Rotary Information – July 2019 Enjoy Rotary

by PP Ateeb Maskati

President Pornchai assigned me to prepare Rotary Information for you in this Rotary year.

And as we start a new Rotary year, now in our 89th year of service, I thought it would be fitting to recollect the words of Sir Isaac Newton. He made the famous remark “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”. We have had some giants in our club such as our founding father HRH Prince Purachatra, HH Prince Dhani, HRH Prince Wan and RI Director Phraya Srivisar Vacha. Those times were formative and defining moments for the Rotary Club of Bangkok and Rotary in Thailand. When Prince Dhani, the last of the club’s charter members passed away on 9th September 1974, I was only 12 years old! I did not have the honor of knowing these great personalities. But in later times we had some new giants and one was PDG Nelson Alexander whom I was fortunate to know and be mentored by in my early Rotary years. These leaders knew the value of cultivating leadership and handing over leadership to the next generations of succeeding Rotarian club leaders. I believe our club continues to be strong today from such wisdom and foundations laid down by past leaders.

So I would like to share with you a brief anecdote of Rotarian Nelson Alexander that I witnessed. For those of you who did not know him, in short he was one of those devoted, super passionate Rotarians only enhanced by his brilliant oratory skills and a photographic memory of names and facts that earned him the title “Encyclopedia of Rotary”. So one Rotary Installation function after being felicitated for this 32nd year of perfect Rotary attendance he was asked the question “What is the secret of your success (meaning Rotary success)?” To which the brilliant orator replied in two words “Enjoy Rotary“! It did not have to be a complicated reply but coming from him, conveyed so much in its simplicity.

So I felt this should be the fitting message to start the new year with – the meaning in Enjoy Rotary is – do good, feel good, have fun in Rotary. Because if you and I don’t, none of the other Rotary Information that I could give would be worth much!

I would like to extend my congratulations to P. Pornchai and his Board of Directors and look forward to another exciting Rotary year of – do good, feel good, have fun as Rotary Connects the World.

Thank you – PP. Ateeb