Joiint Meeting with RC Rizal West and RC Makati Edsa

Last Thursday, August 08, 2013, was our club's first joint meeting with other clubs in the District this rotary with RC Rizal West (RCRW, our "mother club") and RC Makati Edsa, held at the Makati Sports Club. The topic was "Rotary in Action: RCRW Projects in the Avenues of Service".

The three First Class Presidents with guest from RC Singapore. The latter is a sister club of RCRW for many years now. President Meann de Leon on the left.

The program.

There were four speakers that night, all from RCRW. The first speaker was PP Fritz Ocampo and he talked how they were able to convert an abandoned, half-finished building in Upper Bicutan into a busy structure with lots of health, education, livelihood and other community projects and activities.

Second speaker was PP Elsa Villanueva and she talked about their club's various educational, literacy and other community projects.

The two other speakers were PP Jules Nidea and PP Andy Pages.
Below, group photo with members and officers of the three clubs plus guest from RC Singapore and his family.

Our club group picture, with PDG Billy Villareal and guest from RC Singapore.

Another group picture during the fellowships after the formal meeting.

 e
After the formal meeting, there was a fellowship.There were several singing and dancing numbers, funny. Here, some women from the 3 clubs singing "Dancing Queen" by Abba.

During my term as Club President in RY 2006-2007, we held 3 or 4 joint meetings with RCRW. My classmate that time was PP Boboy Intal. RCRW is very kind to its "daughter clubs" like ours.

See also: 
Popularizing Rotary’s Projects and Events, August 01, 2013
Fellowship, After Four Club Talks, August 03, 2013 

Charter President Bobby Dimayuga

The Rotary Club of Taguig Fort Bonifacio, RI District 3830, was chartered on March 29, 2000. It was sponsored by RC Rizal West, our mother club. The Charter President was Bobby Dimayuga.

I think it was the first time in several years that CP Bob has discussed again how the club was created, who were the members, circumstances behind its creation, in his talk last April 08, 2013, held at Metro Club, Rockwell, Makati. Below, Peace President Rose Antonio giving the plaque of appreciation to CP Bob after his talk.

Bob said that in 1999-2000, Fort Bonifacio was mostly cogonal and grassland, with just very few buildings standing. When they were approached by RC Rizal West, he was just around 36 years old, gaining momentum for his career, was not rich, and was wondering how he can help others, the needy people, when he himself was not really financially stable then.

Besides, Fort Bonifacio was a generally lonely place then, whom will they recruit to the club except his officemates and some friends in the area. So if he sees his officemates at daytime, he will see them again weekly, not a cool idea.

But then the guys at RC Rizal West were persistent, and after several meetings, an election of club officers was held, he was being "set up" by his friends and charter members to become the Charter President. He could no longer back out, so he went ahead to preside the new club.

It was a blessing for him, he recounted. Because his friends and network among professionals and businessmen has suddenly expanded in the District. And while he thought that a weekly meeting was "too much", after several months, he got used to meeting the members weekly. When there are weeks that there were no meetings, say due to bad weather or a holiday, he was missing his clubmates. Guys that later became Presidents of the Club too -- PPs Charles Mercado, Jed Inciong, Caloy Morante, Joel Ciron, Romel Villegas.

Giving community services were made easier with the help of District officials and our mother club. An Interact Club was also established at R. Papa High School. Bob recalled that while he was spending extra for the various club activities and community projects, he noticed that somehow new resources were also coming unto him rather unexpectedly.

It was nice to hear CP Bob sharing what it was during his term -- last quarter of RY 1999-2000, and full RY 2000-2001. I joined the club in late 2004. Carlos "Caloy" Morante was the President then. PP Joel Ciron invited me to the club.

Group photo after Bob's talk. From left, standing: a guest (sorry, I forgot his name), Marco Pagaduan, PP Norlan de Leon, me , PP Niel Antonio, PP Romel Villegas. Sitting, from left: President-Elect Meann de Leon (wife of Norlan), Peace President Rose Antonio, and CP Bob.

A wacky pose :-)

Thanks for that insightful and wonderful evening, CP Bob. I appreciated the club and its history even more with what you shared with us that night.

On Servant Leadership, PDG Sonny Coloma

Our mother club (they chartered the creation of our club in March 2000), RC Rizal West, through their Peace President Elsa, invited us to their first meeting of the current RY last July 05, 2012, Thursday night, Makati Sports Club. The main speaker was Past District Governor (PDG) Sonny Coloma. Gov. Sonny is also working now at the Office of the President in Malacanang, the 2nd or 3rd time he joined government. His main job is being a professor of management at the AIM.

I am a big fan of Gov. Sonny, along with many other PDGs of our district, like Jimmy Cura, Rafael "Butch" Francisco, my Governor in RY 2006-07, Ed Alvarez, many others. Gov Sonny is a soft-spoken, good humored, articulate speaker. In one of his talks several years ago, he called me as among his favorite bloggers. He was kidding of course.

   

He was introduced by Gov. Jimmy Cura, That night, Gov. Sonny talked about servant leadership, the characteristics of a good, listening, leader. Among the nice quotes I heard from him: 

 * Listening, the reason why we have two ears and one mouth, is so that we can hear and listen more, before we speak. 

* Healing, letting go of the past, or mending ways, offer a hand or ear of healing past conflict and misunderstanding. 

* Empathy, consideration. 

* Many others. 

I also like his description of Fort Bonifacio (that's where our club is based) -- "Fort Bonifacio is an island of Taguig surrounded by Makati" -- haha, so true

.

Lower right photo, that's me, after I gave a few comments during the open forum :-) Not a question, I said that I like Gov Sonny's talk especially on listening. I remember what my friend said, "Talk is cheap because the supply is larger than the demand." I don't remember now the second comment I made....