choosing leaders in the various professions among the community in which we live.

 

The pillars & values which make us as Rotarians strong in our purpose can be summed up in 4 words:-

 

  1. Truth
  2.   Ethics
  3. Fairness
  4. Friendliness

and these are well amplified in the 4-way test.

Fellow Rotarians and guests, to be a Rotarian is honourable but the glamour and prestige associated with this honour is not the reason why a person becomes a Rotarian: rather it is the will to give what he has and values most, not necessarily in terms of money, but of his valuable time, using his privileged contacts to the service of humanity, and of his occupational skills to lead and inspire, to further the common good.  Rotarians are busy people in their occupations, and to agree to sacrifice their valuable time for the common good is worthy of recognition in itself, and it is in this context that I salute and thank all Rotarians of our club for your valuable contribution however big or small it may have been.

 

In line with RI current thinking, this year for our club has been more a year of consolidation rather than of fieldwork.

 

We have pruned down membership, and recruited some good new Rotarians, two of whom are acceding to the Board this year.  We have had 3 sessions of an enriching brainstorming exercise and came up with a blue print for future conduct.  From an average of 55% attendance at the beginning of the year, we closed the last 6 months attendance with an average of 70-80 % almost always among the top 5 in the District.  Despite the busy schedule of most of the Board members, we managed to hold regular Board meetings, at least 2 of these which were full house.  Our Tuesday meetings were enriched by some high profile guest speakers speaking on diverse topics from protocol through health, to exploiting the cool water beneath the seas, analysis of the budget and investment potentials in India, and last but not least the classification talks of our new members Raj, Faizal, Arveen and Ian.

 

On the projects side Vocational service carried out book reading, book donation and creativity awards projects, whilst community service carried out projects at Balgobin Ashram, gave xmas gifts for orphans, lunch for senior citizens, and AIDS talks at Municipality Vacoas – Phoenix and Hindu Girls College, and International service organised a good will lunch project, bringing together students of about 15 countries.  Rotaract was very active with many projects carried out during the year.

 

On the club administration side, the consolidation of membership, exercise did not allow us to meet R.I’S guideline of increasing membership by one, and in fact we reduced by 1, which I regard as an achievement considering that 6 members left whilst 5 new members were recruited.  Fellowship activities suffered a setback due to the busy schedule of Rotarians, but we managed to end the year in glory by successfully organising a Ladies Night together with the 15th anniversary celebrations of the club.  We did not do too well on Fund raising as the project charity Dance and the marketing seminar had to be postponed, although we raised some money from the end of year cards and the weekly raffle.

 

Fellow Rotarians, despite the consolidation exercise this year, we managed to give the club new vigour which should put the club on a sound footing for the years ahead.

 

I owe a big thank you to all Rotarians for your support in our common purpose to serve, I received help from everyone, but I have special recognition to a few Rotarians who went out of their way not only to fulfil the duties they had been assigned, but to help their colleagues to achieve their objectives:

 

  1. Kirti Mooneeram for the end of year cards and Rotaract mentor.
  2. Meng How On Siong for being a good v.p whenever I was out of the country, and for organising the 15th anniversary celebration.
  3. Om Varma for the successful vocational service projects
  4. Rajah Bhageerutty for the AIDS AWARENESS PROGRAMME.
  5. Ian McConville for assistance in the book donation project.
  6. Rajen Chakowa for his generosity as always.
  7. Mahen Ringadoo for stepping in at any time when Amaresh was too busy or travelling.
  8. Randhir Ramloll for his valuable advice.

 

Fellow Rotarians and Distinguished Guests, it is now my pleasure to give Recognition Awards for this year.  And I have only 3 Awards to give:

 

  1. Best Rotarian – Award for Best Rotarian goes to Kirty Mooneeram
  2. Best Director – This award goes to OM VARMA   
  3. Special Award to – Randhir Ramloll on his ascession to District Governor.

 

Fellow Rotarians and Guests, a few words of thanks:

  1. To All Rotarians  
  2. To All outgoing Board Members
  3. To charming spouses of Rotarians, and their children.
  4. Last but not least to all guests present here tonight.

 

THANK YOU

  

SHIAMDASS APPANNAH

OUTGOING PRESIDENT

 

It is now my pleasant duty to introduce our new President who is none other than our good friend Jugdis Bundhoo to whom I wish every success as President.

 

Jugdis is married to Vijaya and they have 2 children.  He has a BSC Hons in Chemistry and Physiology at Salford, MSC in soil chemistry at Reading, MSC information science at City University…..

 

He started his career as Documentalist at MSA rising to Info Scientist and Human Resource Manager, and secr to its advisory council.

 

Jugdis has a wide experience in the sugar industry both locally and internationally in his contribution to the World Sugar Research Organisation based in the UK.  He has also set up various projects at the MSA.

 

Jugdis has also been a dedicated Rotarian, and has been on the Board in various capacities such as Secretary, Bulletin Officer, Chairman, Vice President, President Elect ever since I know him.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen we are proud to have someone like Jugdis as our new President, and it is my honour and privilege to induct him as President 2006/07.