Objective
To create a community in which members exchange time to perform services of their abilities in a reciprocatory manner, i.e., an hour for an hour, regardless of the economic value of services measured in monetary terms.
Propositions to targeted groups
A. “Job Opportunities” for people who have not realized their potentials as a giver to earn credits for procuring needed services in the future;
B. “Rewards for Virtuous Services” for people who contribute their resources to the community without wishing anything in return in this lifetime.
Procedures
- Stock up supplies:
Listing skills & timing available to serve others among the signed-up members. - Register demands:
2.1 Listing services & timing needed by the signed-up members
(Needed services may have to be acquired from outside, either other time banks using time exchange or purchased with reserved
funds.) 2.2 Start collecting the “seed capital” from the signed-up members in both categories, i.e., the givers, who offer their services to others, and the receivers, who need services from others, as well as Government funding - Set up a system for managing the matching of supplies and demands
- Listing of services available at other organizations inside and outside the community, including overseas time banks, with focus given to
low cost or free-of-charge pro-bono services - In the initial stage, support funding must be sought as reserves for acquiring urgently needed services not available among community
members, or no pro bono services could be acquired from other organizations. Examples of services that need cash payment include
mobile ICU ambulances that are available only at certain private hospitals, not typical ambulances from hospitals in general or charity
foundations.
Timeline:
• November 2, 2018: First conceptualizing the idea of time banking
• November – December 2018: Three discussions at Grand Hyatt were attended by Rotarians of various clubs
• FB Life discussion of the topic on “Talk of the News” (คุยคุ้ยข่าวชาวโรตารี่) on Rotary FB Channel, when viewing Rotarians, including the DGE,
contributed ideas real-time during the broadcast
• January 11, 2019: Meeting with PP Likit Limrosruay from RC Bangkok Ratanakosin and founder of the Yannawa RCC (Rotary Community Corps) and the Elderly School.
• End of January: Creating an FB page. There are already 32 members on the Rotary Time Bank chat group; 8 from RCB, but without comment.
• February 2019: Community needs survey in the Yannawa District, in parallel to the students and graduates from the School for the Elders who are from various locations of Bangkok.
• 14 – Kickoff by introducing the project to nearly 300 graduates and current students (each of the approx. 100 in each class are over 60 years old and meets every Friday for the 11-month course)
• Aug. 12 – Official opening of the Rotary Services Time Bank
Next steps:
After launching the Rotary Services Time Bank, there would be an assessment in preparation for a two-pronged upgrade
1. Obtaining a Global Grant for a sustainable project that would be expanded across different Rotary districts and rolled over for years
2. Seeking government-sponsored status to receive funding for the program
.
The Elderly School of the Yannawa RCC (Rotary Community Corps) under the sponsorship of the Rotary Club of Bangkok Ratanakosin, the first-ever Rotary club that has been officially incorporated as a “Public Service Organization” by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. The official status enable the club to get the Elderly Funds under the provisions of the Elders Act of B.E. 2546 (2003 A.D.) to run programs for the elders.