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Dec. 8, 1999 |
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What Are We in Power For?
By
Dennis O. Valdés
Today we gather at the Stepping-Stone Learning
Center for our annual Christmas Gift Giving to the children. This year, we are not only
giving gifts to all the children but are including SSLC itself. With the approval of the
RCMA BOD, we are also giving a substantial cash gift to SSLC: P75,000 for the construction
of new classrooms at the site. The money comes from the funds raised during the 3rd Paul
Harris Cup earlier this year.
This is particularly important to note since we are now planning the
4th Paul Harris Cup. As we have repeatedly emphasized, RCMA only has one fund-raising
activity each year: the Paul Harris Cup. When we do this activity successfully, it funds
all of the charitable activities for the whole Rotary year. So let us show our support to
PE Paul Chuatico by doing our utmost to raise funds for his year.
To introduce everyone more to SSLC - what it is all about and how we do
help, we have invited its President, Rotarian Boy Sevilla to be our Guest Speaker and talk
to us about the Center. Boy and IPP Miguel have been working together for around five
years now, and SSLC has rapidly expanded and improved in that time.
Another activity we have that is funded by the Paul Harris Cup is our
Monthly Medical Missions. As of today, we have done 6 for the Rotary year, exactly on pace
for one each month. Credit goes to Community Service Director Dong Abad Santos for the
excellent work and dedication he has shown in planning this each and every month.
Actually, to be honest this month we almost did skip the Medical
Mission. First of all, Dir. Dong and I were full up and had no space on our schedules.
Luckily - and this is the learning that has touched me throughout this Rotary year - there
was an RCMA'er willing to pitch in and take the reins to make sure the show would go on.
Grammarians will cite me for that terrible mixed metaphor, but that is actually an apt
introduction to the selfless guy who pitched in: Secretary Alvin Co, who is also Assistant
Community Service Director.
So this past weekend, Alvin led an RCMA two-project weekend. On
Saturday, he brought ten of our Rotaractors to Tagaytay Highlands' Camp Highlands for a
day of swimming, camping, and just general fun - our thanks for their excellent support at
all of our Medical Missions thus far. I believe he also introduced them to the addictive
game of Pusoy Dos, so it is quite probable that our Rotaractors' grades will be suffering
in the near term.
After a night of good clean fun (at least that is what Ann Becky
assures me!), the group went straight to the Medical/Dental Mission 6 on Sunday at
Barangay Kalabuso in Tagaytay. Here is where Dir. Al had a chance to show his true
dedication to RCMA. Faced with a last-minute back out by all of our 6 doctors, Al
contacted PP Sammy Tanchoco, arranged to drive to Manila early Sunday morning to pick up
PP Sammy and then drive back to Tagaytay. Thus, the mission was saved by the presence of
two doctors. Congratulations and many thanks again to Sec. Al. I can already visualize RY
2002...
I'd also like to thank Dir. Carey de Venecia, who organized a highly
successful Cigar Night 5 at Kipling's in the Mandarin last Thursday. There were 18
RCMA'ers there, including Dir. Eugene Go, who is busy planning our upcoming Christmas
Party next week. Dir. Eugene and my wife, Tessa, have decided to hold the Christmas Party
at the Urdaneta Village Association Clubhouse in Makati. Appropriate announcements will be
faxed to everyone, so just stay tuned!
Before you all think na party na lang tayo for the rest of the year,
there's one last important civic activity left for the year. This Friday, the 10th, we are
inaugurating a Deep Well at RVC Rizal. We are just finalizing a few more details before we
can also finish the installation of a UV filter system to this deep well, thus
guaranteeing the community potable water year-round - a great source of income for the
RVC.
All this will be done during the joint Christmas parties of our two
RVC's: Rizal and Pembo. All RCMA'ers are invited to attended and I certainly hope to see
you all there.
Next week, all of us are also invited to the District Christmas Party
on the 13th at the Westin Philippine Plaza. Please let me know if you would like tickets
to be able to attend this event.
Well, this being our traditional Stepping-Stone day, I forecast that we
are also having our traditional Stepping-Stone breakfast c/o Treas. Bobby Roxas' A&W.
I'm sure we shall all enjoy it...
PS - Congratulations to our RY 2001-2002 Team:
President: Mon Mayuga
Secretary: Carey de Venecia
Treasurer: Jun Ymson
Directors: Dong Abad Santos, Titos Almendral, George Lagos, RJ Ledesma, Roberto Otto, Dong
Rosal, Ralby Tambunting and Rico Tan. |
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